Poppy Harmon Investigates

Poppy Harmon Investigates
Author: Lee Hollis
Publisher: Kensington Cozies
Total Pages: 258
Release: 2018-07-31
Genre: Fiction
ISBN: 1496713907

Lee Hollis begins a delightful new series in which Poppy Harmon and her friends find that life after retirement can be much busier—and deadlier—than any of them ever anticipated . . . When Poppy goes from complacent retiree to penniless widow in a matter of weeks, the idea of spending her golden years as the biggest charity case in Palm Springs renders her speechless. With no real skills and nothing left to lose, Poppy uses her obsession with true crime shows to start a career as a private eye . . . But after opening the Desert Flowers Detective Agency with help from her two best friends, Violet and Iris, Poppy realizes that age brings wisdom, not business—until she convinces her daughter's handsome boyfriend, Matt, to pose as the face of the agency. It’s not long before Matt’s irresistible act snags a client desperate to retrieve priceless jewelry burglarized from an aging actress at the Palm Leaf Retirement Village. Or before Poppy stumbles upon the bloodied body of the victim’s arch rival . . . In a flash, Poppy’s innocent detective gig is upstaged by a dangerous murder investigation riddled with slimy suspects and unspeakable scandal. As she and her team uncover the truth, Poppy must confront the secrets about her late husband’s past and swiftly catch a killer lurking around the retirement community—even if it means turning her world upside down all over again.

Poppy Harmon and the Pillow Talk Killer

Poppy Harmon and the Pillow Talk Killer
Author: Lee Hollis
Publisher: Kensington Cozies
Total Pages: 335
Release: 2021-03-30
Genre: Fiction
ISBN: 1496730399

Private investigator Poppy Harmon likes the anonymity of working behind the scenes for the hottest names in Palm Springs. But when solving a case demands dragging her old acting career out of retirement, it’s lights . . . camera . . . murder! Cast in her first role since the 1980s, Poppy has never been more rattled or unprepared on a film set. It’s an embarrassing but necessary cover to keep an eye on client Danika Delgado, a rising starlet and social media influencer with a large following—including a dangerous stalker who won’t disappear. The leading lady’s fame is growing, and so are the threats against her life . . . Unfortunately for Poppy, there’s more to fear than flubbed lines. When she finds Danika smothered to death in her trailer at Joshua Tree National Park, the horrifying crime stirs up memories of a man known as the Pillow Talk Killer during her time as a young actress, bringing unsolved murders from the past back into focus . . . A trail of clues urges Poppy, hunky sidekick Matt Flowers, and the rest of the Desert Flowers Detective Agency gang on a frantic chase after Danika’s crazed #1 fan. But as co-stars and production crew members start looking equally suspicious, Poppy must expose a slew of insidious industry secrets before a murderer rolls out the red carpet for someone else . . .

Murder at the PTA

Murder at the PTA
Author: Lee Hollis
Publisher: Kensington
Total Pages: 338
Release: 2020-09-29
Genre: Fiction
ISBN: 1496724488

Desperate Housewives meets Murder, She Wrote, in Lee Hollis’s new mystery series, where a housewife and a female private eye solve murders together in their small Maine town! Someone is trying to turn Portland High into a school for scandal with a gossipy website called Dirty Laundry. The latest target of ruinous rumors is newly elected PTA president Sandra Wallage. After a heated meeting with outraged parents, Sandra runs into fellow school mom and private investigator Maya Kendrick, who's discovered the person behind the website. But when the women storm into the venomous gossip columnist’s office they find a lifeless body—along with a confession. Although the police rule the death a suicide, Maya suspects an injured party hung the Dirty Laundry creator out to dry. Maya already has a PI partner—but she's pregnant, and sonograms and stakeouts tend to conflict. So when Sandra volunteers for a crash course in sleuthing, Maya accepts the help. But as these unlikely partners study the clues, a killer plans to teach them a lesson . . .

Halloween Party Murder

Halloween Party Murder
Author: Leslie Meier
Publisher: Kensington Cozies
Total Pages: 114
Release: 2023-08-22
Genre: Fiction
ISBN: 1496745000

Small town traditions are celebrated throughout Maine during the holiday season. But when it comes to Halloween, some people are more than willing to reap a harvest of murder . . . HALLOWEEN PARTY MURDER by LESLIE MEIER Tinker’s Cove newest residents Ty and Heather Moon turn their Victorian home into a haunted house to raise funds for charity. But the Halloween fun turns to horrific fright when Heather overdoses on tainted drugs—and Ty finds himself accused of murder. Digging deep into the story, journalist Lucy Stone uncovers some sinister secrets in the Moons’ past linked to a conspiracy in her hometown . . .

Murder at the Bake Sale

Murder at the Bake Sale
Author: Lee Hollis
Publisher: Kensington Cozies
Total Pages: 321
Release: 2021-11-30
Genre: Fiction
ISBN: 1496730925

Maya and Sandra are friends, fellow moms, and private-detective partners in the picturesque waterfront city of Portland—where sometimes their cases can get as rocky as the Maine coast . . . While private investigator Maya Kendrick is still mentoring her new partner, PTA president Sandra Wallage, in the detective game, the two women don’t need incredible powers of deduction to know their marriages are on the rocks. With Maya’s ex-cop husband in prison and Sandra’s senator spouse separated from her, both find themselves investigating the dating scene. Until Diego Sanchez turns up dead. The flirtatious high school Spanish teacher who had eyes for Maya was poisoned by cookies from a bake sale fundraiser for a Portland High school class trip to Spain. Hired by the students to find out who killed their popular and beloved teacher—including their own children—Maya and Sandra get a real education in parenting, relationships, and murder as their search for whodunit leads them deep into the unpleasant realities found in the small town politics and gossip of their Maine community . . .

Murder at the Taffy Shop

Murder at the Taffy Shop
Author: Maddie Day
Publisher: Kensington Publishing Corporation
Total Pages: 305
Release: 2021-03-30
Genre: Fiction
ISBN: 1496731697

When her friend Gin, the owner of a taffy shop, is accused of murdering a wealthy genealogist, Cape Cod bicycle shop owner Mac Almeida must unwrap the clues with the help of the Cozy Capers crime solvers to solve this sticky case.

Death of a Cupcake Queen

Death of a Cupcake Queen
Author: Lee Hollis
Publisher: Kensington Cozies
Total Pages: 320
Release: 2015-05-26
Genre: Fiction
ISBN: 0758294549

The food and cocktails columnist at a local paper in Maine attends a lot of events—but her high school reunion will be murder . . . On the eve of her high school reunion, Hayley Powell dreads seeing the trio of mean girls who used to torment her: Sabrina Merryweather, Nykki Temple, and former prom queen Ivy Foster. These days Ivy wears a different crown as the cupcake queen—and flaunting her success is just the icing on the cake. But maybe the prom queen should have been voted Most Likely to Die. At the reunion, Ivy is found murdered, cupcakes scattered around her. Is a killer out to teach the mean girls a lesson? As Hayley tries to get the scoop, she’ll have to be careful . . . or someone may be writing this columnist’s obituary next. Includes seven delectable recipes from Hayley’s kitchen! “This funny and quick-paced series keeps getting better.” —RT Book Reviews

Haunted House Murder

Haunted House Murder
Author: Leslie Meier
Publisher: Kensington Cozies
Total Pages: 103
Release: 2022-07-26
Genre: Fiction
ISBN: 1496741447

Falling leaves, chill winds, shorter days . . . and spooky houses. Halloween in Maine transports part-time reporter Lucy Stone into cozy heaven. Until someone goes missing . . . A woman with many hats, Lucy Stone is rarely on time, but she’s never too late to catch the important news in the Maine coastal town of Tinker’s Cove. Sometimes it might even make the front page of the Pennysaver, the town’s weekly paper. For example, the latest out of the basement town hall meeting is that the dilapidated house across the street from the elementary school will not be condemned. In fact, a local inspection has proved it’s structurally sound. Even more surprising, newcomers to Tinker’s Cove are about to close on their soon-to-be new home. Despite rumors that the house is a haven for ghosts, Ty and Heather Moon soon take residence. But strangely, they’re not exactly receptive to the town’s welcoming committee. Odder still are the noises and flickering lights erupting from the house at all hours. And when a local boy goes missing near the house, it’s up to Lucy Stone to unravel the mystery of the eccentric couple and their increasingly frightful behavior.

Yule Log Murder

Yule Log Murder
Author: Leslie Meier
Publisher: Kensington Cozies
Total Pages: 128
Release: 2022-09-27
Genre: Fiction
ISBN: 1496741471

Previously published in the anthology Yule Log Murder Fresh-baked cookies, pies, and cakes can warm even the frostiest Christmases in coastal Maine. But there’s little room for holiday cheer when murder is the new seasonal tradition . . . Lucy Stone is thrilled to be cast as an extra in a festive period film—until the set becomes a murder scene decorated in blood and buttercream icing. Returning to her role as sleuth, Lucy dashes to restore peace to Tinker’s Cove, unwrap a cold-hearted criminal’s MO, and reveal how one ornate Yule log cake could possibly cause so much drama.

Mr. Monk Goes to Hawaii

Mr. Monk Goes to Hawaii
Author: Lee Goldberg
Publisher: Penguin
Total Pages: 305
Release: 2006-07-05
Genre: Fiction
ISBN: 1101210702

Some people think Hawaii is paradise. But Monk knows that danger—like dirt—lurks everywhere. Look at Helen Gruber, the rich tourist who took a fatal blow from a coconut. The police say it fell from a tree, but Monk suspects otherwise. His assistant, Natalie, isn’t exactly thrilled about Monk’s latest investigation. It was bad enough that Monk followed her on vacation, and now it looks as though the vacation is over.... Smooth-talking TV psychic Dylan Swift is on the island and claims to have a message from beyond—from Helen Gruber. Monk has his doubts about Swift’s credibility. But finding the killer and proving Swift a fraud—all while coping with geckos and the horror of unsynchronized ceiling fans—may prove a tough coconut to crack....