“Laugh out loud . . . I flew through it . . . I was totally hooked.” —Goodreads reviewer, five stars A sleuthing librarian and her friends spend Halloween at a generations-old estate where they discover murder runs in the family . . . Prunella Pearce, Bree, and the other ladies of the Winterbottom Women’s Institute are planning to spend Halloween at the Montgomery Hall Hotel murder-mystery weekend—just as the historical venue’s past comes back to haunt it. The hotel is now in the incapable hands of Tarragon Montgomery, with its faltering finances overseen by elderly matriarch Cecily. Meanwhile, the local actress hired to play Psychic Selma for the weekend has been replaced by an impostor. But who is she, and what is her agenda? Pru and Bree have some experience solving mysteries, but as Montgomery Hall is engulfed by a storm and the bodies start piling up, they may need a little assistance from Pru’s delectable detective, Andy Barnes, in order to crack the case . . .

The first three “warm, cozy crime capers” in the witty series starring a librarian turned detective by the author of the Constable Mavis Upton novels (Jill’s Book Cafe). This three-in-one volume includes: Murders at the Winterbottom Women’s Institute Librarian Prunella Pearce has begun a new life in the village of Winterbottom, where there’s little social life to be had aside from the meetings of the Winterbottom Women’s Institute. But excitement ensues when the group is due to elect a new president—and the nominees begin dropping like flies . . . Murders at the Montgomery Hall Hotel Prunella and her friends are spending Halloween at an old estate that’s been converted into a hotel. But between a mysterious impostor and some dead bodies, Pru realizes they may need a little assistance from her detective associate to crack the case . . . Murders at the Rookery Grange Retreat Pru is preparing for her wedding. But after one of her friends suffers a suspicious accident at a rest home, she is on alert. And when one of the residents is asphyxiated with a pillow, no one can rest easy . . .

A baker’s New Year’s Eve catering gig on a private island winds up being a countdown to murder . . . Devon’s queen of desserts, Shilpa Solanki, has a chance to spend New Year’s on a rich man’s private island. All she has to do is teach a cooking class and bake an exquisite cake befitting the birthday of a spoiled young heiress. When the birthday girl suddenly collapses like an overdone soufflé, signs point to murder. With family secrets, a looming inheritance, and potential suspects scattered across the island, Shilpa’s got her sleuthing work cut out for her. But will she find the killer, have her cake, and be able to eat it, too?

When a charity’s annual dinner becomes a murder scene, Aubrey the cat donates his sleuthing services . . . In addition to feeding the felines Aubrey and Vincent, Jeremy Goodman has a new responsibility: filling a recently vacated trustee role at a local charity that works tirelessly to house the homeless. Jeremy is initially enthusiastic—but soon begins to suspect that all is not as it seems at the nonprofit’s headquarters. When the unexpected death of the Chairman of Trustees at the annual dinner fans the flame of suspicion, Jeremy puts up his guard. Aubrey and Vincent, and their new friend Eric, agree. It seems that charity may not always begin at home and that kindness can be a killer . . .

A sleuthing librarian and her friends embark on a fun-filled trip to a holiday camp—but death isn’t taking a holiday . . . June 1998: Elodie Marshall has committed a terrible crime. But when she’s deemed unfit to plead, she is sentenced to living within the confines of a mental health facility . . . Present day: Amateur detective Pru Pearce and her friends from the Winterbottom Women’s Institute are about to embark on their annual getaway. The 1960s Butlins-style Harmony Hollows Resort has caught their attention for a few reasons, including the northern ballroom championships and the unsolved double murder from 1983. But what the women thought was just a cold case soon steps into the present when a murderer, dubbed The Grim Sleeper, strikes. Soon, Pru and the other WI women are dragged deeper into the mysteries of both the past and present-day murders. But this is no evening entertainment—this is real life, and everyone is in danger . . . Can Pru uncover the truth before another innocent camper is offed? Or are her friends in Chalet 13 destined to meet a grisly end? This killer comedy is the latest in the series of “warm, cozy crime capers” by the author of the Constable Mavis Upton novels (Jill’s Book Café).

First in the humorous, poignant and moving series featuring Mavis Upton, an ordinary single mum who dives headfirst into fighting crime. Meet Mavis Upton. As mummy to seven-year-old Ella, surrogate to far too many pets and with a failed marriage under her belt, Mavis knows she needs to make some life-changing decisions. It’s time to strike out into the world, to stand on her own two feet . . . to pursue a lifelong ambition to become a Police Officer. I mean, what could go wrong? Supported by her quirky, malapropism-suffering mum, Mavis throws herself into a world of uncertainty, self-discovery, fearless escapades, laughter, and extra-large knickers. And using her newly discovered investigative skills, she reluctantly embarks on a search to find her errant dad who was last seen years before, making off with her mum’s much needed coupon for a fabulous foam cup bra all the way from America. Series praise “Laugh out loud brilliance, so witty and cleverly written.” —Samantha Magson “Hilarious! It’s true, everyone needs Mavis in their life.” —Sherrie Hewson “Such a terrific read!” —Lorraine Kelly

Murder has a long and distinguished history in San Francisco. The city and its Bay Area can stand proudly with Paris, London, and New York in the splendour of its misdeeds -- murders that have suspense, horror, audacity, and flair. The homicides chronicled in Murder by the Bay have been selected because a convergence of personality, circumstance, character, and geography makes them peculiarly San Franciscan. Each of these crimes illustrates an historic importance, each has impacted its times -- either in the course or application of the law or in the manner in which the affair revealed a shortcoming in society. They range from the Montgomery Street killing of James King of William, editor of the Daily Evening Bulletin, in 1856 to the sensational trial of early movie comedian Fatty Arbuckle who was accused of killing a showgirl at a party in the St. Francis Hotel to the shocking "City Hall Murders" in which former city supervisor Dan White killed Mayor George Moscone and Supervisor Harvey Milk. Most were solved, some were not. They are murders that fascinated the city and frequently the country, sometimes for weeks, often for years and even decades.