| | October Releases from Berkley Prime Crime & Obsidian Mysteries | | | |
| Dead with the Wind
Miranda James An'gel and Dickce Ducote tend to stay put in Athena, Mississippi, but a wedding is a good reason to say a temporary farewell to Charlie Harris's cat Diesel and go visit relatives. But while their stay in Louisiana is scorching hot, the atmosphere at the wedding is downright cold, with bride- to-be Sondra Delevan putting her trust fund above little things like love and loyalty. When a violent storm supposedly sweeps Sondra off a balcony to her death, the sisters discover that many of the guests attending the wedding had major reasons to object to Sondra's marriage. Now, it's up to An'gel and Dickce to use their down- home instincts to expose dubious alibis, silver-plated secrets, and one relentless murderer who lives for "till death do us part." 
 
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| Murder, Plainly Read
Isabella Alan With so much to do between running her shop and spending time with her new boyfriend, it's amazing Angie is able to help organize the Rolling Brook library's annual book sale. Luckily she's working alongside brash librarian Austina Shaker, a lady who isn't afraid to make waves to get books to her patrons--even the Amish. Unfortunately, this draws the ire of cranky Bartholomew Belier, an Old Order Amish bishop, who publicly vows to ruin Austina. And she certainly might be ruined after Belier is found dead in her bookmobile. Now Angie must employ the help of her loyal quilting circle--as well as her beloved French bulldog, Oliver--if she hopes to prove Austina's innocence before the real killer books it...
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| Floral Depravity
Beverly Allen As the co-owner of the Rose in Bloom Flower Shop, Audrey knows how to put together unique wedding bouquets, but this one takes the cake. The daughter of a local historian is getting married in a medieval-themed, hand-fasting ceremony, and Audrey is responsible for providing period-accurate blooms. But making sure she gets her roses right turns out to be the least of Audrey's problems. Shortly after the vows are exchanged, the father of the groom suddenly drops dead. When Audrey discovers the man's death stems from monkshood poisoning, it's a clear-cut case of murder. Now, faced with a suspect list that rivals the guest list, Audrey needs to root out the toxic killer...
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| Murder, She Wrote: The Ghost & Mrs. Fletcher
Donald Bain, Jessica Fletcher, Renee Paley-Bain Jessica's friend, Eve Simpson is the town's premier real estate agent and has recently taken on the task of selling one of Cabot Cove's oldest properties-the Spencer Percy House, built in 1805 by a sea captain for his young wife. Its current occupant, Joe Cooper, a crusty former carpenter, is convinced he's about to die and wants the house sold so he can give the proceeds to his grandson, who spent much of his youth there. But Eve's got quite a challenge on her hands. Not only is the building in deplorable physical condition, it is also rumored to be haunted. When Joe's deadly premonition becomes a reality, Dr. Seth Hazlitt is not so sure the man died of natural causes. As Jessica tries to get to the bottom of Joe Cooper's death, a medium hired by Eve attempts to rid the house of the alleged apparition. But if Jessica isn't careful, she may be the one who joins the ranks of the dearly departed.
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| Ghost of a Potion
Heather Blake In the latest from the bestselling author of One Potion in the Grave, it’s Halloween in Hitching Post, Alabama, and potion shop owner Carly Bell Hartwell has an especially spooky customer to handle… With all the ghosts that haunt her at this time of year, Carly doesn’t exactly rush to celebrate Halloween. Even a costume ball organized by her boyfriend Dylan’s mother, Patricia Davis Jackson, holds little allure. But to please Dylan, who wants peace between the two women, Carly reluctantly agrees to go. Gossip around town is that architect Haywood Dodd plans to make a big announcement at the party. But before he can address the crowd, he’s found dead with Patricia standing over him, holding the murder weapon. Anxious to clear Patricia’s name and perhaps broker a truce with her, Carly would love to use her snooping skills to find the real killer. Only she has bigger problems to deal with—ghosts are flocking to her for help, including a very persistent Haywood Dodd…
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| The Big Chili
Julia Buckley Lilah Drake's Covered Dish business discreetly provides the residents of Pine Haven, Illinois, with delicious, fresh-cooked meals they can claim they cooked themselves. But when one of her clandestine concoctions is used to poison a local woman, Lilah finds herself in a pot- load of trouble... After dreaming for years of owning her own catering company, Lilah has made a start into the food world through her Covered Dish business, covertly cooking for her neighbors who don't have the time or skill to do so themselves, and allowing them to claim her culinary creations as their own. While her clientele is strong, their continued happiness depends on no one finding out who's really behind the apron. So when someone drops dead at a church Bingo night moments after eating chili that Lilah made for a client, the anonymous chef finds herself getting stirred into a cauldron of secrets, lies, and murder--and going toe to toe with a very determined and very attractive detective. To keep her clients coming back and her business under wraps, Lilah will have to chop down the list of suspects fast, because this spicy killer has acquired a taste for homicide...
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| Gossamer Ghost
Laura Childs The New York Times bestselling author of Gilt Trip returns to New Orleans for scrapbooking, Halloween, and homicide... Scrapbook shop owner Carmela Bertrand is ready to head out and enjoy her night until she hears some strange noises coming from Oddities, the neighboring antiques shop, and decides to investigate. Her evening plans are abruptly put on hold when out of a curio cabinet--and into her arms-- falls the bloody body of Oddities owner Marcus Joubert. While Joubert was known for being an eccentric, Carmela never thought he could inspire the passion required to kill--until she learns a priceless death mask was also stolen. As the mystery grows, so does the list of suspects, leaving Carmela with the feeling that it will take every trick in the book to unmask the killer thief before there's another night of murderous mischief... Scrapbooking Tips and Recipes Included!
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| Parchment and Old Lace
Laura Childs, Terrie Farley Moran Carmela couldn't imagine a finer evening than dinner at Commander's Palace with her beau, Detective Edgar Babcock. The food and the company are equally divine--with the exception of Isabelle Black stopping by to brag about her upcoming wedding. Resuming the romance with a walk in the evening air, the couple is interrupted once again--this time by a terrifying scream from inside the cemetery. Having just seen Isabelle, Carmela and Edgar now find her lying across an aboveground tomb, strangled to death with a piece of vintage lace. Carmela would rather leave the investigating to Edgar, but she can't say no to Isabelle's sister Ellie, the tarot card reader at Juju Voodoo, when she asks her to help. As she untangles the enemies of Isabelle's past, Carmela hopes she can draw out the killer before someone else gets cold feet. INCLUDES SCRAPBOOKING TIPS
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| A Gala Event
Sheila Connolly The fall harvest may be just about over, but orchard owner Meg Corey is busier than ever planning her wedding to Seth Chapin. Who knew picking apples would be less work than picking out rings and a dress? And even though the happy couple has invited most of Granford, Massachusetts, to the ceremony, they might have to make room for one more guest... Ex-con Aaron Eastman has unexpectedly reappeared in his hometown, searching for answers to the tragic fire in his family's past that put him behind bars twenty-five years ago. Moved by his sincerity, Meg vows to do everything she can to help him solve the cold case. As she cobbles together the clues, it becomes increasingly clear that Aaron may have been considered the bad seed of the family, but someone else was one bad apple... Includes Delicious Recipes!
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| Ghost Wanted
Carolyn Hart The New York Times bestselling author of Ghost Gone Wild treats readers to another visitation by ghostly gumshoe Bailey Ruth Raeburn as she lends a hand to an ethereal matchmaker who haunts a library... Bailey Ruth's supervisor, Wiggins, is worried about a dear old friend-- the ghost of elegant Lorraine Marlow, who haunts Adelaide, Oklahoma�s college library. Known as the Lady of the Roses, she plays matchmaker, using the fragrant flowers to pair up students. But someone's making mischief after hours, leaving roses strewn about the library and stealing a valuable book. Concerned with Lorraine's reputation among the living, Wiggins dispatches Bailey Ruth to investigate. Soon trouble begins to stack up. A campus security guard is shot by an intruder, and Bailey Ruth uncovers a catalog of evidence blaming a student for the crimes. But something isn't adding up, so with police preparing to make an arrest, the spirited detective must find the real culprit. Because when justice is overdue, it takes more than death to stop Bailey Ruth Raeburn...
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| Ghost to the Rescue
Carolyn Hart When you wish upon a star, you get...Bailey Ruth? You do if you're a little girl whose mom needs help and you touch the soft heart of Supervisor Wiggins at Heaven's Department of Good Intentions. Granted it's not the usual task of an emissary, but then again Bailey Ruth is not your usual emissary. So Wiggins dispatches the spunky spirit to her old hometown of Adelaide, Oklahoma, to help a single mother and struggling writer find some creative solutions to her problems. Deidre Davenport is just about broke, trying to support her two children, and has her hopes pinned on getting a faculty job with the Goddard College English department. Jay Knox, who is in charge of the writer's conference she's participating in, will decide who gets the job, but he's more interested in her body than her body of work. Not long after his advances are rejected, Knox turns up dead--and Deirdre's fingerprints are found on the murder weapon. Bailey Ruth knows Deirdre is innocent, and that the professor's lewd behavior is bound to have rubbed others the wrong way. Now she must find out who really knocked off Knox...if Deirdre and her family are ever going to have a happy ending.
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| Just Killing Time
Julianne Holmes Ruth Clagan may be an expert clockmaker, but she's always had a tendency to lose track of time. And when trying to solve a murder, every minute counts... Ruth's beloved grandfather instilled in her a love of timepieces. Unfortunately after her grandmother died and he remarried, Ruth and Grandpa Thom became estranged. She's wanted to reconnect after her recent divorce, but sadly they've run out of time. Her grandfather has been found dead after a break-in at his shop--and the police believe he was murdered. Now Ruth has been named the heir to Grandpa Thom's clock shop, the Cog & Sprocket, in the small Berkshire town of Orchard, Massachusetts. As soon as she moves into the small apartment above the shop and begins tackling the heaps of unfinished work, Ruth finds herself trying to stay on the good side of Grandpa's bossy gray cat, Bezel, while avoiding the step- grandmother she never wanted. But as old secrets and grudges start to surface, Ruth will have to kick into high gear to solve the killer case before someone else winds up dead...
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| Looking for Mr. Good Witch
Joyce and Jim Lavene A sea witch has been leaving bodies in her wake up and down the Carolina coast, baffling authorities who are finding drowning victims with no water in their lungs. The fin-icky female will continue to kill young male witches until she finds her perfect man--the one who survives her mating ritual--so she can live for another hundred years. And now coven hopeful Brian Fuller is about to be ensnared in her net. Retired witches Molly and Elsie, along with the ghost of Olivia and her daughter Dorothy, need all the help they can get to stop the sea witch. Aided by a selkie and a creme puff- craving mermaid, theyr'e determined to keep Brian out of her murky clutches. But are they all about to get in over their heads?
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| The Skeleton Haunts a House
Leigh Perry What holiday could bring more warmth to a skeleton's chest cavity than Halloween? And when you're a living skeleton who's not supposed to be seen outside the house, it's a welcome chance to get some fresh air and rub bony elbows with people. That's why Sid doesn't mind wearing a full-body dog suit and going as Scooby-Doo along with Georgia Thackery's Velma to the Halloween Howl. Sid can't wait to go through the Haunted House--but he gets rattled for real when a genuine dead body is discovered. Trapped inside as the police quickly seal off the crime scene, Sid makes no bones about dropping the dog suit and posing as an actual skeleton. This murder is a skull-scratcher, but as long as Sid is on the inside, he might as well case the joint to figure out who used the cover of darkness to commit the perfect crime...
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| Death on the High Lonesome
Frank Hayes The author of Death at the Black Bull returns to the Southwestern town of Haywood where the onset of winter ushers in a new mystery for Sheriff Virgil Dalton... Virgil knows that his sleepy hometown is starting to reflect the times, in good ways and bad. It still comes as a shock when his deputy is almost killed by the body of a woman falling from the highway overpass onto his car. A woman who had been fleeing for her life... Then longtime resident Velma Thompson is found dead on her porch�her husband missing. To search for the man, Virgil saddles up and heads to the High Lonesome, the rugged mountains above their ranch. And on a wind-swept mesa, he�ll find the first clues that point to a killer whose body count has only just begun...
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| Trick or Deadly Treat
Livia J. Washburn It’s Halloween in Weatherford, Texas—which means Phyllis Newsom is baking up a storm of yummy seasonal treats…but she’s about to get even busier unmasking a killer. While Phyllis and her friend Carolyn are preparing for a baking contest, her housemate Sam adopts Buck, an adorable Dalmatian who was hit by a car. To thank local veterinarian Hank Baxter for helping the dog, Phyllis and Carolyn bake a batch of doggie treats for his other four-legged patients. But when they arrive at the clinic, the vet is in the process of being arrested—for the murder of his wife! Convinced that the police are barking up the wrong tree and that someone’s been burying evidence, Sam begs Phyllis to help find the real killer. Joined by Buck, the friends engage in a dogged pursuit of the murderer, who will stop at nothing to muzzle them…permanently. Includes Recipes
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| Faux Paw
Sofie Kelly Magical cats Owen and Hercules from A Midwinter's Tail are back and ready to help librarian Kathleen Paulson pounce on a killer art thief... Normally, the arrival of an art exhibition at the Mayville Heights library would be cause for celebration. But thanks to the overbearing curator and high-tech security system that comes with it, Kathleen's life has been completely disrupted. Even Owen and Hercules have been affected, since their favorite human doesn't seem to have a spare moment to make their favorite fish crackers or listen to Barry Manilow. But when Kathleen stops by the library late one night and finds the curator sprawled on the floor--and the exhibition's most valuable sketch missing--it's suddenly time to canvass a crime scene. Now Kathleen, her detective boyfriend Marcus, and her clever cats have to sniff out a murderous thief, before anyone else has a brush with death...
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| Murder at the Queen's Masquerade
Amanda Carmack Queen Elizabeth’s chief musician Kate Haywood must unmask a thief and murderer in this Elizabethan Mystery Novella from the author of Murder at Westminster Abbey… 1560. Whispered speculations drift through the shadows of Windsor Castle. Who are the Queen’s suitors? Who is her heir? To distract her political enemies from gossip, Queen Elizabeth stages a masquerade ball… Tasked with organizing the lavish preparations, Kate, the Queen’s musician, is overjoyed when her dearest friend, Lady Violet, arrives at court, eager and willing to help. Accompanied by her demanding mother-in-law, Violet welcomes any opportunity that will rescue her from the attentions of her husband’s mother. But just days before the masquerade, one of the Queen’s guards is found dead in front of the chamber that holds her most precious jewels. With no sign of foul play, the court believes the man perished from natural causes, but Kate suspects otherwise. And when Her Majesty’s pearl pendant necklace, an heirloom from her mother, Anne Boleyn, disappears on the night of the ball, Kate must once again play sleuth to uncover the culprit’s identity among the aristocratic masked merrymakers… “Amanda Carmack’s talent for creating a richly drawn setting, populating it with fully realized characters, and giving them a tight and engaging narrative is unparalleled.” —New York Times bestselling author Tasha Alexander INCLUDES A PREVIEW OF MURDER AT WHITEHALL, COMING DECEMBER 2015
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| 1) At the start of Trick or Deadly Treat, our heroine Phyllis Newsom is whipping up a storm of yummy seasonal treats for Weatherford’s Halloween baking contest. What inspired you to set the series in small-town Texas?
I grew up just down the road from Weatherford, in what is really a small Texas town. Weatherford is a major city in comparison. Weatherford was just the right size where major crimes could reasonably happen, but still have small town attitude.
2) Which of the characters in the Fresh-Baked Mystery series is most like someone you know in real life?
All of them. My mother was a teacher and this series was written with her and her teacher friends in mind, while using characteristics from some of my daughters’ teacher friends as well. None of the fictional characters are based on anyone in particular. It's more of a case of blending qualities from all of them. When I created this series my mother was the treasurer of her chapter of the retired teachers organization, and I wrote the first book honoring her. Sadly dementia claimed her reading ability before the first book, A Peach of a Murder, was published.
3) Phyllis and her friends are avid bakers. Are you a baker in real life? What is your favorite kind of treat to make?
I’m a "by the seat of your pants" baker. I learned to bake using a dab of this and a spoonful of that. It was a real eye opener when I had to write down the exact amount I was throwing into the mix. It was very frustrating when I’d painfully measure everything until the last ingredient and realize I’d just tossed it in. It meant I had to start over, carefully measuring each ingredient.
My favorite treat would be cookies and I especially enjoy the Oatmeal Delight cookies that were in Killer Crab Cakes.
4) Could you share a little with us about your writing process? Do you write from an outline or free form? How do you come up with ideas?
I always have an outline before trying to even write the first chapter. It’s difficult enough to keep up with the clues without trying to do that by the seat of your pants. Just the opposite of baking. Ideas come from reading, mixing fiction with non-fiction. When my youngest daughter saw the poison book I was intensely going through, she informed me that if her daddy died of any mysterious ailment, she was telling the cops about my books. She was just kidding, I think.
5) What kinds of hobbies do you enjoy doing when you’re not writing?
I love to work with wood. When my husband and I first married, we built our home from the ground up. When I say the ground up, actually it started below ground. We dug the septic system with a shovel and a jackhammer. Made the foundation with a small electric cement mixer, carrying the cement in a wheel barrow and buckets. It’s amazing what you can actually do yourself when you try.
6) Who are some of your favorite authors? Do you have a favorite book or genre that you like reading the most?
I fell in love with food mysteries when I read my first Nero Wolfe mystery, and I enjoy the twists and turns Ellery Queen would put into a story. Phyllis is a little of Ellery Queen, and Caroline has a bunch of Nero Wolfe in her. The series I’m currently reading is the humorous Deadwood mysteries by Ann Charles. I do enjoy the mix of humor, ghosts, and mysteries she put in this series.
7) Is writing your dream job? Have you ever considered any other careers and if so, what are they?
Well, of course it’s my dream job. How many jobs can you do in your pajamas while daydreaming? I did enjoy building houses. I’ve helped family with their homes, too. But unfortunately that can’t be done in your pajamas with a pair of Chihuahua/Min Pins curled up in your lap. Who am I to deny the ankle biters a human bed?
Dear Readers,
I am very excited about THE BIG CHILI, my first Berkley title in The Undercover Dish series! I have a fondness for my characters that one might have for her own family, and so I thought I’d introduce them to you as I might introduce my own siblings or children, summing up their strengths and weaknesses and highlighting what makes them loveable—or otherwise.
First there is Lilah Drake, my amateur sleuth. Lilah is young and ambitious and has a flair for the culinary arts; she works in her parents’ Realty office by day while dreaming of being a gourmet caterer at night. She always has a song in her head, and her friends use this as a way to gauge her mood. She has a best friend named Jenny Braidwell who teaches third grade, and a brother named Cameron whom she admires but also finds irritating. She has no love life to speak of since her last disastrous relationship.
Angelo Cardelini is Lilah’s ex—he is a handsome Italian restauranteur in Pine Haven, and Lilah dated him for a full year before calling it quits. What can we say about Angelo? He has deep brown eyes, dark curls and loads of charisma, but Lilah’s brother assures her that men named for angels feel obliged to be the opposite, and Lilah learns that the hard way. Still, Lilah must learn to accept Angelo, because his restaurant is a mere five minutes from her house, and she sees him around town.
Mick Drake is Lilah’s chocolate Labrador. Though he is a dog, Mick has charisma, along with a special talent that makes Lilah think of him as her truest companion and confidant.
Jay Parker is a police detective who happens to be the son of Lilah’s dear friend Ellie Parker (a woman she met and bonded with at a Tupperware party). Jay and Lilah have an unfortunate first meeting, and soon after that they meet again at a murder investigation. For reasons the book will explain, Lilah lies to Jay Parker every time she meets him, despite the fact that she is an honest person. Her lies are a source of conflict between them.
Serafina Bellini—Oh, Serafina! She is the Italian girlfriend of Lilah’s brother, and to Lilah’s consternation she looks like a Roman goddess and thinks like Madame Curie. Lilah must learn to love this Italian icon, because it looks like she’ll be in the family for good.
Perpetua Grandy is a parishioner at St. Bart’s parish, one of what Lilah’s father calls the CAV, or “Constantly Available Volunteers.” Perpetua, known as Pet to her friends, hires Lilah on a regular basis to make chili for parish functions. Pet has become famous for “her” chili, and only she and Lilah know the truth. Pet is a loveable eccentric who wears velour sweatsuits and enjoys reading books about Princess Diana. She once saved a kitten out of a storm drain and ended up on the tv news.
Henry (of Weston) is the six-year-old nephew of Lilah’s friend Jenny, and Lilah loves him as though he is her own family member. She alternately teases him and plies him with cookies. She enjoys watching Henry play and is fascinated by his ability to expand his vocabulary merely by eavesdropping on adults. Henry is going to be a knight for Halloween and is from the neighboring town of Weston, which is why Lilah often refers to him by his title.
Britt and Terry, Lilah’s landlords—a wealthy and cultured young couple who live in a giant Pine Haven house and rent out their back cottage—once servants’ quarters—to Lilah. Terry looks like a well-manicured surfer and has eclectic tastes; he and Lilah share a love for 1980s music. Britt is an artist who owns a Pine Haven gallery. Lilah admires her sleek dark hair and her Art Deco look.
These characters only scratch the surface of the eccentric bunch in Pine Haven, but I love them all. Lilah’s adventures in Pine Haven are just beginning, and I hope you’ll join her on those adventures!
Thanks for letting me bend your ear.
Happy Fall!
Julia Buckley
www.juliabuckley.com
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