Who wouldn't want to vacation in the French Riviera?American artist Remy Valente and his wife Vero are delighted to spend the summer along the Côte d'Azur, drawing inspiration from every bend in the coastline. When his friend and art dealer requests a painting of his Chihuahua in the style of his beloved Cézanne, Remy is happy to comply. Late that night, Remy visits his friend's flat to start the sketch. He takes it home, intending to finish the next morning.Instead, he's w...

Although she appreciates the plentiful beaches and pristine ocean, Rachel Campanello doesn't travel to the Dodecanese islands for the beautiful scenery. She wants to meet with her Greek friends and enjoy a well-earned vacation from her mariachi job back in Tucson.She relishes the Mediterranean lifestyle: swimming laps in the morning, sipping frappés in the afternoon, and listening to bouzouki music at the local taverna at night. She's enthralled with the charismatic lead singer who...

"Andy, would you come up to my office for a minute?"What can you say when your boss makes a direct request?"Take a load off," Rolando said as I joined him. "Want a brandy?""All right," I said cautiously. For small favors he bribed me with beer."How did things go tonight?" he asked."You mean until that drunk insisted on singing with us?" Volunteer singers were a common nuisance. When they approached the stage while clutching a shot of tequila, we brac...

A morning jog, an unlocked door, and a furious lover add up to murder! When Dervla learns that her ex-boyfriend is wanted for knocking off his new squeeze, she snickers at his ironic fate. He's too soft to be a killer, but if he's wrongly accused, that's his own problem. Or is it? Dervla is so mad at Emil she's ready to kill him herself, but his grandmother and great-aunt reach out to her. Dervla knows that her ex is innocent. Won't she help prove it? She'll consider it. But when the nanas...

A party house, bad wine, and a dead villager add up to murder! When Sofi Francese heads to Italy to restore the family property, she never expects it to feature a dead relative. She runs to the nearest police station, but Cenzo Bot ignores her until he learns that the victim is also the town's mayor. Together they follow leads, but the villagers only want to hear about Sofi's wine cellar. Now that the renovations are complete, won't she consider selling it to one of them?

Read the prose poems by Bandit, Cosmo, Phantom, Ping, and Mei Mei as they terrorize visitors, periodically run away from home, bring back presents in the form of rodents, scratch at the furniture, and hide every time they hear that terrible "vet" word.

D.R. Ransdell would have never guessed that nostalgia for living in Durango, Mexico, would lead her to join a mariachi band in Tucson, Arizona. Nor would she have guessed that learning by ear could be such a devilish challenge or that the standard mariachi repertoire started with a list of a hundred songs. Despite scheming rivals and flirtatious compadres, Ransdell persevered. She participated in stage performances and rowdy house parties while learning one riff after another. In her music...

Nanas Lulu and Mari recount the road trip that led them to Tucson. They were headed back to Mexico when their chauffeur turned rogue. He acted so suspiciously that the sisters had to take quick action to outwit him.

Gina Campanello is delighted to learn that she's won a trip for two to Thailand, but there's a catch. Since she's underage, she has to bring an adult. Her sister Rachel is ecstatic at the prospects of traveling to Asia, but she buys so many guidebooks that Gina worries they'll spend their vacation dashing between temples and museums. But once neighbors ask Gina to deliver a package to a long-lost relative, she embarks on a more personal journey—one that includes forgotten histories, beauti...

Not every Greek island is a paradise!When Andy Veracruz flies to Greece for a holiday, the California native expects to spend afternoons swimming and nights making love. But at an outdoor café, he meets a fellow traveler who accidentally leaves behind a package. Before Andy can return it, the man disappears. Andy tries to enjoy time with his girlfriend, but he feels unsettled. He hungers to learn more about the man's history, but he can't find a concrete lead.Rachel thinks ...

Gina Campanello is thrilled when Happy Travels Press offers her an internship. The college student envisions traveling between jungle palaces and island paradises. When she's assigned to drive between Arizona to Illinois, she's disappointed until she realizes she can include the International Carillon Festival in Springfield, Illinois, on her itinerary. She's thrilled to make virtual friends with the star-billed musician, but by the time she reaches the capital city, Vlinder Van de Velde h...

Some vacations make your head spin!Andy travels to Mexico to catch up with Rachel, a kindred spirit and fellow mariachi musician. He encounters difficulties on his trip down to Durango, however. While lounging at the pool, a fellow traveler asks Andy to keep an eye on her purse.She never comes back to claim it.By the time Andy reaches his destination, the jobless musician can't concentrate on vacationing. When he tries to investigate, instead of finding one woman, h...