2023 EDGAR AWARD NOMINEE, SUE GRAFTON MEMORIAL AWARD * APPLE BOOK OF THE MONTH SELECTION"A high energy foray into cryptocurrency and government corruption."— First Clue"This light and lively series launch introduces 75-year-old Ethel Fiona Crestwater...an elderly Nancy Drew: sure of herself and her convictions, and ready to bend a few rules to achieve her goal of seeing justice done." — Publishers Weekly

"De Castrique offers original plots, strikingly human characters, and a heartwarming portrait of American culture. His writing is to be savored." — Library Journal STARRED reviewWhen Barry Clayton's father developed Alzheimers, Barry gave up his career in law enforcement to return to the North Carolina mountain town of Gainesboro and run the family funeral home. But even a small town in the Appalachians is not immune to crime. At a summer street dance, Bar...

"The author offers insights into the political, economic, and cultural ramifications of Indian casinos, along with a large cast of believable characters with a wide emotional range." — Publishers WeeklyWhen Cherokee burial remains are unearthed on the site expanding a local cemetery, the dual occupations of Barry Clayton, part-time deputy and full-time undertaker, collide. Then, during the interment of the wife of one of Gainesboro, North Carolina's most p...

"The dark humor, a small community in a regional mystery, and a strong supporting cast of believable characters will appeal to Margaret Maron's readers." — Library Journal STARRED reviewTowns like Gainesboro, North Carolina, may be small but go big on local traditions. When funeral director and part-time deputy sheriff Barry Clayton and his childhood nemesis, Archie Donovan, Jr., unite to create a fundraising float in Gainesboro's annual Apple Festival Par...

A river gives up its dead, but not its secrets...Sam Blackman and Nakayla Robertson, private investigators in Asheville, North Carolina, are hired when a local environmentalist dies while monitoring water quality in the nearby Pigeon River. With no soil or water samples found near the body, his widow doesn't believe his death was an accident.In fact, witnesses reported a public altercation between the environmentalist and local mill heir Luke Kirkpatrick ju...

"A bewitching political thriller."— Publishers Weekly, Starred Review"Ethel looks like Marple but acts like Marlow." — Kirkus Reviews?In a case deciding the future of clean energy, everything hinges on how the chief justice of Supreme Court will lean. DANGEROUS WOMEN stirs up the perfect cocktail of ingenious spy-craft and political intrigue of Thomas Perry's The Old Man brightened with the charmi...

"[A] marvelous mystery you won't want to put down." — Publishers WeeklyBarry Clayton has a job he doesn't want. When his father became stricken with Alzheimer's, Barry left the Charlotte police force for the small mountain community of Gainesboro, North Carolina, where his family runs the local funeral home. "Buryin' Barry" reluctantly assumed the mantle of town undertaker, trying to fit his life into this somber profession.Almost at once it turns ...

The Santa's Library: 450+ Christmas Novels, Tales, Carols & Legends' offers a remarkable compilation of festive literature that spans cultures, epochs, and styles, creating an immersive tapestry of Yuletide celebration. From the enchanting fairy tales of Hans Christian Andersen to the profound narratives by Tolstoy, and the poetic carols of Longfellow, this anthology encapsulates the myriad ways Christmas has been celebrated in literature. The collection, versatile in its narrative forms—b...

"A wealth of historical detail, an exciting treasure hunt and credible characters distinguish this fresh, adventurous read." — Publishers Weekly STARRED reviewSam Blackman is an angry man. A Chief Warrant Officer in the Criminal Investigation Detachment of the U.S. military, he lost a leg in Iraq. His outspoken criticism of his medical treatment resulted in his transfer to the Veteran's Hospital in Asheville, NC. Disillusioned with the military, grieving o...

In this unusual spin on the classic spy novel, murder strikes from our wartime pasts…Iraq War veteran Sam Blackman with his prosthetic leg and his no-nonsense private eye partner Nakayla Robertson love their investigations which always carry a thread from the past—and they love each other. An interracial couple in the new South, the Asheville, NC, pair has surrounded themselves with a terrific support team including an unorthodox lawyer and a veteran cop. They depl...

"Another stellar entry in an outstanding series that deserves wider recognition: the family focus and rural North Carolina setting make it a natural for Margaret Maron fans." — Booklist STARRED reviewThe night before a funeral that will thrust the mountain town of Gainesboro, North Carolina, into the national spotlight, the body is stolen from the embalming room and funeral director Barry Clayton is knocked unconscious. Ouch. How will Clayton & Clayton dea...

"An excellent regional mystery, full of local color and historical detail." — Library JournalFormer Chief Warrant Officer Sam Blackman lost a leg in Iraq and emerged from the V.A. hospital in Asheville, NC, as a bitter civilian without a job or a future. But when he solved a series of local murders, Sam found new meaning for his life. Now he and his partner, Nakayla Robertson, are opening a detective agency. They have high hopes that the thriving mountain ...