Books 4 and 5 in Edgar-winner Julie Smith’s series featuring funny, lively lawyer Rebecca Schwartz (plus a bonus short story)—at a very nice price!

Vol. 4: DEAD IN THE WATER

WHAT'S THE ETIQUETTE WHEN YOUR HOSTESS IS ARRESTED FOR MURDER? 
San Francisco lawyer Rebecca Schwartz has occasion to wonder when she and her weekend hostess, Marty Whitehead, find a body floating in the 30-foot kelp tower at the Monterey Aquarium, and Marty's promptly dragged off to the slammer. 

Rebecca quickly grasps the Emily Post solution—sign on as Marty's lawyer, try to keep her client's two young kids out of the deep end, and somehow avoid drowning in the sea of lies gushing from Marty's mouth--and everyone else’s. There’s a lot of intrigue among the aquarium's oceangoing primates, as well as rumors of a pearl beyond price. Plus a new romance for our heroine!

Volume 5: OTHER PEOPLE’S SKELETONS

WHAT SHE'S ABOUT TO LEARN WILL ROCK HER WORLD! Rebecca Schwartz, “Jewish feminist lawyer,” as she’s fond of saying, thought she knew her best friend--and her boy friend. Not to mention her family. But everything’s about to change.

Secrets spill out of these pages like hornets out of a nest, each with its own distinct sting, as author Smith weaves a thrill-packed and complicated San Francisco mystery that’s as much about how little we know about our nearest and dearest as it is about whodunit. 

Rebecca’s shocked when Chris Nicholson, her glamorous law partner, is arrested for murder--but not nearly so shocked as when she discovers Chris can’t come up with an alibi. What she was doing, Chris says, involves a secret so damaging she’d be drummed out of San Francisco legal circles if anyone knew. Sure enough, when Rebecca uncovers it, her world tilts on its axis—and continues to list, ever more dangerously, as the story picks up speed and this formerly rational lawyer finds her worldview threatened by things she never knew existed. At least not in her circle! And Chris is far from the only one with a skeleton in her closet. 

Fans of Nancy Pickard’s delicate psychological probes, Janet Evanovich’s wild romps, and Marcia Muller’s complex yarns will appreciate this one. 
 

Author Alert: I wrote these after I'd written the first book in the Skip Langdon Police Procedural Series, which is a much darker proposition than the Rebecca Schwartz books. Usually. But some readers have remarked that these two are a good deal darker than the three previous titles in the series -- edgier, more realistic, and...well, just not as funny. Guilty as charged. (Sorry! They just came out that way.) DEAD IN THE WATER has some scary scenes, and some readers have been offended by the way the characters wrestle with issues of religion and lack of same in OTHER PEOPLE’S SKELETONS. Whatever you decide, we've got your back: if you think you’ll like it and you guess wrong, we’ll refund your money and throw in a free book! Just write me at juleorleans@cox.net. --Julie Smith

BONUS SHORT STORY: BLOOD TYPES

This one’s absolutely shivery. If you’re a lawyer, and someone you haven’t heard from in years calls to ask how to execute a holographic will, what are you to think if he dies the next day? For all fans of Bay Area mysteries, with perhaps more appeal to readers of noir than cozies.

The dark world he's been fighting against has caught up with him. Will his daughter pay the price?

Connor Marin, a military-trained PI, struggles to protect a beautiful woman from the Russian mob, while plotting revenge on the man who murdered his army brother.

Connor and five team members had been part of a Ranger squad fighting the cartels in South America, when their communications got hacked. That meant that Sanchez, Connor's closest friend, a man he had laughed and drank with, had been butchered by the cartels while trying to protect his wife and children. The army brass never suspected the murders were more than simple executions. But that wasn't what Connor found.

Justice is about to knock on the killer's door.

This is the second of three books in The Detective Series. The Killer Trap can be read without having read the other books.

A mysterious hitman opens fire on a Tel Aviv café and opens a Pandora's box.

It is a warm and sunny day when gunfire destroys the peace of lunchtime diners at a trendy café in central Tel Aviv. The shots, fired by a mysterious biker, hit several people, and two of them die on the spot: Kobi Ozri, a former criminal and police informer, and a young woman, a local office worker. Kobi's handler, Hadas Levinger, is immediately brought in to solve the double murder. As she mourns Kobi's death and confronts a public storm about the powerlessness of the police in their battle against the underworld, Hadas sets out on a journey full of startling twists and turns, until she exposes the surprising truth - all the while facing shattering revelations in her personal life.

The Hit is the second book in the Inspector Hadas Levinger series. It was preceded by Hill of Secrets.

"[The] weird, beautiful, unapologetically apocalyptic Last Policeman trilogy is one of my favorite mystery series."—John Green, author of The Fault in Our Stars and Paper Towns

Winner of the 2013 Edgar® Award Winner for Best Paperback Original!

What’s the point in solving murders if we’re all going to die soon, anyway?
 
Detective Hank Palace has faced this question ever since asteroid 2011GV1 hovered into view. There’s no chance left. No hope. Just six precious months until impact.
 
The Last Policeman presents a fascinating portrait of a pre-apocalyptic United States. The economy spirals downward while crops rot in the fields. Churches and synagogues are packed. People all over the world are walking off the job—but not Hank Palace. He’s investigating a death by hanging in a city that sees a dozen suicides every week—except this one feels suspicious, and Palace is the only cop who cares.
 
The first in a trilogy, The Last Policeman offers a mystery set on the brink of an apocalypse. As Palace’s investigation plays out under the shadow of 2011GV1, we’re confronted by hard questions way beyond “whodunit.” What basis does civilization rest upon? What is life worth? What would any of us do, what would we really do, if our days were numbered?

Ebook contains an excerpt from the anticipated second book in the trilogy, Countdown City. 

New Contest to Feature Fans and Readers Inside the Mysteries!

Clara Shortridge Foltz faces a patriarchal nemesis in 1884 San Francisco. When a white prostitute is murdered and flayed down to a skeleton, Clara is hired by the Six Companies of Chinatown to defend the 16 males who are swept up by the Chinatown Squad. This ragtag and corrupt group of sheriffs work for the mayor,Washington Bartlett. The mayor uses the nation's anti-Chinese sentiment in his quest to win the race for governor of California.  

Foltz, the first woman admitted to the California Bar, must learn fast to become a detective in order to prove that her client, journalist George Kwong, is not the killer but was set up by the mayor to take the fall. Along with Ah Toy, her trusted translator and best friend, she is instructed by the head of detectives, Captain Isaiah Lees. Lees becomes enamored with Clara, who is having personal problems with sexual commitment due to her first marriage with Jeremiah Foltz. He was a Union vet who deserted Clara and their five children for a younger woman.   

Captain Lees has personal problems of his own, as he has devoted all his time to fighting the corrupt politicians and the Chinatown Squad for 20 years and has not even made time for female relations. Theirs is a very special kind of romance.   

Clara brings a national spotlight to bear on her case, as thousands of women flock to the City by the Bay to support her effort to win against these patriarchal forces. The Chinese are also oppressed, and Clara and Ah Toy become embroiled in a deadly came of cat and mouse to trap the real killer and save George Kwong. 
 
"An engaging mystery with a historically informative feminist bent."  
 
Anita Lock, Clarion Book Reviews, Foreword Reviews
 
"It was a darn good read and an excellent mystery."  
 
Grant Leishman, Author of The Second Coming
 
"I envision Chinawoman's Chance as a staple in the library of many historical mystery collectors."
 
Lisa McCombs, Author of I Have MS
 
From author Jim Musgrave, Chanticleer International CLUE Book Award winner with multiple mystery titles "Featured" by the American Library Association.
 
In this exciting first Chinese fiction mystery novel from Musgrave's Portia of the Pacific Historical Mystery series, emerges one of the best female heroine novels this year. 
 
Clara Shortridge Foltz, Esq. is the first woman admitted to the State Bar of California. It is 1884 in San Francisco's Chinatown. 
 
Clara stands up against sexism and racism in 19th century San Francisco. 
 
After losing her case in a sexist and racist kangaroo court, Clara learns to use street tactics to find the real killer.
 
Now you can see how it was in California before civil rights became an issue for anyone but males.

Are you tired of boring books? Are you looking for something you can’t put down?

Look no further.

Meet John Hilt. He lives The American Dream. His corner office looks out over Dallas’s beautiful skyline. His amazing wife and children love him. His father and sister adore him. John has it all.

Except there’s just one problem. His name is Harry.

John knew Harry a long time ago, when they were kids. Harry shouldn’t be here now, though, because he died as a teenager.

But he’s back. John’s seeing him everywhere, and Harry is telling him awful, awful things … He wants John to do something he hasn’t done in years.

He wants John to start killing people again.

Now, dead bodies are showing up across the city and Detective Alan Tremock has been assigned to the case. A meticulous and unrelenting cop, he’ll risk everything to find the murderer creating havoc in Dallas.

John’s grip on reality is breaking. Tremock is getting closer and closer to the truth. And, all the while Harry just keeps whispering, “Kill them, John. Kill them all…”

If you liked The Silence of the Lambs, you’ll love this taut psychological thriller! Grab this book today, but just take sure you leave the light on!
 

Partial Author Interview with Thriller Fiction Monthly

Question: Let’s get the obvious one out of the way. What are you trying to do when you write a book?

David Beers: I think all of us are looking for an escape from reality. We find it at the movies, in alcohol or drugs, and even books. For me, when the story is flowing, my purpose is to sweep the reader away. Not forever. They’ve got to go back to their family at some point, but, while they have my book open, I want them lost in it. I want them desperate to see what’s on the next page.

Question: Do you think you succeed?

David Beers: From my perspective, any writer worth his salt writes with some self doubt. I have a core group of fans who are very loyal, and very honest with me, and I truly value their feedback. So, if I asked them, I think they would say I succeed almost all the time. That’s why they love my work. The good thing, though, is that if you don’t like it, you can return it within 7 days and get a full refund. So you might be trying out a new author, but there’s really no risk.

Question: Talk about pricing a bit. You’ve got these major publishers charging $13.99 and $14.99 for an e-book, and here you are charging under 5 bucks. What makes you do it?

David Beers: That’s a great question. To me, it’s an incredible advantage to price so much less. I would put my novels up against any of theirs all day long, but I’m giving customers a tremendous value. For less than a McDonald’s meal, you’re going to get a lot of entertainment. For many people, I’m a new author, and so taking a chance on me with their hard earned dollars isn’t the easiest choice. My pricing makes it easy. You can get my books for under $5. Try that with any other major publishing houses. So, customers are getting a much better deal when they buy my books. It’s a win-win.

In Close Your Eyes, The New York Times bestselling duo Iris Johansen and Roy Johansen are back with a suspenseful novel about a once-blind woman with a talent for tracking serial killers

The FBI doesn't usually consult with music therapists to solve their cases. But Kendra Michael's astonishing powers of observation and analysis have made her a favorite of law enforcement agencies all across the country. Blind for the first twenty years of her life, she cares little for investigative work but can't deny her unique skill, or the results she's been able to facilitate. Kendra learned at an early age to become hyper-aware of her surroundings, perfecting the art of picking up the most subtle audio, olfactory, and tactile cues in the world around her. Like a secret weapon, she is in high demand.

Former FBI agent Adam Lynch, known as The Puppetmaster, has weapons of his own. He's a notorious master manipulator, skillfully handling criminals and colleagues alike to get the results he wants. Now he needs Kendra's special brand of help, but she's not interested until Lynch reveals that Agent Jeff Stedler—Kendra's ex—is missing and may have run directly into the path of a serial killer. What began as a heinous murder investigation escalates into something even larger and more frightening: a multi-million dollar conspiracy to hide a secret that's worth killing for, again and again and again.

A TOY TO KILL FOR

Celebrated criminal lawyer Marc Kadella takes on the fall-out of a class action suit against a beloved corporate toy company gone wrong—and ends up falling down a rabbit hole of insider trading, sex scandal, political corruption, and murder, in the eighth page-turner of the Marc Kadella legal mystery series.

Like most investors, venture capitalist Cal Simpson has his fingers in many a financial pie. There’s cutting edge war plane procurement, state-of-the-art toy manufacturing, and the occasional affair with the right politician (to name a few). Some call him a shady Wall Street kinda guy. Others know him to be a tyrant—a mastermind with puppets intricately connected by a billion dollar string.

One of his pet projects is the newest Cannon Brothers toy—a motorized skateboard for kids as young as 10 that takes the marketplace by storm, until it blows up—literally. Seems its Chinese manufacturer has installed lithium batteries that overheat the braking system, sometimes causing it to explode—leaving 24 kids dead and 500 injured. But the bigger problem is just as sinister: the small pool of people with insider knowledge of the defect are beginning to disappear…

First there’s Irving Haraldson, a company engineer who discovered the defect before release and brought it to management with a furrowed brow. He was told every single battery would be replaced, release date be damned. And then he was discovered behind a Minneapolis pick-up bar with 3 bullets in his head.

Then there’s the capable albeit young corporate lawyer Lynn McDaniel, who was assigned to defend Cannon Brothers in litigation. After discovering the engineer’s memo and distributing it to her boss, Zach Evans, she turns up dead in the woods en route to a 4th of July party being thrown by Zach’s father-in-law: Cal Simpson.

Zach finds himself on trial for murder, with inimitable criminal lawyer Marc Kadella in his corner—and a nagging suspicion Cal knows more than he’s let on.

A bleak and accurate portrayal of the lewd world of financial crime, where not even children are protected from the greedy and power-hungry, Insider Justice is Dennis Carstens’s most intricate murder mystery yet—a heart-racing financial thriller that reads like a delicate puzzle, and a plot that twists and turns with meticulous precision—right up to its astounding conclusion.

Foiled is the Fourteenth mystery in the highly entertaining Dev Haskell Private Investigator series. Fun loving, back slapping, wrong guessing Dev is surprised when Bonnie, a one-night stand from ten years back, suddenly shows up in the office and hires Dev, along with his Golden Retriever, Morton to provide 'security' for she and her business partner Iggy while they complete a software project. Iggy turns out to have a number of issues, add to that the criminal activity of Niles Wegger as he attempts to insert a bug in the software and you've got Dev calling on former NFL tight end, Luscious Dixon for some special help. If you like Carl Hiaasen, Tim Dorsey & Elmore Leonard - make room for one more!

"Faricy is America's hottest new mystery writer...and Dev Haskell is one of the looniest and most enjoyable characters inhabiting the world out there today."
The Dirty Lowdown

"Faricy is the next Carl Hiaasen."
Crime Scene

"I'm not sure what Faricy is drinking...but it really works!"
Behind Bars

FATHER DIVINE’S BIKES exposes the dark underbelly of 1945 Newark, New Jersey; a city that boomed during World War II but finds itself unable to cope with the peace that brings joblessness, despair and crime. As deeply-entrenched white enclaves are squeezed by the mass migration of blacks, escape routes for poor ethnic whites rapidly close. Two Catholic altar boys living in a world ripe for grifters, like Father Divine, soon learn that his promise of heaven on earth has hellish consequences.

In the autumn of 1945, a battle erupts when the city’s competing mobs end their truce. When it gets bloody, other criminal forces poise to move in. Black bookies, using Father Divine’s controversial International Peace Mission Movement as a front, recruit Joey Bancik and Richie Maxwell to run numbers under the guise of newspaper routes.

The boys' families welcome the few bucks they can put on the table. Meanwhile, their parish priest and two homicide detectives fear the numbers racket will entrap the boys in a world of crime.

Turf wars, murders, and a corrupt police department in bed with the mob form a dark and gritty backdrop against a story of post-war Newark and the violence that permeated it.

For one superhero, the good guys can be deadlier than the bad guys.

Jillian Johnson, known as the mighty Battlecry, was born into a superhero cult. She craves a life of freedom, far away from her violent and abusive team leader, Patrick. With no education, no money, and no future to speak of, she's stuck in the dangerous life...until she meets the mysterious and compelling Benjamin, a civilian with superpowers. When Patrick confronts her, she fights back--and then runs for her life. One by one, her ex-teammates join her until a new team has formed.

But Patrick will not let his upstart teammates get away so easily. Humiliated and hellbent on vengeance, he waits for his chance to strike back and kill the new team, and he is happy to murder superheroes and civilians alike. On top of that, Benjamin has joined Jillian and her comrades, angering his own lethal family. Jillian's enemies begin to close in from all sides.

Desperate and in hiding, Jillian must shed everything she thinks she knows about what it means to lead. Can she rise up to the challenge of defeating Patrick? Can she save Benjamin from his family? Or will she die like every other superhero who's dared to challenge the cult?

If you like the gritty, understated superheroes in Netflix's Jessica Jones and the raw urban fantasy of Veronica Roth, you'll get sucked into Emerald Dodge's Battlecry!

Pick up Battlecry, and join Jillian's team today!

Twelve festive mysteries for your Christmas wish list…

Roger Riccard, having published two previous Sherlock Holmes novels, The Case of the Poisoned Lilly and The Case of the Twain Papers, has again taken pen in hand to bring forth a series of twelve short stories from the Christmas seasons of Holmes’ career.

From a case endangering Queen Victoria to his old arch-nemesis Moriarty, follow Sherlock as he encounters the most unfathomable mysteries, all portrayed with Riccard’s trademark style and immersive historical detail. Just who did shoot Sir James Piersall at the stroke of midnight? And can Holmes and Watson prevent an assassination at Christmas Eve dinner - without knowing which of the royal guests is the intended target?

Brimming with wit, intrigue and mystery, Sherlock enthusiasts will be transfixed and delighted by this collection.
 

Praise for Roger Riccard:

"Roger Riccard is an extremely good pastiche writer. Personally, I think the best since the late Val Andrews passed over Reichenbach" - Joel Senter, publisher of the Sherlockian E-Times

Roger Riccard is an American author. Having graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism and History from California State University, his career spans teaching, journalism and business writing. Inspired by his British ancestry, he took an interest in the works of Arthur Conan Doyle from an early age, later writing Sherlock Holmes and the Case of the Poisioned Lilly and Sherlock Holmes and the Case of the Twain Papers. He lives in Los Angeles with his wife, Rosilyn.

“A Prize Plot.” -San Francisco Examiner

“A bright, light, cleverly written tale.” -Cincinnati Post

HE KNOWS TOO MUCH—BUT HE DOESN'T KNOW WHAT HE KNOWS…

Things were going lousy for ex-reporter Paul Mcdonald: No money, no girl friend, no bright new career as a mystery novelist … and then along came private investigator Jack Birnbaum with an offer: he’d detect, and Paul would write the client reports. It wasn’t much, but it would keep Spot the cat in Kitty Queen tidbits.

But then somebody poisoned Jack in Paul’s own living room. A day that begins with a body in your house really ought to get better, but next comes burglary and after that, assault-by-cop. And Paul’s got a feeling that’s just the beginning. There must have been something someone didn't want him to know in one of those client reports. But what?

The wise-cracking, funny, but slightly depressed ex-journalist better become an ace private investigator in about two seconds—or end up like his detective mentor.

Birnbaum's last report concerned a kidnapped child, so Paul begins there. The trail leads him to the laboratory of a Nobel laureate geneticist, and then to San Francisco City Hall, where an extremely nasty surprise awaits. But there’s an upside—lovely witness Sardis Kincannon. Nothing like falling in love while you’re running for your life!

The FIRST Paul Mcdonald P.I. mystery by the Edgar-winning author of the Skip Langdon series

“One more blithe San Fran outing with a likeable journalist-sleuth by the name of Paul Mcdonald … Smith improves with each story and this is her best to date.” -Kirkus Reviews

The San Francisco Bay Area shines here, as does the author's wit and humor.

Fans of CASTLE, MURDER SHE WROTE, even ELLERY QUEEN will enjoy this fast-paced and funny take on the mystery-writer-as-detective. As will people who like their male sleuths wry, witty, and a little on the soft-boiled side—fans of Parnell Hall’s Stanley Hastings, say, Tony Dunbar’s Tubby Dubonnet, Gregory Mcdonald’s Fletch (this Mcdonald, it's worth noting, is Paul’s personal hero), Lawrence Block’s Bernie Rhodenbarr, and especially Rex Stout’s Archie Goodwin. Female sleuths with a sense of humor remind us of him too—for instance, Criminal Minds’ Penelope Garcia and the immortal Amelia Peabody (of whom he’d be terrified if they ever met).

Do you love thrilling whodunnits? Cozy mysteries? Sizzling suspense with dangerous twists and turns?

They each had secrets; one of those secrets got them all killed.
(Burning Secrets by Jane Blythe)

Two detectives hunt a serial killer, but the killer's hunting them.
(Double Blind by Dan Alatorre)

Sometimes imaginary enemies are the most deadly. 
(Grayout by Bill Hargenrader)

DEATH AND DAMAGES offers page-turning tales starring courageous cops, adventurous agents, daring detectives, and snooping sleuths that will keep you guessing to the very end.

You'll find 24 exciting escapades full of captivating conundrums, hair-raising homicides, and page-turning adventures from USA Today & Wall Street Journal Bestselling and award-winning authors. 

Whether you love bone-chilling suspense and cold-blooded killers, or an entertaining whodunnit that tickles your brain, you'll find the escape you've been seeking in this enthralling mystery and thriller boxed set. 

Fans of Lee Child, James Patterson, Gillian Flynn, Paula Hawkins, and John Grisham will devour these puzzling mysteries and gripping thrillers.  

Secure this action-packed limited edition collection! Order today.

New York Times Bestselling Author 
Patricia Loofbourrow

Wall Street Journal Bestselling Author 
Judith Lucci

USA Today Bestselling Authors
Judith Lucci
Patricia Loofbourrow
Pauline Creeden
John Ling
Shereen Vedam
Kelly Hashway  
Maggie Carpenter
Tiana Laveen
Fiona Quinn
Muffy Wilson and Dariel Raye
Ja'Nese Dixon
Terry Keys

Award-Winning Authors
Alexa Padgett
Siera London
Deborah Shlian
Karen M. Bryson
Maria Grazia Swan
Maggie Carpenter

THE FIRST NOVEL IN THE NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLING JANE HAWK SERIES
 
Meet Jane Hawk—a remarkable new heroine certain to become an icon of suspense. “This gripping thriller grabs readers from the first few pages and sweeps them along to the rousing finale.”—Booklist

“I very much need to be dead.”

These are the chilling words left behind by a man who had everything to live for—but took his own life. In the aftermath, his widow, Jane Hawk, does what all her grief, fear, and fury demand: find the truth, no matter what.

People of talent and accomplishment, people admired and happy and sound of mind, have been committing suicide in surprising numbers. When Jane seeks to learn why, she becomes the most-wanted fugitive in America. Her powerful enemies are protecting a secret so important—so terrifying—that they will exterminate anyone in their way.

But all their power and viciousness may not be enough to stop a woman as clever as they are cold-blooded, as relentless as they are ruthless—and who is driven by a righteous rage they can never comprehend. Because it is born of love.

Don’t miss any of Dean Koontz’s gripping Jane Hawk thrillers:
THE SILENT CORNER • THE WHISPERING ROOM • THE CROOKED STAIRCASE • THE FORBIDDEN DOOR • THE NIGHT WINDOW (Coming Soon!)

Praise for The Silent Corner

“Gripping . . . The paranoia and mystery increase as the story unfolds. . . . Koontz has created [a] wonderful character in Jane Hawk. . . . Koontz rocks it again.”—Associated Press
 
“In this era of stingy text-message prose, Mr. Koontz is practically Shakespeare. . . . The Silent Corner brims with both action and emotion.”—Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
 
“The Silent Corner is vintage Dean Koontz: paranoia-fueled suspense . . . sleek and highly realized action, developed characters, and more twists and turns than any two ordinary novels combined. . . . As relevant to current events as it is audacious . . . amongst Dean Koontz’s finest contemporary work.”—Mystery Scene
 
“A proven specialist in action scenes, Koontz pulls off some doozies here. . . . The book is full of neat touches. . . . And the prose, as always in a Koontz novel, is first-rate. Perhaps Koontz’s leanest, meanest thriller, this initial entry in a new series introduces a smart, appealing heroine who can outthink as well as outshoot the baddest of bad dudes.”—Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

A determined young police constable goes it alone against an enigmatic killer and her bosses in a series debut for fans of Sophie Hannah and Tana French

The Burning Man. It's the name the media has given a brutal murderer who has beaten four young women to death before setting their bodies ablaze in secluded areas of London's parks. And now there's a fifth.

Maeve Kerrigan is an ambitious detective constable, keen to make her mark on the murder task force. Her male colleagues believe Maeve's empathy makes her weak, but the more she learns about the latest victim, Rebecca Haworth, from her grieving friends and family, the more determined Maeve becomes to bring her murderer to justice. But how do you catch a killer no one has seen when so much of the evidence has gone up in smoke?
Maeve's frenetic hunt for a killer in Jane Casey's gripping series debut will entrance even the most jaded suspense readers.

When the government enacts Project ELE to preserve the human race after a devastating epidemic, survivors like Willow must adapt to new lives in shelters. But soon, Willow and her friends acquire unusual abilities that have far-reaching consequences. The ELE Series is a now complete Young Adult Science Fiction Romance series with more than 700 five-star ratings on Goodreads.

"A must-read for paranormal romance fans of all ages!" ~Books4Tomorrow

"For those of you who loved The Hunger Games, Delirium, Matched, and the Gone series— you should check this out." ~Books Are Diamonds

"Loved this book! It kept me interested from beginning to end with all of the suspense. Very well written and the characters are amazing. The ending left me with an OMG feeling." ~Mystical World of Book Reviews

In an effort to save the human race, the government has implemented Project ELE. Now, the only chance for survival is to seek refuge in underground shelters controlled by the government.

Willow Mosby is among the select few allowed to enter the underground bunker to wait out the end of the world. Forced to pick up the broken pieces of her life after being separated from her family, she throws herself into a new life of work and school. When she meets Alec, her young and attractive boss, Willow finds herself falling for the one guy who should be off limits.

Alec makes her feel like this crazy new world may just be worth living. But when an afternoon date results in a shocking discovery, she's forced to face an unspeakable truth that puts the lives of her and her friends in jeopardy.

The ELE Series will appeal to fans of The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins, The Gender Game by Bella Forrest, Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard, and A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas.

I am Savannah Van Duyn. Damaged. Desperate. Extremely Dangerous.

These first three books start the story of a bullied sixteen year old girl who has no choice but to leave her family and friends and crawl into the web of a ruthless geneticist, a creepy scientist who claims to be able to fix her every problem at the DNA level.  This story begs the question, if you change your face and body, can you change your life? Get ready to meet the most badass girl of all time.

A missing girl, illegal human experiments, the biggest secret in US history…

Old science says you’re born a certain way.  But if you push experimental science too far, if you don’t die in the process, can you become something else entirely? Something not quite human? Follow this extraordinary girl into the depths of dark science and conspiracy as she becomes something far more extraordinary than the human mind can fathom.

INTERVIEW WITH THE AUTHOR:

Q: Why should readers try this series?

A: This bold new series starts out looking at the life of a regular(ish) teen girl who’s bullied at the hands of her mother, the paparazzi and her fellow students. But what happens over this nine book series is this unfortunate girl becomes the most badass girl in all of history. Most readers will appreciate this series because there is literally nothing like it out there right now, which makes the Swann series feel fresh and yes, highly addictive.

Q: What kind of series is this?

A: Swann and Monarch (books one and two) are both human stories steeped in high school angst, bullies, difficult parents and the twisted effects of human genetic modification. The third book, Clone, kicks this world wide open, unleashing a rapidly evolving world of urban fantasy. By the ninth and final book in this series, urban fantasy will have become dark fantasy, but by then you’ll be so hooked that nothing else will matter (the author says with a Cheshire cat-like grin).

Q: What kind of readers will enjoy these books?

A: Fans of Harry Potter, Twilight, The Hunger Games and Divergent will appreciate this unique series.

Q: Are there adult themes in this series?

A: Yes. In staying authentic to the YA world, there is some strong language, violence and adult situations. I personally feel this series should be enjoyed by ages 15 and above.

WHAT READERS ARE SAYING…

“This book easily surpasses five stars. There is very uniquely constructed world with relatable problems most teens and young adults can connect to. I just love stories like these that almost can't really be put into a classification or they can be stuffed into several.”

– Rebecca, Amazon Reviewer for Swann ★★★★★

“Wow! Monarch was even better than Swann. The twists and turns were very interesting. I couldn’t put the book down, it was so good. Loved it!"

– Rose, Amazon Reviewer for Monarch ★★★★★

“This is my favorite of the first three books! It’s scripted so well that I could literally feel their feelings and pain. I cried and laughed and totally enjoyed this book. The character development is phenomenal.”

– Kierra, Amazon Reviewer for Clone ★★★★★

READING ORDER OF THE SWANN SERIES:

• Swann
• Monarch
• Clone
• Masochist
• Weapon
• Raven
• Abomination
• Enigma
• Crucified (Coming Soon!)

Winner of the 1991 Edgar Allan Poe Award for best novel and the FIRST mystery in the highly acclaimed Skip Langdon series, New Orleans Mourning falls deliciously between the psychological suspense of Laura Lippman and the delicate drama of Tennessee Williams.

"Murder at the Mardi Gras and the flavor of New Orleans ... Old secrets are highlighted in this wonderful story that is as filled with topical information as it is with a great story about murder and history. Smith writes with authority about her city." -Ocala Star Banner

"Smith is a gifted writer." –Washington Post Book World

MURDER, MARDI GRAS--AND MORE SECRETS THAN BEADS...

It's Mardi Gras in New Orleans, and civic leader and socialite Chauncy St. Amant has been crowned Rex, King of Carnival. But his day of glory comes to an abrupt and bloody end when a parade-goer dressed as Dolly Parton guns him down. Is the killer his aimless, promiscuous daughter Marcelle? Homosexual, mistreated son Henry? Helpless, alcoholic wife Bitty? Or some unknown player? Turns out the king had enemies...

Enter resourceful heroine Skip Langdon, a rookie police officer and former debutante turned cynic of the Uptown crowd. Scouring the streets for clues, interviewing revelers and street people with names like Jo Jo, Hinky, and Cookie, and using her white glove contacts, the post-deb rebel cop encounters a tangled web of brooding clues and ancient secrets that could mean danger for her—and doom for the St. Amants.

Langdon, with her weight worries, insecurities, and yet overall toughness has long been a favorite of those who like their female sleuths bold, smart, and refreshingly human.

“Smith finds secrets and potential in nearly all corners of New Orleans.” –NPR

"Julie Smith writes like jazz should sound—cool, complex, and penetrating right to the heart.” -Val McDermid, best-selling author of the Tony Hill series

"Though her plot careens with as many twists and turns as a car chase through the French Quarter, it is Smith's rotating focus on the complex viewpoints of her fully formed characters that gives her sixth novel its psychological and emotional depth ... [A] rich, tightly structured narrative." -Publishers Weekly

Fans of Ace Atkins, Tana French, Sue Grafton, and Marcia Muller will love Skip Langdon’s pluck and charm.