Ellen Butler

Stumbling across a dead body could be the making ... or breaking of an aspiring reporter.During 1958, when the workforce is predominantly male, societal norms dictate women should be compliant, fashionable housewives. To Ariadne Winter, the sole tradition she aims to embrace is that of being fashionable. Amidst the ambiance of Ivy Tree Inn, where she's been dispatched as a writer for Ladies' Lifestyle Magazine, her focus wavers as she grapples with an interview assignment concerning a Hollywood starlet on the cusp of royal matrimony-an event hailed as the "Wedding of the Century." While Ariadne dutifully attends to her task, her heart yearns for the pursuit of her collegiate ambition: to be an investigative reporter for a renowned newspaper. However, fate intervenes when she discovers a dead body and recognizes the opportunity it presents to write her way into the role she desires. Yet, as Ariadne delves deeper into the lives of the inn's inhabitants, she uncovers a labyrinth of intertwined relationships and long-buried secrets among guests and staff alike, yielding a plethora of suspects. With a murderer on the loose, her magazine deadline looming, and the inn cordoned off by authorities, Ariadne faces a race against time to untangle the web of deceit and solve the murder before she loses more than just her job.

Is Karina's missing aunt on vacation...or on the lam? Karina is trying to keep her mind on getting a cosponsor for a bill, but it's tough with her Mom blowing up her phone. By the time Karina finally stops hitting "ignore", Mom is frantic. It appears Karina's Aunt Vera has disappeared, fibbed to her employer about the reason for her absence, even abandoned her beloved cat, Nightshade-which is completely out of character. Karina would bet her favorite pair of designer shoes that Vera is in some kind of trouble. However, when Karina hauls her cookies from D.C. to historic Williamsburg to search Vera's house, she finds nothing suspicious. Except for a mischievous Civil War ghost who scares the bejesus out of her and keeps trashing Vera's office. Until Karina realizes his seemingly random ectoplasmic tantrums have a purpose-revealing key evidence. Something is definitely fishy, but the clues aren't adding up. And as the spirit's visitations become more urgent, Karina calls on reinforcements for help-her latest squeeze Rick Donovan and her sister Jillian. Because the cops are following faulty leads, which could put Vera on the wrong end of an arrest warrant ... if she's found alive. International bestselling and award-winning author Ellen Butler presents book six in the Karina Cardinal mystery series Fans of Elizabeth Peters and Janet Evanovich's Stephanie Plum will adore this gripping mystery adventure.

Inspired by True Events A companion to the internationally bestselling novel, The Brass Compass, Operation Blackbird takes the reader on a spy adventure from South America to Europe during a time when the yoke of Communism is tightening the reins on an unwilling people. Her mission could tip the balance of power...or spark World War III. October, 1952. The war is over, but for CIA officer Miriam Becker, memories of the horrors she witnessed remain jagged in her mind. While vacationing in Argentina, recovering from a mission that nearly killed her, she's seeing more ghosts from the past than the sights. When a longtime family friend and fellow operative, Jake Devlin, tracks her down, Miriam is forced to push everything to the back of her mind for the next mission: help a highly prized and heavily guarded rocket scientist defect from Soviet-controlled East Berlin-right out from under the KGB's nose. Well aware that one wrong move could spark World War III, Miriam, Jake, and the team plan their strategy to the last detail. But when a betrayal brings everything crashing down, Jake's quick thinking creates the diversion to get Miriam out alive-but leaves him trapped behind the Iron Curtain. Unsure of whom she can trust, Miriam must complete the mission by relying on contacts outside of the agency, even though her heart longs to return to East Berlin to rescue the man who is the last link to her troubled past ... before the KGB gets to him first.

The scenic yet somber Earthquake Lake is nestled along the Madison River in the mountains of Custer Gallatin National Forest in Montana, north of the community of West Yellowstone, which is a popular gateway to Yellowstone National Park. Earthquake Lake serves as a reminder of the night of August 17, 1959, when Montana's deadliest earthquake--and the strongest one on record in the Rocky Mountains--struck the area. The resulting damage permanently altered the natural landscape for miles surrounding the epicenter. When the earthquake struck, campers were trapped by a massive landslide, and guests were evacuated from hotels and inns throughout the Yellowstone region. Roads were destroyed, new geysers sprang to life, and chimneys toppled over. First responders and volunteers immediately jumped into action, determined to rescue those who had been stranded and injured by the destruction. These captivating photographs explore the history of the infamous earthquake and its significant effects on the region.

There are no softball cases in the FBI...especially when an agent gets dirty. Karina Cardinal's Saturday starts out with a bang, and it's not the home renovation marathon she's watching on HGTV. It's the FBI banging on her door, hunting for a fugitive. As if she could easily hide one in her modest condo. Especially one named Mike Finnegan.The two of them called it splitsville a couple months ago, but Mike? Take a $1.2 million bribe? No and no and no. No matter how much damning evidence the feds claim to have. When a mysterious burner phone shows up in her pocket, Karina has no doubt who dropped it there. Mike is deep undercover and so far off-grid, he needs help to figure out who's framing him-and why.Classic Karina, she jumps in with both feet, ignoring the dangers. The trouble with leaping before you look? You can land in a world of dirt. And when an old enemy starts playing hardball, you can end up six feet under it. ----- International bestselling and award-winning author Ellen Butler presents book five in the Karina Cardinal mystery series Fans of Elizabeth Peters and Janet Evanovich's Stephanie Plum will adore this gripping mystery adventure.

Margaritas, mayhem, and murder. Too bad her only defense is a cocktail umbrella.After some of Karina Cardinal's recent adventures-her lover Mike Finnegan would call them scrapes, jams, or pickles-she's more than ready to blow this D.C. pop stand for a short girls' trip to Mexico. Until Jillian's roller skate wreck blows their plan out of the water. With Jilly injured and Mike working, her fellow lobbyist Rodrigo volunteers to share some sun, sand, and margaritas in Cancun. It's tough to relax, though, knowing what's in her suitcase. A package she promised to hand off to Mrs. Thundermuffin in Mexico.Mrs. T's evasive maneuvers around Karina's questions wave more red flags than a bullfighter, leaving Karina no choice but to take a peek. Okay, so it's not a kilo of something illegal. It's an Egyptian death mask that turns out to be a magnet for crooks, conmen, kidnappers, and outright killers.When the situation explodes into chaos, Karina and Rodrigo are lucky to have friends in the right place-at their backs. But they're in one hell of a jam. And they could be going home in something tackier than a souvenir t-shirt-more like a body bag.International bestselling and award-winning author Ellen Butler presents book four in the Karina Cardinal mystery series Fans of Melinda Leigh, J.D. Robb, and Janet Evanovich's Stephanie Plum will adore this gripping mystery adventure.

When fashion crosses the line to felony, the only label left to wear could be a toe tag.The rainbows-and-unicorns period of her friends-to-lovers relationship with Mike Finnegan officially over, Karina Cardinal is taking a tactical retreat. No way is she calling him for rescue from one of her infamous "scrapes." Too bad trouble, if not her middle name, is a close relative. Sadira Manon, friend and colleague of Karina's sister Jillian, has been dropping way too much cash on designer labels for a middle school teacher. Even one who moonlights as a jewelry store clerk. But when she's accused of theft, the loose diamond falling out of her purse is enough for the police to sing the song of their people-"Miranda Rights." Karina, Jilly, and Silverthorne Security join forces to investigate who's setting Sadira up to take a fall, and why. They dig up a shady tangle of Russian mob ties and gambling debts. By the time Karina realizes they've dug too deep-and maybe a little too far outside the law-Jillian's in trouble, and the only way out of this particular pot of hot water is to make that phone call...and hope Mike doesn't let it go to voice mail. International bestselling and award-winning author Ellen Butler presents book three in the Karina Cardinal mystery series Fans of Janet Evanovich's Stephanie Plum will adore this gripping mystery adventure.

From #1 Amazon bestselling author of Isabella's Painting, Ellen Butler brings you the next adventure in the Karina Cardinal mystery series. Lawmaking can be a murderous affair. If any day calls for a soothing glass of wine, it's today. One moment, Capitol Hill lobbyist Karina Cardinal is having a heated discussion with Senator Harper, who just torpedoed her latest health care legislation initiative. The next thing she knows, after a cryptic remark, the senator is dead at her feet. Hours later, she's still so rattled she wakes to a freezing apartment because she forgot to close her back door. Or did she? When her boyfriend, FBI cybercrimes expert Mike Finnegan, is suddenly reassigned to work a new case, he's got bad news and worse news. The bad: the senator's death was no heart attack-it was assassination by a hacker disabling his pacemaker. Worse: Karina's a "person of interest". Certain that status could change to "suspect" at any moment, Karina begins her own back-channel investigation into who could have wanted the senator dead. Of course, in Washington, that means playing politics and following the money trail. A trail that leads to more murders...and possibly leaving the door open for a killer to change her status to "dead." Fans of John Grisham, and J.D. Robb will adore this gripping political mystery thriller by Award-Winning Author Ellen Butler.

#1 International Bestselling Author Ellen Butler brings you a romance with an intrusive past that raises the stakes. The sleepy, small town possesses the tranquil life Cara craves, but will she be able to keep trouble from following her? Newly minted librarian, Cara Baker, effectively cuts ties with her tumultuous life as a Pittsburgh District Attorney and moves down to South Carolina, where she embraces the peaceful, laid-back style of small town living. Everything seems to be falling into place when Cara finds the perfect house to round out her new plans. Well ... perfect except for the immovable hermit living on the top floor. She throws caution to the wind and buys the fabulous house-hermit and all-without meeting him. Eventually, by wooing her reclusive renter with notes and mouthwatering meals, he caves and invites her up to the apartment. Preconceived notions are blown out of the water, when she finds Danny isn't the Mr. Mole she envisioned. Unfortunately, phone calls from the FBI bring Cara's summer idyll to an abrupt halt. Will demons from a former life destroy her tranquility?

Amazon #1 International BestsellerCuriosity can be a killer ...After a long week lobbying on Capitol Hill, all Karina Cardinal wants to do is chill with Netflix and her boyfriend, Patrick Dunne. Instead, she's slipping her aching feet into red stilettos for his parents' annual holiday bash. When she accidentally interrupts Patrick's father in his study, her embarrassment is tempered by suspicion that Martin Dunne and his dapper, secretive guest are hiding something. Maybe the painting she barely glimpses right before it disappears behind a secret panel.An internet search raises her curiosity to full-blown alarm. If she's right, Martin is in possession of a stolen masterpiece. Infamous because everyone close to it has turned up dead. As in Mafia-style-execution dead.As she's chewing over which instinct to follow-back off while she still can, or dig deeper for the truth-she crosses paths with FBI agent Mike Finnegan. An old friend and not-quite flame from her college days. When she looks into his warm, mocha eyes, she's tempted to tell him everything. Trouble is, she's already being watched. And the next move she makes could destroy innocent lives...including her own.

In rhyme and measure - Poems is an unchanged, high-quality reprint of the original edition of 1892. Hansebooks is editor of the literature on different topic areas such as research and science, travel and expeditions, cooking and nutrition, medicine, and other genres. As a publisher we focus on the preservation of historical literature. Many works of historical writers and scientists are available today as antiques only. Hansebooks newly publishes these books and contributes to the preservation of literature which has become rare and historical knowledge for the future.

A beautiful American spy flees into the night. On her own, she must live by her wits to evade capture and make it to the safety of the Allied forces. Lily Saint James grew up traveling the European continent, learning languages as she went. In 1938, her mother's abrupt death brings her back home to Washington, D.C., and after the bombing of Pearl Harbor, Lily comes to the attention of the Office of Strategic Services (OSS). Her knowledge of German, French, and Italian makes her the perfect OSS Agent, and her quick thinking places her as a nanny in the household of an important German Army Colonel, where she is able to gather intelligence for the Allies. After her marketplace contact goes missing, she makes a late-night trip to her secondary contact only to find him under interrogation by the SS. She flees into the frigid winter night carrying false identification papers that are now dangerous and a mini film cartridge with vital strategic information. In order to survive, Lily must make it out of Germany, into the hands of Allied-controlled France, through a path fraught with peril.