J C Eaton

It's tough to teach the art of charcuterie with bodies piling up at your doorstep Just as burgeoning charcuterie entrepreneur, Katie Aubrey, gets ready to teach a charcuterie class for a handful of adults, the body of a retired investigative reporter is found behind her sandwich shop and the gift store next door. The reporter had broken the story about a gold heist in the 80s, but has been out of the limelight for years. Until now. And while Katie tries to conduct business as usual, rumors abound. To make matters worse, the adults in her class are as backbiting and obnoxious as possible, including one gentleman who tries to strongarm Katie and her business neighbor into relinquishing their leases so he can start an internet caf . Tempers flare and the unexpected happens - the man is found dead behind Katie's shop, and all fingers point to Katie. It doesn't help that the other occupant in Katie's house, the ghostly spirit of food critic, Edith Ellory, decides to find out who the real murderer is, compelling Katie to take the helm for fear Edith will mess things up and send her to the Fourth Avenue Jail for the next decade.

When a corpse is discovered under a car at the local auto restoration garage, Sophie "Phee" Kimball gears up to investigate a crime that puts a whole new twist on the term "body shop" . . . The seniors of Sun City West are celebrating again, this time over the news that Wayne from the pinochle club finally has a chance to restore his classic car. Phee goes along for the ride, but her thoughts are on her agency's latest case-a priceless artifact that's missing from the local museum. It's an antique doll supposedly filled with treasure-but also carrying a curse for whoever possesses it. Then a dead body is found under Wayne's car, along with signs of foul play, and Phee is coaxed into helping get him off the hook. It's clear to Phee that the victim was killed by sabotaged machinery, but the garage attracts so much foot traffic that narrowing down a list of suspects will be nearly impossible. Harder still will be keeping her mother's gaggle of friends from meddling in the case, especially after they throw a wrench into the works by trying to locate the missing doll. Soon Phee and the whole group are careening toward a head-on collision with a thief, a killer, and a cursed doll, and she can only hope they don't drive her insane-or worse-make her the next victim . . . Praise for the Books of J. C. Eaton: "Fun characters, a touch of humor, and a great mystery, the perfect combination for a cozy." -Lena Gregory, author of the Bay Island Psychic Mysteries on Ditched 4 Murder "So cleverly written, you won't guess the perpetrators until the very end." -Mary Marks, award-winning author of the Quilting Mystery Series on Booked 4 Murder "A thoroughly entertaining series debut, with enjoyable yet realistic characters and enough plot twists-and dead ends-to appeal from beginning to end." -Booklist, starred review, on Booked 4 Murder "Enjoy this laugh-out-loud funny mystery that will make you scream for the authors to get busy on the next one." -Suspense Magazine on Molded 4 Murder

You can't plant traminette if you're behind bars . . . When reluctant winery owner Norrie Ellington is gifted with cockroach DNA, she thinks things couldn't get worse. But then the body of a noted developer is found at a neighboring winery, and all fingers point to her friend Madeline Martinez. It doesn't help that Madeline was seen having verbal altercations with the man on two different occasions when he outbid her for lakefront property she planned to use for planting traminette grapes.It's no wonder Madeline has found herself behind bars, and worse yet, someone is gunning for Norrie. With wine to be racked, roach DNA to be stored, and a slew of unsavory suspects, Norrie must put her screenwriting on hold and her sleuthing skills to work before she finds herself alongside her friend, or-heaven forbid-the next victim of a ruthless killer . . . Praise for the Books of J. C. Eaton: "Engaging characters and a stirring mystery kept me captivated from the first page to the last." -Dollycas, Amazon Vine Voice, on Divide and Concord "Well-crafted sleuth, enjoyable supporting characters. This is a series not to be missed." -Cozy Cat Reviews on Death, Dismay and Ros "A sparkling addition to the Wine Trail Mystery series. A toast to protagonist Norrie and Two Witches Winery, where the characters shine and the mystery flows. This novel is a perfect blend of suspense and fun " -Carlene O'Neil, author of the Cypress Cove Mysteries, on Chardonnayed to Rest "A thoroughly entertaining series debut, with enjoyable yet realistic characters and enough plot twists-and dead ends-to appeal from beginning to end." -Booklist, starred review, on Booked 4 Murder "Enjoy this laugh-out-loud funny mystery that will make you scream for the authors to get busy on the next one." -Suspense Magazine on Molded 4 Murder

When softball fever overtakes Sun City West, foul balls and foul play add up to murder . . . When a member of the local pinochle club rallies everyone in the community to come cheer on the softball team he's joined, Sophie "Phee" Kimball can't imagine a worse way to spend a free afternoon. But before anyone can take them out to the ball game, her mother's friend Shirley spots a dead body, only to have it vanish before anyone else sees it. Soon Shirley and her friends can't decide whether she's losing her marbles or being stalked by the living dead-until an attempt is made on her life. Wondering if the body Shirley saw belongs to a missing ballplayer who may have been murdered, Phee begins to suspect that Shirley's in danger from a menacing killer. Following the clues at the ball park and eyeing the crowd for a likely perpetrator, she devises a clever scheme to sniff out the culprit, but she'll have to act fast before she strikes out for the last time Praise for the Books of J. C. Eaton: "Fun characters, a touch of humor, and a great mystery, the perfect combination for a cozy." -Lena Gregory, author of the Bay Island Psychic Mysteries on Ditched 4 Murder "So cleverly written, you won't guess the perpetrators until the very end." -Mary Marks, award-winning author of the Quilting Mystery Series on Booked 4 Murder "A thoroughly entertaining series debut, with enjoyable yet realistic characters and enough plot twists-and dead ends-to appeal from beginning to end." -Booklist, starred review, on Booked 4 Murder "Enjoy this laugh-out-loud funny mystery that will make you scream for the authors to get busy on the next one." -Suspense Magazine on Molded 4 Murder

With a high-stakes barbecue contest coming to town, Sophie "Phee" Kimball's friends will get raked over the coals when one of the contestants is murdered . . . Sun City West is abuzz with the news that the Food Network is sponsoring a local barbecue cook-off and that Phee's friends from the pinochle club are in the finals. But the mood soon darkens when the county planning committee announces a plan to situate a new garbage transfer station on the town's edge. With tempers flaring and rumors of corruption swirling, it comes as little surprise when the committee's chair, who happens to be a finalist in the cook-off, is found murdered. When Phee's friends are named as the most likely suspects, she knows the accusation stinks to high heaven. As she navigates a world of politics and payoffs, she discovers there are any number of community members, along with the committee itself, who had a reason to want the chair dead-. With the barbecue contest in full swing and celebrity chefs on hand to judge, Phee will have to sniff out the clues, no matter how noxious, to catch a killer . . . Praise for the Books of J. C. Eaton: "Fun characters, a touch of humor, and a great mystery, the perfect combination for a cozy." -Lena Gregory, author of the Bay Island Psychic Mysteries on Ditched 4 Murder "So cleverly written, you won't guess the perpetrators until the very end." -Mary Marks, award-winning author of the Quilting Mystery Series on Booked 4 Murder "A thoroughly entertaining series debut, with enjoyable yet realistic characters and enough plot twists-and dead ends-to appeal from beginning to end." -Booklist, starred review, on Booked 4 Murder "Enjoy this laugh-out-loud funny mystery that will make you scream for the authors to get busy on the next one." -Suspense Magazine on Molded 4 Murder

Norrie Ellington gears up for Halloween at Two Witches Winery, where the phrase "wine and spirits" takes on spooky-and deadly-overtones . . . Back at Two Witches Winery for a short stay, Norrie Ellington is warming to the holiday spirit and the upcoming Hallow Wine Weekend, and she's happy to steer clear of the writer from Wine Enthusiast magazine who's come to do interviews about this year's spectacular Merlot. But then the critic's dead body is found slumped over a Halloween cauldron display, and despite a stern warning from the local deputy to keep her nose out of it, Norrie instantly switches into sleuth mode. Intent on discovering why someone wanted to silence the victim, Norrie quickly learns that he was an unbearable snob and known womanizer who had no shortage of enemies. But as one suspect after another leads to a dead end, Norrie's stumped-until the one mysterious clue that's been haunting her turns the case around. Now, as all the ghouls, goblins, and trick-or-treaters come out on Halloween, Norrie's ready to unleash her spirit of justice-she just has to close in on the killer before the Grim Reaper closes in on her . . . Praise for the Books of J. C. Eaton: "Engaging characters and a stirring mystery kept me captivated from the first page to the last." -Dollycas, Amazon Vine Voice, on Divide and Concord "Well-crafted sleuth, enjoyable supporting characters. This is a series not to be missed." -Cozy Cat Reviews on Death, Dismay and Ros "A sparkling addition to the Wine Trail Mystery series. A toast to protagonist Norrie and Two Witches Winery, where the characters shine and the mystery flows. This novel is a perfect blend of suspense and fun " -Carlene O'Neil, author of the Cypress Cove Mysteries, on Chardonnayed to Rest "A thoroughly entertaining series debut, with enjoyable yet realistic characters and enough plot twists-and dead ends-to appeal from beginning to end." -Booklist, starred review, on Booked 4 Murder "Enjoy this laugh-out-loud funny mystery that will make you scream for the authors to get busy on the next one." -Suspense Magazine on Molded 4 Murder

With a killer on the loose and horse thieves plaguing the area, it's up to Sophie "Phee" Kimball to corral the clues and bring an outlaw to justice . . . Spring is in the air as Sun City West gears up for its annual Bye Bye Birdie festivities, when residents bid a fond farewell to the snowbirds and happily reclaim the town for themselves. But planning comes to a screeching halt when the town curmudgeon plummets to her death from the library bell tower and sheriff's deputies suspect foul play. With the celebration on hold-and Phee's mother worried that she won't get her moment in the spotlight on a local TV show slated to cover the event-Phee is thrust into the role of sleuth once again to find the killer. As Phee soon discovers, there's no love lost between the town and the unfortunate victim, and with the clock ticking and virtually everyone a potential suspect, she's got her work cut out for her. Then a passel of horseflesh goes missing, and Phee starts to think the two crimes might be connected. With the town on edge and high noon approaching, she'll have to wrangle with a band of daring desperados and lasso a lawbreaker who's dead set on sending her to boot hill . . . Praise for the Books of J. C. Eaton: "Fun characters, a touch of humor, and a great mystery, the perfect combination for a cozy." -Lena Gregory, author of the Bay Island Psychic Mysteries on Ditched 4 Murder "So cleverly written, you won't guess the perpetrators until the very end." -Mary Marks, award-winning author of the Quilting Mystery Series on Booked 4 Murder "A thoroughly entertaining series debut, with enjoyable yet realistic characters and enough plot twists-and dead ends-to appeal from beginning to end." -Booklist, starred review, on Booked 4 Murder "Enjoy this laugh-out-loud funny mystery that will make you scream for the authors to get busy on the next one." -Suspense Magazine on Molded 4 Murder

A not quite thirty-year-old divorcee and neophyte detective finds herself investigating the murder of her ex-husband's new wife.Proving her ex-husband not guilty of murder, by finding the real killer, wasn't how detective Marcie Rayner planned on starting her week.

In J.C. Eaton's seventh Sophie Kimball Mystery, Sophie's kooky mother, Harriet, is gearing up to become Arizona's newest radio star as the host of the Booked 4 Murder Mystery Hour. But when she ends up broadcasting herself discovering a dead body live on air, it's up to the reluctant sleuth Sophie to find the killer... Phee's mother Harriet is going to be a star At least, that's how the Sun City West retiree describes her chance to host a live radio program of her book club's Booked 4 Murder Mystery Hour on Arizona's KSCW. But instead of chatting about charming cozies, Harriet ends up screaming bloody murder over the airwaves after discovering the body of Howard Buell, the station's programming director, in a closet--with a pair of sewing shears shoved into his chest. The number one suspect is Howard's ex-girlfriend Sylvia Strattlemeyer who believed she was going to host a sewing talk show before Harriet was offered the spot. But not only do the fingerprints found on the scissors not match Sylvia's, they belong to a woman who passed away twenty years ago at the age of ninety-seven. Now, with the whole town on pins and needles, it's up to Phee to stitch together enough clues from the past to uncover the identity of a killer in the present...

Twenty-something neophyte detective, Marcie Rayner, has put one murder investigation to rest at Blake Investigations in New Ulm, Minnesota, when another case, emanating from the same source (her mother), lands in her lap. When Helena Heatherbrae, the wealthy proprietress of an iconic architectural structure east of Minneapolis is found dead, her cook is positive it was murder. To complicate matters, Marcie has just taken on another client who's convinced her fianc is cheating on her. As Marcie juggles both cases, she learns that the secrets hidden in the labyrinthine Mystery Castle are nothing in comparison to the ones stemming from her clients. Using her newly acquired skills as a detective, coupled with her own street smarts, Marcie navigates through a maze of off-beat suspects as she probes deeper into both cases. The caveat is when she finds her client's philandering boyfriend is linked to the Mystery Castle in a way she never imagined. The closer Marcie gets to finding the truth behind Helena's death, the more she realizes some secrets are better left undisturbed.

There's a lot of noir surrounding this rare pinot. As the vineyards in Seneca Lake, New York, prepare for the seasonal "Deck the Halls Around the Lake" festivities, someone is determined to keep pinot noir off the wine list. Hijacked trucks and sabotaged ingredients have made it a hard-to-acquire vintage for the six local wineries-including Norrie Ellington's Two Witches Winery. The case of the stolen and spoiled wines gets stranger when Arnold Mowen, owner of the company distributing the wine, is found dead, the apparent victim of a hunting accident. As Norrie tries to find the connections between the pinot's problems and Arnold's death, she uncovers a conspiracy among many locals whose hatred for the wine distributor was bottled up for far too long. . .

Bowled over . . . Sophie "Phee" Kimball is getting dragged into the drama again at her mom's Arizona retirement community. A new board member wants to get rid of two golf courses and replace them with eco-friendly parks, and some of the residents are pretty teed off about it. On top of that, her mother's book club friend Myrna is being pushed out of the bocce league. These seniors are serious about winning, and Myrna's dragging them down. She's so bad at bocce, in fact, that when a community mem.ber's dead body is discovered while Myrna's practicing for a tournament, she assumes it was one of her own errant balls that killed the woman. But before Myrna can be tossed off the bocce court and into criminal court, the police find an arrow in the victim's neck. It looks like this was no accident--and Phee and her investigator boyfriend Marshall will have to team up to bounce a killer into the slammer . . . Praise for the Sophie Kimball Mysteries "A thoroughly entertaining series debut, with enjoyable, yet realistic characters and enough plot twists--and dead ends--to appeal from beginning to end." --Booklist STARRED REVIEW on Booked 4 Murder "An eclectic cast of entertaining characters that will keep you wondering whodunit " --Nicole Leiren, USA Today bestselling author of the Danger Cover Mysteries

"Finding a murderer requires 100% proof. In Seneca Lake, New York, Norrie Ellington's Two Witches Winery has been selected by the local vintner community to host the annual Federweisser, a celebration of the season's first fermentation of white Chardonnay grapes. But the festivities are spoiled when Norrie learns that landowner Roy Wilkes has raised her neighbor Rosalee Marbelton's rent so high, she may have to close her vineyard. Before the rent hike could go into effect, Wilkes is found dead on Roslaee's property--stabbed by a flowerpot stake--and she becomes the police's number one suspect. To clear her friend's name, Norrie conducts her own investigation. But as she gathers clues, Norrie finds herself targeted by a killer, and if she's not careful, her desire to see justice done may die on the vine . . . "

Still kicking herself in the pants for ever getting married in the first place, twenty-something crime statistician Marcie Rayner does a turnaround. She divorces her philandering husband and trades her desk job in St. Paul, Minnesota, for a temporary role as an investigative assistant in New Ulm. Never expecting her first case to come from her mother in Florida, Marcie finds herself ensconced in a full-blown murder investigation. The victim, forty-five-year-old microbrewery owner, Billy Hazlitt, is found shot to death on the floor of the Crooked Eye Brewery's tank room in the nearby hamlet of Biscay. And while Biscay doesn't seem like the place where murder motives abound, its quirky residents, including two spinster sisters and the employees of the local diner, offer more obstacles than help. Marcie is convinced one of them is the killer. As she digs deeper into the case, she learns the victim may not be the nice guy everyone thought he was. Worse yet, the killer may be gunning for her as well. Book One of the Marcie Rayner Mystery Series

""A deadly search for sour grapes . . . Norrie Ellington is a successful screenwriter living in New York City. She's also been a silent partner for her family's winery upstate-until her sister and brother-in-law take a year-long sabbatical. With an experienced staff doing the work, Norrie figures Two Witches Winery will run itself while she enjoys the countryside and writes in peace and quiet. Unfortunately, there's a sour grape in the town of Penn Yan who doesn't care for vineyards. Bed and breakfast owner Elsbeth Waters complains to everyone who'll listen that the local wineries are bad for her business. But when Elsbeth's body is found on Norrie's property, the victim of foul play, the screenwriter-turned-vintner dons a sleuthing cap to uncover the identity of a killer who told the B&B proprietess to put a cork in it-permanently . . . ""

She's handling a bridezilla--and hunting a killer . . . Moving from Minnesota to Arizona was a big change for Sophie "Phee" Kimball. She's much closer to her mother's retirement community now--which can drive her a little crazy, but at least her mom, Harriet, has her book club and her chiweenie dog, Streetman, to keep her company. And now there's even more activity, with Aunt Ina's upcoming wedding. The seventy-four-year-old bride has roped Phee into working on the tent, the pastries, and even her headpiece in preparation for the ceremony. But it's Harriet who really gets demanding when a dead body turns up yards from her front door. Aunt Ina's fiance is acquainted with the victim--a local millionaire restaurateur murdered at the golf course. Working for a private investigator, Phee is drawn into the case--not just professionally but personally, since Harriet is in a panic about her safety. With a killer on the loose, Phee vows to figure out the plot--that is, if her side job as a wedding planner doesn't kill her first . . . Praise for J.C. Eaton "Sophie 'Phee' Kimball has a lot on her plate in this captivating whodunit, but this feisty, take-charge heroine is definitely up for the challenge. Fun characters, a touch of humor, and a great mystery, the perfect combination for a cozy." --Lena Gregory, author of the Bay Island Psychic Mysteries

Never judge a book by its cover... Sophie "Phee" Kimball is not a cop. She's a divorced, middle-aged mom who works as an account clerk for the police department in a small city in Minnesota. But her retired mother, Harriet Plunkett, is convinced Phee is the only one who can solve the mystery of a cursed book. According to Harriet, four members of her book club have already succumbed to the deadly curse. Harriet insists Phee catch the next plane to her retirement community in Sun City West, Arizona, to investigate. Is her mother just bored and lonely? She does have a new pet--a long-haired chiweenie (half Chihuahua, half Dachshund)--for company and a host of pals (although that number is admittedly dwindling). Phee is certain that their book club selection isn't cursed, but is somebody really knocking off the ladies? As Phee starts to uncover dark secrets hidden in plain sight under the blazing Arizona sun, she'll need to read between the lines before it's someone else's final chapter.... "You'll chuckle all the way through this delightful romp through Sun City West, as Phee and her mother unravel the mystery behind the sudden deaths of several book club members. It's so cleverly written, you won't guess the perpetrators until the very end." --Mary Marks, award-winning author of the Quilting Mystery series

Soaring temperatures and a giant jigsaw puzzle combine to form a picture of murder . . .It's a blistering hot summer in Sun City West, and members of the retirement community are happy to escape into the air-conditioned bliss of the library to work on a mammoth forty-thousand-piece jigsaw puzzle. But things begin heating up inside, too, when members clash with the domineering head of the puzzle committee over which puzzle to solve-until someone settles the matter by killing her. Now it's up to Sophie "Phee" Kimball to put all the pieces of the murder plot together and catch the culprit responsible. Any number of the jigsaw aficionados could have wanted the victim out of the picture for her personality alone, but Phee suspects there was a more sinister motive behind the murder. Then the chosen puzzle and the library itself are struck by one instance of sabotage after another, and Phee's convinced that someone is sending a menacing message. But just as she unearths a telling clue and slots it into place, she finds herself in a race against time to finish the puzzle and solve the case-before the killer goes to pieces and finishes her off too . . .Praise for the Books of J. C. Eaton: "Fun characters, a touch of humor, and a great mystery, the perfect combination for a cozy." -Lena Gregory, author of the Bay Island Psychic Mysteries on Ditched 4 Murder"So cleverly written, you won't guess the perpetrators until the very end." -Mary Marks, award-winning author of the Quilting Mystery Series on Booked 4 Murder"A thoroughly entertaining series debut, with enjoyable yet realistic characters and enough plot twists-and dead ends-to appeal from beginning to end." -Booklist, starred review, on Booked 4 Murder"Enjoy this laugh-out-loud funny mystery that will make you scream for the authors to get busy on the next one." -Suspense Magazine on Molded 4 Murder