Joanne Pence

A music box, a murder, and a message from the grave...When would-be gourmet cook Angie Amalfi takes a seemingly ordinary music box to be repaired, a series of grisly murders begins, each one inching closer to her and her fianc , San Francisco Homicide Inspector Paavo Smith. As she and Paavo race to uncover the truth, they discover the music box isn't just a relic-it's a key to unraveling secrets that someone is willing to kill to protect. The discovery leads to dark, emotional chapters from the past-chapters that everyone believed would be buried forever.For readers of the Inspector Rebecca Mayfield Mystery series, this story takes place soon after Rebecca and Angie's cousin Richie meet (in the novella, The Thirteenth Santa). Richie has a minor role in this story.NOTE: The main characters in this story appear in an early mystery series by the author which is being completely reimagined and updated.

A dead body washes up on the shore, a mysterious woman hides too many secrets, and whispers of an international criminal ring fill the night...While would-be chef Angie Amalfi nervously awaits her engagement party with her swoon-worthy fianc , Homicide Inspector Paavo Smith, her clueless neighbor Stan finds himself swept into a whirlwind romance with a mysterious woman. Before he knows it, his quiet life is in a complete upheaval.As if that weren't enough, Angie's fiance and her father are forced to work together to solve a mystery on their own--one they fear Angie or her mother learning about. But then, as murders happen around the Greek Taverna where Stan met his lady-friend, and as the murders shift closer to home, Angie's got to solve a crime messier than her mother's famous spaghetti sauce-and somehow still get through her engagement party without a full-blown family meltdown. Will she save Stan's love life, her parents' marriage, maintain her sanity, and still pull off the engagement party of the year?Don't miss the next mouthwaatering chapter in Angie's deliciously dangerous life NOTE: The main characters in this story appear in an early mystery series by the author. This is an updated version of the mystery, Courting Disaster.

Angie Amalfi, a gourmet cook with a flair for flavor but a knack for trouble, is stirring up more than just sauce in the kitchen. After a string of failed business ventures, she's concocted a new recipe for success: playing cupid. Her latest dish? Pairing her best friend, Connie, to a dashing pro football player who just so happens to be the cousin of the owner of Angie's favorite Italian bistro. It's a match made in foodie heaven-or so Angie thinks.Before Angie can say "mangia," San Francisco is rocked by a string of brutal murders and a high-stakes diamond heist that leaves everyone on edge. When the trail of breadcrumbs starts leading to Connie and an enigmatic loner, Angie's perfectly laid plans begin to crumble. With her homicide detective fianc , Paavo Smith, by her side, Angie dives headfirst into the mystery, determined to whisk away any smear on Connie's character.As the pressure mounts, Angie must sift through the lies and half-baked alibis before her culinary dreams go up in flames and she's left with nothing but a recipe for disaster.NOTE: The main characters in this story appear in an early mystery series by the author. This is a completely reimagined and updated version of the mystery, If Cooks Could Kill.

"Comical cakes," a satanic after-hours club, and a chilling serial killer...Gourmet cook Angie Amalfi's newest culinary business, "Comical Cakes," is a roaring success, bringing joy to all with her whimsical, laugh-inducing confections. But there's nothing funny about the chilling case her homicide inspector boyfriend, Paavo Smith, is grappling with-a series of baffling murders seemingly rooted in satanic ritual.When Angie is called upon to deliver a humorous cake to the enigmatic owner of a decadent after-hours Goth club, her gourmet curiosity plunges her into a world of dark intrigue.At the same time, Paavo has a serious question on his mind-one that he hopes to ask Angie, if only she can find a moment in her chaotic cake-baking schedule to listen to him. As Paavo races against time to unmask a killer, Angie must use all her culinary wit to help solve the mystery before she becomes devil's food of a different kind.With their lives and their future together on the line, Angie and Paavo must navigate a perilous path to uncover the truth. Will they catch the killer, or will Angie find herself iced... for good?Note: This is a fully rewritten and reimagined rendering of an earlier mystery, Bell, Cook, and Candle.

The heart of Sicily, where ancient myths echo through crumbling ruins and long-forgotten gods lurk in the shadows ...Michael Rempart, renowned archaeologist, finds himself in a new role as guardian and protector to his increasingly troubled half-sister, Zoe. Seeking refuge, they retreat to a secluded dig site in the remote Sicilian countryside-the place where legend has it the goddess Persephone was abducted by the Hades, god of the Underworld.But their quest for peace is short-lived when Eden Burrows, a genealogist in Vienna, uncovers a secret hidden within the ancient walls of the Rempart family castle- the key to deciphering the enigmatic Voynich manuscript, the manuscript that Michael and Zoe's father, an alchemist, views as the gateway to eternal life.Eden's discovery propels her into a perilous odyssey, binding her fate to the mysterious Remparts while awakening slumbering gods and stirring ancient battles for power long forgotten.Treachery lurks in every shadow. As Zoe wrestles with her demons, and Michael and Eden struggle to find a way to fight the growing evil, they are drawn into a race against time. In this clash of titans, where gods and mortals alike are mere pawns, the fate of humanity hangs in the balance.Will Michael and Eden unlock the secrets of the past in time to save the future?Join the many fans of the Ancient Secrets novels. Each can be read as a stand-alone work. All are available as ebook, print, and large print editions.

The heart of Sicily, where ancient myths echo through crumbling ruins and long-forgotten gods lurk in the shadows ...Michael Rempart, renowned archaeologist, finds himself in a new role as guardian and protector to his increasingly troubled half-sister, Zoe. Seeking refuge, they retreat to a secluded dig site in the remote Sicilian countryside-the place where legend has it the goddess Persephone was abducted by the Hades, god of the Underworld.But their quest for peace is short-lived when Eden Burrows, a genealogist in Vienna, uncovers a secret hidden within the ancient walls of the Rempart family castle- the key to deciphering the enigmatic Voynich manuscript, the manuscript that Michael and Zoe's father, an alchemist, views as the gateway to eternal life.Eden's discovery propels her into a perilous odyssey, binding her fate to the mysterious Remparts while awakening slumbering gods and stirring ancient battles for power long forgotten.Treachery lurks in every shadow. As Zoe wrestles with her demons, and Michael and Eden struggle to find a way to fight the growing evil, they are drawn into a race against time. In this clash of titans, where gods and mortals alike are mere pawns, the fate of humanity hangs in the balance.Will Michael and Eden unlock the secrets of the past in time to save the future?Join the many fans of the Ancient Secrets novels. Each can be read as a stand-alone work. All are available as ebook, print, and large print editions.

Murder, marinara, and marriage dreams collide in this suspense-laden culinary thriller...Gourmet cook Angie Amalfi is on a mission: to find a hidden gem of a restaurant to review for a top culinary magazine. At the same time, handsome Homicide Inspector Paavo Smith is working to solve the sexually-tinged murders of two women. The two goals converge when Angie's world takes a sinister turn.Angie discovers three grumpy old men who make a mean marinara, but seem to know nothing about how to run a business-at least not a restaurant business. And since she's growing closer to Paavo, she's bursting with questions about married life. But at the same time, the eerie feeling that someone is stalking her becomes increasingly unnerving. The feeling isn't helped when, the more Paavo learns about the killings, he fears Angie may be next on the psychopathic killer's menu.Will Angie find the perfect restaurant and what marriage really means, and will she and Paavo find and stop the mysterious killer before he makes Angie his victim? The answers simmer in this culinary escapade where every question leads to another layer of suspense and mystery.The kitchen is hot and the murder is served in this latest installment of the popular Cook and Inspector Mysteries.NOTE: The main characters in this story appear in an early mystery series by the author. This is a completely reimagined and updated version of Cooking Most Deadly.

A TV cooking show murder-Angelina Amalfi, a gourmet cook who is also the assistant to a famous chef with his own television show, finds life a tasty treat. But her treat sours when her mentor's last supper turns deadly and he's poisoned in his own kitchen. Soon, Angie becomes the target of a ruthless assassin with his own hunger for violence.San Francisco Homicide Inspector, Paavo Smith, who Angie considers a delectable dish, is given the case. But as the body count rises like dough on a hot day, Angie struggles to avoid becoming the main entr e on the killer's plate. Angie and Paavo need to act fast. Can the two find some means to serve up justice, or will both end up skewered in this high-stakes culinary clash?

A fashion photographer with shattered dreams, a former rancher with a tragic past, and an isolated cabin... with ghosts.When a top fashion photographer Sophie Evans' life plans fall apart, leaving her heartbroken and adrift, she learns of the Donnelly Cabin Inn, a recently renovated haven of tranquility. At the same time, Tray Bowman, a former rancher burdened by a tragic past, now stripped of his home and land-and possibly his son-also takes a room at the inn as he returns to his long-forgotten hometown, yearning for solace and a shot at redemption.Can the worlds of two lost souls converge, let alone form a deeper connection? The cabin's ethereal spirits believe in the power of their union, even as Sophie and Tray do all they can to dismiss even the slightest hint that anything "supernatural" is taking place in this story of heartache, redemption, and the inexplicable.Reserve your stay at the Donnelly Cabin Inn today, and join the growing number of fans in this whimsical and warm series when humor, mystery, and romance intertwine with the goals of the cabin's ethereal matchmakers.What readers are saying: "I love the Donnelly Cabin series""kept my interest, made me laugh""a sweet, simple romance with a touch of the paranormal""Had many surprises and twists.""Characters have humor and they're realistic."

A deadly attack, a retreat... to a place where new dangers await...Homicide Inspector Rebecca Mayfield is having problems with boyfriend Richie Amalfi, but they come to each other's aid when someone is trying to kill one of them ... and they aren't certain which. Or why. After Richie's pal, Shay, is caught in the cross-fire, they decide to seek refuge until they can figure out exactly what's going on.Rebecca brings them to her old stomping grounds in Idaho, where she finds "big city" crime isn't limited to big cities. Plus, she learns the reality of the phrase, "a fish out of water" as Richie deals with a snowy mountain cabin retreat, and Shay comes to some revelations about his life from an unlikely source.Danger threatens from different angles and in many guises as the three grapple with life, love, and murder when the clock strikes nine.Readers enjoy The Inspector Rebecca Mayfield Mysteries. Begin with One O'Clock Hustle, and you'll find the hours quickly fly by.

A break-up. An act of kindness. And the consequences turn deadly.Inspector Rebecca Mayfield returns to homicide after being place on administrative leave, but she'sassigned to desk duty. While she seethes at this latest restriction, boyfriend Richie Amalfi can't believe she'd gone back there to work after all that has happened. He's even more furious when the former partner who caused her to nearly be killed reappears seeking forgiveness.Not only is Rebecca's personal life in complete turmoil, but someone is killing women who join an online dating site. Rebecca becomes involved when a friend is accused of the murders, making her restricted duties intolerable. Can she continue to watch from her desk, doing nothing, or will she dare to go rogue without Richie or the SFPD watching her back?Rebecca faces life-altering decisions in the latest installment of this not-to-be-missed, best-selling mystery series.Start with One O'Clock Hustle, and the hours seem to fly by ...

A startling photograph, the demonic killings of members of an archeological dig team, and a friend's disappearance hurl archeologist Michael Rempart into his most emotionally fraught adventure yet.When Michael unexpectedly receives a recent picture of a long-lost love, a woman he thought was dead, he gives up everything to search for her and to find answers to questions that have plagued him through the years. Instead, he uncovers more mysteries as he's drawn deeper into the occult and the ancient power of alchemy.Michael's search takes him from St. Petersburg, Russia, to a dig site deep in Ukraine's Carpathian mountains-a desolate area where medieval knights once roamed, and where horrifying secrets are buried.This sweeping adventure spans both time and space from the present day to the last days of the Russian Tsars, involving the riches and debauchery of the court of Nicholas and Alexandra and the "mad monk" Rasputin. And as Michael's quest continues, he soon finds that while he hunts, he is also being hunted. Will he find all that he's looking for ... before it's too late?Join the many fans of the Ancient Secrets novels. Each can be read as a stand-alone work. All are available as print, large print, ebooks, as well as audiobook editions.