A Catered Costume Party

A man is found hanging at a Halloween party, and two sleuthing sisters must unmask a killer: “Charming.”—Publishers Weekly When sisters Bernie and Libby Simmons agree to cater an extravagant Halloween party in their little town of Longely, New York, they figured a ghost or two and a bloodcurdling scream might be part of the menu, but they never expected to be haunted by the specter of murder. Darius Witherspoon isn’t giving up on his plan for a catered costume party—despite the recent disappearance of his wife, Penelope. He may be heartbroken, but perhaps throwing a big shindig in her honor will boost his spirits. He hires Bernie and Libby to provide the treats. They’d prefer to avoid the festivities altogether, but as always, there are bills to be paid. And in the midst of the celebration, Darius is discovered hanging from a noose outside one of the ballroom’s French doors—with a note left behind that suggests this was not suicide. It’s up to Bernie and Libby to find out whodunit… Includes original recipes for you to try! “Recurring characters, especially the sisters’ widowed father, retired police chief Sean, add depth and humor.”—Publishers Weekly Includes Original Recipes for You to Try!

Owners of A Little Taste of Heaven Catering, sisters Bernadette and Libby Simmons, are hired to cater a birthday bash for a prize pedigreed pug called Trudy. All goes well for the five pugs and their masters -- that is, until Annabel Colbert, heiress to a toy company, drinks a glass of poisoned wine and falls face first into her soup. As they try to uncover the motive for Annabel's murder, the sisters are plunged into the word of the super-rich. It seems Annabel had more than her share of enemies, since she was cheating, backstabbing and blackmailing most of the people she knew. Bernie, Libby, and Sean, their retired disabled police detective dad, must sniff out the truth before they become targets of a very sick puppy.

A billionaire is felled at a fundraiser: “Fans of culinary cozies by Joanne Fluke and Diane Mott Davidson will enjoy discovering Crawford.”—Library Journal Everyone in Longely, New York is talking about Blue House, an art complex that will bring the quaint little town a theater, an art gallery, and even a restaurant and coffee bar. But they’re less than enthusiastic about Ludvoc “Zeb” Zalinsky, the self-made billionaire who’s funding the complex—and rubbing everyone the wrong way. Sisters Bernie and Libby Simmons are catering an elaborate tea party for an opening night gala fundraiser. But just when it seems the Alice in Wonderland-themed tea party is going according to plan, Zeb lifts an electric tea kettle, clutches his chest, and falls to the floor. It doesn’t take long for police to decide that this seemingly random accident was actually cold-blooded murder. As Bernie and Libby set out to find the culprit, they realize Zeb might have had more enemies than money. With so many possible culprits to sort through, only one thing is clear: Zeb was poured a steaming cup of revenge—and a second serving may be on the menu… Includes original recipes for you to try!

’Tis the season to be sleuthing—as two sisters try to solve a crime at a cooking show. Picturesque Longley, New York, is ringing in the holiday season, but visions of sugar plums are not dancing in Libby Simmons’s head—especially since she and her sister Bernie are set to appear on the Hortense Calabash Cooking Show. The premise is to give six professional caterers random ingredients and have them whip up a holiday meal. The icing on the fruitcake is that Hortense Calabash is a grinch of epic proportions. And the other contestants are some of the most demanding—and difficult—chefs in the business. Bernie and Libby are thrown into the mix as arguments and accusations simmer on the set. Then Hortense, all dressed up as Santa Claus for the opening sequence, is killed by an exploding oven. With the holiday rush in full swing and a killer still on the loose, Bernie and Libby have no choice but to wrap up the mystery before their geese are well and fully cooked… Includes scrumptious holiday recipes for you to try! “Fans of culinary cozies by Joanne Fluke and Diane Mott Davidson will enjoy discovering Crawford.” –Library Journal

“Fans of culinary cozies by Joanne Fluke and Diane Mott Davidson will enjoy discovering Crawford.”—Library Journal Bernie and Libby Simmons, caterers extraordinaire, are hosting a televised cookie contest just in time for Christmas, but unfriendly rivalries cook up a cutthroat competition… The feisty members of the Christmas Cookie Club Exchange are busy perfecting their recipes once again. And with the Baking for Life cookie contest on the line, the stakes are higher—and deadlier—than ever. When the odds-on favorite dies in a suspicious car accident en route to the show, Bernie and Libby start digging and are shocked to uncover a soap opera of sinister secrets and clandestine affairs. But they'll stop at nothing to get to the truth, because no holiday treat is sweeter than justice. Includes original recipes for you to try! “A chatty, cozy mystery.”—Library Journal

Kelly Comet goes to a most unusual Halloween party, where he expects to win first prize for his costume.

When Libby and her sister Bernie cater a vampire-themed high school reunion in honor of best-selling author Laird Wrenn, they find themselves knee-deep in murder when Wrenn drops dead after dinner and Libby is accused of the crime. Reprint.