Deadly Southern Charm

“Deliciously devious and absolutely delightful, these marvelous stories will keep you captivated! Sweeter than sweet tea on the surface, but with smartly sinister secrets only a true southern writer can provide. What a joy to read!” —Hank Phillippi Ryan best-selling Agatha and Mary Higgins Clark Award winner This volume collects original tales by Frances Aylor, Mollie Cox Bryan, Lynn Cahoon, Judy Chalkey, Stacie Giles, Barb Goffman, Libby Hall, Bradley Harper, Sherry Harris, Maggie King, Kristin Kisska, Samatha McGraw, K.L. Murphy, Genille Swope Parente, Deb Rolfe, Rod Sterling, S.A. Warwick, and Heather Weidner.

First Comes Love, Then Comes Murder features nineteen juicy tales of revenge, betrayal, bad breakups, and a few I dos and some I don’ts. Each short story takes ruthless relationships to an all-new level in all kinds of places like destination weddings, riverboat cruises, wineries, bachelorette parties, creepy stalkers, cheating spouses, and sneaky friends trying for their own version of happily ever after. So, settle in for some love stories with a twist of revenge, infidelity, and murder. Featuring the writing talents of Teresa Inge, Heather Weidner, Debra H. Goldstein, Grace Topping, Maggie King, Ellen Butler, Kristin Kisska, Shawn Reilly Simmons, Marilyn Levinson, Sandra Murphy, Mary Dutta, Diane Fanning, Libby Hall, Frances Aylor, K.L. Murphy, Eleanor Cawood Jones, Leah St. James, Sheryl Jordan and Allie Marie. Nineteen talented authors have lent their pens to whisk you away to a variety of venues in search of who done it. Woe to the man or woman who places the heroes and heroines in harm's way as they solve these mysteries. Clever twists and turns make this a delightful read. What foul means has joined together - let the clever reader unveil the clues. -Nan O'Berry, USA Today's Best Selling Author

When Tori Sinclair's philandering ex turns up dead, the police chief believes it was murder-and that Tori may have been involved. Now, only the girls from the sewing circle will be able to help keep her life from coming apart at the seams...

SHE KNOWS WHERE TO FIND THE BODY When Raina Hamish tries on a dress in a Miami boutique, she has a terrifyingly accurate vision of a murdered corpse in the murky shadows of the Everglades. She wants to help, but who would believe her when she can hardly believe herself? Special Agent Axel Tiger has returned to Florida to help hunt a serial killer, but the investigation doesn’t have much to go on. Raina’s vision is their best chance to uncover more. Axel’s experience with the FBI’s elite paranormal team will nurture Raina’s abilities, and she may be able to help save a life—but it puts her directly in the crosshairs of a killer who is closer than they would ever suspect.

The Malice Domestic anthology series returns with a new take on mysteries in the Agatha Christie tradition -- 36 original tales with a culinary bent! Included are: A Cup of Tea, by Parnell Hall Brown Recluse, by Marcia Adair A Slice of Heaven,, by Laura Brennan The Extra Ingredient, by Joan Long A Death in Yelapa, by Leslie Budewitz The Pie Sisters, by Richard Cass Too Many Cooks Almost Spoil the Murder, by Lynne Ewing Pig Lickin’ Good, by Debra H. Goldstein Quiche Alain, by Marni Graff Diet of Death, by Ang Pompano Death at the Willard Hotel, by Verena Rose Dining Out, by Rosemary McCracken Snowbirding, by Kristin Kisska Up Day Down Day Deadly Day, by Ellen Larson The Secret Blend, by Stacy Woodson First of the Year, by Gabriel Valjan Sticky Fingers, by LD Masterson The Cremains of the Day, by Josh Pachter Honor Thy Father, by Harriette Sackler Killer Chocolate Chips, by Ruth McCarty Sushi Lessons, by Edith Maxwell The Missing Ingredient for Murderous Intent, by Elizabeth Perona It’s Canning Season, by Adele Polomski The Gourmand, by Nancy Cole Silverman The Blue Ribbon, by Cynthia Kuhn The Last Word, by Shawn Reilly Simmons Murder Takes the Cupcake, by Kate Willett Bull Dog Gravy, by Mark Thielman Morsels of the Gods, by Victoria Thompson Mrs. Beeton’s Sausage Stuffing, by Christine Trent Bring It, by Terry Shames Gutbombs ’n’ Guinness, by Lisa Preston Deadly In-Flight Dining, by Sara Rosett Carne Diem, by Sharon Lynn Turn the Sage, by Stephen D. Rogers Bad Ju-Ju, by M.A. Monnin

A January 2023 Once Upon a Book Club Pick "You'll get nothing done until you've reached the end of this excellent book." &―Lisa Regan, USA Today and WSJ bestselling author of the Detective Josie Quinn series "[A] riveting tale . . ." &―Library Journal She wanted the truth. She should have known better. When her sister is found dead in a Baltimore hotel room, reporter Val Ritter's world is turned upside down. An empty pill bottle at the scene leads the police to believe the cause of death is suicide. With little more than her own conviction, Val teams up with Terry Martin, a retired detective who has his own personal interest in the case, to prove that something more sinister is possible. In 1921, Bridget Wallace, a guest on the brink of womanhood, is getting ready to marry an eligible older man. But what seems like a comfortable match soon takes a dark turn. Does the illustrious history of the stately Franklin hotel hide another, lesser known history of death?

Down south, the holidays mean family—and for Yankee librarian Tori Sinclair, family means the Sweet Briar Ladies Society sewing circle. It may not be a white Christmas, but it’s one she’ll never forget—no matter how hard she tries… Instead of spending a nice, relaxing Christmas with her fiancé, Tori Sinclair has been drafted into Sweet Briar’s holiday Decorating Committee. And the season has brought sad tidings as well: Charlotte Devereaux, a sewing circle founding member who unraveled after her storybook marriage fell apart, has passed away. Charlotte’s last days were foggy, distressed, and feverish… except for the sketches she produced. One detail in particular jumps out at Tori and leads to a shocking revelation: Charlotte’s husband didn’t leave her—he was murdered! And as she gets closer to the truth, Tori will discover that just about everyone in town has got notches on the naughty list this year.

An examination of the Georgian city's complicated and sometimes turbulent development Savannah in the New South: From the Civil War to the Twenty-First Century, by Walter J. Fraser, Jr., traces the city's evolution from the pivotal period immediately after the Civil War to the present. When the war ended, Savannah was nearly bankrupt; today it is a thriving port city and tourist center. This work continues the tale of Savannah that Fraser began in his previous book, Savannah in the Old South, by examining the city's complicated, sometimes turbulent development. The chronology begins by describing the racial and economic tensions the city experienced following the Civil War. A pattern of oppression of freed people by Savannah's white civic-commercial elite was soon established. However, as the book demonstrates, slavery and discrimination, harassment, intimidation, and voter suppression galvanized the African American community, which in turn used protests, boycotts, demonstrations, the ballot box, the pulpit—and sometimes violence—to gain rights long denied. As this fresh, detailed history of Savannah shows, economic instability, political discord, racial tension, weather events, wealth disparity, gang violence, and a reluctance to help the police continue to challenge and shape the city. Nonetheless Savannah appears to be on course for a period of prosperity, bolstered by a thriving port, a strong, growing African American community, robust tourism, and the economic and historical contributions of the Savannah College of Art and Design. Fraser's Savannah in the New South presents a sophisticated consideration of an important, vibrant southern metropolis.