Meet Me For Murder

The true story of the predator who lured young women with promises of fame—from the national bestselling author of the “riveting” Honeymoon with a Killer (Publishers Weekly). Hopeful beauty Kristi Johnson, twenty-one, thought she was auditioning to model for a James Bond promotion. Following the directions of the man who approached her in a shopping mall, she drove to a mansion in the Hollywood Hills with a black mini-skirt and stiletto heels. Weeks later, Kristi’s body was finally photographed—by the county coroner. Her partially clad body had been found on a slope off Skyline Drive. Not one iota of forensic evidence was recovered. All investigators had was another Hollywood dream gone nightmare. But what seemed like a dead end soon found its lucky break. Responding to news reports about Kristi’s murder, calls from women came pouring in—all of them victims of bogus modeling gigs. One composite sketch later, Victor Paleologus, forty, already on parole for sexual assault, was taken into custody. Halfway through his sensational trial, Paleologus stunned everyone by entering a guilty plea and was sentenced to twenty-five years to life.

As university student Olivia Wells sets out on her quest to find an unpublished manuscript by Gloria Graham &– a now obscure mid-twentieth century feminist and writer &– she unwittingly uncovers details about a young woman found murdered. Strangled with a nylon stocking in the mangroves on the banks of the river in wartime Brisbane, the case soon became known as the river girl murder. Olivia's detective work exposes the sinister side of that city in 1943, flush with greenbacks and nylons, jealousy and violence brewing between the Australian and US soldiers, which eventually boiled over into the infamous Battle of Brisbane. Olivia soon discovers that the diggers didn't just reserve their anger for the US forces &– they also took it out on the women they perceived as traitors, the ones who dared to consort with US soldiers.Can Olivia rewrite history to bring justice to the river girl whose life was so brutally taken? Even if the past can't be changed, is it possible to undo history's erasure?

Early on the morning of May 6, 1840, the elderly Lord William Russell was found in his London house with his throat so deeply cut that his head was nearly severed. The crime soon had everyone, including Queen Victoria, feverishly speculating about motives and methods. But when the prime suspect claimed to have been inspired by a sensational crime novel, it sent shock waves through literary London and drew both Dickens and Thackeray into the fray. Could a novel really lead someone to kill? In Murder by the Book, Claire Harman blends a riveting true-crime whodunit with a fascinating account of the rise of the popular novel and the early battle for its soul among the most famous writers of the day.

The author of Meet Me for Murder shares the true crime story of a LA prosecutor working to prove a man guilty of murder—without a body. No evidence . . . On April 22, 1991, three young children waited for their mother, Ann Racz, to return with a takeout dinner. Instead, their father showed up with a small bag of cold French fries and said their mother had gone away. Ann’s children didn't believe it. Neither did her friends. And neither did the police. But there was zero evidence that anything had happened to Ann. No body . . . Los Angeles detectives dug furiously into the case, grilling John Racz and searching for clues. But without a body, the investigation stalled, and three children grew up wondering what had happened to their loving mother—and if their father had killed her. And a killer in plain sight . . . Fourteen years later, a brilliant female prosecutor defied the legal establishment and delved into the cold case, uncovering shocking information about Ann and her relationship with John. Suddenly, a crusading prosecutor was up against the most difficult kind of murder case of all: to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that John Racz had murdered his wife—even though her body was never found . . . With sixteen pages of photos

Something bad is brewing among a friendly group of book lovers: “A deliciously Agatha Christie-style mystery that sucks you in from the first page.” —Sibel Hodge, bestselling author of Look Behind You Imagine nine women meeting. Tea and cake are on the coffee table. They’ve come together to share their love of books. They are friends. They trust each other. It’s a happy gathering. What could be more harmless? Then scratch the surface and look closer. One is lonely. One is desperate. And one of them is a killer. When the body of a woman is discovered on a Cambridge common, DCI Barrett and DI Palmer are called in to investigate. But the motive behind the crime isn’t clear—and it all leads back to a book club. As the lies, volatile friendships, and tension among the group rise to the surface, DCI Barrett and DI Palmer must work out the motive and track down a cold-blooded killer. But just when they think they’re on the right track, a twist in the plot throws them off course . . . “Will keep readers guessing till the very end!” —J.A. Baker, bestselling author of The Other Mother “A deliciously devilish whodunit!” —Robert Bryndza, bestselling author of the Detective Erika Foster series

This is the first in a series of the best-selling crime mysteries featuring Inspector Anita Sundstrom. The books are set in Sweden and are pacey and well-written, keeping the reader on the edge of their seat until the final page.

The shocking true crime story of a California bride who took her wealthy husband for everything he had—including his life. Everything She Wanted . . . Rebecca Salcedo had an easy smile, a sexy body, and strong appetites—she wanted the world. Bruce Cleland, she decided, would buy it for her. The shy engineer quickly fell victim to her charms, getting her whatever she wanted. A new car. A boat. A house. But he wasn’t Rebecca’s only admirer . . . She Got . . . Even after Rebecca manipulated Bruce into marrying her, hoping to divorce him and take him for everything he had, she occupied herself with a series of lovers. Male strippers, women . . . they all spent time in Rebecca’s bed. But when she learned that a divorce would only get her a few pennies, she knew she had to find another way to secure Bruce’s fortune. Even Murder . . . Enlisting two family members as killers-for-hire, Rebecca set in motion her solution to the problem. While she watched, the first bullet hit Bruce in the face. Three more would follow. But while Rebecca kept the blood off her hands, she could not conceal evidence that led straight to her, culminating in a trial that would shock a community. With sixteen pages of shocking photos Praise for Honeymoon with a Killer “The sordid tale of an innocent man and the woman who plotted his murder. . . . Lasseter and Bowers provide readers with a highly detailed depiction of events leading up to and following the gruesome murder of Bruce Cleland. True crime aficionados will savor this riveting read.” —Publishers Weekly, starred review

On a school trip to London that includes her ex-boyfriend and his new girlfriend, Kim meets risk-taker Nicki, who proposes a diabolical deal.