The Gastrothief

Every journey might start with a single step, but where does it end? Albert Smith and his faithful dog, Rex Harrison, have been on the road for far longer than they ever expected, but they can't go home yet. Not until they solve one final case.

Baking. It can get a guy killed. When a retired detective superintendent chooses to take a culinary tour of the British Isles, he hopes to find tasty treats and delicious bakes ... ... what he finds is a clue to a crime in the ingredients for his pork pie. His dog, Rex Harrison, an ex-police dog fired for having a bad attitude, cannot understand why the humans are struggling to solve the mystery. He can already smell the answer - it's right before their noses. He'll pitch in to help his human and the shop owner's teenage daughter as the trio set out to save the shop from closure. Is the rival pork pie shop across the street to blame? Or is there something far more sinister going on? One thing is for sure, what started out as a bit of fun, is getting deadlier by the hour, and they'd better work out what the dog knows soon or it could be curtains for them all.

When retired cop, Albert, arrives in Stilton for a festival, he has cheese on his mind, but that's not what he gets ... ... arriving the morning after the factory and warehouse have been raided, all the stilton is gone, and the security guard, Dave, who bravely fought to stop the thieves, needs someone's help to save the day. With sidekick Rex Harrison, the failed police dog, at his side, our aging but sprightly hero will put his ear to the ground and his mind to work as he unravels the clues to this mystery. Rex and Albert will be tested like never before in this quiet English town as they catch the first glimpse of a criminal mastermind at work. Can they find the cheese in time to save the festival? Will Rex be able to smell the answer with all the stinky cheese around? It's a race against time to solve this crime but is there something bigger going on? Can this really just be about some mouldy cheese?

In the small Bedfordshire town of Biggleswade, retired detective Albert, and former police dog, Rex, are enjoying a peaceful break from the murder and mayhem of the last week. Until the waitress serving him is arrested for murder ... ... and he discovers she killed the cafe's owner three days ago. But Albert saw her eyes when the police came for her - she is innocent! With evidence stacked against her, no alibi, and both motive and opportunity, she will carry the blame unless someone can prove otherwise. Left holding her dog when the police took her away, Albert does what he does best ... he snoops. There is something very odd going on, that's for sure, but as he starts to investigate, the woman's checkered past comes to life. Is she guilty after all? In no time at all Albert becomes the target and this time it will take more than Rex to keep him safe. Is there a master criminal working behind the scenes? What possible motive could he have? One thing is for sure ... this is no underdog tale!

On a culinary tour of the British Isles, retired Detective Superintendent Albert Smith and snarky former police dog Rex Harrison find something quite unexpected waiting for them at their B&B ... ... it's the almost-dead body of their landlady. Refusing to believe in coincidence, Albert and Rex set out to discover why her 'accident' is the second terrible event there in two days. Something is stirring in Bakewell and it's not the ingredients for a famous tart. In trouble faster than a souffle can fall, the duo must work fast before anyone else has an accident. But the landlady's twin sister is hiding a secret, Albert keeps calling it a tart when it's a pudding, and their taxi driver, Asim, appears to use a language all of his own. With Rex's nose working overtime, you can be sure they'll track down the bad guys responsible. Unfortunately, that might be when the real trouble begins. Baking. It can get a guy killed.

Entertainment Weekly hails the Secret, Book, and Scone Society series by New York Times bestselling author Ellery Adams as “a love letter to reading,” and in this fifth installment, bookshop owner, bibliotherapist, and occasional sleuth Nora Pennington must enlist the help of her brilliant, brassy librarian friend Bobbie to unravel the connection between The Scarlet Letter, an obscure 19th century writer, and a dead hiker… Bookstore owner Nora Pennington and the rest of the Secret, Book, and Scone Society must solve a murder as cold as the winter wind in a new mystery from New York Times bestselling author Ellery Adams. While January snow falls outside in Miracle Springs, North Carolina, Nora Pennington is encouraging customers to cozy up indoors with a good book. Even though the shop and her bibliotherapy sessions keep Nora busy during the day, her nights are a little too quiet—until Deputy Andrews pulls Nora into the sci-fi section and asks her to help him plan a wedding proposal. His bride-to-be, Hester, loves Little Women, and Nora sets to work arranging a special screening at the town’s new movie theater. But right before the deputy pops the question, Nora makes an unsettling discovery—someone has mutilated all her store’s copies of The Scarlet Letter, slicing angrily into the pages wherever Hester Prynne’s name is mentioned. The coincidence disturbs Nora, who’s one of the few in Miracle Springs who knows that Hester gave up a baby for adoption many years ago. When a dead man is found on a hiking trail just outside town, carrying a rare book, the members of the Secret, Book, and Scone Society unearth a connection to Hester’s past. Someone is intent on bringing the past to light, and it’s not just Hester’s relationship at stake, but her life . . .

Baking. It can get a guy killed. On the trail of a master criminal, a retired detective and his former police dog expect a quiet time in the Cumbrian village of Keswick. However, when Rex picks up a scent upon arriving at their B&B ... ... the discovery of a body in a shallow grave draws them into a mystery someone does not want solved. With help from a local amateur sleuth and her dog, our mystery-busting duo set out to investigate two cases at the same time. Along the way they'll identify a host of possible suspects and have to answer some big questions: Who stood to gain from the victim's death? Was it revenge or greed that motivated the killer? Just how many sausages can a German Shepherd eat in one sitting? As they battle to reveal the truth, it's clear someone is working to cover it up and if they don't figure this out in time, someone might not live to see another day. In their most deadly adventure yet, can Rex and Albert sniff out the clues? The answer will be shocking!