From USA Today bestselling author Leslie Langtry comes a hauntingly hilarious mystery... What’s scarier than ex-CIA agent Merry Wrath’s Girl Scout troop? How about the spookiest Halloween haunted house ever? And the girls have found the perfect place to hold it—a disturbingly dilapidated Victorian with something in the basement that gives off some serious we're-all-gonna-die vibes. Tween mayor Ava bought the house with city funds, which has drawn the ire of grumpy city inspector, Gilbert Moody. Who also happens to be the only one in town who is not afraid of the most terrifying Girl Scout in Merry's troop, the infamous Betty. This cranky civil servant has the paperwork to condemn any building, and he’s not afraid to use it! Merry’s got a horrifyingly full plate this fall, from her Chechen brothers-in-law moving in with her after their pregnant wives kicked them out, to the troop illegally adopting a sullen turkey vulture named Reggie. And now her favorite ice cream parlor, Sugar Lips’ Feeling Lucky House of Delights has been condemned! Moody would be feeling her wrath…if he hadn’t been murdered by zombies inside the haunted house! Following a cryptic series of confusing clues and dodging a hail of bullets, Merry needs to find the killer fast if she's going to save this Halloween! What critics are saying about Leslie Langtry's books: "I laughed so hard I cried on multiple occasions! Girl Scouts, the CIA, and the Yakuza... what could possibly go wrong?" ~ Fresh Fiction "Darkly funny and wildly over the top, this mystery answers the burning question, 'Do assassin skills and Girl Scout merit badges mix…?'" ~ RT BOOKreviews "Mixing a deadly sense of humor and plenty of sexy sizzle, Leslie Langtry creates a brilliantly original, laughter-rich mix of contemporary romance and suspense." ~ Chicago Tribune "Langtry gets the fun started from page one." ~ Publisher's Weekly

What's scarier than ex-CIA agent Merry Wrath's Girl Scout troop? How about the spookiest Halloween haunted house ever? And the girls have found the perfect place to hold it—a disturbingly dilapidated Victorian with something in the basement that gives off some serious we're-all-gonna-die vibes. Tween mayor Ava bought the house with city funds, which has drawn the ire of grumpy city inspector, Gilbert Moody. Who also happens to be the only one in town who is not afraid of the most terrifying Girl Scout in Merry's troop, the infamous Betty. This cranky civil servant has the paperwork to condemn any building, and he's not afraid to use it! Merry's got a horrifyingly full plate this fall, from her Chechen brothers-in-law moving in with her after their pregnant wives kicked them out, to the troop illegally adopting a sullen turkey vulture named Reggie. And now her favorite ice cream parlor, Sugar Lips' Feeling Lucky House of Delights has been condemned! Moody would be feeling her wrath...if he hadn't been murdered by zombies inside the haunted house! Following a cryptic series of confusing clues and dodging a hail of bullets, Merry needs to find the killer fast if she's going to save this Halloween!

As the descendant of an Irish witch and the owner of a New Age tea shop, intuitive gemologist Shay Myers has been living her most authentic life since moving home to California’s scenic Monterey Peninsula. But in the latest Crystals & CuriousiTEAS Mystery from USA Today bestselling author Lauren Elliott, not even her heightened senses can predict how to run a business—or catch a killer . . . Self-taught “seer” Shay has much to learn as autumn hits the quaint coastal town of Bray Harbor. Since attempting the art of blending herbs at her popular shop, Crystals & CuriosiTeas, she’s set on growing ingredients in the mysterious greenhouse on the second floor—if only she can separate the medicinal plants from the deadly ones. Her new skills are put to the test when she meets pub owner and ex-detective Liam Madigan’s Gran. A psychic from Ireland known for interpreting tea leaves and people, Gran encourages Shay to build upon her natural talents and hold her own group reading . . . At first, the evening goes off without a hitch—until a customer goes from chatty to dead in a flash, poisoned after sipping a toxic substance recently grown in the greenhouse. Worse, Shay’s assistant is suspected of intentionally serving the lethal brew. Now, aided only by Liam and her dog Spirit, Shay must exonerate her employee and save the future of Crystals & CuriosiTeas. But when clues start lining up like leaves in a teacup, she’ll need to understand the signs right in front of her to catch the manipulative murderer before it’s too late . . .

For ghost hunter Verity Long, 'helping out a friend' can mean anything from passing the peas to solving a homicide. This time, it involves digging into a cold case that's been on ice since poodle skirts twirled and Elvis's hips shook the nation. In 1956, Kitty Cunningham disappeared on the way to the Starlite Drive-In. Now the first real evidence of foul play is coming to light in the ghostly realm—and it links directly to a modern crime. Only a sleuth with one foot in the past can solve the mystery and make things right. ​Armed with her wits and flanked by a wise-cracking gangster ghost, Verity explores the hidden side of 1950s Sugarland—from the haunting echoes of the abandoned drive-in to the dusty secrets of a long-forgotten mob vault. As she stirs spirits and secrets alike, she finds some corners of Sugarland’s history are darker and more dangerous than she ever imagined. Can Verity bring the truth to light, or will she be the next one to suffer death at the drive-in?

Apple cider, bonfires, football, and—ghosts. It’s homecoming weekend in Sugarland, Tennessee, and ghost hunter Verity Long is tickled to see so many souls—living and dead—back in town to celebrate. But not all reunions are happy ones, and when Verity stumbles upon a dead body by the football field, it appears someone has already evened the score. With her long-lost mother in tow and her ghostly sidekick Frankie showing her startling glimpses of a time long past, Verity untangles the secrets and scandal behind her town’s favorite traditions. Even more shocking? The murderer is tracking her. And before she can discover the final truth that leads her to a cold-blooded killer, she may just be the one who loses the game.

Dead men tell no tales. Until they meet ghost hunter Verity Long. Verity Long is proud to say she gets along with just about anybody—dead or alive. But she’s put to the test when her well-meaning boyfriend and her sweet-as-pie sister con her into a remote island “double date” weekend with her sister’s new flame and Verity’s long-time nemesis, Alec Duranja. Her plans to avoid the uptight police officer go up in smoke when the four of them team up for a weekend treasure hunt competition based on the island’s legendary pirate past. And it doesn’t take long for Verity and her team to discover more than game clues. Someone is using the game to dig up real pirate gold...and they’re willing to kill to keep it. There’s no escaping the island or the game. And when the killer targets someone Verity loves, she realizes she’s the only one who can uncover the truth behind the legend. She must stay one step ahead of the dangers of the island and two steps ahead of Frankie’s new ghostly pirate buddies—all in a race against time to solve a centuries-old puzzle and take down a real live killer before he strikes again.

Three merry tales filled with cozy Christmas moments and delightful supernatural surprises Looking for the perfect way to treat yourself this holiday season? Check out all of your favorite Southern Ghost Hunter short stories in one irresistible volume. A Ghostly Gift - Verity Long doesn't want to see ghosts, and she'd rather not let anyone know her little secret, either. But when a restless spirit stirs up trouble in her friend's holiday shop, Verity and her very new, very dead gangster friend discover a mystery eight decades in the making and are tasked with reuniting a pair of war-torn lovers before they are doomed to spend eternity apart. Ghost of a Chance - Tis the season…for ghosts. Verity has come to terms with the fact that she can see spirits, and talk to them, and…she’s actually making cookies for one of them. But she’s drawing the line at any more ghost hunting or mystery solving. Until a dear friend needs help locating a missing antique at the party of the year. Not one to leave a friend in need, Verity straps on her sparkly heels and sneaks in to see what she can find—only to uncover a startling secret that will change everything. Dog Gone Ghost - Verity's new ghost hunting career has gone to the dogs, literally. A spirit is releasing animals from their cages at the Sugarland Animal Rescue Center. It's an unusual haunting that gets even more bizarre when she uncovers a new clue in a case of a missing child. Verity vows to reunite the lost boy with his family. And when she does, Verity just might answer the age-old question: Do all dogs go to heaven?

“A twisty, cold-case mystery custom made for fans of Sara Shepard, PLL and Veronica Mars! The edge-of-your-seat plot, sinister backstory and smart, brave and irreverent main character made this whodunit unputdownable.”—Justine Magazine In To Catch a Killer, a contemporary mystery by debut author Sheryl Scarborough, a teenage girl uses forensic science to solve the cold-case murder of her mother. Erin Blake has one of those names. A name that is inextricably linked to a grisly crime. As a toddler, Erin survived for three days alongside the corpse of her murdered mother, and the case—which remains unsolved—fascinated a nation. Her father's identity unknown, Erin was taken in by her mother's best friend and has become a relatively normal teen in spite of the looming questions about her past. Fourteen years later, Erin is once again at the center of a brutal homicide when she finds the body of her biology teacher. When questioned by the police, Erin tells almost the whole truth, but never voices her suspicions that her mother's killer has struck again in order to protect the casework she's secretly doing on her own. Inspired by her uncle, an FBI agent, Erin has ramped up her forensic hobby into a full-blown cold-case investigation. This new murder makes her certain she's close to the truth, but when all the evidence starts to point the authorities straight to Erin, she turns to her longtime crush (and fellow suspect) Journey Michaels to help her crack the case before it's too late. At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.

"At Stake is an analysis of popular culture, a critique of a secularized religious discourse, as well as a plea for cleaning up the ethics of public speech. Edward J. Ingebretsen explores the social construction of monstrousness in public discourse, examining the uses of transgression and deviancy in tabloids, mainstream press, television, magazines, sermons, speeches, and popular fiction."--BOOK JACKET.

There are numerous publications about the horror genre in film and television, but none that provide information about horror on a legitimate stage until now. This book highlights the most terrifying moments in theater history, from classical plays like Aeschylus' Prometheus Bound and Euripides' Medea to the violence of the Grand Guignol company productions in 18th-century France, and present-day productions like Stephen Sondheim's musical Sweeney Todd, Stephen King's Carrie and dark 21st-century plays by Clive Barker and Conor McPherson. The book compiles the history and behind-the-scenes tales surrounding stage productions about monsters, hauntings and horrors both historical and imagined. Included are the nightmarish adaptations of popular writings from Edgar Allan Poe, Oscar Wilde, H.G. Wells, Henry James, Arthur Conan Doyle, and others, as well as plays starring popular characters like Frankenstein, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, the Invisible Man, the Phantom of the Opera, and the Woman in Black. More than 500 plays are documented, accompanied by dozens of photographs. Entries include plot synopses, existing production data, and evaluations by critics and scholars.