When a plastic surgeon cuts and runs, a plus-sized PI takes on the case in this cozy mystery by the author of Murder à la Mode. Despite New Year’s resolutions to avoid irritating houseguests and nerve-wracking cases, California ex-cop-turned-private-detective Savannah Reid finds herself hosting her assistant’s cranky cousin. And that’s not all that stinks . . . Voluptuous and proud of it, Savannah can’t understand why any woman would diet in pursuit of beauty, never mind go under the knife. She likes herself just fine the way she is. Too bad her houseguest Abigail isn’t as content. She is livid that her cousin, Tammy, won her an extreme makeover at San Carmelita’s new luxury spa, Emerge. There’s barely time to worry about Abigail when one of Emerge’s owners, renowned plastic surgeon Suzette DuBois, goes missing. As she broadens her search, Savannah soon realizes that some of the employees at this temple of perfection harbor serious inner flaws. And when one of the suspects ends up dead, Savannah’s had enough. She’d love nothing more than to wrap up this case and make friends with a nice strawberry margarita. But first, she’ll have to stitch up a killer who cuts to the bone . . . Praise for Corpse Suzette: “A well-constructed mystery with several surprising twists that keep the reader guessing till the end.” —RT Book Reviews “Savannah’s as feisty as ever.” —Kirkus

Pioneers: Volume II – Dragon Tooth Gold Series By: Kent J. McGrew Pioneers: Volume II – Dragon Tooth Gold Series finds the second generation young Callahan adults midsummer, 1860. The nation is on the brink of Civil War. Eli, the oldest, and the twins, Roland and Jacques, join the Army Supply Service under the pressure of their mother Anna and their grandmother Denise. Still serving their country but safe from the front lines if war should break out, they work for the Quartermaster at Fort Leavenworth on short hauls to supply bases on the Santa Fe Trail. Disaster strikes in the form of a tornado that kills their parents and severely injures their younger sister, Suzette. After the burial of their mother and the abandonment of the search for their father, the boys take a contract to deliver a heavy load of supplies to the Army garrison at Santa Fe. They head to Fort Leavenworth to load up and head west. Denise plans to take Suzette by ship to meet up with the boys in Los Angeles, however, Suzette has plans of her own. She runs away and waits for her brothers on the trail. Pioneers is cast in the 1860’s with the country on the brink of the Civil War. The Callahan children, our young pioneers, experience the Santa Fe trail with all the perils of the times: renegades, Indians, storms, disease and danger greeting them at every turn of the trail.. Crossing the trail took four months on the average and many fell by the wayside, never to realize their dreams of a new life in the west. The history and living the reality of the greatest migration in American history is woven with historical individuals and laced with the sights and the history of the times. I want my readers to experience the tenacity of our ancestors and appreciate the will and endurance that it took to simply survive, let alone succeed at a new life. My characters are unique in that they were wealthy with the riches of their father’s estate. They could have chosen an easy life but they chose the more difficult path. These young heroes are meant to be role models for the young, adopted sons and daughters of the aged. Through action packed adventure, everyone has the opportunity to experience Horace Greeley’s sage advice, “Go west young man, go west.”

In this cozy mystery by the author of Killer Reunion, a plus-sized PI’s latest job on an Alaskan cruise ends when her boss’s death rocks the boat. When famed mystery writer Natasha Van Cleef invites the Moonlight Magnolia Detective Agency on an Alaskan cruise in exchange for some personal protection, Savannah is instantly onboard with the idea. The voyage goes smoothly—until Natasha and her husband flee the ship and get killed in a suspiciously explosive crash . . . Awash in regret, Savannah and the MM crew won’t return home to San Carmelita until they expose whoever caused the fatal “accident.” But Savannah and her team discover that Natasha’s life was far more dramatic than any of her bestsellers. Not only was her marriage and literary career splattered with bad blood, but a crazed fan was tracking her every move. With suspects and clues flooding in by the boatful, it’s all hands on deck as Savannah rushes to seize the murderer before she lands herself in hot water next . . . Praise for Every Body on Deck “Well-drawn, sympathetic characters; satisfying plot twists; and plenty of humor distinguish this lively, long-running cozy series.” —Booklist “Humor and romance leaven McKevett’s 22nd whodunit . . . This lighthearted cozy builds to a double surprise ending.” —Publishers Weekly

A plus-sized private detective investigates a diet guru accused of making her husband eat lead in this cozy mystery by the author of Poisoned Tarts. Weight loss diva Clarissa Jardin became a household name after she transformed herself from flabby to fit with an exercise program she designed. Raking in millions of dollars, Clarissa has the whole world in the palm of her hand—that is, until her husband, Bill, is found mysteriously shot to death. Detective Dirk Coulter calls PI Savannah Reid to the crime scene, and it isn't long before Clarissa’s squeaky-clean image starts to unravel. With the whole world watching this celebrity whodunit, Savannah must crack the case fast—before another victim gets their just desserts . . . Praise for A Body to Die For: “Lively. . . . McKevett . . .delivers another amusing tart-tongued cozy that goes down like a yummy guilt-free dessert.” —Publishers Weekly “As usual, her tongue is the muscle that gets the most exercise as lively Savannah sets one and all straight.” —Kirkus Reviews

Like other fictional characters, female sleuths may live in the past or the future. They may represent current times with some level of reality or shape their settings to suit an agenda. There are audiences for both realism and escapism in the mystery novel. It is interesting, however, to compare the fictional world of the mystery sleuth with the world in which readers live. Of course, mystery readers do not share one simplistic world. They live in urban, suburban, and rural areas, as do the female heroines in the books they read. They may choose a book because it has a familiar background or because it takes them to places they long to visit. Readers may be rich or poor; young or old; conservative or liberal. So are the heroines. What incredible choices there are today in mystery series! This three-volume encyclopedia of women characters in the mystery novel is like a gigantic menu. Like a menu, the descriptions of the items that are provided are subjective. Volume 3 of Mystery Women as currently updated adds an additional 42 sleuths to the 500 plus who were covered in the initial Volume 3. These are more recently discovered sleuths who were introduced during the period from January 1, 1990 to December 31, 1999. This more than doubles the number of sleuths introduced in the 1980s (298 of whom were covered in Volume 2) and easily exceeded the 347 series (and some outstanding individuals) described in Volume 1, which covered a 130-year period from 1860-1979. It also includes updates on those individuals covered in the first edition; changes in status, short reviews of books published since the first edition through December 31, 2008.

The Sexual Violence and Impunity in South Asia research project (coordinated by Zubaan and supported by the International Development Research Centre) brings together, for the first time in the region, a vast body of knowledge on this important – yet silenced – subject. Six country volumes (one each on Bangladesh, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and two on India) comprising over fifty research papers and two book-length studies detail the histories of sexual violence and look at the systemic, institutional, societal, individual and community structures that work together to perpetuate impunity for perpetrators. Breaching the Citadel showcases new and pathbreaking research on the structures that contribute towards creating and sustaining impunity for perpetrators of sexual violence. Focusing on medical protocols, the functioning of the law, the psycho-social making of impunity, the media., history and current politics, the book makes a valuable addition to work on Kashmir, the Northeast of India, Chhattisgarh and other regions of violence that are discussed in its sister publication, Fault Lines of History. This book is a must-read for students of women and gender studies, conflict, development, history, current politics and sexuality studies.

Business has been a little slow at the Moonlight Magnolia Detective Agency, but full-figured P.I. Savannah Reid doesn't have time to drown her sorrows in a box of double-chocolate truffles. She's too busy watching the Gourmet Network--and drooling over the sinfully scrumptious confections that Lady Eleanor ("The Queen of Chocolate") whips up on-air. But someone isn't sweet on the Queen's charming chatter--and wants her to hang up her oh-so-quaint apron--for good. . . When Savannah hears that Lady Eleanor's been getting death threats, she jumps at the chance to be her round-the-clock bodyguard. It's a great chance to meet her idol in person--and maybe pick up some free chocolates, too! But her sweet dreams melt away the minute she meets Lady Eleanor. The woman is as rotten as last year's Valentine candy--and stingy with the chocolates to boot! After a few miserable days of her boss's put-downs and pettiness, Savannah finally understands why someone wants to put an end to Her Majesty's reign. But when the Queen of Chocolate bites into a chocolate and drops dead in the middle of her own live TV show, Savannah is horrified. After all, it was her job to protect Lady Eleanor--and now thousands of traumatized chocoholics know how horribly she failed. Talk about bad for business. If only to save her own reputation, Savannah has to figure out who's to blame for the Queen's untimely (and very ungraceful) demise. . .

“You can’t help but fall in love with Lynsay Sands!” —Christina Dodd New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Lynsay Sands trades in highland kilts for lush ballrooms and high-waisted gowns in The Countess, the first in a brand new, sexy, laugh-out-loud funny Regency romance series. Fans of Julie Garwood, Jill Barnett, and Teresa Medeiros will adore The Countess, and sympathize with her hilarious attempts to cover up the untimely demise of her despicable husband, even as the late earl’s twin brother sets her heart aflutter. The much adored creator of the popular Argeneau vampire family paranormal romance novels, the incomparable Lynsay is equally adept at historical romance—as this wonderful Regency romp so emphatically demonstrates!

First in the series: A full-figured Southern police detective transplanted to sunny California untangles the murder of a politician’s husband. Detective Sergeant Savannah Reid is a long way from Georgia, but she’ll go anywhere for good food and good friends. And policing the exclusive Southern California town of San Carmelita is as tasty as sausage-gravy-and-biscuits with super-spicy home fries. Until city councilwoman Beverly Winston’s husband turns up dead—and an unprecedented media frenzy sweeps the elite beach community like a tsunami. The good news—Savannah is put in charge of the case. The bad—she’s pressured to investigate any person of interest except the main one: Beverly herself. And when Savannah refuses to play ball, she’s summarily fired for “being overweight.” But when another suspect hires her to find the truth, Savannah turns up the heat on an unsavory mess of triple-dealing, infidelity, and betrayal that will rock San Carmelita’s sun-soaked elegance to its core—and put a calculating murderer’s target dead on Savannah’s back. Starring a “warm, winsome, and weight-bedeviled” heroine whose down-home savvy can solve the most sophisticated crimes, this series is a delight for mystery fans (Publishers Weekly).

"Between being a mom to her new foster son and arranging a lavish wedding for her sister, things are messy, unpredictable, and delightfully fulfilling for Savannah these days. She even gains an impressive friend: Dr. Carolyn Erling, a caring veterinarian with a deeper story than her down-to-earth nature suggests. When Savannah attends a birthday bash for Dr. Carolyn's husband, she's astonished to find that her no-frills acquaintance resides in a pristine hilltop mansion with Dr. Stephen Erling, a jet-setter brain surgeon boasting throngs of A-list patients around the globe. Before Savannah can get a headcount on the mingling celebrities, Dr. Stephen has one too many champagne toasts and drops dead. With a poisonous residue found inside Dr. Stephen's glass, the search is on for the killer who spiked his drink. Motivated to set things right for a devastated Dr. Carolyn, Savannah must infiltrate the elite world of foreign dignitaries and Oscar-winning stars to identify the guilty culprit--or prepare to kiss this happy chapter in her life goodbye." -- Amazon.