Showing results by narrator "Maren Swenson Waxenberg" in All Categories

When her mother presented her with a flier for the town meeting on the square, Emily knew that she had to be there. The main speaker, the devilishly handsome and charming Duke of York, had stolen her heart the first time she saw him speak months ago. The duke, Matthew Earnest, haunted her very dreams and when she caught his attention after the meeting, he could think of nothing other than asking her to dinner. Matthew and Emily have a whirlwind courtship and love is in the air, but her father has already made arrangements with Aldous Barret.

Matthew and Emily have a whirlwind courtship and love is in the air, but her father has already made arrangements with Aldous Barret, widower and man with a reputation for being rough, for her hand in marriage. Can Matthew save his true love before harm befalls her or will she be forced into marriage to the cranky miser? Will love overcome or will she have to spend the rest of her days yearning for the love that could have been?

Wedding bells will soon be ringing, but as usual, Fiona is a bridesmaid and not a bride. As the maid of honor, how can Fiona keep the volatile pre-wedding festivities running smoothly? The problem is abruptly solved when the bride drops over dead at the elegant wine-tasting wedding rehearsal.

The cookies are baked. The tree is trimmed. The shopping? Well, it's almost done, and Fiona's parents have finally returned home for a holiday visit - along with some unexpected unruly friends. Yep, Fiona's perfectly planned Christmas is coming together, but how could've she planned for her favorite uncle's murder? Who could possibly kill a sweet old man who's played Santa at the local mall every year without fail?

Fiona's plans get squelched when her mother volunteers her to edit a manuscript for famous romance author Wyla Parkes. Spending six weeks in an adorable cottage on a private beach doesn't really seem all that bad until people start turning up dead - beginning with the author! Fiona's summer of sun and sand is instantly transformed into a murder investigation. Can Fiona and Nathan crack the case or will the murderer getaway on a wave of deceit?

Three ballroom dancers were murdered over 40 years ago. Wow, that’s one old cold case. What’s more, the murderer who was thought to have been killed during a police chase has resurfaced in Pittsburgh. Yikes!

Fiona Quinn arrives at her parent’s home in Daytona, Florida for a short visit only to be informed that their usually quiet retirement community has been besieged with robberies - cash, jewelry, and more. Her mom told all the neighbors Fiona is a wiz at catching bad guys. Yikes! Can Fiona crack the case? Hopefully, but what’s an amateur sleuth supposed to do when her Maltese, Harriet, shows up decked out in the stolen goods? Double yikes! Join Fiona, her parents, Harriet, and some pretty crazy old ladies for a real jewel of a quick mystery!

Hooray! Fiona has finally convinced her boyfriend detective Nathan Landry to go on a romantic Caribbean cruise. Unfortunately, their fun on the high seas is interrupted by murder. It isn’t long before they discover a boatload of suspects, who have motives deeper than the ocean for wanting the victim out of their lives.

Mysterious notes are showing up in Fiona’s kindergarten classroom, claiming a suicide from 2005 was actually a homicide. Detective Landry maintains the messages are too vague, possess no integrity, and do not warrant a review of the old case. Fiona’s not convinced. She’s determined to find the author of the enigmatic notes and uncover the truth about a man who had many secrets and countless enemies, including Fiona’s mother and former suspect Nancy Quinn!

Fiona can't wait to attend the performance of Coppelia at the Benedum Center in Pittsburgh. Her old friend, Silja Ramsay, is dancing the principal role. They have dinner after the show, but when they return Pittsburgh Ballet Theater is down one dancer! Ballerina, Alexis Cartwright, has been found dead in the dressing room. Is this murder a result of hot tempers among the cast members? Or is it a random act of violence?

Fiona is in total shock when her mother arrives unannounced on her doorstep. What’s going on? Why, she’s left Fiona’s father, that’s what. Yikes! Worse, a horse trainer is murdered outside his ex-wife’s home in Pittsburgh, and the trail leads directly to a Thoroughbred racetrack in the neighboring state of West Virginia. Get ready, because the suspects are mounting up and heading down the stretch. Whoa! Fiona and Detective Landry aren’t horsing around with this homicide!

Dreams, wishes, fantasies, and... murder? Fiona's good friend and fellow teacher, Lucky Maguire, leads everyone to believe he has won a huge jackpot! Only Lucky turns out not to be so lucky - he winds up dead and his supposed winning lottery ticket missing! Yikes! Did Lucky really win the lottery and if so, where is the ticket hidden? Who knew for sure if he truly was Pittsburgh's newest millionaire? Double yikes! Join Fiona and the gang for this winning cozy mystery that's sure to keep you betting on the suspects!

The venue is set, invitations sent, and the flowers ordered. It’s almost time for Fiona and Nathan to get married…again. What could possibly go wrong? Nothing…well, until the wedding planner is found dead. Then the woman Fiona has never met shows up—Nathan’s enigmatic mom, Rita Landry. And, she’s wearing a gorgeous but mysterious necklace. Worse, Rita is being followed by two sinister-looking men, forcing her to flee the country.

A lovely cameo brooch is discovered in Fiona’s late Uncle Wilbur’s house two days before Christmas. The pin bears a romantic Christmas message from Wilbur for his new wife with the initials, D.A.S. How very strange! To the family’s knowledge, Uncle Wilbur had never been married. So, who is this mysterious woman? Now, Fiona is on a holiday mission to locate D.A.S. and deliver the belated gift.

Yikes! Fiona’s been having a recurring nightmare and it’s driving her to distraction - so much so that she’s allowed her kooky neighbor, Astrid Dingle, to search for the answer through her crystal ball. What could be the cause of the dream, and what lengths will Fiona go to get to the crux of it all? You’ll be chasing dreams with Fiona, detective Landry, and Astrid in this fun quick mystery!

Back in the 60s, Bobby’s fifth wife, Katherine, was a diva in a community operetta company. During a performance of The Merry Widow, Bobby was forced to stand-in for a member of the chorus who fell ill. Only, Bobby’s first performance would be his last! The suspects are hitting all the notes as this mystery comes to crescendo!

Fiona is delighted when her new mother-in-law, Rita Landry invites her and Nathan to a private island in the Bahamas owned by a US ambassador. Sun, sandy beaches, and romantic tangerine sunsets await the newlyweds, but for Rita and her executive assistant, Hal Underwood the trip to Deep Blue Isle is a working vacation.

That ornery but oh-so-handsome charming, and somewhat, wayward angel Detective Bobby Starr has returned. This time, he’s back to fulfill his third and, hopefully, his final requirement to get into Saint Peter's prestigious Guardian Angel Squad. This time, the usually reluctant time traveler, Alexa Owl, is ready to go back to the 1960s to assist in solving one more long-ago murder. Why? Because if all goes well, she'll be rid of the menacing angel once and for all. Except, an emergency jerks Alexa back to her own time, and to complicate matters, she’s got a tag-along.

The Owl’s Nest Couturier Shoppe is a huge success! Business is booming, and Alexa Owl’s love life is heating up. Yet much to the seamstress’s dismay, Detective Bobby Starr is suddenly back again! Bobby isn’t your everyday gumshoe. Rather, he’s an angel who’s trying to earn a place in Saint Peter’s Guardian Angel Squad. He’s required to solve murders he had left unsettled from when he walked the Earth in order to be accepted into this prestigious group.

All of the contributors to this book were friends and family of author Ellen Gray Massey, and all of them considered her a model of a strong woman. There was a consensus among contributors that their proceeds from the sale of this book be donated to charities that helped women. The charities chosen are: New Life Project, Lebanon, Missouri, and Tostan, Dignity for All.