A Shamus Award Finalist and Named Best Mystery in the 2015 Next Generation Indie Book Awards

Still suffering nightmares from a case that ended tragically, brilliant freelance crime consultant Scott Drayco considers retiring from crime solving altogether. When a former client bequeaths Drayco a rundown Opera House in a Virginia seaside town, he figures he'll arrange for a quick sale of the place while nursing his battered soul in a peaceful setting near the shore.

What he doesn't count on is finding a dead body on the Opera House stage with a mysterious "G" carved into the man's chest. With hopes for a quick sale dashed and himself a suspect in the murder, Drayco digs into very old and very dangerous secrets to solve the crime and clear his name. Along the way, Drayco must dodge a wary sheriff, hostility over coastal development, and the seductive wife of a town councilman - before the tensions explode into more violence and he becomes the next victim.

Want to read a Scott Drayco novella for FREE? Sign up for BV’s Mysteries in Crimetime newsletter at bvlawson.com and receive a FREE copy of "The Maltese Moon Rock"!

Scott Drayco Thrillers in order:

PLAYED TO DEATH (A Shamus Award Finalist and Best Mystery, Next Generation Book Awards)
REQUIEM FOR INNOCENCE
DIES IRAE
ELEGY IN SCARLET

Praise for BV's Mysteries in Crimetime:

"Lawson uses the gothic features of the abandoned Opera House to great effect, creating an atmospheric background for the crimes and the solving of them, all of it accompanied with music that's almost like another character. The pace never sagged and it kept me enthralled." - Long and Short Reviews

"Lawson's book was so good, I read it twice from beginning to end...The citizens of Cape Unity are as diverse and multi-layered as any person living in the large cities, and Lawson portrayed them splendidly." - Reader's Favorite Reviews

"The storyline here is nicely structured, and creatively ties together two murder mysteries, which occurred decades apart. The small town setting is ideal, the lead character engaging, and the supporting cast interesting and diverse. Overall, a solid start to this series." - Omnimystery News

"A nice tight mystery in a realistic setting. Totally enjoyable." - Terrie Farley Moran, national bestselling author of the Read 'Em and Eat Mystery Series

"Now this story was close to brilliance...The plot was fast, dark and thrilling." - IHeartReading.net

All in all, an excellent read for lovers of quality mystery fiction." - Jacqueline Seewald, author of The Inferno Collection

In Nell Lillington's small Midwestern town of the 1870s, marriage is the obvious fate of a young woman of some social standing. Yet Nell is determined to elude the duties and restrictions of matrimony. So when she finds herself pregnant at the age of 17, she refuses to divulge the name of the father and even her childhood friend Martin is kept in the dark.

Nell's stepfather Hiram sends Nell to live at the Poor Farm of which he is a governor, to await the day when her baby can be discreetly adopted. Nell is ready to go along with Hiram's plans until an unused padded cell is opened and two small bodies fall out.

Nell is the only resident of the Poor Farm who is convinced that the unwed mother and her baby were murdered, and the incident prompts her to rethink her decision to abandon her own child to her fate. But the revelations to which her questions lead make her realize that even if she manages to escape the Poor Farm with her baby, she may have no safe place to run to.

Environmental concerns and mysterious lights in the night sky over Deer Creek have everyone on edge. After a community meeting about a proposed windfarm erupts into violence, murder is on someone’s mind. A windfarm proponent turns up dead and the local UFO aficionado who opposes windmills is law enforcement’s chief suspect. Kennel owner, Gracie Andersen isn’t so sure, and finds plenty of other suspects and motives to consider. A rather peculiar, former classmate shows up offering to help with the investigation which only complicates things for Gracie and her dog, Haley. Despite the challenges, the hunt is on for a clever murderer, who isn’t afraid to kill again.

Murder, Mayhem, and Mysticism follow Fr. Raff Rafferty and his daughter Fatima as they travel with a diverse group of pilgrims along the Santiago de Campostela Way to the tomb of St. James in the Basque territory of northern Spain. Can the skills of former police detective turned priest protect this band of pilgrims as death stalks the holy trail?

Looking for a light and breezy, feel-good beach read? You've found it in Pajaro Bay.

Wounded artist Hallie Reed comes to Pajaro Bay for a summer job at the town's funky old amusement park. But when she wakes up after a mysterious car accident with a gap in her memory, she soon discovers the missing hour is the key to uncovering a secret that could get her killed.

Danger, romance, and a new beginning await Hallie during her summer at the beach, and she--and the whole town--will be changed forever by what she finds Under the Boardwalk.

All Pyper Rayne—medium and coffee shop owner—wanted was the perfect vintage dress. What she got was a dead shop owner and a sexy ghost who’s suddenly everywhere—at her shop, in her car, and even lounging in her bedroom. 

Bittersweet Hollow (Romantic Suspense Series)

Book 1: Devil's Lake
Book 2: Devil's Creek

After two years of brutal captivity, Portia Lamont has escaped and returned to her family’s Vermont horse farm—only to find her parents gone to New York to try an experimental treatment for her mother’s cancer, and her childhood friend Boone Hawke running the farm.

Like the rest of her family, Boone has never given up hope that Portia would return. But when she turns up battered, skinny as a twelve-year-old boy, afraid of everything and unable to talk about what happened, he does the only thing he can—try to help her heal. He summons the town doctor and Portia’s parents, and sets out to put this beautiful, broken woman back together again.

Through her family's love and Boone's gentle affection, Portia gradually comes back to herself, and starts to fall for her old friend in a whole new way. But one thing threatens her fragile hope for recovery: The man who took her promised that if she ever escaped, he'd kill her. Slowly. And someone is definitely watching her...waiting to make his next deadly move.

NOTE: This book contains explicit sexual content. For adults only!

In this exciting full-length novel, Detective Bass investigates the twisted streets for the murderer of a pharmaceutical rep and a sniper who took down a prime suspect, all of which related to a white marble slab delivered to a stranger’s back door.

From harbor drinking haunts to high-rise living, Detective Bass and his partner Macky investigate it all.

The drama program has never been so dramatic.
It’d be the season to be jolly if only someone hadn’t set the stage for murder. When a student is arrested for the crime, Professor Sheridan Hendley is cast in the role of amateur sleuth. Tensions run high, friendships are strained, and the college administration is beginning to panic. As the plot thickens Sheridan is yet again drawn deeper into danger. Will she find the truth before the final curtain call?

New York Times and USA Today Bestselling author M A Comley presents the Justice series.

The headless body of a wealthy widow is discovered decomposing in Chelling Forest. Then a second victim is found. Detective Inspector Lorne Simpkins and her partner, DS Pete Childs are assigned the case. 

A research laboratory opens on the outskirts of the West Country town of Abbeyford, bringing with it new people, jobs, prosperity and publicity to the area – as well as a mob of protesters and animal rights activists. The team at Abbeyford police station take this new level of civil disorder in their stride – until a fatal car bombing of one of the laboratory’s head scientists means more drastic measures must be taken…

Detective Sergeant Kate Redman is struggling to come to terms with being back at work after a long period of absence on sick leave; not to mention the fact that her erstwhile partner Mark Olbeck has now been promoted above her. The stakes get even higher as a multiple murder scene is discovered and a violent activist is implicated in the crime. Kate and the team must put their lives on the line to expose the murderer and untangle the snarl of accusations, suspicions and motives.

Snarl is the new Kate Redman Mystery from bestselling crime writer Celina Grace, author of Hushabye, Requiem and Imago.

Praise for The Kate Redman Mysteries from Amazon and Goodreads reviewers:

“One of the best I have read this year. I read about a fourth of the book early in the day, then at bedtime, I thought I would read a bit more before sleep. I finished the book at 5:20 AM. Just could not put it down.”

“…a gripping detective story but the main character engages you, and as well as wanting to know how the mystery turns out you want to learn more about her too.”

“…amazing book, read it front to back in one visit, couldn`t help myself…”

“…the most enjoyable Kindle book I have so far read since the 'low cost electronic revolution' which has been sweeping my reading habits for the last couple of years! Thoroughly recommended.”

“This was my introduction to the author, and I'm so glad I discovered the book. Well-written and a real page turner.”

“I was awake till the early hours to finish it !! I really enjoyed it and the characters in it so I'm pleased I also have the sequel downloaded to read at some point. I know it should be great.”

“Attention to detail and great character building coupled with a mystery that keeps you guessing are all the ingredients that make me keep reading till the early hours of the morning.”

"Celina Grace has done it again, she compels you from page to page and chapter to chapter, a great, riveting read..."

"I found it difficult to put down and was completely distracted from all the other things I should have been doing with my time."

"This is a great series that I couldn't put down and grabbed the next book right away at 1 a.m. to keep reading."

A gripping murder mystery detective thriller that keeps you guessing until the end.

Detective Inspector Munro is a burly Scottish policeman who doesn’t suffer fools gladly. Detective Sergeant West is an intelligent young woman, new to the force, with a lot to prove.

When a missing person case lands on their desks, Munro is skeptical there is much to it. But their investigation soon comes to some strange findings, and before long, a body is found.

With a serial killer on their hands they must act fast to trace a woman placed at the scene of the crime. Yet discovering her true identity, let alone finding her, proves difficult. And as the plot thickens they realize the crime is far graver than either of them could have imagined.

If you like crime fiction with a killer twist you will love SHE, the latest Scandinavian style suspense thriller by Pete Brassett.

"When you read Brassett's books you enter a world you don't want to leave." Sally Heath

PETE BRASSETT is the author of several crime fiction thrillers, all are available on Amazon Kindle:

KISS THE GIRLS follows the story of a soldier who gets into trouble after returning home, traumatized by war. THE WILDER SIDE OF CHAOS is a racy fast paced international crime novel. THE GIRL FROM KILKENNY and PRAYER FOR THE DYING are both murder mysteries set in Ireland. BROWN BREAD is a farce about a family who literally get away with murder.

* Look out for new release AVARICE, also featuring DI Munro and DS West.

From seven time Amazon All-Star Author comes another page-turning murder mystery.

Antiques, polo, and relationships. What do they have in common? Murder!

Why was the Palm Springs polo club owner's fiancee, Pia, murdered? Old relationships, Mafia vendettas, and inheritances all play a part in this cozy mystery. Jack Rutledge, the owner of a world class polo club in Palm Springs hires Marty Combs, an antique appraiser, to evaluate Jack's collection of art pottery and Pia's collection of art glass. When Marty and her husband, Jeff, a Palm Springs police detective, attend a cocktail party at the Rutledge Polo Club, they find themselves in the middle of a murder mystery.

Who killed Pia? Was it Kevin, the has-been polo player jealous of Jack's success? Roberto, the reputed second-in-command of the West Coast Mafia who loved Pia? Gerta, Pia's sister, who feels the art glass collection willed to Pia should be hers? Pia's ex-husband, a felon newly released from prison? Jensen, Jack's son, who'd been promised he would inherit Jack's very valuable art pottery collection, or even Lupe, the polo club owner's maid?

A missing girl. An amateur sleuth. And a whole lot of croissants.

Meet Molly Sutton, recently divorced and ready for a new life, who moves to the village of Castillac in France to open a B&B. She’s looking for peace, pastry, and beautiful gardens—an altogether slower life than the one she’d had in Boston. But you know what they say about the best intentions….

Molly has barely gotten over jet-lag when she hears about a local student’s disappearance. In between getting her ramshackle house in order and digging into French food, Molly ends up embroiled in the case, along with the gendarmes of Castillac. And unlike the Nancy Drews she loved as a child, this mystery is complex, stirring up emotions she thought had been put to rest and terrifying the beloved residents of her adopted village.

The Third Girl is the first book of the Molly Sutton Mystery series. If you like engrossing cozy mysteries, real characters you'd want to get to know, and mouthwatering descriptions of scrumptious food, you'll love Nell Goddin's tale of murder and intrigue.

So take a trip to Molly's captivating world of Castillac and buy The Third Girl today!

Making her grand re-entry into Portside, Rhode Island, Belinda Kittridge expected fun, sun, and sugar cookies.

Instead, she gets one jilted lover braced for round two, an old rival on the hunt, and the murder of a former classmate and friend. Even worse, Belinda must return to the events surrounding a tragic sailing accident to set things right.

But new possibilities emerge in the form of security expert Bennett Tate. Between her connections and his know-how, they're bound to catch the killer - and kick the skeletons out of the closet for good.

Other Books in the Series:
Auf'd (Book Two)

It is the middle of the night ...The road is deserted ...A killer is waiting ...

Two traffic officers are killed on an isolated mountain pass in North Wales. Inspector Drake is called to the scene and quickly discovers a message left by the killer - traffic cones in the shape of a No 4.

The killer starts sending the Wales Police Service lyrics from famous rock songs. Are they messages or is there some hidden meaning in them?

Does it all mean more killings are likely? When a politician is killed Drake has his answer. And then the killer sends more song lyrics. Now Drake has to face the possibility of more deaths but with numbers dominating the case Drake has to face his own rituals and obsessions.

Finally when the killer threatens Drake and his family he faces his greatest challenge in finding the killer before he strikes again.

Halloween Hijinks: Amid a backdrop of zombies on the run and Halloween festivities, animal control officer Zoe Donovan is faced with losing something she loves in order to save someone she loves when she finds a dead body in the basement of a haunted house just two days before Halloween. With the help of her best friends, Levi and Ellie, and her dog Charlie, she delves into a mystery as complex and multilayered as the feelings she develops for her ex-nemesis Zak Zimmerman. Halloween Hijinks is the perfect recipe, combining holiday fun with a touch of humor, a pinch of romance, and a dollop of murder.

Zoe's Treasure Hunt: Zoe and Charlie meet a mysterious stranger at the hospital while doing therapy dog rounds. The man is in town to look for a 70 year old treasure. When he is unable to continue the journey into the past himself, Zoe and Charlie take over the quest with the help of Pappy and a few of his friends.

A UNIQUE MYSTERY. "Brilliant, engaging twist."—Kirkus Reviews.

NEW YORK. A third unexplained, passion-driven homicide. Their only link is that smell! —Eric Foster, a young scent specialist, is called in by the NYPD to assist with the investigation but ends up the prime suspect for these murders. Eric enlists help from Tanya, a forensic chemist, to prove his innocence. Their quest takes them to Yemen and France and into the dark underbelly of the world of perfumery.

Ebenezer Falls, Washington...a sleepy burg or murder central?

The game is afoot...as amateur sleuth Stevie Cartwright plunges head first into a murder investigation. With twists, turns, and suspects aplenty, this one will keep you guessing from start to finish.

USA Today bestselling cozy mystery author Dakota Cassidy serves up mayhem and murder in Witch Slapped, Book 1 of her series, Witchless In Seattle Mysteries.

"Oh, good. Not a problem. I'll invoke the Gods of Pilates. I'm sure they'd be happy to help. Hang on just one sec while I dial them up. Oh, wait. I can't. Know why I can't? Because my hands are tied behind my back with zip ties, Win!"

A rib-tickling cozy mystery complete with an ex-witch, a dead British spy, a cotton ball bat, and a cast of suspects that will keep you guessing right up to the end! Join the hunt for a murderer with Stevie, Winterbottom, and Belfry, in a race against time as the local police prepare an eight by ten cell for our intrepid ex-witch.

What's a girl to do when she's a broke, shunned ex-witch with a very tiny, very hungry bat familiar named Belfry to feed?

Hello. My name is Stevie Cartwright, and I've been witchless for thirty days.

If only there was a support group for down-on-their-luck ex-witches who've had their powers slapped right out of them (literally). Just as I was licking my wounds after returning to my hometown of Ebenezer Falls, WA, and navigating my suddenly non-magical existence with the help of my familiar, the only friend I have left in the world—things got sticky.

Enter an ex-spy and newly departed spirit named Winterbottom, who's infiltrated my life with his sexy British accent and a couple of requests...

Thanks to Belfry's successful attempt to use me as a human antenna to the afterlife, I can somehow hear Win. I should be ecstatic; helping departed souls used to be my witch specialty. It's like I got the teensiest piece of my old life back. Except Win's dropped me right at a dead woman's feet.

Madam Zoltar, the town's beloved fake medium, has been murdered, and Win wants me to catch the killer.

My old life won't be worth much if it gets me whacked before my new life has barely begun--and that seems to be exactly what the killer has planned!

This cozy mystery has a complete cast of oddball characters from witches to ghosts and bats to psychics. Witchless In Seattle Mysteries is a spin-off of Dakota Cassidy's bestselling paranormal romance series, A Paris, Texas Romance.

Another puzzling, fiendishly complicated mystery for Inspector Cullot and his world-famous Team to solve… Can the Inspector, together with Sergeant Watkins and Cullot’s gorgeous daughter Stephanie, solve the mystery of the corpse that disappeared? Such a mind-boggling mystery is soon followed by a whole series of disappearing corpses being reported all over London… And, worst of all, is the fourth member of Scotland Yard’s top-notch Team, namely the bumbling, bemused PC Blunt, the actual murderer? Is the love of Cullot’s life, the still stunningly attractive ex-movie star Joan Butler, somehow involved? And what’s the role, if any, of Lord Fotheringay, Stephanie’s latest lover, in the whole affair? Cullot and his elite Murder Squad embark on one of the most baffling cases they have ever met in their pursuit of a horde of suspects, clues and disappearing corpses across London, leading them into direct confrontation with one of the most ruthless gangs the world has ever known, as well as a collection of the sexiest and most jaw-droppingly appealing women imaginable, and the swankiest, most fashionable habitations in the land…until a bloody and violent finale in a luxury country house… Oh, and of course…as always, the chase is accompanied by the wit and sparkling repartee the world’s greatest detective and subordinates bring to all their cases. And what about Sergeant Watkins’s red-hot love for Stephanie, Cullot’s beautiful and outrageously provocative daughter? Will there be a successful conclusion to his tormented passion? Read on, if you can take the thrills, the twists, the laughs and the inimitable panache of yet another case in the breath-taking annals of the world’s most famous detective.