In this historical mystery, a retired detective heads to the French Riviera where a dying billionaire plays a twisted game with nine would-be heirs. At the lush Villa Calypso on the French Riviera, a dying billionaire launches a devious plan: at midnight each day he appoints a new heir to his vast fortune. If he dies within twenty-four hours, that person takes it all. If not, their chance is gone forever. Yet these are no ordinary beneficiaries, these men who crossed him, women who deceived him, and distant relations intent on reclaiming the family fortune. All are determined to lend death a hand and outwit their rivals in pursuit of the prize. As tensions mount with every passing second, retired Scotland Yard investigator Jasper must stay two steps ahead of every player if he hopes to prevent the billionaire’s devious game from becoming a testament to murder . . . Suspenseful from the first page to the last, A Testament to Murder is perfect for fans of And Then There Were None, Murder on the Orient Express, Crooked House, and Glass Onion. Includes the first chapter from Honeymoon with Dead, the next book in the Murder Will Follow series.
In this moving memoir, a young Polish Jew chronicles his life under the Nazis. In the vain hope of protecting himself and his family, Calel Perechodnik made the wrenching decision to become a ghetto policeman in a small town near Warsaw. The true tragedy of his choice becomes clear when during the Aktion he must witness his own wife and child forced to board a train to the Treblinka extermination camp. Filled with loathing for the Germans, the Poles, his Jewish brethren, and himself, Perechodnik fled the ghetto to shelter with a Polish woman in Warsaw. In the course of 105 terror-filled days in hiding, he poured out his poignant story. Written while Nazi boots pounded the streets of the neighborhood and while his tortured memory was painfully fresh, this memoir has a rare immediacy and raw power. Shortly before his death in 1944, he entrusted the precious diary to a Polish friend. The document was eventually deposited in the Yad Vashem Archives in Jerusalem. Left nearly forgotten for half a century, it was finally published in Poland in 1993. We owe a great debt to historian Frank Fox for bringing us this sensitive translation, which reminds us anew of the power and truth of historical memory.
In fear for his life, American millionaire Daniel Cartwright changes his will, appointing his old friend Rowland Sinclair as his executor. Soon murder proves that fear well founded. When Rowland receives word of Cartwright's death, he sets out immediately for Boston, Massachusetts, to bury his friend and honour his last wishes. He is met with the outrage and anguish of Cartwright's family, who have been spurned in favour of a man they claim does not exist. Artists and gangsters, movie stars and tycoons all gather to the fray as elite society closes in to protect its own, and family secrets haunt the living. Rowland Sinclair must confront a world in which insanity is relative, greed is understood, and love is dictated; where the only people he can truly trust are an artist, a poet and a passionate sculptress.
Jessica Fletcher investigates a mysterious manuscript with deadly consequences in the latest entry in this USA Today bestselling series... Jessica Fletcher has had plenty to worry about over her storied career, both as a bestselling novelist and amateur sleuth. But she never had any reason to worry about her longtime publisher, Lane Barfield, who also happens to be a trusted friend. When mounting evidence of financial malfeasance leads to an FBI investigation of Lane, Jessica can't believe what she's reading. So when Barfield turns up dead, Jessica takes on the task of proving Barfield's innocence--she can't fathom someone she's known and trusted for so long cheating her. Sure enough, Jessica's lone wolf investigation turns up several oddities and inconsistencies in Barfield's murder. Jessica knows something is being covered up, but what exactly? The trail she takes to answer that question reveals something far more nefarious afoot, involving shadowy characters from the heights of power in Washington. At the heart of Jessica's investigation lies a manuscript Barfield had intended to bring out after all other publishers had turned it down. The problem is that manuscript has disappeared, all traces of its submission and very existence having been wiped off the books. With her own life now in jeopardy, Jessica refuses to back off and sets her sights on learning the contents of that manuscript and what about it may have led to several murders. Every step she takes brings her closer to the truth of what lies in the pages, as well as the person who penned them.
A newlywed finds herself with someone newly dead in this charming historical mystery from the author of A Testament to Murder. After a whirlwind romance and dream wedding, the new Mrs. Ramsforth is whisked away to an idyllic Greek island by her adoring husband. But as soon as they arrive at their luxurious hotel overlooking the azure sea, Damaris is struck by the feeling she’s been here before . . . Puzzling over the familiarity, Damaris’ honeymoon goes from unsettling to a complete nightmare when she finds herself standing over a dead body, unable to explain how she got there. Now only one man can save her—fellow holidaymaker and former Scotland Yard inspector Jasper. But even he starts to doubt Damaris’ innocence when he discovers that it’s not her first time embroiled in a murder case . . . Now including the first chapter from Under the Guise of Death, the next book in the Murder Will Follow series. “If you are a fan of cozy mysteries, particular Agatha Christie, you don’t want to miss this series. Plus it is fun to spend the summer in the Greek isles, even if it is just in the pages of a book.” —Girl Who Reads “If you enjoy mysteries set in the 1920s with an Agatha Christie style, grab yourself a copy of this fantastic story!” —SplashesIntoBooks “A delightful cosy murder mystery . . . A quick, fun read, perfect for a (beach) holiday when you need your dose of murder and mystery, but you don’t want to overexert those little grey cells with a dark and long-winded thriller. Recommended!” —FromBelgiumWithBookLove
This rediscovered masterpiece captures a chilling moment in the stifling early days of Communist Czechoslovakia. 1950s Prague is a city of numerous daily terrors, of political tyranny, corruption and surveillance. There is no way of knowing whether one’s neighbor is spying for the government, or what one’s supposed friend will say to a State Security agent under pressure. A loyal Party member might be imprisoned or executed as quickly as a traitor; innocence means nothing for a person caught in a government trap. When a little boy is murdered at the cinema, the ensuing investigation sheds a little too much light on the personal lives of the cinema’s female ushers, each of whom is hiding a dark secret of her own.
"A powerful, revealing story of hope, love, justice, and the power of reading by a man who spent thirty years on death row for a crime he didn't commit"--
An exquisite seaside resort, an eccentric group of British aristrocrats on holiday, and rich 1930's detail lay the setting for this stupendous debut mystery of manners by a young librarian
Read for free right now! A contemporary cozy murder mystery first in completed series from international multiple-award-winning mystery bestselling author Patti Larsen A girl, a pug, and murder. Who knew running a bed and breakfast would be so deadly? In this award-winning first in series, discover a charming and hilarious world where picturesque landscapes meet dastardly deeds, and a spirited heroine finds herself entangled in a web of secrets. Get ready to cozy up with Fiona Fleming, her faithful pug Petunia, and a murder mystery that will have you laughing and gasping for breath. When Fiona inherits her grandmother's quaint bed and breakfast, Petunia's, she sees it as the perfect opportunity to return to her beloved hometown of Reading, Vermont. Little did she know that her homecoming would bring more than just nostalgia—it would lead her straight into a whirlwind of mayhem! Just as Fee starts settling into her new role as an innkeeper, she receives shocking news: the ownership of her cherished property might be in jeopardy. Determined to protect her grandmother's legacy, Fiona dives headfirst into the investigation, only to find herself in the spotlight as the prime suspect in a spine-chilling murder. But this is no ordinary murder mystery. Prepare to be delighted as Fee's relentless pursuit of the truth takes her on a wild journey through the quirky and captivating world of Reading, where everyone has a secret, and nothing is as it seems. From peculiar townsfolk to eccentric guests, Fee encounters a colorful cast of characters who will keep you guessing and chuckling at every turn. As she navigates the seedy underbelly lurking beneath the town's charming façade, Fiona's quick wit and determination become her greatest assets. With Petunia, her loyal four-legged companion by her side, she uncovers a string of clues that lead to shocking revelations. And with each discovery, the plot thickens, intensifying the suspense and leaving you on the edge of your seat. Patti Larsen's Bed and Breakfast and Murder is a delightful blend of humor, mystery, and cozy charm that will enchant fans of lighthearted crime fiction. Prepare to lose yourself in a captivating tale filled with unexpected twists, laugh-out-loud moments, and a heroine you can't help but root for. So, grab your coziest blanket, curl up in your favorite armchair, and embark on an unforgettable adventure with Fiona, Petunia, and the quirky residents of Reading, Vermont. Let this whimsical murder mystery whisk you away into a world where danger and laughter go hand in hand. Don't miss out on the hilariously entertaining and award-winning Bed and Breakfast and Murder – because sometimes, even murder can't dampen the spirit of a small town with big secrets! Find the rest of the Fiona Fleming Cozy Mysteries available now: Chocolate Hearts and Murder Fame and Fortune and Murder Ghosts and Goblins and Murder Ganache and Fondant and Murder Ropes and Trees and Murder Anchors Away and Murder Guns and Ammo and Murder Runways and High Heels and Murder Plaid and Fore! and Murder Whips and Spurs and Murder Something Borrowed, Something Blue and Murder Pirate Gold and Murder KEYWORDS: free cozy murder mystery series, cozy murder mystery, cozy murder mystery books, cozy murder, cozy murder mysteries, animal cozy mystery, animal cozy, cozy romance mystery, mystery women books, mystery romance
The Book of Job functions as literature of survival where the main character, Job, deals with the trauma of suffering, attempts to come to terms with a collapsed moral and theological world, and eventually re-connects the broken pieces of his world into a new moral universe, which explains and contains the trauma of his recent experiences and renders his life meaningful again. The key is Job's death imagery. In fact, with its depiction of death in the prose tale and its frequent discussions of death in the poetic sections, Job may be the most death-oriented book in the bible. In particular, Job, in his speeches, articulates his experience of suffering as the experience of death. To help understand this focus on death in Job we turn to the psychohistorian, Robert Lifton, who investigates the effects on the human psyche of various traumatic experiences (wars, natural disasters, etc). According to Lifton, survivors of disaster often sense that their world has "collapsed" and they engage in a struggle to go on living. Part of this struggle involves finding meaning in death and locating death's place in the continuity of life. Like many such survivors, Job's understanding of death is a flashpoint indicating his bewilderment (or "desymbolization") in the early portions of his speeches, and then, later on, his arrival at what Lifton calls "resymbolization," the reconfiguration of a world that can account for disaster and render death - and life - meaningful again.
