In this hard-boiled mystery by the USA Today–bestselling author of Dead Even, a coroner investigates a suspicious house fire. It’s Christmas Day in the sleepy town of Sorenson, Wisconsin, but instead of unwrapping presents, deputy coroner Mattie Winston is at the burnt remains of a house, where a charred body has been found. The victim is none other than Jack Allen—a paraplegic who recently won a huge casino jackpot. Upon closer inspection, Mattie and detective Steve Hurley are convinced Jack was murdered to steal his winnings, giving the phrase Black Jack a whole new meaning . . . But as Mattie investigates, even her cutting-edge forensic skills keep coming up short in a case with as many suspects as twists. After her odds-on-favorite turns up dead, Mattie and Hurley must race to find a killer before another victim cashes in his chips. “A puzzler of a mystery. What a thrill ride!”—New York Times–bestselling author Jenn McKinlay Praise for Annelise Ryan and her Mattie Winston series “Has it all: suspense, laughter, a spicy dash of romance.”—New York Times–bestselling author Tess Gerritsen “[Ryan] smoothly blends humor, distinctive characters, and authentic forensic detail.”—Publishers Weekly “The forensic details will interest Patricia Cornwell readers . . .while the often slapstick humor and the blossoming romance between Mattie and Hurley will draw Evanovich fans.”—Booklist
Lucky O'Toole--Head of Customer Relations at The Babylon, premier mega-resort on the Vegas Strip--thinks it's just another night in Las Vegas. A tractor-trailer has spilled its load of a million honeybees, blocking not only the Strip but the entrance to her hotel... the District Attorney for Clark County—apparently the odd man out of a threesome on the twelfth floor—is hiding in the buff in one of the hotel's laundry rooms... and Numbers Neidermeyer--one of Vegas' less-than-savory oddsmakers--is arguing with Las Vegas' ace private investigator, the Beautiful Jeremy Whitlock. The next day, Lucky discovers Ms. Neidermeyer was tossed into the shark tank at the Mandalay Bay Resort as a snack for the Tiger Shark. When the police show up at the Babylon with a hastily prepared search warrant, applied for by the District Attorney himself, and Jeremy lands in the hot seat, Lucky realizes her previous night was far from routine. Amid the chaos of fight weekend, the hiring of an eccentric new French chef, and her madam mother's intentions to auction off a young woman's virginity, Lucky is drawn into a deadly game where no one is what they seem, a game that will end only when she discovers who made fish-food out of Numbers Neidermeyer. Lucky O'Toole and Fabulous Las Vegas—life doesn't get any better.
(Vocal Selections). The first show from this Tony award-winning writing team. The selections are: Something Funny Is Going On * Good to Be Alive * Rita's Confession * Lucky * Dogs Versus You * The Phone Call * Speaking French * Times Like This * Fancy Meeting You Here * Nice.
Anne Marie, imprisoned for a murder she did not commit, plans her revenge -- and once she's cleared of the charges, she launches headfirst into a screwball murder mystery! Craig Rice (1908–1957); born Georgiana Ann Randolph Craig; was an American author of mystery novels and short stories, sometimes described as "the Dorothy Parker of detective fiction." She was the first mystery writer to appear on the cover of Time Magazine, on January 28, 1946.
Complete with designer duds, porn conventions, partner-swapping parties, and clever repartee, this is chick-lit gone wild and sexy, lightly wrapped in mystery and tied up with a brilliantly flashing neon bow. "Wanna Get Lucky?" hits the proverbial jackpot.--"Booklist."
“Evanovich…with a dash of CSI.” – Publishers Weekly Everyone Has a Hidden Talent For Lucky O’Toole it’s murder…solving it. Surviving in Sin City takes cunning, a pair of five-inch heels, and a wiseass attitude. Lucky has mastered them all and has a pair of legs she uses to kick butt and turn heads. As the Chief Problem Solver for the Babylon, Las Vegas’s most over-the-top destination, mischief is in her job description. She’s good at her job. She’s less good at life. But who has time for a life when there’s a killer on the loose? LUCKY STIFF Someone fed Numbers Neidermeyer to the tiger shark in the tank at Mandalay Bay resort. Lucky’s friend, the Beautiful Jeremy Whitlock, is suspect Numero Uno. Miss P, Jeremy’s squeeze and Lucky’s partner in crime, is in a tailspin. A tractor-trailer full of honeybees jackknifes on the Strip in front of the Babylon, spilling its load. The district attorney—apparently the odd man out in a threesome—is hiding in the buff in a laundry room. And Lucky’s mother decides to auction a young woman’s virginity. Can Lucky get Jeremy out of the hot seat, handle the new hot French chef and her mother…and restore order in her life? A light, funny, romantic mystery providing a Vegas escape appropriate for anyone looking for a good laugh. Join the fun! Get your copy today! AN INTERVIEW WITH DEBORAH COONTS Why did you decide to write humor? I’m not sure I decided to add snark to the Lucky books, specifically to Lucky’s own voice, it just happened that way. When I was a kid, my mouth always got me into trouble. Finally, I’ve found a way to harness the sarcasm for the Forces of Good—or at least in a way not to anger my grandmother. And when Lucky started talking to me, she had a strong dose of sass in her. The Lucky O'Toole Vegas Adventure series is hard to categorize. Is that by design? When I set out to write Wanna Get Lucky?, I knew I wanted to write a romp through Las Vegas. I had the characters and the setting but no real understanding of narrative drive. So, I threw a young woman out of a tour helicopter into the middle of the Pirate Show and let the story unfold. A bit of murder to keep the plot moving, some wisecracking and Vegas mischief to make you laugh, and some romance to keep it interesting. A bit of a mash up, but it works. PRAISE FOR Lucky Stiff “Lively, funny, scary! The pages will singe your fingers, and you’ll laugh yourself stiff.” - Barbara D’Amato, Mary Higgins Clark Award-winning author “The pages turn so fast they give off blue fire.” - Carol McCleary, author and CrimeFest Award finalist "Las Vegas is the perfect setting for this witty tale of misdirection and larger-than-life characters. Fans of J. A. Konrath's Jack Daniels series will love this." - Library Journal, starred review “Fast-paced, witty, and full of colorful characters, Lucky Stiff is a sure bet to be a readers’ favorite.” - Booklist “A prize fight, a pop star and a virginity auction. Could we be anywhere else but Las Vegas?…[Lucky Stiff] is as lively and endearingly wacky as Wanna Get Lucky?” - Kirkus Reviews “This wonderfully funny and entertaining mystery stars Lucky O’Toole, head of customer relations at a Las Vegas resort. Readers who like cozy mysteries with a lot of sass, great dialogue and a plot that flies will love this.” - RT Book Reviews “Deb Coonts’ Lucky Stiff is a postcard of Las Vegas like you’ve never seen it, populated by outrageously imaginative characters embroiled in raucous high-stakes action. Toss in sizzling love affairs, deadly enemies, naughty humor and never-saw-it-coming twists and you’ve got a winning mystery with a heart of gold. Coonts has a gift for showcasing the darker realms of human nature against a wickedly funny backdrop. Irresistible!” - Sophie Littlefield, Anthony and RT Books award-winning author "Coonts covers Sin City territory with a dash of CSI and Janet Evanovich in her second glitzy, lighthearted novel." - Publishers Weekly
A rest home makes a coroner-turned-sleuth restless in this hard-boiled mystery by the USA Today–bestselling author of Dead Ringer. Sorenson, Wisconsin’s deputy coroner Mattie Winston is back on the job . . .in a nursing home examining the body of Bernie Chase—the now former president of the Twilight Home’s board of directors—who is covered in a powder used to turn liquids to solids. The home's residents are certain Bernie was offing the patients who cost him too much . . .and the patient that found him can’t remember a thing. Between her ongoing tug of war with Detective Hurley, fulfilling her new job requirement of seeing a shrink, and wrangling with the Twilight Home’s board of directors, Mattie’s got her scrubbed hands full. She’ll need all of her outside-the-box forensic skills to crack a case that’s turning out to be stranger—and more dangerous—than anything she’s seen before! Praise for Annelise Ryan and her Mattie Winston series “The funniest deputy coroner to cut up a corpse since, well, ever.”—Laura Levine “A puzzler of a mystery. What a thrill ride!”—Jenn McKinlay “Has it all: suspense, laughter, a spicy dash of romance.”—Tess Gerritsen “Another winning mystery!”—Leann Sweeney
Curiously suspicious over the mysterious circumstances surrounding the accidental deaths of his paternal aunt and uncle, third-year UCLA law student, Dillon (Jaeger) Dorin, uncovers evidence suggesting possible conspiracy and murder. His aunt and uncle, who were also his godparents, were winners of a sizable lottery jackpot; however, by their untimely deaths, most of the funds had disappeared. A series of explosions and violent murders have a seasoned U.S. marshal, and an inexperienced IRS agent tracking a money laundering suspect whose path crisscrosses that of Dillon’s research, drawing attention to Dillon, his family, and friends, and sending them all fl eeing hired assassins. All the while, a plot is being developed by a sinister international banking cartel to fi x one of the nation’s largest multi-state lotto games. Greed and power are the motives; but murder and mayhem chase our young protagonist from the beaches of Los Angeles to the back alleys of storm-tossed New Orleans. Along the way he discovers what true treasure is.
