When Anna St. James graduated college with a business degree, she never expected to find herself running a boarding house on a small island off the east coast. But life throws a lot of curves and Anna has certainly had her share of them. Now, settled into life as owner and landlady of the Moon River Boarding House on Frostfall Island, Anna couldn’t imagine living anywhere else or without the unique and somewhat eccentric tenants she considers family. Anna would be perfectly content baking and keeping house but Frostfall Island, lovely, remote and somewhat wild, always manages to throw a curve of its own. Most of the time, Frostfall is a charming island with a busy fishing boat harbor and town that attracts summer tourists. But occasionally, quite occasionally, if that’s a phrase, there’s an unexpected murder. Without a dedicated police force, the locals look to Anna to solve crimes. She’s not entirely sure how she landed the role of amateur sleuth but she takes her side job seriously. When a man dies in a pirate battle reenactment, Anna steps into gear. Only this time, she has a parallel mystery to solve. Her newest tenant, Nathaniel Smith, is quite the puzzle, a puzzle who came with a piercing blue gaze and a trove of secrets. Book 1 of the Frostfall Island Cozy Mystery series Book 2: Death by Rocky Road Book 3: TBA
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • The remarkable true story of a man who lived alone in the woods of Maine for 27 years, making this dream a reality—not out of anger at the world, but simply because he preferred to live on his own. “A meditation on solitude, wildness and survival.” —The Wall Street Journal In 1986, a shy and intelligent twenty-year-old named Christopher Knight left his home in Massachusetts, drove to Maine, and disappeared into the forest. He would not have a conversation with another human being until nearly three decades later, when he was arrested for stealing food. Living in a tent even through brutal winters, he had survived by his wits and courage, developing ingenious ways to store edibles and water, and to avoid freezing to death. He broke into nearby cottages for food, clothing, reading material, and other provisions, taking only what he needed but terrifying a community never able to solve the mysterious burglaries. Based on extensive interviews with Knight himself, this is a vividly detailed account of his secluded life—why did he leave? what did he learn?—as well as the challenges he has faced since returning to the world. It is a gripping story of survival that asks fundamental questions about solitude, community, and what makes a good life, and a deeply moving portrait of a man who was determined to live his own way, and succeeded.
On an unseasonably hot October morning, Bowditch is called to the scene of a bizarre crime. The corpses of five moose have been found senselessly butchered on the estate of Elizabeth Morse, a wealthy animal rights activist who is buying up huge parcels of timberland to create a new national park.
When Carley loses her high-profile job and her partner in the span of a few short months, she returns to the place that feels most like home-her childhood cabin on Pelican Lake, Minnesota. But when a teenager is abducted, it becomes clear that her once-sleepy vacation community has its share of secrets-and someone who will kill to keep them hidden. As her cabin becomes the epicenter of an investigation, Carley must question the neighbors she knows and trusts. Will she uncover the shocking truth before things turn deadly? In this cozy mystery, one small community learns that the view from the dock isn't always what it seems.
John Reimer, a Mennonite preacher in Lakeview, Chicago, might be on the downslope of his ministerial career. At least that’s how he feels most days. Then one morning in March a hungover waitress at the Melrose diner tells him to look into the murder of a bike messenger at North Pond—and begs him to keep the cops out of it. Before too long Reimer is making tracks through Chicago, asking a lot of questions, and leaving many people uncomfortable. Reimer encounters a menagerie of characters in his beloved city—among them a brooding detective who trusts Reimer’s instincts; a Moody Bible Institute drop-out trying to stay on his antipsychotic medication; a charismatic alderman; and the church moderator, Nancy Huefflinger, an attorney who knows when to swagger and when to turn on the charm. Complicating things is Reimer’s despair for his wife Vi, in hospice with an incurable neurological disease, and whose condition has shaken his faith to the core. When Reimer figures out that whoever killed the young man at North Pond is coming after him, too, he must summon all his inner resources—including some he didn’t learn in seminary—if he wants to survive.
A beautiful autumn has swept through Firefly Junction, and Sunni Taylor is looking forward to attending the annual season opener at the cider mill with her friend, Raine Lawford. Raine has a new boyfriend, and he works at the mill. Sunni is excited to meet him. Everything about the day is a celebration of tastes and smells and crisp fall weather. The only gray spot on the day is the mill owner, Shawn Griswold. He’s unfriendly, unlikable, and he’s spent a good part of the day firing his staff, including the mill’s baker. Emily is recruited to bake apple pies for the second day of the event, but when Sunni goes with her to deliver the pies, they are shocked to discover that someone has murdered the mill owners. When Jackson’s main suspect turns out to be Raine’s new boyfriend, Sunni is determined to solve the case and clear his name. Unfortunately, Shawn Griswold’s disagreeable personality left him with a lot of enemies, so Sunni has her work cut out. Book 19 of the Firefly Junction Cozy Mystery series
This volume contains books 1-3 of London Lovett's Frostfall Island Cozy Mystery series. Join Anna St. James and her cast of merry misfits on Frostfall Island for three full-length murder mysteries. Murder at North Pond (Book 1) When Anna St. James graduated college with a business degree, she never expected to find herself running a boarding house on a small island off the east coast. But life throws a lot of curves and Anna has certainly had her share of them. Now, settled into life as owner and landlady of the Moon River Boarding House on Frostfall Island, Anna couldn't imagine living anywhere else or without the unique and somewhat eccentric tenants she considers family. Anna would be perfectly content baking and keeping house but Frostfall Island, lovely, remote and somewhat wild, always manages to throw a curve of its own. Most of the time, Frostfall is a charming island with a busy fishing boat harbor and town that attracts summer tourists. But occasionally, quite occasionally, if that's a phrase, there's an unexpected murder. Without a dedicated police force, the locals look to Anna to solve crimes. She's not entirely sure how she landed the role of amateur sleuth but she takes her side job seriously. When a man dies in a pirate battle reenactment, Anna steps into gear. Only this time, she has a parallel mystery to solve. Her newest tenant, Nathaniel Smith, is quite the puzzle, a puzzle who came with a piercing blue gaze and a trove of secrets. Death by Rocky Road (Book 2) Anna St. James is having a great summer. Her newest tenant is working out fine, the weather on Frostfall Island is fabulous and the tourists have returned. (Although Anna wishes there were a few less of them.) The island is hosting a massive romance reader event complete with big name authors, cover models, enthusiastic readers and best of all ice cream sundaes. Anna's sister, Cora, and their eccentric housemate, Opal, are anxious to attend so they can meet their favorite authors. Anna decides to tag along to see what all the excitement is about. And excitement is definitely not lacking. When one of the most popular authors winds up dead, it is up to Anna to find out which of her many enemies was pushed far enough to commit murder. Ice Cold Killer (Book 3) Winter has blanketed Frostfall Island and while most of the tourists are long gone, there is still plenty of activity. A hockey tournament brings a large group of ice enthusiasts to Frostfall. Anna and the gang are looking forward to the diversion. Aside from adding a bit of chaos to an otherwise sleepy, snow-covered island, the event stirs up controversy and brings to light old family grievances. When Simon Snowstone, the richest man on the island, is found dead in his home, Anna soon finds herself snow deep in a murder case. Now she must untangle a family history to find out who killed the family patriarch. More in the series: Bakery Bump Off (Book 4) Book 5: TBA
"On a dark, rainy night in October 1900, George E. Bailey, caretaker of Breakheart Hill farm, disappeared. ...Some suspected foul play right away, as Bailey's 'wife' had recently gone to Maine, leaving Bailey alone with his farmhand, John C. Best, who was known to be a drunk and a potentially violent man, Nine days later, when Bailey's dismembered body was fished out of a local pond, all eyes quickly focused on Best. Crowds descended on the farm, and the sensational murder captured headlines in Boston's newspapers."--Back cover.
For the statement above quoted, also for full bibliographical information regarding this publication, and for the contents of the volumes [1st ser.] v. 1- 7th series, v. 5, cf. Griffin, Bibl. of Amer. hist. society. 2d edition, 1907, p. 346-360.
