"Utterly original and compulsively readable, a detective story about a woman who uses her uncanny ability to analyze words and speech patterns to help solve crimes. Maggie Moore-tattooed, pierced, and a bit of a mess-is a word genius, able to solve any linguistic puzzle. When she's talent-scouted from the top of her forensic linguistics class and asked to analyze harrowing notes left by a stalker-turned-rapist, she's all over it. And she succeeds....

Environmental mystery solvers Shelby and her best friend, Watts, who is never without his encyclopedia, must help Fred the hermit crab find all the shells that went missing from the beach.

"On the night before graduation, seven students gather in the basement of their university's rare books library. They're not allowed in the library after closing time, but it's the perfect place for the ritual they want to perform--one borrowed from the Greeks, said to free those who take part in it from the fear of death. And what better time to seek the wisdom of ancient gods than in the hours before they'll scatter in different directions to start...

Gourmet detective: A culinary whiz uses his mastery of food, drink and cooking to solve crimes of the culinary world. Whether it's the theft of a valuable recipe or a suspicious murder in the middle of a five-star restaurant, his insight, skills and encyclopaedic knowledge of all things edible always lead him to the culprit. A healthy place to die: Henry is a guest presenter at a gourmet food conference and Maggie is, reluctantly, taking a much-needed...

"Being a new mom is murder. Alice didn't think her maternity leave would involve so much, well, murder. Before becoming proud new moms, she and her friends bonded more than members of a prenatal group usually would, as they became accidental amateur sleuths and solved a crime together. Now, with all this behind them and Alice's son Jack somehow already a year old, Alice is keen to finally catch up on some sleep. So when an opportunity presents itself...

"Lauren, Saskia, Dominica, Farah and Tansy have been best friends since grade school. They wonder if that was the last time they all actually liked each other. As adults, their lives have splintered. Farah is engaged and is fast becoming a complete bridezilla. Dominica's a successful divorce attorney with no time for anything but work. Tansy runs a vegan cafe and is preparing for a shotgun marriage to awful Ivan. Lauren has had a total "failure to...

"A mysterious death in the past leads to trouble in the present. When one of her historic hotel staff members is shot, Eve concludes that it must be connected to a shooting that happened at the same location 46 years ago. While hosting the eclectic group of old hotel employees, her attempts to find the truth prove problematic. Heavily guarded secrets from the past and present prevent her from determining the current level of danger. Although the challenge...

Lucy Worsley discovers the origins of Agatha Christie's macabre magic.

"Years ago Alex Marks escaped to New York City for a fresh start. Now, aside from trips to her regular diner for coffee, she keeps to herself, gets her perfectly normal copywriting job done, and doesn't date. Her carefully cultivated world is upended whenher childhood hero, Francis Keen, is brutally murdered. Francis was the woman behind the famous advice column, Dear Constance, and her words helped Alex through some of her darkest times. When Alex...