“The theatre plays backdrop to romance and murder . . . Good reading.” —

Kirkus Reviews

(starred review)

Newly arrived from New Zealand and in need of funds, Martyn Tarne takes a job as a dresser to the Vulcan Theater’s leading lady. Along with a paycheck, this also provides her with a ringside seat to the backstage circus—and the eventual murder that occurs on opening night. Inspector Alleyn is soon called to solve the case and put a stop to all the drama . . .“To my thinking, no other writer evokes ‘the incense of the playhouse’ or describes the technical details of stage production with the degree of authenticity that Dame Ngaio achieved in novels like

Enter a Murderer

,

Killer Dolphin

,

Night at the Vulcan

and

Light Thickens

.” —Marilyn Stasio,

The New York Times

“The brilliant Ngaio Marsh ranks with Agatha Christie and Dorothy Sayers.” —

Times Literary Supplement

Also published under the title

Opening Night

When a man offers 1940s private investigator Maggie Sullivan twice her usual fee to look into a "possible" jewelry theft from his hotel safe, she’s skeptical — until a maid’s body tumbles out of a trash can and a jeweler known for high quality fakes is murdered. Does a hotel guest who vanished without a trace hold a piece of the puzzle? Or does it have to do with the Polish count and his family fleeing the start of WW2 in Europe? Could the cops be right that it’s all a trick devised by her client? More at ease in Dayton, Ohio’s, streets and alleyways than in the posh Hotel Canterbury, and chafing under the need to hide her true occupation, Maggie threads her way through an unfamiliar array of suspects: Celluloid luminaries in town for a hush-hush project; an international Lothario whose shady local past she unearths; the count’s embittered valet. Meanwhile, preparations for a visit by FDR preoccupy the city’s police. The Irish cop who has tried to win Maggie suddenly departs for Chicago. Alone and bruised, Maggie faces adversaries whose motives stun her... and a killer who will stop at nothing.

A dash of humor leavens this historical mystery series with its early 20th century hard-boiled atmosphere and a flinty detective who wields her Smith & Wesson as skillfully as her emery board. Previous Maggie Sullivan mysteries are No Game for a Dame, Tough Cookie, Don’t Dare a Dame, and two short stories.

Please note: this book runs to 50,000 words and 246 printed pages, not the estimate listed by Amazon.

For the first thirty-three years of my life I had no knowledge of my father, no idea what he looked like, his name, whether he was dead or alive. Then fate brought us together. Then, a year later, he decided to hire me.

Although we had talked for a year, my father was still Gawain Morgan to me, a stranger, not my dad. Would the task of locating Frankie Quinn bring us closer together, or drive us further apart?

Frankie Quinn was a con-man, a life-long villain, a member of my father's old gang. That's right, my father was a villain too, with dodgy contacts, a shady past and sins he preferred to forget. The police wanted Frankie and, if arrested, he faced the prospect of spending his final years in prison. However, he had a trump card, evidence of my father's indiscretions. Frankie was looking to cut a deal with the police, my father was looking for Frankie. They knew that one of them would spend the winter of their days in prison; but who would it be?

Meanwhile, the clock was ticking towards my wedding day. Would I enjoy the happiest day of my life, or be left crying into my champagne?

Sins of the Father, ten days that defined my relationship with my dad.

Detective Georgiana Germaine is back on the trail of a cold-blooded killer, and once again, the case hits close to home

.Twenty-year-old Olivia Spencer sits at her desk in her mother’s bookshop, dreaming about her upcoming wedding. The shop may be closed, but Olivia's not alone, and her dream is about to become her worst nightmare.Little Broken Things is the third book in the USA Today bestselling Georgiana Germaine mystery series. Grab your copy today and get swept up in a twisty tale of secrets and lies that will have you reading all night.

Praise for Little Broken Things

:

"A compelling read from the very beginning."

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"Well written, drawing you in from the beginning to the end."

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"There are very few out there that can be called exceptional, but this made the cut."

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"WOW & DOUBLE WOW! I absolutely loved this book."

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"Loved it, loved it, loved it."

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"You can't put the book down."

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A week of "mayhem-as-usual" at Hillside Manor kicks off with the arrival of a mysterious "Mr. Smith" and his floozie "Mrs." from New York City—and it accelerates into chaos when Mr. Smith himself kicks off, a victim of the foulest of plays. Hostess Judith McMonigle Flynn is shocked to learn that her now-defunct roomer was actually "Legs" Benedict—hit man for the notorious Ronzini Family—and that virtually every other guests at her B&B had good reason to want Legs broken. Judith's policeman-hubby Joe is understandably peeved that homicide happened (again!) under his own roof. And when the FBI moves in—more interested in nabbing a Nazi nutcase than a malicious mobster murderer—the local cops clear out, leaving Judith, Joe and irrepressible cousin Renie to find out who whacked the wiseguy before the hits keep coming.