Liz Talbot Mystery

Turning up the heat Private Investigator Liz Talbot is a modern Southern belle. She blesses hearts and takes names. She carries her Sig 9 in her Kate Spade handbag, and her golden retriever, Rhett, rides shotgun in her hybrid Escape. When her grandmother is murdered, Liz hightails it back to her South Carolina island home to find the killer. She's fit to be tied when her brother-the chief of police-shuts her out of the investigation, so she opens her own. Then her long-dead best friend pops in and things really get complicated. As more folks turn up dead in this small seaside town, Liz must use more than just her wits and charm to keep her family safe, chase down clues from the hereafter, and catch a psychopath before he catches her.

Is it coincidence or Deadly Destiny? Private Investigator Liz Talbot thinks she's seen another ghost when she meets Calista McQueen. She's the spitting image of Marilyn Monroe. Born exactly fifty years after the iconic bombshell, Calista's life is a déjà vu of Hollywood tragedy. And with the anniversary of Marilyn's death looming, Calista fears she's next in line for a tragic finale. As Liz investigates, suspicious characters swarm around Calista like mosquitoes on a sultry Lowcountry evening: her certifiable mother, a fake aunt, her manipulative psychoanalyst, her peculiar housekeeper, and an obsessed ex-husband. Liz digs in to find a motive for murder, but she's besieged with distractions. Her ex has marriage and babies on his mind and her all-too-sexy partner engages in a campaign of repeat seduction. With the heat index approaching triple digits, Liz races to uncover a diabolical murder plot in time to save not only Calista's life, but also her own.

Where is Kent Heyward? The twenty-three-year-old heiress from one of Charleston's oldest families vanished a month ago. When her father hires private investigator Liz Talbot, Liz suspects the most difficult part of her job will be convincing the patriarch his daughter tired of his overbearing nature and left town. That's what the Charleston Police Department believes. But behind the garden walls South of Broad, family secrets pop up like weeds in the azaleas. The neighbors recollect violent arguments between Kent and her parents. Eccentric twin uncles and a gaggle of cousins covet the family fortune. And the lingering spirit of a Civil-War-era debutante may know something if Colleen, Liz's dead best friend, can get her to talk. Liz juggles her case, the partner she's in love with, and the family she adores. But the closer she gets to what has become of Kent, the closer Liz dances to her own grave.

The Charleston streets are dressed for the holidays in sophisticated Southern style: topiaries adorned with red ribbons, garland entwined with white lights, and poinsettias potted in gold planters. The high class bordello in a stately historic home is certainly no exception. When Private Investigator Liz Talbot's dear friend Olivia swears she saw a dead body in the parlor of this bordello, one Olivia accidentally co-owns, Liz promptly comes to her aid. With her wedding back home on Stella Maris less than a week away, Liz must juggle one elderly madam, two ex and future in-laws, three ghosts in the bordello, four giddy bridesmaids, five lovely courtesans, six suspicious patrons…and a partridge in a pear tree as she tries to keep her bridesmaid out of jail and live to walk down the aisle.

For Fans of the Liz Talbot Mystery Series… Postcards From Stella Maris is a collection of five short stories for fans of the series who might be interested, for example, in Colleen's backstory. I wrote the short story "Common Knowledge" for myself years ago, as a way to explore what happened to Colleen. As you might imagine, it's not as light as the series in general. This story has never been published anywhere before. "Eviction" is the story of how Liz first met Rhett, her golden retriever, back when she was married to Scott the Scoundrel. This story is also not lighthearted, and it likewise has never been published before. "Hogwash" originally appeared in Spinetingler Magazine. This is a fun little case which introduces the character of Zeke Lyerly, who appears in Lowcountry Bonfire. "Highlights and Hot Lead" originally appeared in The Petigru Review. This is a Stella Maris slice of life story featuring Shannelle Johnson, a local judge's wife, and it takes place entirely at Phoebe's Day Spa. "Everything is Relative" is a peek inside a Talbot family Thanksgiving. A few of Mamma's recipes are included at the end. If by chance you've stumbled on this collection of stories, but you've never read a Liz Talbot mystery, I would encourage you to start with Lowcountry Boil (A Liz Talbot Mystery, Book 1) and come back to these stories later. I so hope you enjoy these glimpses into Liz Talbot's formative years, her unfortunate first marriage, and her life between major cases. Warmly, Susan M. Boyer

Christmas in the Islands… Nate Andrews whisked the entire Talbot clan off for a holiday adventure in the U.S. Virgin Islands. As they relax on the beach of sunny St. John, Liz Talbot grapples with the secret her husband has kept since the day she met him-he's a very wealthy man. Will all that money change everything? Meanwhile, the wild donkeys on the island follow Daddy around like he's their leader, and Mamma has made new friends. Beverly Baker and Frankie Summey are conducting a do-it-yourself investigation. They're hot on the trail of Beverly's husband, Melvin, and his mistress, the tantrum yoga instructor. When Mamma is caught masterminding an undercover operation, naturally, Liz and Nate step in. As the family gathers around the Christmas tree, Beverly and Frankie stumble into the crosshairs of a dangerous criminal organization. Liz and Nate scramble to find a killer before three sweet Southern belles wind up in a tropical prison.