Beaver Island Mysteries

A retired intelligence agent still wants to save the world. Her nerdy houseguest just wants to survive her vacation. Former spy Irma Abercrombie wasn't looking for drama when she invited Violet Blackheart-a brainy, sun-deprived acquaintance-for a visit at her island home. But after an armed robbery in town goes terribly wrong, Irma gets pulled into an island intrigue: Was it a simple snatch and grab, or are there darker forces at work? Irma's hands might be deadly weapons, but she's all thumbs when it comes to computer problems. How will she convince Violet to investigate a technology puzzle masterminded by someone with a taste for murder? And if Irma's so retired, what's up with the dead guy in her driveway? Violet embraces a budding cupcake addiction while Irma grapples with a bomb threat and wonders how she ended up with a pug as a sidekick . . . and whether Violet might be hiding a few secrets of her own. They're headed for a showdown at a luxurious island estate-but they can only flush out a killer if they work together. Perfect for fans of Jesse Q Sutanto's Vera Wong's Unsolicited Advice for Murderers and Deanna Raybourn's Killers of a Certain Age.

A retired spy, a nerdy city-slicker, a slothful pug, and a tractor full of secrets . . . It's summertime on Lake Ontario's Beaver Island, and there's trouble on the horizon. When a remote-controlled tractor goes berserk at the ground-breaking for a new condo development-toppling some magnificent cupcakes in the process-retired spy Irma Abercrombie's finely-honed paranoia goes into overdrive. And after a beloved local is murdered, she and nerdy houseguest Violet Blackheart are drawn into another island intrigue. As Violet's vacation steams ahead, she works on reverse-engineering a tractor hack and toys with learning how to conquer her fear of boating, while Irma flirts with the idea of getting closer to a dangerous ex-nemesis. Hoping to help her struggling company's bottom line, Violet enters a charity poker tournament on a superyacht-but she might have signed up for more than she bargained on. And will Irma have to become a stowaway if she can't get her hands on an invite of her own? With the help of her trusty canine sidekick, Mr. Pugglesworth, and intrepid (but nauseous) nerd, Violet Blackheart, retired intelligence agent Irma Abercrombie sets out to find a killer. Irma's trying to conquer the world. Violet's just trying to conquer her vertigo.

A Gothic country manor, a doomed wedding, and a cowlicked criminal . . . After a local couple's path to the altar is sabotaged, retired spy Irma Abercrombie and sun-deprived nerd Violet Blackheart get roped into lending a hand sorting out the duo's wedding woes-and all the bodies. Meanwhile, Violet preps for her business partner's island arrival-blender drinks at the ready-as Irma secretly tries to track down Violet's former CFO . . . and their company's former money. Along the way, Irma decides to mix business with pleasure, but struggles to sort out the rules for septuagenarian singletons who can dispatch bad guys with a handful of Tinker Toys, and are looking for a bit of romance in their downtime. With her trusty telescoping mirror and adorable (if untrainable) canine companion Mr. P, and nerdy sidekick Violet Blackheart, Irma sets out to save a wedding, retrieve Violet's fortune, and find a killer.

A floating palace, an unruly appliance, and a killer on the loose . . . When one of Irma's friends asks for help vetting a potential suitor, she's sure that a little digging into his past will do the trick. But after she discovers that a robotic appliance might be on a rampage in the almost-beau's swanky houseboat community, she sets out to entice Violet into unravelling another technological snafu. It takes some doing to properly motivate Violet, and even worse, a strange young man has been skulking around Irma's house, alarming Mr. P, her furry sidekick. On top of that, there's a new sheriff in town who's been raising Irma's hackles-along with her curiosity about what's happened to Chief Pickle. After a loved one is injured and a friend's son is arrested for murder, Irma has to confront her idea of family-and what she's willing to do to protect hers. Will she and her crime-fighting companions join forces to find a killer . . . or die trying?