Circus of Unusual Creatures

It's not every day you meet an amateur sleuth with fangs."I loved the humour… I loved the way the story was written. The characters are very believable, and the way the mystery unravels is very well crafted…" --Bookbub Reviewer"What a fun circus-themed murder mystery! …I really think [Tammie] outdid herself with this book." -Jonathan Pongratz, author of Reaper"Very funny and laughs out loud will be heard when reading it…this was so good l read it in one sitting couldn't put it down" -Goodreads Reviewer Like any traveling circus, Zin's has hair-raising acts and fried food on sticks. But it's also got an aura-spotting centaur, a chain-smoking unicorn, and an omelet-addicted dragon. Oh, and a body in the center ring. Duncan - aka "Brutus Fangwrath, Deadliest Dragon in the West" - wakes one morning to find his best friend isn't just sleeping off a hangover. He's been murdered. Suspicion for the crime quickly turns to the circus's new hire, Cordelia Quinn. After all, she's got motive, she got means, and she's got loads of circumstantial evidence stacked against her. When it looks like no one else is going to step in to help Cordelia, it's up to Duncan to unravel the case, prove Cordelia's innocence, and uncover a troubling secret along the way. As soon as he's done with his omelet, that is. Set in a 1930s that's just a tad different than what you're used to, Hoard it all Before is the start of a delightfully humorous mystery series with plenty of tantalizing twists, a troupe of quirky characters, and death-defying feats both in and beyond the big top. If you like fantastical mysteries that mix in laughs with murderous mayhem and mythical beasts, you'll love Hoard It All Before. Note: While this cozy mystery is mostly clean, it does have a lusty, chain-smoking unicorn who makes more than a few naughty innuendos, a dragon that drinks heavily, a tiny bit of swearing, and (obviously) there's a murder along the way.

Dragons, dwarves, and iguanas. The perfect recipe for murderous mayhem. Like any traveling show, Zin's Circus of Unusual Creatures has hair-raising acts and fried food on sticks. But it's also got an aura-spotting centaur, a chain-smoking unicorn, and an omelet-addicted dragon. Oh, and far too many dead bodies in the big top. When his circus arrives in Salem, the satyr Zin has his hooves crossed that all will go off without a hitch. Finances are tight, but when the vivacious Ella Penn shows up looking for work, well, you can't say no to vivaciousness, can you? Ella quickly puts up the hackles of the Dumble Dwarves, the Flying Flynns, and even the peace-loving centaur Flora. So when Ella's pet iguana turns up dead, it's assumed the murder was an act of revenge. Eager to try his claws at investigating again, Duncan, self-appointed detecting dragon, is on the case faster than you can say 'omelet'. Trouble is, everyone has an alibi. Everyone, that is, except Ella's ex-boyfriend, who seems to have the perfect motive…a broken heart. And it isn't long after he arrives that the body count climbs and Duncan finds himself with more clues than he can handle. In this second installment of the humorous mystery series that mixes in mythical beasts with the murderous mayhem, tempers are sizzling, the clues are confounding, and the twists have nothing do with the Flying Flynns' trapeze act. Don't miss the show. Grab your front row seat for Tipping the Scales today.

IT'S NOT EVERY DAY YOU MEET AN AMATEUR SLEUTH WITH FANGS. * "…a charming tale of dragons, deception, and dastardly deeds, and I loved every minute of it."* "…an excellent read…{a} hilarious series"* "Once I started reading it, I couldn't put it down…it was that good!"* "Light and fanciful with a darn good mystery woven in. What fun!" If you like fantastical mysteries that mix in laughs with murderous mayhem and mythical beasts, you'll love the Circus of Unusual Creatures Mysteries. HEY EVERYONE, CORDELIA HERE. Duncan (aka "Deadliest Dragon in the West") has finally finished typing up the third sleuthing adventure he got us tangled up in. It's the one that involves booze smuggling, dragon matchmaking, too much lemonade, and a unicorn having a very bad hair day. I'm not sure about Duncan calling it a "masterpiece of mystery," but trust me, it's a good one. Especially when that unicorn has a wardrobe malfunction and Duncan becomes a victim of his own matchmaking. Of course, things aren't all fun and games at Zin's Circus of Unusual Creatures. We've got some pesky trainees driving us all batty, a police raid that threatens to shut the show down permanently, and, yes, a couple of confounding murders to solve. Now, while I go see what Pepper's cooking up in the Cantina, why not make a dragon's day by grabbing your own copy of Fangs a Million? And if you haven't started The Circus of Unusual Creatures series yet, I'm pretty sure you'll love, not only this tale, but also Duncan's first two books: Hoard It All Before and Tipping the Scales. Note: While The Circus of Unusual Creatures Mysteries can be read on their own, you'll get much more enjoyment out of the stories and the characters if you read the books in order...1. Hoard It All Before2. Tipping the Scales3. Fangs A Million

A seaside eating contest.A cheating, song-stealing, and all-around-no-good ex.And a chain-smoking unicorn doling out dating advice. What could possibly go wrong? The Circus of Unusual Creatures has been invited to perform as the feature act at the Seaside Family Fun Fair's annual eating contest. Right from the start, trouble is brewing. Trouble that, to everyone's surprise, has (almost) nothing to do with Fergus now referring to himself as The Love Guru. Besides foul moods over the weather, the working conditions, and sand wedging itself, well, everywhere, tempers truly flare when Molly's ex-husband, Albert, shows up for the competition. Albert has a bad track record. He's cheated in a previous eating contest, he's stolen Molly's music, and he's got an ogre-sized secret that could destroy the fun fair. So, when the competition turns deadly, Duncan - dragon and amateur sleuth - has a long list of people who wouldn't mind sending Albert six feet under. Problem is, two of his friends are the most likely suspects. Matters only get worse when Duncan discovers Zin has agreed to a partnership that's smellier than a rotting sack of fish heads. Plus, Pepper's been so busy prepping food for the contest, she's failed to keep up with Duncan's omelet needs. Seriously, no dragon should have to sleuth in these conditions. Can Duncan find the killer before they strike again? Will Zin lose his circus to this partnership? What relationship disasters will Fergus cause? And what is up with those ogres? Find out in Beast or Famine, the latest installment of The Circus of Unusual Creatures Mystery series. ~ ~ ~ If you like comic fantasy whodunnits that mix in laughs with murderous mayhem and mythical beasts, you'll love, not only this silly story, but also the first three books in the series: Hoard It All Before, Tipping the Scales, and Fangs a Million. Although it's the fourth book in the series, Beast or Famine is a great way to jump into Circus of Unusual Creatures Mysteries. Set in a 1930s that's just a tad different than what you're used to, The Circus of Unusual Creatures is a delightfully humorous and fantastical mystery series that features a detecting dragon, an aura-spotting centaur, a chain-smoking unicorn, and plenty of other quirky characters getting into all kinds of trouble as they stumble their way through clues, crimes, and perfectly cooked omelets.Note: While this cozy mystery is mostly clean, it does have a lusty, chain-smoking unicorn who makes more than a few naughty innuendos, a dragon who drinks, a tiny bit of mild swearing, and (obviously) there's a murder or two along the way.

A crime boss with a secretA swoon-inducing thiefA heist that leads to murderIt might be the perfect case for Duncan, but he's really just in town for the omelets.Zin's Circus of Unusual Creatures is gearing up for a lengthy run in Chesterwood, a town run by the infamous crime boss, Rochester McCleary, aka "The Goblin King".No one knows why Rochester invited them to town, why he's letting them set up on a recently demolished city block for free, or why he keeps lurking around the circus grounds, but no one is stupid enough to ask McCleary to divulge his suspicious secrets.Meanwhile, Duncan's performances have been drastically cut, and he's bored off his scales. Bored, that is, until someone breaks into and empties Rochester's vault.The boredom is especially lifted when, soon after the heist, a body is found. The only trouble is that the most obvious suspects are a kind-hearted sculptor and Duncan's favorite omelet chef, Pepper.Although eager to take the case, Duncan is reluctant to tangle with The Goblin King. After all, he's pretty sure he'd look terrible in cement shoes.Can Duncan (along with his fellow amateur sleuths Boris and Cordelia) discover who the real culprit is before Rochester McCleary makes good on his threats? Can they uncover Chesterwood's secrets without ending up in pine boxes? Or will they get too distracted by cute co-workers, skimpy outfits, "modern" dating advice, and a certain dragon's omelet goals to survive this confounding case?Find out in The Scales of Justice, the latest addition to the Circus of Unusual Creatures Mysteries - a cozy fantasy series that mixes in laughs with murderous mayhem and mythical beasts.* * *Although it's the sixth book in the series, The Scales of Justice is a great place to jump into the humor-filled mysteries of The Circus of Unusual Creatures series.Set in a 1930s that's just a tad different than what you're used to, The Circus of Unusual Creatures is a delightfully humorous cozy fantasy series that features a detecting dragon, an aura-spotting centaur, a chain-smoking unicorn, and plenty of other quirky characters getting into all kinds of trouble as they stumble their way through clues, crimes, and perfectly cooked omelets.If you like comic fantasy whodunits that combine laughs with murderous mayhem and mythical beasts you'll love, not only this silly story, but also the other five books in the series:Hoard It All Before, Tipping the Scales, Fangs a Million, Beast or Famine, and Too Claws for Comfort.Story Note: While this lighthearted, humorous series is mostly clean, it does have a lusty, chain-smoking unicorn who makes more than a few naughty innuendos, a dragon who drinks, a tiny bit of mild swearing, and (obviously) there's a murder or two along the way. Author of humorous fantasy whodunits full of mythical misfits and magical mishaps.THE RAMBLING BIO AND OFFER OF FREE STUFF...Many moons ago I was a scientist in a neuroscience lab where I got to play with brains and illegal drugs. Now, I take wickedly strong tea and turn it into comic fantasy whodunits full of mythical misfits and magical mishaps that I hope give you a giggle.My tales run the gamut from the ever-expanding Cassie Black Trilogy with its wryly humorous paranormal mysteries to the comical cozy fantasy mysteries in The Circus of Unusual Creatures, and from light-hearted novellas celebrating my love of books to short fiction in which I really flex my myth-loving and humor-craving muscles!When I'm not creating worlds or killing off characters, I can be found gardening, planning my next travel adventure, concocting some sort of mess in the kitchen, or working as an unpaid servant to three cats and a guinea pig.Want to learn more and get free stuff? Then be sure to pop by TammiePainter.com to see everything I'm up to and to grab your free copy of "Mrs. Morris Meets Death," a humorous tale of mortality, time management, cruise ships, and romance novels.THE QUICK AS YOU CAN STORY BEHIND MY BOOKS...My fascinat