Liz Talbot Mystery

USA Today Bestseller and Agatha Award Winner for Best First Novel 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. Praise for Lowcountry Bombshell “Is there anything more enticing than curling up with a thrilling whodunit that keeps you guessing until the very end? Susan Boyer delivers big time with a witty mystery that is fun, radiant, and impossible to put down. I love this book!” -- Darynda Jones, New York Times Bestselling Author “Lowcountry Bombshell is that rare combination of suspense, humor, seduction, and mayhem, an absolute must-read not only for mystery enthusiasts but for anyone who loves a fast-paced, well-written story!” --Cassandra King, Author of The Same Sweet Girls “Susan M. Boyer gets it. And by ‘it,’ I mean ‘the southern voice.’ And by that I do not mean she throws ‘Y’all’ into every other line of her dialogue. I mean she understands deep down how Southern people talk and can replicate the cadence and music of that speech on the page as delicately as a master chef adding a last pinch of sea salt to a batch of Hollandaise sauce.” --Katherine Tomlinson, CriminalElement.com “This Agatha Award-winning author of the Liz Talbot mysteries has put together a complicated story that’s rich and juicy with plenty of twists and turns. It has lots of peril and romance—something for every cozy mystery fan.” --New York Journal of Books “This is the story that keeps you flipping the pages until late at night. Boyer is definitely a keeper.”--Fresh Fiction“ . . . Lowcountry Bombshell is a cozy-feeling, hard-boiled PI novel with a little romance thrown in. The best of three genres all mixed together.” --Nancy McFarlane, Fiction Addiction Reviewer “Flowing with southern charm and delicious flavor, this fast-paced drama quickly draws you in and never lets you go . . . ” --Dru’s Book Musings

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.

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

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.

Somebody pushed Shelby Poinsett out her second-floor library window, and it wasn't her husband. At least that's what Charleston's most prestigious law firm wants Liz Talbot to prove. Liz must run the spectrum of Southern society, from the local homeless shelter where Shelby volunteered to the one-hundred-year-old book club where Charleston's genteel ladies are dying to join, to bring a killer to justice.

Private Investigators Liz Talbot and Nate Andrews have worked their share of domestic cases. So when Tammy Sue Lyerly hires them to find out what her husband is hiding, they expect to find something looney but harmless. After all, this is the guy who claims to have been a DEA agent, a champion bull rider, and a NASCAR driver. But when he turns up dead the morning after Liz and Nate deliver incriminating photos, Tammy Sue becomes the prime suspect. Questioning the truth of Zeke Lyerly's tall tales, Liz and Nate race to uncover small-town scandals, long buried secrets, and the victim's tumultuous past to keep Tammy Sue out of jail and the case from going up in flames.

Between an epic downpour and a King Tide, the historic streets of Charleston are flooded-and dangerous. A late night tragic accident along the Lower Battery leads Liz Talbot straight to her next case. Who's the client? Well, now, therein lies the first puzzle. When the police arrive at the scene of the accident, Poppy Oliver claims she's only trying to help. But the dent on the front of her Subaru and the victim's injuries provoke a certain Charleston police detective's suspicious nature. A wealthy, anonymous benefactor hires Liz and her partner Nate Andrews to prove Poppy Oliver's innocence. What exactly was Poppy Oliver up to? Is she a random good Samaritan who happens upon the accident scene? Or perhaps this tragedy wasn't an accident. She just might be his abused wife's accomplice. From a risque, exclusive club in an old plantation to an upscale resale shop in the historic King Street shopping district to a downtown graveyard crawling with ghosts, Liz tracks a group of women who band together to help victims of domestic violence. In her most challenging case yet, Liz fears she may find a killer, but justice may prove elusive.

Private investigators Liz Talbot and Nate Andrews are all set to enjoy some quality time on the beach. That's until they get the news about Darius. Darius DeAndre Baker, star of the hit TV show, Main Street USA, has had enough of the Hollywood highlife. After ten years of visiting everyone else's hometown, he returns to his own-Stella Maris, South Carolina. But the moving trucks have barely unloaded when Trina Lynn Causby, Darius's high school girlfriend, turns up dead, and the entire town reels as Darius is arrested. Despite the mounting evidence against him, Liz and Nate believe Darius is innocent. They dig through a scandalously long list of suspects, including Darius's three ex-wives-who have all arrived in Stella Maris-and his love child with Trina Lynn. But Trina Lynn led a complicated life. She had at least one stalker and two suitors-one with a jealous wife who recently made a deliciously outrageous scene when Trina Lynn turned up at a charity ball. As the danger mounts, Liz and Nate race to find a killer and clear Darius's name-and keep him alive.

Private investigators Liz Talbot and Nate Andrews thought they'd put Darius Baker's troubles to rest-then his recently discovered son ropes him into a hemp farm investment with his college buddies. When a beloved Charleston professor-and potential investor-is murdered, Liz and Nate discover Darius keeps the PIs on speed dial. A shocking number of people had reasons to want the genteel, bowtie wearing, tea-drinking professor dead. Was it one of his many girlfriends or a disgruntled student? Or perhaps Murray was killed because his failure to invest meant the hemp farm trio's dreams were going up in smoke? Though Liz's long-dead best friend, Colleen, warns her the stakes are far higher than Liz imagines, she is hellbent on finding the no-good killer among the bevy of suspects. But will the price of justice be more than Liz can bear? Take a virtual vacation to Charleston in Susan M. Boyer's latest Southern charmer, Lowcountry Boondoggle. It's a trip you don't want to miss.

It's the most wonderful time of the year, but Private Investigator Liz Talbot is struggling to feel festive. She hasn't seen her best friend, Colleen, in weeks and fears she may never see her again in this life. Meanwhile Nate, Liz's husband and partner, is spending money like he prints it in the attic on a mysterious family Christmas celebration. Liz's nerves are shot, and she hasn't even decked a single hall. But there's simply no time to fret. On a morning beach run, Liz spots a wooden rowboat run aground with Santa inside. Did Old Saint Nick have too much eggnog at the boat parade? No indeedy-Santa's been shot. And he's none other than C. C. Bounetheau, patriarch of one of Charleston's wealthiest families. Liz and Nate already unwrapped quite a few family secrets while searching for the Bounetheau's missing granddaughter last year-enough to make them swear to steer forever clear of the entire clan. But as Mr. Bounetheau's body is found in Stella Maris, and Liz and Nate are the police chief's on-call detectives, they're on the case. With no shortage of suspects, Liz and Nate dash to find a killer who may be working his or her way down a naughty list.

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.