Always With a Book

First line: Dear Sophie, My miserable cousins have been pawing through Grand-pa’s house, claiming they’re there to spruce it up. Synopsis from Barnes & Noble: When Sophie’s neighbor-a reclusive professor-dies, his final wish is for the Domestic Diva to throw a dinner party in his honor, and he’s planned everything down to the letter. But what no one planned for is the corpse of a student that Sophie finds in…

First line: As Chloe Rogers put her car in reverse, she couldn’t stop looking at her princess-cut diamond. Synopsis from Amazon: Bridal shop manager Chloe Rogers will soon marry Richard Foster—so she thinks—until suddenly, she bumps into her childhood sweetheart, Josh Goldman, whom she hasn’t seen in thirteen years. The sparks between Chloe and Josh fly, but Richard provides safety, financial security. Should she follow her heart or her head?…

First line: Never in her life had Catherine Parkstone imagined so many sheep. From the back cover: A rural idyll: that’s what Catherine is seeking when she sells her house in England and moves to a tiny hamlet in the Cevennes mountains. With her divorce in the past and her children grown, she is free to make a new start, and to set up in business as a seamstress. But…

First line: Like the luxury co-ops and five-star French eateries located in Manhattan’s Silk Stockings District, Benchley East Side Parking was outrageously exclusive. From the inside cover: NYC’s #1 detective, Michael Bennett, has a huge problem – the Son of Sam, the Werewolf of Wisteria, and the Mad Bomber are all back. The city has never been more terrified! TICK – A KILLER’S COUNTDOWN BEGINS A rash of horrifying crimes…

First line: It might have been Kindred Spirit Days in Elmwood Park, but Suzanne Dietz wasn’t exactly feeling the spirit. From the back cover: Suzanne, Toni, and Petra lost their husbands but found independence – and, in each other, a life raft of support, inspiration, fresh baked goods, and their own business. But when the Cackleberry Club cafe opened its doors in the town of Kindred, who’d have guessed that…

First line: A globulous giant head, evil grin stretched wide across its glowing orange face, teeth jagged as a buzz saw, bobbed and pecked at the air above Carmela Bertrand’s head. From the inside cover: With the help of her best friend Ava Gruiex, Carmela is building a giant monster puppet for the French Quarter’s gala Halloween Monsters and Mayhem Torchlight Parade. Things get terrifying earlier than expected when they…

First line: Mel squinted into the rain and darkness, creeping along the narrow, twisting, muddy, tree-enshrouded road and for the hundredth time thought, am I our of my mind? From the back cover: WANTED: Midwife/nurse practitioner in Virgin River, population six hundred. Make a difference against a backdrop of towering California redwoods and crystal-clear rivers. Rent-free cabin included. When the recently widowed Melinda Monroe sees this ad she quickly decides…

First line: It’s like dancing sitting down. From the inside cover: Jack Mullen is in law school in New York City when the news comes that his brother, Peter, has drowned in the ocean off East Hampton. Jack knows his brother practically grew up in the water, and that this couldn’t be an accident. Someone must have wanted his brother dead. But the police say otherwise. As Jack tries to…

First line: “Girlfriend, this is not your thing,” Lance said as he passed over three napkins, then clucked his tongue. From the back cover: WANTED: -Single mom seeks billionaire’s pocketbook to fund dying son’s research cure. Will seduce if necessary. Blackmail is not out of the question. Miracles welcome. -Cynical billionaire seeks working mom with a heart of gold for PR campaign to improve his standing in the community. Must…

First line: Most people hate Mondays. From the back cover: I don’t meddle, honest! But can I help it if my nose for injustice is as keen as my green thumb? Now I, Abby Knight, law school dropout, am the proud new owner of Bloomers, my hometown flower shop. I’m devoted to making my business grow, but I’m no shrinking violet if someone needs my help to right a wrong…

First line: Dear Sophie, My fiance’s former girlfriend showed up at our engagement party uninvited and released four dozen white mice. From the back cover: Sophie Winston’s sister, Hannah, is getting married – again! And if you ask Sophie, her future brother-in-law is no prince. But is he a killer? That’s the question on everyone’s mind when his ex-wife is found hanging from a pergola. This is one event Sophie…

First line: “That’s the place,” said Carmela Bertrand. From the inside cover: Carmela, owner of Memory Mine scrapbooking shop, and her best friend, Ava Gruiex, owner of Juju Voodoo, have a big project ahead. Melody Mayfeldt is converting an old mansion in the Faubourg Marigny district into an unforgettable haunted house for those who flock to New Orleans for a creepy fix. She needs Carmela’s crafty touch to make the…

First line: It wasn’t that Carmela didn’t like Mardi Gras. From the inside cover: Amid zydeco rhythms and popping champagne corks, bead-draped revelers are moving into the streets, and Jekyl Hardy is playing host to a party in his elegant French Quarter apartment. On a wild night like this, anything can happen. The guests – including Carmela – never imagine it will be murder. But as the evening progresses, Jekyl’s…