Hanging with Hugo

 

Crime with the Classics #6

Writer’s retreat Windy Corner becomes a sanctuary of a different kind when a man and his foster daughter are harassed by a social worker, with tragic consequences.

Emily and Luke have returned from their honeymoon and are caught in a whirlwind of activity. Emily’s half-brother, Oscar, and his fiancée, Lauren, want to be married at St. Bede’s Church in Stony Beach with a reception at Windy Corner. But they’re not the only guests arriving at Emily’s writers’ retreat. Emily finds herself unexpectedly playing host to the family of the artist repairing the church’s storm-damaged stained-glass window; to Lauren’s traditional Chinese parents; and to Moses Valory and his foster daughter, Charlotte, who are seeking sanctuary from being harassed by social worker Janine Vertue.

When Janine appears and is later discovered hanged in her hotel room, Emily uncovers disturbing links between Janine and all her guests at Windy Corner. Which of them despised Janine enough to kill her?

Out now, from Severn House

Praise for Hanging with Hugo

“A complicated plot, well-drawn characters, warm-hearted moments juxtaposed with heart-stopping action, and a satisfying ending make this a good pick for cozy fans.” (Booklist)

In this traditional mystery series, retired literature professor Emily Cavanaugh inherits a Victorian estate and finds herself embroiled in a series of murder cases, each of which bears an eerie resemblance to one of her favorite classic novels.

The Vestibule of Heaven

 

“I knew her, of course, the first time she came to the house. One of the advantages of being dead is the ability to see beneath the surface.”

When professional house-restorer Kelly Mason inherits a historic bungalow from an unknown benefactor, she plans to fix up the house and donate it to the community. But when she visits the place, she feels an unexpected emotional pull and decides to move in. As she works to restore the house, Kelly senses a ghostly presence guiding her to some startling discoveries about her own past. Her coworkers, the McCarthys and especially their enigmatically appealing friend Nathaniel, encourage her to unlock her history and find the home and family she’s never known. But to do so, Kelly must open her rational mind to the unexplainable and her bricked-up heart to forgiveness and love.

Coming mid-March 2024 from Ancient Faith Publishing

Praise for The Vestibule of Heaven

“The story works on multiple levels, where the restoration of a house echoes the rebuilding of a life from the shards of tragedy and trauma. Both tragedy and trauma are heartbreakingly real, but the power of love that transforms both into healing is even more heartbreaking. Highly, highly recommended.” (Nicholas Kotar, author of the Raven Son series)