Showing results by narrator "Kathleen McInerney" in All Categories

When a family dog brings home a human bone, Chief of Police Kate Burkholder finds herself on a desperate search for answers. Where did the bone come from? Who does it belong to? And perhaps most importantly, are the bones a result of foul play? With Halloween approaching, the unsettling questions garner uneasiness, rumors, and macabre theories among the residents of Painters Mill.

For travel escort Emily Andrew and her fellow Iowans, aloha means "hello" to all the sun, surf, and scrumptious cuisine their Hawaiian cruise has to offer. But for Professor Dorian Smoker, a renowned expert on the legendary Captain Cook, aloha also means "good-bye" - as in "man overboard." Sure, it could have been an accident. But Emily wonders if some guest with a grudge might have knocked off the opinionated professor.

When a baby - only hours old - is discovered on the Amish bishop's front porch in Painter's Mill, Ohio, Chief of Police Kate Burkholder is called in to investigate. The newborn is swaddled in an Amish crib quilt, and the only other item found with the child is a hand-carved wood rattle, which Kate also recognizes as Amish.

In her fresh, inventive debut, Berry introduces a teenage feline shapeshifter coming to terms with her strange powers. Otherkin the first in a mesmerizing new series that deals with such teen issues as body image and the strength to be found in friendship.

Amidst torrid gossip and whispered suspicions, Reid Sayers has returned to his small hometown in rural Louisiana - and to the stormy passions of Camilla Greenley. Pulsating with the intense desires of a willful man and woman, Jennifer Blake's lush novel is a breathlessly compelling tale of suspense and unbridled sensuality that is absolutely! Camilla's cunning, soon-to-be ex-husband has discovered that she may be the sole heir to the local mill - worth millions if its operating owner, Reid Sayers, sells out to an eager conglomerate. But there is danger in the air....

When seventeen-year-old Nor rescues a captured faerie in the woods, he gifts her with a magical golden thread she can use to summon him for a favor. Instead, Nor uses it for a con—to convince villagers to buy straw that can be transformed into gold. Her trick works a little too well, attracting the suspicion of Prince Casper, who hates nobody more than a liar. Intent on punishing Nor, he demands that she spin a room of straw into gold and as her reward, he will marry her. Should she refuse or fail, the consequences will be dire

As a travel escort for seniors, Emily Andrew-Miceli has led her feisty Iowa clan all over the world. This time, they're off to see historic windmills, classic Rembrandts, and picturesque canals in Holland - if they can ever unplug from their smartphones, that is. Joining them is the high school class from Bangor, Maine, whose 50th reunion celebration goes south faster than a fallen Brussel sprout souffle as old rivalries start heating up.

With tongue-in-cheek humor, the creator of the award-winning Confessions of a Part-Time Sorceress takes on the self-help section, proving that the benefits of the Dungeons & Dragons game goes far beyond simple entertainment.

Emily Andrew is earning some much-needed green by navigating the twisting roads of Ireland with a group of seniors, including her beloved Nana. But once the hearty troupe from Iowa lands on Irish sod, trouble starts brewing: there's a death-defying incident with a horse-drawn carriage...and a gender-bending encounter with Emily's ex-husband, Jack, now known as Jackie. No wonder Emily has come down with a smarting case of hives! The plot thickens like Irish stew when the group settles into Ballybantry Castle, where a ghost is said to wander the halls.

Accompanying her grandmother on a seniors tour of Switzerland, Emily Andrew had envisioned a vacation straight out of a travel brochure: spectacular scenery, great food, and a classy European hotel, all worlds away from her rural Iowa hometown. But her dream trip quickly snowballs into mayhem when smooth-talking tour escort Andy Simon is found dead. To be sure, Andy was as randy as a mountain goat on Viagra, hitting on every miss - Swiss or otherwise - within striking distance. His constant advances were driving Emily cuckoo - but had someone orchestrated his untimely death?

The Russell women have always lived in a house that is as special as they are—a century-old Victorian with a radio that tunes itself to the listener’s mood and a pantry that rearranges to provide just the right ingredients for any baking need. Lilith Russell was the exception. She left the family home in Ivy Ridge, Georgia, and has been flitting like a hummingbird from place to place with her daughter, Mattie, in the decades since, only returning each summer to drop Mattie off with Lilith’s sister, Penelope.

Sara Johnston-Fischer loves her family, of course. But that doesn't mean she's thrilled when her summer plans are upended for a surprise cross-country train trip with her two moms, Mimi and Carol; her younger sister, Ladybug; her older sister, Laurel; and Laurel's poncho-wearing activist boyfriend, Root. And to make matters worse, one of her moms is writing a tell-all book about the trip...and that means every ridiculous and embarrassing moment of Sara's life.

Sure, Jackie Thum's newly published novel might not be Hemingway, but bad reviews from her fellow travelers have Emily Andrew's transgender ex-husband (Jackie was formerly Jack) steaming like a sauna. It's a dismal start to their Scandinavian tour, and group leader Emily is getting that sinking feeling in Helsinki: Something fishy this way comes. When Jackie's most outspoken critic, a Floridian from a picture-perfect gated community called The Hamlets, is found dead, suspicion falls on Jackie - who surprises everyone with an airtight alibi.

Still bearing wounds from barely surviving the Registration, Lynell struggles to fill her new role as the heir and leader of the very system that aimed to kill her. She must convince the Registration committee and the country’s oligarchs that she can fill her uncle’s shoes, while simultaneously proving to the country’s largest rebel group that she is nothing like her uncle—ruthless and greedy.

Orphaned and alone, Rachel is taken under the wing of her strict African-American grandmother and moved to a mostly black community where her light brown skin, blue eyes, and astonishing beauty start to attract a troubling level of attention. As the terrible secrets begin to emerge, Rachel learns to swallow her grief and construct her own self-image in a world that wants to see her as either black or white.

Holly Banks could not have made a worse first impression on the seemingly perfect moms in her new affluent community, the Village of Primm. Turns out wearing pink piggy pajama bottoms while dropping off her kindergartener late to the first day of school wasn’t her best look.

When Emily Andrew lands in the Land of Oz - Australia, that is - she and her hearty group of world-touring seniors know they're not in Iowa anymore. Winter is summer, drains drain counterclockwise, and all the comforts of home are, well, back home. Even Emily's love life is upside down: Her darling detective Etienne Miceli has yet to propose, while gorgeous tour director Duncan Lazarus is vying to be more than just mates.

Donna Freitas has lived two lives. In one life, she is a well-published author and respected scholar who has traveled around the country speaking about Title IX, consent, religion, and sex on college campuses. In the other, she is a victim, a woman who suffered and suffers still because she was stalked by her graduate professor for more than two years.

Samantha Spinner's uncle Paul disappeared, and here's what he left: Samantha's sister got a check for $2,400,000,000. Samantha's brother got the New York Yankees. And Samantha got a rusty red umbrella with a tag hanging off its worn handle. The tag says "Watch out for the RAIN." Thanks a lot, Uncle Paul. After all the strawberry waffles, stories, and puzzles they've shared, how could he just leave without saying good-bye? And what is the meaning of that mysterious message? The answer is simple. Sam knows in her heart that Uncle Paul is in danger.

For Amy Ettinger, ice cream is not just a delicious snack but a circumstance and a time of year - frozen forever in memory. As the youngest child and only girl, ice cream embodied unstructured summers, freedom from the tyranny of her classmates, and a comforting escape from her chaotic, demanding family. Now as an adult and journalist, her love of ice cream has led to a fascinating journey to understand ice cream's evolution and enduring power, complete with insight into the surprising history behind America's early obsession with ice cream.