by Selma Eichler (2003)
Desiree Shapiro's niece, Ellen, will soon be saying, "I do." So Manhattan's pudgiest P.I. teams up with Ellen's future mother-in-lain to give the bride-to-be a truly memorable shower. And memorable, it is. After all, when a guest takes a few bites of her salad, then promptly keels over, no one present is likely to forget the occasion. Naturally, being a dedicated foodie, Desiree knows plenty of "to die for" dishes, but a green salad isn't one of them. Once she begins to look into the victim's death--and life--Desiree is convinced that she's dealing with a homicide ... and that a number of backbiting society ladies had every reason to want scheming, man-hungry Bobbie Jean dead. Meanwhile, Desiree has a new love interest. But romance will have to wait because the police are perilously close to arresting an innocent woman for the crime.
George P. Pelecanos
A Washington, D.C., crime lord is fighting for his life in court. Two younger dealers are fighting for his territory, prestige, and millions of dollars in future profits. Menawhile, there is a woman whose testimony could mean death or freedom for the crime lord--and P.I. Derek Strange has to find a way to keep her alive.
James Patterson
The #1 bestseller Pop Goes the Weasel proved once again that James Patterson is an undisputed master of suspense. Now he has written his most compelling and surprising thriller ever. . . .Cradle & All In Boston, a young woman finds herself pregnant--even though she is still a virgin. In Ireland, another young woman discovers she is in the same impossible condition. And in cities all around the world, medical authorities are overwhelmed by epidemics, droughts, famines, floods, and worse. It all feels like a sign that something awful is coming. Anne Fitzgerald, a former nun turned private investigator, is hired by the Archdiocese of Boston to investigate the immaculate conceptions. Even as she comes to care about and trust the young women, she realizes that both are in great danger. Terrifying forces of light and darkness are gathering. Stepping into uncharted territory where the unknown is just the beginning, Anne must discover the truth--to save the young women, to save herself, and to protect the future of all mankind.
Ingrid Thoft
"When soccer mom Liz Barone is attacked in her kitchen and left with a life-threatening injury, Fina Ludlow is hired by Liz's mother to identify her attacker ... Twenty years earlier, Liz was [a New England University] soccer star known for her physical toughness; however, a serious cognitive decline has soured her soccer memories. She's convinced that her aggressive style of play--and the university's willingness to ignore head injuries in favor of a win--has put her health and her future in jeopardy, and someone needs to be held responsible. Was Liz attacked to stop her lawsuit, or were there other secrets in the seemingly innocent woman's life?"--
Tom Klėnsi
The sudden and surprising assassination of three American officials in Colombia. Many people in many places, moving off on missions they all mistakenly thought they understood. The future was too fearful for contemplation, and beyond the expected finish lines were things that, once decided, were better left unseen.