Murder on the QE2

Sample

Patricia Cornwell

In Richmond, Dr. Kay Scarpetta, chief medical examiner of Virginia and consultant for the FBI, is in the midst of a late-night autopsy at the morgue when the call comes: Gault, the sadistic psychopath who has eluded capture for years, has struck again. For Scarpetta, her worst nightmare returns. While Scarpetta sorts through strange forensic evidence, including an uncommon tread pattern and extremely rare gold dental restorations, Gault kills again. But the prey he ultimately seeks is Scarpetta, for it becomes increasingly apparent that he is as focused on her as she is on him.

Sample

Carolyn G. Hart

Mystery bookstore owner Annie Laurance didn't really want to go to her neighbor's Valentine Day masked ball -- particularly not after the voluptuous brunette made a pass at Annie's husband, Max. So when her dizzy mother-in-law, Laurel, made a surprise visit to Broward's Rock Island, Annie thought it would be a perfect excuse to skip the party. She should have known better: True to form, Laurel accepted the invitation for all three of them. But the biggest surprise of all came at the party's end, when Annie found the amorous hostess in the gazebo--murdered.

Sample

Nancy J. Cohen

Since beauty is her business, salon owner Marla Shore figures she can surely rid herself of a few excess pounds of holiday flab without joining a gym. But when daily walks with her slowpoke poodle fail to whittle her waistline, Marla reluctantly gives in to a trial membership at Perfect Fit Sports Club. She never dreamed that slimming down would mean running into a deadly case of foul play.

Sample

India Ink

One bath-and-body spa employee knows that murder isn't pretty.When police suspect that Venus Envy's new makeup artist has drowned, Persia Vanderbilt knows there's more to it than meets the eye.