Amy Patricia Meade

Turning over a new leaf in bucolic Vermont, Stella and Nick Buckley soon discover that country life comes with its own special kind of pleasures—and perils . . . Leaving New York City behind for the rustic farmhouse they bought in rural Vermont, Stella and Nick Buckley discover that small-town life isn’t nearly as quiet and peaceful as they might have hoped. No sooner do the two arrive at their new home than they find a dead body in a well on their property, and they’re quickly exiled to a primitive campsite when the sheriff seals off the crime scene. As if no electricity, no running water, and leaf-peeping tourists weren’t bad enough, the duo must also contend with an endless variety of quirky and eccentric locals. Quickly realizing that the only way they’ll get back into their farmhouse is to solve the murder themselves, the two dig deep into the life of the victim, who’d racked up more than a few enemies. And while they may never be able to shed their city-folk reputation, Stella and Nick just might nab a cunning killer before he can strike again . . . Praise for the Books of Amy Patricia Meade: “The first in a new series for Meade features yet another set of bright young detectives . . .” —Kirkus Reviews “Quaint characters and settings abound in this outing by New Yorker-turned-Vermonter Amy Patricia Meade.” —Mystery Scene “Meade’s debut will strike a chord with fanciers of Dorothy Sayers’s Peter Wimsey and Harriet Vane.” —Publishers Weekly “If only Katharine Hepburn, Cary Grant, and Jimmy Stewart were still alive. They would be fabulous in the movie version of Meade’s debut Marjorie McClelland mystery . . . Meade’s kickoff mystery is a winner.” —Booklist “Meade successfully segues from her historicals (Black Moonlight) to this snappy yet traditional contemporary. She brings us pitch-perfect dialogue, original characters, and enormous potential for a fun series.” —Library Journal “A fairly straightforward plot with a neat twist at the end, good characters, and a well-drawn location make for a good read.” —The Bookbag

Well-Offed in Vermont

Mystery writer Marjorie McClelland leads a solitary, but comfortable life in the quiet town of Ridgebury, Connecticut. Her calm is shattered when the dashing Creighton Ashcroft comes to town and has his mind set on wooing Ms. McClelland. Before he has time to start, however, the two stumble upon a body at the Ashcroft estate. The handsome detective assigned to the case further complicates matters. The trio find themselves caught up in a web of treachery, betrayal and murder.

Million Dollar Baby

While working in New York City's World War II shipyards, Rosie Doyle Keefe investigates the murder of her foreman, who was killed right after she rebuffed his advances, with the help of police lieutenant Jack Riordan.

Don't Die Under the Apple Tree

Cookin' the Books

Successful young writer Marjorie McClelland leads a solitary, comfortable life in the quiet, post-prohibition town of Ridgebury, CT. Her tranquil life is disrupted when Creighton Ashcroft, a British heir with time and money to burn, purchases a deserted mansion with a mysterious history on the outskirts of town. Instantly smitten with the talented and beautiful Marjorie, Creighton craftily arranges an intimate meeting, but the mood is spoiled when they stumble across a body while touring the ample grounds of Creighton's new estate. With the intention of reaping the story's literary benefits, the two forge an unlikely partnership and research the mansion's sordid past, but they soon find themselves in the middle of an unfolding series of hidden murders and family deceit. On top of this, the handsome detective assigned to the case has caught Marjorie's attention--and Creighton's suspicious eye. The trio must work together to break through a web of deceptively demure townspeople and the discreet upper class to solve the mystery of the mansion's past before becoming victims themselves. Filled with rumor and humor, this historical thriller delights to its captivating close.

Sometimes a high-tech crime calls for a very low-tech solution, as Nick and Stella Buckley learn when they match wits with a devious and cunning killer . . . Every year the Creators’ Cavalcade draws the most innovative and cutting-edge minds in science and technology, and when Nick Buckley is invited to showcase the U.S. Forest Service’s new environmental initiatives, he’s happy to invite his wife Stella along. The event promises to give both of them a break from the many complications of new homeownership, and the luxurious nineteenth-century estate where it’s held is sure to provide a beautiful and tranquil setting for their getaway. But when the Cavalcade’s founder and director is found dead and one of the participants is murdered not long after, Nick and Stella know that playtime is over and they’ll have to get busy trying to corner a fiendishly clever culprit. Confronted with an eclectic mix of creators—and suspects—including a steampunk designer, a robotics engineer, a recycled materials percussionist and others, Nick and Stella know that everyone at the Cavalcade possessed the brains and technological know-how to pull off the murders. But they’ve got a few innovative ideas of their own for nabbing the guilty party, and the only question is whether they can put their plan into action before the killer pulls the plug on them for good . . . Praise for the Books of Amy Patricia Meade: “The first in a new series for Meade features yet another set of bright young detectives . . .” —Kirkus Reviews “Quaint characters and settings abound in this outing by New Yorker-turned-Vermonter Amy Patricia Meade.” —Mystery Scene “Meade’s debut will strike a chord with fanciers of Dorothy Sayers’s Peter Wimsey and Harriet Vane.” —Publishers Weekly “If only Katharine Hepburn, Cary Grant, and Jimmy Stewart were still alive. They would be fabulous in the movie version of Meade’s debut Marjorie McClelland mystery . . . Meade’s kickoff mystery is a winner.” —Booklist “Meade successfully segues from her historicals (Black Moonlight) to this snappy yet traditional contemporary. She brings us pitch-perfect dialogue, original characters, and enormous potential for a fun series.” —Library Journal “A fairly straightforward plot with a neat twist at the end, good characters, and a well-drawn location make for a good read.” —The Bookbag

Short-Circuited in Charlotte

Literary caterer Letitia ‘Tish’ Tarragon fights to save her reputation and catch a killer when a murder occurs during a fundraising dinner for the local library. Letitia ‘Tish’ Tarragon has just moved to Hobson Glen and opened a new restaurant and catering business, Cookin’ the Books Cafe. So when her new landlord, Schulyer Thompson, recommends her to Binnie Broderick, the executive director of the local library, Tish is delighted. Binnie needs a last-minute caterer to create a literary inspired three-course dinner for the library’s annual fundraiser, one of the highlights of Hobson Glen’s social season. But there’s a problem: Binnie Broderick is a notoriously difficult woman to please. And when she chokes to death from arsenic poisoning after dousing her main course in hot sauce, Tish suddenly finds herself fighting to save her business – and her reputation. It seems that very few of Hobson Glen’s residents escaped Binnie’s disapproval. But who would want her dead, and why?

Could a body found in a graveyard be linked to a tragic murder twenty-five years ago? Tish Tarragon is plunged into a new case when a fundraising dinner in the local church hall leads to a dark discovery. Literary caterer Tish Tarragon’s ‘heroines of literature’ fundraising dinner at St. Jude’s Episcopal Church is a resounding success. But as Tish walks through the graveyard to lock up the church hall, she takes a tumble . . . over a dead body. Retired Sheriff Gadsden Carney has been murdered. Not only that, he’s lying upon the Honeycutt family plot. Six-year-old Daisy Honeycutt was killed twenty-five years ago in a case that rocked Hobson Glen. Sheriff Carney was in charge of the investigation – and his murder looks suspiciously similar to young Daisy’s. Tish and Sheriff Reade discover that Gadsden was looking into the Honeycutt case again. Could his death be linked to Daisy’s murder all those years ago? Her killer died behind bars. Or so everyone thought . . .

From Ladle to Grave

In 1935, it's simply not ladylike for young women to involve themselves in matters such as murder. But fiercely independent mystery writer Marjorie McClelland can't resist when another killing strikes her small Connecticut town.

Ghost of a Chance

Tish Tarragon’s preparations for Coleton Creek’s annual garden club awards luncheon are threatened when one of the prime contenders is murdered. Literary caterer Letitia ‘Tish’ Tarragon is preparing her English Secret Garden-themed luncheon for Coleton Creek’s annual garden club awards, but when she is taken on a tour of some of the top contenders with the garden club’s president, Jim Ainsley, Tish is surprised at how seriously the residents take the awards – and how desperate they are to win. Wealthy, retired businessman Sloane Shackleford has won the coveted best garden category five years in a row, but he and his Bichon Frise, Biscuit, are universally despised. When Sloane’s bludgeoned body is discovered in his pristine garden, Tish soon learns that he was disliked for reasons that go beyond his green fingers. Have the hotly contested awards brought out a competitive and murderous streak in one of the residents?

Amy Patricia Meade

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