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Audiobooks by Joanna Campbell Slan
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"From bestselling cozy mystery author Joanna Campbell Slan comes a thrilling new installment in the Friday Night Mystery Club series, featuring a group of female amateur sleuths.
Decatur, Illinois/1986—In this small Midwestern town, everyone has something to hide, from Japanese business interests eyeing a piece of property to an angry sharpshooter harboring a murderous obsession. Meanwhile, working women struggle to make their way in a man's world, and their primary opposition might well be . . . other women.
Cragan Collins has a lot on her plate: a demanding job as an advertising rep, a complicated love life, and an upcoming public speaking contest. But when a shooter targets a performer at one of her ad accounts, Fast Freddy's Gentleman's Club, and leaves a young dancer critically injured, Cragan and her mystery-solving friends spring into action. They suspect that Pru, the club's star performer and their housemate, may be the real target—and the danger to her is far from over.
This cozy mystery features female amateur sleuths who love reading mysteries. The book blends humor, romance, and suspense while tackling themes of workplace equality and acceptance."
"This Christmas, shop owner Kiki Lowenstein has more than holiday crafts on her mind. As she juggles family responsibilities, her thriving business, and preparations for her famous Holiday Crafting Extravaganza, a series of mysterious burglaries plagues their quiet town of Webster Groves, a suburb of St. Louis. Kiki soon finds herself drawn into a sinister plot that goes far beyond stolen jewelry.
With the help of her loyal Great Dane Gracie, her intuitive employee Nona, and a cast of colorful local characters, Kiki must unravel a web of deceit that threatens to unravel the very fabric of her community. As Christmas Eve approaches, the stakes rise higher than ever when Kiki makes a shocking discovery that could endanger not just her family, but countless innocent lives.
Can Kiki solve the mystery, keep her family together, and still spread holiday cheer? Or will this be the year that everything falls apart?"
"The year is 1986, the place is . . . pitiful. It's Decatur, Illinois, known for high unemployment, striking unions, the pervasive stink of soybean processing, and seven railroad crossings at one intersection.
A wrong turn along life's marital highway has left Catherine 'Cragan' Collins stuck in Decatur. With a mountain of post-divorce bills to pay, Cragan takes a job selling high-priced newspaper advertising.
On the rebound, she accepts an invitation from Ross Gentry, a quiet hunk who favors pearl snaps and cowboy boots. Cragan reasons that her heart is safe, because she and Ross come from two different worlds. But one night in his arms might be enough to prove her wrong.
Without warning, everything blows up in Cragan's face. Her boss threatens to take away her accounts, a friend's little sister is kidnapped, and an overnight guest is shot. Cragan's best friend, Pru, is accused of attempted murder.
Cragan calls an emergency meeting of the Friday Night Mystery Club. Can their combined talents prove that Pru is innocent? And will they find an answer in time to save Cragan from the wrath of a vengeful shooter?
It takes a club to solve a mystery!"
"Decatur, Illinois/1986
Being a divorced career woman in the late 80s isn't easy. Cragan Collins finds the friendship of other working singles invaluable, especially as she learns the ropes of selling. When Cragan finds a saleswoman unconscious in the mall parking lot, she runs for help. But being a good samaritan means taking the blame when the other woman dies. Later Cragan learns the woman lied to her . . . repeatedly. Cragan is left wondering if she really knew her friend at all! Now a grieving Cragan sorts through her own feelings of disappointment while dodging accusations by the dead woman's family. In the meantime, Cragan has attracted the interest of three attractive men. No wonder her head is spinning! To top it off, her friend's killer thinks Cragan knows too much. The problems keep piling up. All Cragan needs is a kernel of truth, and she'll figure out whodunnit."
"The Confidential Files of John H. Watson collection contains the following titles:
Sherlock Holmes and the Giant Sumatran Rat
Sherlock Holmes and the Father of Lies
Sherlock Holmes and the Nefarious Seafarers
Sherlock Holmes and the Time Machine
In The GIANT SUMATRAN RAT, Sherlock and Watson will go on a fast-paced adventure that takes them from the dregs of London to its noble heights. The two friends will travel from Bedlam, the hospital for the insane, to stately Windsor Park.
FATHER OF LIES is the second in this exciting series. When Sherlock's brother Mycroft disappears, Sherlock Holmes is drawn into the most thrilling case of his career, one that puts his powers to the test as he goes up against the Father of Lies, the Lord of Evil himself. The stakes couldn't be higher as Holmes and Watson are sent by leaders all over the globe to battle for the very survival of mankind.
In NEFARIOUS SEAFARERS Holmes and Watson reluctantly search for a missing sailor…and stumble on a sinister plan to embarrass and de-throne Queen Victoria. The two friends must work together as never before, in an adventure that takes them under the seas on a wild and harrowing chase to unravel a deadly mystery.
By TIME MACHINE, Sherlock Holmes and his friend, Dr. John Watson, are no strangers to danger—but a visitor’s claim that they are to be the targets of an assassin is unsettling. Moreover, the man says he has created a time machine that has whisked him away to the future. Astonishing! Holmes turns to his brother for help, only to learn that Mycroft Holmes might actually be behind this dastardly plot. Is it possible that Holmes’s own brother is a traitor to the realm?
Mycroft has all the resources of the British Empire at his disposal, while Holmes has only Watson and his merry band of Irregulars, street urchins he’s trained to work as spies. How can Holmes possibly hope to thwart his brother’s superior resources? He can and he must."
"Decatur, Illinois/1986
A nasty divorce leaves Cragan Collins with a mountain of bills and her grandmother to support. She takes a job as an ad salesperson for the Gazette. The market is tough, but Cragan finds a mentor in business reporter, Robert Smithson. One icy January day, Robert is found dead in a city park. His murder is dismissed as gay-on-gay crime. Cragan asks The Friday Night Mystery Club to find justice for Robert. Will Cragan's quest for the truth land her on the obituary page?"
"When Time in a Bottle, St. Louis's premiere craft store, is slated for demolition, Kiki is forced to confront her deep-rooted aversion to change. But before she can move, the new building must be made ADA compliant.
When a long-sealed wall is breached during renovations, a grim secret is revealed—a baby's body hidden within its confines. Determined to uncover the truth and provide closure for the innocent life lost, Kiki becomes entangled in a whirlwind investigation that spans decades. With her unyielding spirit and tenacious curiosity, she unravels a web of secrets, deceit, and heartbreak that has haunted this house for years.
As Kiki investigates, she finds herself immersed in a poignant tale of love, loss, and the long shadow of war crimes. With the relentless approach of the pandemic, Kiki must navigate not only the mysteries of the past but also the challenges of an uncertain present, where lives are at stake and time is running out.
In the midst of her pursuit for justice, Kiki finds her own personal life entangled in unexpected twists and turns. She learns that embracing change may be the key to unlocking the answers she seeks and finding the courage to forge a new path forward."
"Every holiday season, Kiki Lowenstein plans twelve days of classes, her Holiday Craft Extravaganza. And every year, it nearly kills her.
As the holiday season approaches, Kiki over-schedules herself and winds up running herself ragged. To make life even more stressful, she must fend off a stalker, a man determined to possess the object of his affection.
Kiki's ace full-time employee, Clancy, has HUGE decisions to make. How do you put aside your hurt and disappointment when you've been betrayed? Is it selfish to think of yourself first? As Clancy ponders questions, Kiki stands on the sidelines, knowing this is not her choice to make.
Meanwhile, both of Kiki's older kids are having problems with teachers. There's also a staff shortage that leaves Kiki in the lurch, both at home and at the store. Kiki might have found an answer to that dilemma when a mysterious woman applies for a job. Her name is Nona, and she claims to be an old friend of an old friend.
Nona seems too good to be true. Sadly, that might be the least of Kiki's problems with the woman. Because Nona isn't what she seems to be. Nona is a Miss Fit."
"TWO FBI AGENTS COME LOOKING FOR KIKI'S NANNY, AND SUDDENLY THE HOUSEHOLD IS TURNED UPSIDE DOWN.
Kiki and her husband must ask themselves the toughest question they'll ever have to face: Can we trust this person with our kids?
The answer might say more about them than it does about their nanny, Brawny.
But how can you trust someone whose whole life has been a lie? And boy, oh, boy, do Brawny's secrets bring up trust issues for everyone under Kiki's roof. Especially for Kiki's sensitive, thirteen-year-old daughter. (Will she ever get over this betrayal?)
It all starts when a totally forgettable woman is found shot dead in her car . . . and whose fault is that? Given the number of blended families today, can a step-parent ever catch a break? Was the murder a drive-by shooting gone wrong? Or an intentional, targeted murder?
One of Kiki's friends is accused of hiring a hitman, after a cashier's check for a million dollars goes missing. It's a puzzle with too many pieces, but Kiki's determined to see justice done."
"AN EPIDEMIC OF TEENAGE SUICIDES LEAVES A RURAL COMMUNITY GRIEVING—AND THE DEATH TOLL KEEPS RISING. CAN KIKI GO UNDERCOVER AS AN ART TEACHER AT A LOCAL HIGH SCHOOL TO HELP?
SHE SHOULDN'T.
To clear her calendar, Kiki must juggle multiple obligations and make a tough decision: Can she trust her in-laws (including her alcoholic mother-in-law) to take an out-of-state vacation with her kids? To make everything work, Kiki must move in with her OTHER mother-in-law and that's enough to make Kiki want to commit suicide.
Once in place, Kiki suspects these are not just copycat deaths. There's another dynamic at work. Could it be that someone is encouraging vulnerable young adults to take their own lives?
Who would orchestrate something so evil? The perpetrator has to be someone inside the school. Where Kiki is. Alone. Defenseless. But who? And what if the mastermind realizes that Kiki is there to foil him . . . or her? As the body count rises, Kiki finds herself enmeshed in a high school culture full of secrets and crushed dreams.
Can Kiki figure out who is ordering the kids to die in time to save another teen's life? Or will she be the next victim on this cunning killer's hit list?"
"THERE ARE TWO SIDES TO EVERY DIVORCE . . . YOURS AND THE JERK'S.
In this case, there's Clancy’s side and then there's the JERK's side. Of course, Kiki sides with Clancy because they're BFFs (Best Friends Forever). As for the JERK, well, the poor guy can't make up his mind. The JERK has left and come back to Clancy once before. Now he's fed up with his young girlfriend and wants to come back to Clancy yet again. Or does he?
Then JERK drives over a bridge in a low-lying area known for flash floods. Wouldn't you know it—his car is swept away and he's found unconscious. As he lies in his hospital bed fighting for his life, Clancy and his girlfriend are waging warfare, and it ain't pretty. One secret after another tumbles out.
Kiki is there for Clancy to lean on, but Kiki has problems of her own. Another divorce has her attention, as does the corpse Kiki finds in a car.
Kiki's hunky husband is dealing with police department problems. Her bi-racial son is being picked on. Her daughter's Hebrew tutor is decidedly against mixed marriages. And Kiki needs to hire more help at her store, Time in a Bottle."
"IN SUB-ZERO JANURARY, AN INFANT IS ABDUCTED . . . AND KIKI MIGHT BE THE ONLY PERSON WHO CAN TRACK DOWN THE CULPRIT.
The arrival of Kiki's baby is cause for celebration, but Kiki herself suffers from a severe case of post-partum blues. Her mood darkens further when she learns that her friend Bonnie's newborn infant has been stolen from a local hospital. Bonnie is too grief-stricken to help the authorities. Can Kiki pull herself together long enough to step in? Bonnie won't talk to anyone else.
It's a lot to ask of Kiki, especially when the people around her don't recognize the depths of her despair. As with many post-partum sufferers, Kiki is too down to reach out and demand the help she needs. Her brave face is actually hurting her rather than helping. Since she's been typecast as 'unsinkable,' no one can see how badly she's suffering.
With each hour that passes, the chances of finding Bonnie's baby alive grow slimmer. And Kiki's funk grows deeper. She's feeling more and more isolated.
Can someone turn this tragic situation around? Where's Kiki's support network when she needs it?"
