Portland, Oregon, 1997Back in the 60s he tuned in, turned on, and dropped out into a life without deadlines or documentation. But now the aging flower child known as Paladin has run up against reality.High-tech thugs with guns want a package he didn’t deliver, cops like him for the murder of a low-rent attorney, and the attorney’s secretary wants to jump his bones—or bury them. And what about the band of misfits and miscreants he calls his friends? Can he trust them? Or wil...

Mystery authors Carolyn J. Rose and Mike Nettleton serve up 32 short stories featuring detectives, killers, ghosts, radio deejays, thwarted authors, bungling criminals, Harry Houdini, Santa Claus, insurance salesmen, young lovers, talking vegetables, mistaken assumptions, and paranoid conclusions.

(If you like this book check out the sequel, DECEPTION AT DEVIL'S HARBOR.)When the body of an unscrupulous land developer washes in with the tide, there are more motives for murder than grains of sand on the beach at Devil's Harbor, Oregon.Vince Grabowski created an environmental disaster, hatched shady investment schemes, lied, cheated, and bullied residents into going along with plans to commercialize the quirky community.Those who wanted him off the planet includ...

Rock and Roll Reunions Can Be Murder!Portland's Tie-dyed Detective Cracks Another Case.(The sequel to THE HARD KARMA SHUFFLE)When The Velvet Miasma self-destructed on stage in the mid seventies, band members vowed they'd never perform together again. But it’s 1998, retro is in, and a reunion means big bucks. Thor, the band's egocentric leader, recruits aging hippie Paladin to dry out the lead guitar player and persuade sexy Maggie Thunder to return to the stage. Pal...

(The sequel to DEATH AT DEVIL’S HARBOR)It’s bedlam by the bay.It’s chaos on the coast.It’s another dustup in Devil’s Harbor, that quirky Oregon community.When an image appears scorched into a breaded crab cake some say it’s a miracle. Others say it’s a disaster.The image draws swarms of pilgrims, trying the patience of residents and stressing the town’s aging sewage treatment system. Facing huge financial penalties, Mayor Henri Trevelle plants portab...

THE RHYTHM OF UNDERGROUND EVIL THREATENS TO UNLEASH HAVOC ON THE WORLD ABOVE THE SURFACE!!!After running away from home, sixteen-year-old Noah Keene and his thirteen-year-old sister are swept into the turmoil of a universe they never imagined—inside Humbug Mountain on the Oregon Coast.Noah and Abby are key figures in an ancient prophecy that will pit them against Spid, a powerful and obnoxious troll who plots to unleash his underground forces against humankind. Their allies...

Neal Egan, former police detective turned golf hustler, can't escape from the gravitational pull of his beautiful ex-wife Desiree Diaz, the daughter of one of New Mexico's most prominent men. When Dez becomes the prime suspect in the brutal shotgun slaying of her current lover, Neal is drawn into an investigation that promises to end badly.Neal faces crazed and violent bikers, the Mexican mafia, and a sleazy television host exploiting the case to jack his ratings. On top of that, a...

A sleuthing substitute teacher comes up against a Pacific Northwest legend as she searches for a killer.(Sequel to NO SUBSTITUTE FOR MURDER, NO SUBSTITUTE FOR MONEY, and NO SUBSTITUTE FOR MATURITY)Is Bigfoot prowling around Reckless River, Washington? Has Sasquatch come to the city?Barbara Reed doesn’t know if she believes the legendary creature exists, but evidence is stacking up. Something big is scavenging for food in city parks. Something tall and heavy left foo...

A sleuthing substitute teacher with a cute dog named Cheese Puff gives the wheels of justice a shove when her overbearing sister is accused of murder.After tangling with killers (NO SUBSTITUTE FOR MURDER) and a deranged drug dealer (NO SUBSTITUTE FOR MONEY), substitute teacher Barbara Reed craves routine, relaxation, romance, and quality time with drug cop Dave Martin.Moving in together seems like the way to achieve that. But Dave’s teenage daughter is part of the package—a...

(If you enjoy this book, check out the sequels: NO SUBSTITUTE FOR MATURITY, NO SUBSTITUTE FOR MYTH, and NO SUBSTITUTE FOR MISTAKES, all featuring a sleuthing substitute teacher with a spoiled dog named Cheese Puff.)Substitute teacher Barbara Reed knows better than to say the word "perfect."Using the P-word is a sure way to jinx romance, finance, and circumstance.Despite a chronic shortage of funds, things are looking up for Barb after the events of NO SUBSTITUTE FOR...

This is the sixth novel in the Pitkirtly mystery series.What would you do if you thought you were about to lose everything you cared about most?Charlie Smith thought his career was more important to him than anything else. Amaryllis valued her freedom. Christopher valued his friends, especially Amaryllis. Neil Macrae, 'the pub landlord with no name', couldn't face the thought of losing his pub. There were others who couldn't bear to lose Neil Macrae.'The Queen of Scots...

Detective Inspector Mike Malone finds that he must keep all his wits about him when a very odd crime wave hits the litte Lincolnshire town that he has recently moved to for a bit of peace and quiet. With his trusty DS by his side, he wades through wool and blood to find the mastermind behind these dreadful acts.This is the first of a series of tongue-in-cheek crime mysteries.