Böcker av Joan Livingston

A case for the books ... As Isabel Long has discovered, a case can come from unexpected people and situations. This time, it's at a poetry reading, where she is approached by Cyrus Nilsson. Once a suspect in a previous case, the noted poet wants her to investigate the shooting of his first literary agent. Gerald Danielson was found shot in the head at his home in Meadows Falls. He survived but isn't the same successful agent who moved there from New York City. The police ruled it an attempted suicide, but Cyrus has his doubts. Certainly there are people, including a vindictive ex-wife, a jilted local writer, and even an apparently devoted sister, who might have motive. It doesn't take much to convince Isabel to take on this case. Afterall, her mother, Maria, who is her 'Watson, ' says it's boring without one. As a journalist, Isabel Long never missed a deadline. She does the same as a P.I. although in this case, the term means something entirely different.

An old mystery deserves a new approach...Isabel Long moves quickly onto the next case when a former boss entrusts her with a mystery that has haunted him since his childhood.Lin Pierce, then only eleven, was supposed to be minding his little sister while their mother gave a piano lesson inside their home. But the sleeping baby was stolen from her carriage after he'd been lured away in a well-executed kidnapping that devastated the family.Forty-nine years later, Lin is convinced he met his long-lost sister by chance. After all, the woman not only resembled his mother but she had a distinctive family trait - different colored eyes.As Isabel works her sixth case, she believes the student who took the piano lesson that day, later a well-known musician, is key to solving it. But meeting him in person proves to be nearly impossible.As she did when she was a journalist, Isabel uses her resources - including her mother, Maria - to follow that lead until the end.

Bad blood between two men, and that feud's ultimate climax...Frank Hooker owns The Sacred Dog, the only bar in a New England hill town, where the locals gather to drink beer, gab, and get away from their families. The only one not welcome is Al Kitchen, but Frank has his reason - he blames him for the death of his younger brother, Wes. Al Kitchen is a hellraiser; no surprise considering the grandfather who raised him was a drunk and an abuser. Yes, Al was in the car crash that killed his best buddy, Wes, but he wasn't at the wheel - a fact Frank won't accept. Frank's life is about to change now that his ex-wife and their daughter have returned after living in Florida for three years. Verona says she misses her old life, although coming back might mean facing a dark secret that involves Frank - and Al. All is about to come to a reckoning...

Her next case. She's in it for good. Just months after solving her first case, Isabel Long is in a funk. Her relationship with the Rooster Bar's owner is over. Then the cops insist she must work for a licensed P.I. before going solo. Encouraged by her 'Watson' - her 92-year-old mother - Isabel snaps out of it by hooking up with a P.I. and finding a new case. But it's not at all clear-cut. The official ruling is Chet Waters, an ornery so-and-so, was passed out when his house caught fire. His daughter, who inherited his junkyard, believes he was murdered. Topping the list of suspects are dangerous drug-dealing brothers, a rival junkyard owner, and an ex-husband. Could Waters' death simply be a case of redneck's revenge? Isabel is about to find out. REDNECK'S REVENGE IS #2 IN THE ISABEL LONG MYSTERY SERIES. Also in the series: Chasing the Case

Forget about genies who are fiery spirits or live in lamps. The Twin Jinn at Happy Jack's Carnival of Mysteries is a story that will make readers believe they are real. Jute and Fina Jinn, brother and sister, and their parents are enchanted beings who seek refuge at a traveling carnival after escaping their cruel master. While in hiding, the twins must pretend to be 11-year-old humans, but mischievous and curious, they sometimes get carried away. Who could blame them? The twins have the power to fly, be invisible, and use spells. Thankfully, they have an outlet as carnival kids assisting their parents in a magic act and making friends with their fellow performers, including a shy boy. Still, amid the fun, there is danger for the Jinn family because their former master, a man with evil intentions, is desperate to get them back, and having a magic act that turns out to be a huge hit could be their undoing.

Cousins Diego and Sofia go on magical adventures with their Grandpa Roberto. This time they catch a talking fish, which grants them a wish after they let it go. In the end, the cousins and their grandfather choose the wisest wish. Los Primos Diego y Sofía se embarcan en aventuras mágicas con Abuelo Roberto. En esta ocasión atrapan a un pez parlante, que les concede un deseo cuando lo dejan irse. Al final, los primos y el abuelo escogen el más sabio de los deseos.

First a three-day bash at a college hippie pad... then maybe adulthood. Peace, Love, and You Know What is a comedy framed by the Vietnam War and Watergate.

Edie St. Claire is smack in the middle of what's going on in Conwell: her in-laws' general store, the Do-Si-Do Bar, and this small town's biggest scandal in years. Her father is a crusty so-and-so who runs the town dump. Her wisecracking aunt is as fiery as her dyed red hair.Both live next to Edie and her young daughter on this dead-end dirt road. Edie is a woman on the go, pretty and direct, but she holds onto an old sadness: the death of her husband in Vietnam.She tries to ease her grief with his married brother, Walker.But when the affair comes to a tragic end, Edie does her best to survive the blame with the help of her rough-sawn family and a badly scarred man who has arrived for his fresh start.