The roots of the Moonlight Magnolia Detective Agency reach back to the 1980s in the little town of McGill, Georgia—where Stella Reid and her seven grandkids enjoy some spooky Halloween fun and stumble into murder . . . It doesn't take cash, just some good old-fashioned creativity, to turn a pillowcase into a ghost costume or a trashcan into a suit of armor. So even if she has to stick to a budget, Stella Reid always makes holidays like Halloween memorable for twelve-year-old Savannah and the rest of her grandchildren. After joining the other townspeople for trick-or-treating and the annual parade down Main Street, Granny Reid and the kids head to Judge Patterson's antebellum mansion, where a corn maze awaits. Most of the youngsters are too terrified to make it all the way to the middle. It's lucky for them, because when Savannah and Granny get there, it proves to be even scarier than they expected—half buried in the mud at the center of...

Stella "Granny" Reid's youth wasn't the only thing changed by time in tiny, nondescript McGill, Georgia. Except even back in the 1980s, the Southern town still had a way of attracting downright dubious characters—some with a talent for murder. As quirky as McGill's residents can be, they usually welcome society's oddballs and outcasts into the community with open arms. But the three members of the Lone White Wolf Pack are a different story. Townsfolk aren't feeling the least bit neighborly toward the ignorant gang widely believed to have orchestrated several hate crimes in the area . . . When the small group's irredeemable leader, Billy Ray Sonner, is found dead in an abandoned motel, most assume it was the result of an accidental overdose. An unfortunate yet predictable end for a man who lived the way Billy did. Only Stella and the sheriff have witnessed the crime scene in person, and the smell of cyanide means...

Although P.I. Savannah Reid always has a lot on her plate, she would drop just about anything for a friend in trouble. But when good intentions pull her into a toxic murder case, Savannah's days as San Carmelita's most full-figured detective might be running out . . . Savannah is shaken to the core when coroner Dr. Jennifer Liu appears on her doorstep late one night with a disturbing confession. In a potentially career-ruining move, a remorseful Dr. Liu admits to fudging an autopsy report to keep her friend Brianne's suicide a secret—fulfilling a final promise made before the terminally ill woman administered a lethal drug cocktail. But after Dr. Liu finds the same unique mixture in a second body, she fears the deaths share a dark connection . . . Apprehensive about concealing a felony, Savannah and the Moonlight Magnolia Detective Agency launch a discreet investigation into Brianne's rare condition and the deadly concoction linking the two...

Plus-sized PI Savannah Reid doesn't shy away from high-profile cases with the Moonlight Magnolia Detective Agency. But when an upscale party ends with murder, drawing clues from famous guests may prove trickier than squeezing into an old pair of jeans . . . For the first time in recent memory, Savannah has no guilt about indulging in personal interests before her career. Between being a mom to her new foster son and arranging a lavish wedding for her sister, things are messy, unpredictable, and delightfully fulfilling. She even gains an impressive friend: Dr. Carolyn Erling, a caring veterinarian with a deeper story than her down-to-earth nature suggests . . . When Savannah attends a birthday bash for Dr. Carolyn's husband, she's astonished to find that her no-frills acquaintance resides in a pristine hilltop mansion with Dr. Stephen Erling, a jet-setter brain surgeon boasting throngs of A-list patients around the globe. Before Savannah can get a...

PI Savannah Reid has delved into the ugly side of SoCal's celebrity culture more than once. But the Moonlight Magnolia Detective Agency may have bitten off more than they can chew when a Hollywood legend makes a deadly comeback . . . It will be a cold day in San Carmelita before Savannah skips over a high-profile homicide case, especially one attached to a tasty reward. But when 90-year-old former silver screen siren Lucinda Faraday is murdered inside her derelict mansion, serving justice comes with unsavory risks. The fallen star, considered one of the most beautiful women of her time, was found strangled by a pair of vintage stockings amid a hoard of garbage and priceless memorabilia. Now, Lucinda is making headlines again—and, like in the past, her name is connected with the worst kind of scandal . . . As a quest for answers reveals sleazy secrets about the victim's history, the Moonlight Magnolia Agency soon discover that corruption,...

For Stella "Granny" Reid, the 1980s in McGill, Georgia could be seriously predictable. Gossip would flow, her grandkids would stumble into the kind of harmless trouble only encountered when growing up, and a deadly mystery was all it took to make the tranquil Southern town unravel. With a new grandbaby to care for at home, Stella has little time to spare. Her hands are especially full since Savannah, her teenage granddaughter, developed a crush on a boy guaranteed to break her heart. Gallivanting around with her best pal Sheriff Manny Goldford simply isn't an option—until a freshly murdered body is discovered . . . Holding a criminal record unlike anyone's in McGill, Dexter Corbin was a man who wouldn't be missed at Sunday school or the darkest local tavern. But he never deserved to meet his end so soon—so violently. When a gravedigger finds Dexter sprawled across the steps of a crypt, Stella and Manny launch into action to investigate...

Sexy private detective Savannah Reid maybe built for comfort and not for speed, but she likes herself just fine as she is. So the only way she's likely to set foot in a health spa is over a dead body--someone else's--along with a hefty fee to sweeten the deal. The irresistible combination of murder and money brings Savannah to Royal Palms to investigate the death of spa owner and former cult-flick actress Kat Valentina. The medical examiner called it a fatal--but accidental--mixture of booze and a hot tub, but Savannah's anonymous client thinks otherwise. Savanah quickly learns there's no shortage of likely suspects from ex-lovers and would-be lovers, to employees and prior co-stars with unsavory pasts. As for Savannah and her sweet tooth, this may prove to be a costly case. For if the strict regimen of exercise and nasty spa cuisine doesn't kill her, there's a murderer close by who's prepared to finish the job. . .

The Barnes & Noble ReviewG. A. McKevett encourages readers to give in to temptation with this eighth serving of the Savannah Reid mystery series. A full-figured private eye, Savannah loves sweets and practically idolizes TV personality Lady Eleanor, the self-proclaimed "Queen of Chocolate." Lady Eleanor's cooking show and upscale confection shops are the height of elegance and self-indulgence -- two of Savannah's favorite things. At first, when she hears that Lady Eleanor has been receiving threatening letters, she's worried that a job protecting her idol will be too much of a good thing. The work will give her struggling Moonlight Magnolia Detective Agency a much-needed infusion of cash. As a bonus, Savannah hopes that sticking close to Lady Eleanor will also allow her to indulge her appetite for elegant chocolate treats and satisfy her curiosity about how these delightful delicacies are made. She can't imagine why anyone would want to harm Lady Eleanor, until she meets the real woman behind the carefully tailored image: an aging, overweight harridan who expects everyone to cater to her ever-more-eccentric whims. Sweet revenge seems the most likely motive when a particularly spectacular chocolate dessert turns deadly in Lady Eleanor's studio kitchen. It's up to Savannah to figure out which of her not-so-sweet employer's many enemies has decided the famous Death by Chocolate dessert should live up to its name. Sue Stone

PI Savannah Reid has delved into the ugly side of SoCal's celebrity culture more than once. But the Moonlight Magnolia Detective Agency may have bitten off more than they can chew when a Hollywood legend makes a deadly comeback . . . It will be a cold day in San Carmelita before Savannah skips over a high-profile homicide case, especially one attached to a tasty reward. But when 90-year-old former silver screen siren Lucinda Faraday is murdered inside her derelict mansion, serving justice comes with unsavory risks. The fallen star, considered one of the most beautiful women of her time, was found strangled by a pair of vintage stockings amid a hoard of garbage and priceless memorabilia. Now, Lucinda is making headlines again—and, like in the past, her name is connected with the worst kind of scandal . . . As a quest for answers reveals sleazy secrets about the victim's history, the Moonlight Magnolia Agency soon discover that corruption,...

Plus-sized P.I. Savannah Reid and her pals at the Moonlight Magnolia Detective Agency know a thing or two about fine dining. But when murder shows up on the menu, it's time to go back to the kitchen. . .When the Moonlight Magnolia gang learns their friends Ryan Stone and John Gibson are planning to open a chic new restaurant, they eagerly offer their input on everything from what dishes to serve to how many calories they should contain. But all Ryan and John can think about is how excited they are to have hired the temperamental but talented chef Baldwin Norwood. Too bad the only thing being sliced and diced in the kitchen is the chef himself. . .As Savannah turns her attention from munchies to murder, she quickly realizes the cantankerous chef left a bad taste in everyone's mouth, and any number of people could have whipped up a recipe for revenge. Could the jilted sous chef he stabbed in the back have done the same to him? Perhaps the loyal girlfriend he took...

What happens when too rich and too thin becomes too deadly? Voluptuous P.I. Savannah Reid is about to find out as she delves into the disappearance of a celebrity hanger-on that soon leads to something more sinister. As Halloween draws near, Savannah will have to learn a killer's deadly "tricks" before someone else is "treated" to murder...Halloween in Southern California just doesn't have the frosty bite Savannah's used to, although her latest job promises chills aplenty. The Skeleton Key Three, a celebutante clique so named by the media because of their super-skinny figures and fat trust funds, are in the spotlight again--but this time, it's for something more than partying. It seems the one member of the Three who was neither wealthy nor particularly svelte hasn't been heard from in days. The missing girl's name is Daisy O'Neil, and by all accounts, she had little in common with her so-called friends Tiffy, Kiki, and Bunny. Chubby, smart, and...

After a recent brush with death, plus-sized P.I. and bride-to-be Savannah Reid has decided to stop sweating the small stuff. But when an event planner comes in to arrange her wedding, Savannah discovers that murder can ruin even the best laid plans. . .Hailed as the wedding planner to the stars, Madeline Aberson has orchestrated some of the most exclusive soirees in Hollywood. But when Madeline becomes embroiled in a nasty divorce, her life falls apart, and rumors swirl that her parties have become total duds. Desperate for work, Madeline finds herself planning far less glamorous affairs, including none other than Savannah Reid's wedding to Dirk Coulter.It doesn't take long for the opinionated Madeline to get on Savannah's last nerve, and when the big day finally arrives, Savannah can't wait to send Madeline packing. But when the bride finds Madeline's body face down in the pool, floating among an elegant array of rose petals, it's clear that someone has already hastened...

Savannah Reid, the "full-figured" private detective who has wowed critics and readers alike in G.A. McKevett's acclaimed mysteries, is back with a vengeance. This time out, the former Dixie belle with the take-no-prisoners attitude is turning her voracious appetite toward a case that hits very close to the heart.Sugar And SpiteWhen Savannah Reid's only shot at romance for Valentine's Day includes a stakeout with her ex-partner, Dirk Coulter, things aren't exactly looking up in the hearts-and-flowers department. After pulling an all-nighter, Savannah wants nothing more than to cook up a plate of steamy grits and hash browns. But no sooner has she buttered the skillet when disaster arrives in the overdone, underdressed form of Polly Coulter, Dirk's ex-wife.Days later, the no-good, two-timing broad is found lying in a pool of blood in Dirk's doublewide trailer, shot through the chest with his service revolver. When Dirk is arrested for Polly's murder, Savannah goes to work to clear his name, and every lead points to trouble. All in all, this is one Valentine's Day that's shaping up to be a real massacre. . ."Romping good fun." --Booklist"McKevett's latest puts as much emphasis on food as it does on its exciting action." --Publishers WeeklyG.A. McKevett is the pseudonym of a well-known author. She is the author of four previous Savannah Reid mysteries, Just Desserts, Bitter Sweets, Killer Calories, and Cooked Goose. Her newest Savannah Reid mystery, Sour Grapes, is currently available in hardcover.

Blue-eyed and "big-boned" private detective Savannah Reid took the mystery scene by storm in Just Desserts, Bitter Sweets, and Killer Calories. Now the sexy, Southern-born heroine with the black belt in karate is back, keeping the streets of exclusive San Carmelita, California, safe while indulging both her passion for food and her appetite for solving crime. . . Cooked GooseIt's hard to get into the Christmas spirit when the Santa Ana winds are blowing at a balmy ninety degrees. It's also hard to live in a Baywatch world when you're an overly-voluptuous size 14. But Savannah Reid has never been one to believe that good things come only in small packages. Right now, the only present Savannah wants wrapped up is the one of a serial rapist who dresses as Santa. Thanks to his twisted brand of holiday visits, Savannah has a full-time job teaching self-defense to San Carmelita's terrified women. But the feisty detective is less than thrilled when Captain Bloss, her ex-boss from the San Carmelita PD--asks Savannah to be his daughter's personal bodyguard. It seems the rapist has turned vicious cop-killer, making the Captain and his daughter prime targets. With enough chaos swirling around to make Tiny Tim grouchy, Savannah looks over her list of suspects to figure out just who's been naughty. From the ex-con cop killer just released on parole to the bookie with more than a few debts to collect, Savannah considers them all, plus a few others, while she tries to keep danger from dropping down her chimney, and bringing a killer home for the holidays. . .Amazon.com ReviewSavannah Reid is a large woman--with appetites, emotions, and attitudes to match. She loves to cook, eat, fight, and catch criminals. In G.A. McKevett's fourth book about her, Reid is working as a private investigator after being fired from the police force in the fictional California seaside town of San Carmelita. She's hired by a shopping mall to catch the "Santa Rapist," a man wearing a fake white beard who has attacked several women in the mall's parking lot. The first suspect who she disables with a hard kick to the Christmas ornaments turns out to be a legitimate store Santa helping out one of Reid's associates. The investigation goes downhill from there.Margie Bloss, the teenaged daughter of the obnoxious police chief who fired Reid, is a student in a self-defense class that Savannah teaches. When Margie is herself attacked and some of the town's cops begin to die, the focus of Reid's investigation switches to someone involved in law enforcement. The solution is no big surprise, but Reid herself is a colorful enough character to carry us along--especially when she adds tasty recipes to her bag of tricks. Other Reid stories in paperback include Just Desserts and Killer Calories. --Dick AdlerFrom Publishers WeeklyIt's hard not to like Savannah Reid, a large woman with appetites, emotions and attitudes to match. The pseudonymous McKevett's fourth book about Savannah (after Killer Calories) raises some serious issues about the crime of rape and its victims?but the mix of this theme with Savannah's winsome character and the recipes included at the back of the book is uneasy. Savannah, working as a PI after being fired from the police force in the fictional California seaside town of San Carmelita, is hired by a shopping mall to catch the "Santa Rapist," a man wearing a fake white beard who has attacked six women in the mall's parking lot. The first man she disables with a hard kick to the ornaments turns out to be a legitimate store Santa, and the investigation goes downhill from there. Margie Bloss, the teenaged daughter of the odious police chief who fired Savannah, is a student in a self-defense class that Savannah teaches; when Margie is herself attacked and some of the town's cops begin to die, the identity of the rapist/killer becomes so obvious that readers may lose interest in a hurry. McKevitt has done better before and, hopefully, will again. Author tour. Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.