Julie Hyzy, the New York Times bestselling author of the White House Chef Mysteries and the Manor House Mystery series, brings together nine of her most popular short stories, re-released in this new collection. From subtle to edgy, from gentle to terrifying, these fast-paced stories explore the spectrum of suspense.Included in this collection:These Boots Were Made for MurderStrictly BusinessEvenings for VyletteTravelogueSanctimonyCriminal IntentPanicWhat's RealDissident

As curator and manager of the Marshfield Manor Grace Wheaton is delighted to be part of the estate's magnificent history, but no one told her solving murder was in her job description...When Grace's former professor calls to warn her that there have been a rash of thefts at various historical sites, Grace isn't surprised—because Marshfield Manor has been targeted, too. She wonders if it has something to do with the film crew roaming the grounds, digitally immortalizing the manor, but then she gets distracted by an incident much more dire: the shooting of one guest and the murder of another.Grace does her best not to go looking for trouble, but with a murderer on the loose, she can't seem to leave the dirty work to the cops—especially since the killer still seems to be lurking around town, waiting to finish the job of making Grace history...

First in the Alex St. James Mystery series. Chicago news researcher Alex St. James is preparing to interview a young Polish immigrant - pregnant by a Catholic priest - when the woman is found murdered. Alex investigates, making enemies of powerful people in the Chicago Archdiocese. Unless she backs away from the story, the next thing Alex might hear are her own Last Rites

Second in the Alex St. James series. Reeling from public humiliation by a former lover, Alex St. James comes home to find that her neighbor has been murdered. Drawn into the investigation, Alex uncovers a shocking secret buried long ago. Determined to untangle the web of duplicity spun by those around her, Alex must face down the killer, a formidable foe with a Deadly Interest in her future.

The New York Times bestselling author of the Manor House Mysteries and the White House Chef Mysteries is back with another nail-biting murder mystery for curator Grace Wheaton. Grace Wheaton, curator and manager of Marshfield Manor, and her benefactor, Bennett Marshfield, are discussing how to help her roommates Bruce and Scott with their wine shop troubles when Grace's trusted—if testy—assistant, Frances, calls, saying she needs some assistance of her own. Arriving at the address Frances has given them, they find a coroner's van and police cars parked outside an upscale assisted-living facility called Indwell. One of the elderly residents has been found dead under suspicious circumstances, and Frances, seen arguing with the man earlier that day, is now a person of interest. It's up to Grace to clear her assistant's name and find the real killer—before another Indwell resident checks out early...From the Paperback edition.

White House executive chef Ollie Paras has to put her own interests on the back burner when a kindly electrician is electrocuted to death, and the First Lady's nephew dies in an apparent suicide less than 24 hours after cleaning shrimp with Ollie. Ollie suspects something fishy is going on. She'll have to watch her back – and find a killer unlikely to be pardoned.

The New York Times bestselling author of the Manor House Mysteries and the White House Chef Mysteries shows how a blast from the past can spell trouble for Grace Wheaton...When Grace's estranged sister Liza shows up on her doorstep, the timing couldn't be worse. Grace's beloved boss and benefactor, Bennett Marshfield, has finally gotten her to agree to a DNA test to establish if he is, in fact, her uncle. If so, Grace would move from being the trusted curator and manager of Marshfield Manor to Bennett's heir. And her duplicitous sister would be right behind her in the line of inheritance.Liza is not the only mysterious visitor to arrive in town. A man claiming to be an FBI agent has shown up, and a swarm of avaricious antique collectors have descended on Emberstowne for a prestigious convention. When Bennett reveals he's in mind to acquire a secret antique and the FBI agent turns up dead, the plot thickens. And Grace can't help but wonder if Liza is at the...

Set in Chicago, Hyzy's smooth, well-paced debut features a vulnerable but resilient heroine, among other credible and diverting characters. Newly embarked on her career as a muralist, Annie Callaghan is dismayed to discover that she's pregnant, having been seduced by her soon-to-be-exhusband, Gary Randall. A charming cad, Gary gets Annie to bail him out of jail and soon moves back in with her. Meanwhile, Annie has agreed to paint a wall at Millie's Ice Cream Parlour, an old-fashioned soda fountain, for the attractive new owner, Sam Morgan, who proves to be a most sympathetic friend as well as employer. When a breezy customer of Millie's, Gina DeChristopher, hires Annie to paint a playroom for her sons in her elegant house, Gina even offers the professional services of her husband, an intimidating lawyer with a substantial art collection. The tension builds with the theft of a Dürer drawing worth $10 million on its way to the Chicago Art Institute, a kidnapping and a murder whose chief suspect is Annie herself.

"Hyzy's research into the backstage kitchen secrets of the White House gives this series a special savor that will make you hungry for more." – Susan Wittig Albert *** Chef Olivia Paras has too many eggs in one basket-and is feeling like a basket-case… When NSA big shot Carl Minkus dies right after eating the dinner Olivia Paras's staff had prepared, all forks point to them. Now the Secret Service is picking apart the kitchen-and scrutinizing the staff's every move. The timing couldn't be worse with the White House Lawn Easter Egg Roll to prep for without access to a kitchen. Olivia must find the real culprit-before she cracks under pressure.