Beloved heroine Jane Lawless finds that some secrets don't stay buried forever in Mystery Writers of America Grandmaster Ellen Hart's In a Midnight Wood, the 27th mystery in this cultishly popular series.Minnesota private investigator Jane Lawless is headed to the small town of Castle Rock for a little getaway. She and Cordelia plan to visit an old friend, participate in an arts festival, and look into a cold case that has recently come on Jane's radar—thanks to a podcast Jane is now involved in which looks into Minnesota cold cases. In Castle Rock, a high school senior named Sam went missing in 1999. Everyone thought he ran away, though the town rumor mill has always claimed the father killed him. In present day, within a week of his 20th high school reunion, Sam's remains are found. People who knew Sam, and those around him, will be in town for the much anticipated reunion. It's up to Jane to sort friend from foe, before it's too late.

**RECIPE FOR MURDER As Minnesota housewives race to meet the deadline for the Times Register?s meat loaf contest, an unsavory small-towner named Kirby Runbeck is blown to smithereens by a car bomb. Days later, the town?s former mayor, John Washburn, near death from a stroke, confesses to the killing. His wife and two children vehemently deny it, but when Sophie Greenway, food maven and friend of the family, happens upon an old snapshot, a bundle of letters, and a tattoo of a red-eyed snake, she wonders about Washburn?s innocence. Unlike the recipe for a prize meat loaf, this murder is seasoned with spicy secrets and a generous portion of scandal, which Sophie dares to bring to a roiling boil. . . .**ReviewPraise for Ellen Hart and her Sophie Greenway mysteries SLICE AND DICE"Mouth-watering . . . A smorgasbord of devilment."--Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazine "The pace quickly bubbles from simmer to boil. . . . The complexity of Hart's novel is admirable."--Publishers Weekly THIS LITTLE PIGGY WENT TO MURDER"Strong characters and a rich Lake Superior setting make this solidly constructed mystery hard to put down. Another winner for Ellen Hart!"--M. D. Lake FOR EVERY EVIL"Another splendid specimen of the classical mystery story, nicely updated and full of interesting and believable characters."--The Purloined Letter "A dilly . . . A fair-play plot and contemporary characters that leap off the page . . . Stir in Martha Grimes with P. D. James and add a dash of Christie and Amanda Cross and you begin to get the idea: a cozy with a brain."--Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazine Praise for Ellen Hart and her Jane Lawless series HALLOWED MURDER"Hart's crisp, elegant writing and atmosphere [are] reminiscent of the British detective style, but she has a nicer sense of character, confrontation, and sparsely utilized violence. . . . Hallowed Murder is as valuable for its mainstream influences as for its sexual politics."--Mystery Scene VITAL LIES"This compelling whodunit has the psychological maze of a Barbara Vine mystery and the feel of Agatha Christie. . . . Hart keeps even the most seasoned mystery buff baffled until the end."--Publishers Weekly STAGE FRIGHT"Hart deftly turns the spotlight on the dusty secrets and shadowy souls of a prominent theater family. The resulting mystery is worthy of a standing ovation."--Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazine A KILLING CURE"A real treat . . . Secret passageways, a coded ledger, a mysterious group known only as the Chamber, experimental drugs, blackmail, sexual assault, betrayal: all the ingredients of a good whodunit."--Lambda Book Report A SMALL SACRIFICE"A smart and shocking thriller."--The Minnesota Daily FAINT PRAISE"Packed with mystery and scheming characters, Faint Praise is one of the year's best. It's no wonder Ellen Hart is everyone's favorite author."--R. D. ZimmermanFrom the Inside FlapRECIPE FOR MURDER**As Minnesota housewives race to meet the deadline for the Times Register?s meat loaf contest, an unsavory small-towner named Kirby Runbeck is blown to smithereens by a car bomb.Days later, the town?s former mayor, John Washburn, near death from a stroke, confesses to the killing. His wife and two children vehemently deny it, but when Sophie Greenway, food maven and friend of the family, happens upon an old snapshot, a bundle of letters, and a tattoo of a red-eyed snake, she wonders about Washburn?s innocence. Unlike the recipe for a prize meat loaf, this murder is seasoned with spicy secrets and a generous portion of scandal, which Sophie dares to bring to a roiling boil. . . .

MURDER A LA CARTEIf all goes according to plan, Connie Buckridge's culinary empire will soon boast a state-of-the-art cooking academy and restaurant in her home town of Minneapolis-St. Paul. Unfortunately, just when the kitchen queen and her bickering entourage hit town on a publicity tour, so does a bestselling investigative writer who is hot on her scandalous trail.Primed by an anonymous e-mail informer, Marie Damontraville is preparing to cook Connie's goose with a major expose of her strategies for success. The one missing ingredient in this unsavory stew is murder, and when food critic Sophie Greenway finds a cooking colleague stabbed with his own kitchen knife, a fire that has been smoldering for forty years suddenly bursts into flame. . . .SPECIAL AUTHOR INTERVIEW INSIDE

Renowned theater director Cordelia Thorn and her sister Octavia, a world-famous actress, are working together to restore a historic theater in downtown Minneapolis. The sisters have a vision for the playhouse’s future, but the more they learn about the building, the more fascinated they become by its past. Nicknamed “The Old Deep and Dark” because of the Prohibition-era double murder that occurred in the basement—then a speakeasy—there are a wealth of secrets hidden inside its walls. And, to her shock and horror, Cordelia discovers that there is also one present-day body literally buried in a basement wall. Cordelia immediately calls on her best friend, P.I. Jane Lawless. Although Jane is already in the thick of another investigation—a well-known country-western singer’s family member has been murdered—she agrees to help Cordelia out on the side. But show-biz is a small world, and as Jane starts tracing...

Elegant Maxfield Plaza Hotel, in downtown St. Paul, is packed to the rafters with the power brokers of the charismatic Church of the Firstborn--and a national convention of the Daughters of Sisyphus.Between the two gatherings, five old college roommates are reunited: food critic Sophie Greenway, now owner of the hotel; Adelle, who married into the founding family of the Firstborns; Lavinia, mastermind of the Daughters; and Bunny and Cindy, Lavinia's top aides. But when a murderer terminates one of the gang, Sophie senses that not everyone is devastated by the loss.As Sophie delicately probes the private affairs of her hotel's star guests, she recalls another death--of a young woman who had been the group's sixth roommate. The buried secrets of that long-ago death are exhumed as a clandestine killer once again commits the oldest sin. . . . From Publishers WeeklyThis third mystery featuring food critic Sophie Greenway is disappointing after stronger titles like This Little Piggy Went to Murder. Although both the amusing opening poem and the closing recipes point to gluttony as the oldest sin, the focus is really on the power-hungry Church of the Firstborn. Maybe Hart is too close to her subject (her dedication is in part for "all those long-ago friends who survived their membership in the Worldwide Church of God"), but she loses track of the requirements of the genre. The plot is convoluted, the characters hastily sketched and the solution to the "mystery" is unfortunately obvious early on. Hart has done, and no doubt will do, better. Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc. From the PublisherEllen Hart's food critic Sophie Greenway is a kick. I love mysteries and I love to cook. Thank God this gifted author had the sense to incorporate two fun themes. Anybody who enjoys Diane Mott Davidson's mysteries will love Ellen Hart and her delicious heroine. --Nanci Andersen

DOUBLE MURDER, ON THE HOUSE Far from being the idyllic home Carl Veelund envisioned when he built the grand mansion years ago, Prairie Lodge has become the keeper of many dark and terrible secrets. Now family members are dropping like flies: Two women are dead—and truths long hidden are about to be brought to light. When restaurant reviewer-cum-sleuth Sophie Greenway stumbles upon an old diary, she has no idea it will toss her like a salad into the center of the tragedies unfolding at Prairie Lodge. It appears that being a dear friend to Carl’s daughter, Elaine, has become dangerous. For in a recipe that calls for murder, deceit, sibling rivalry, and old grudges that die hard, Sophie finds herself the main ingredient. . . .From Publishers WeeklyMuch more than silver is tarnished in the finale of Hart's intriguing concoction featuring hotelier-cum-restaurant critic-cum-amateur sleuth Sophie Greenway. Sophie has long been friends with Elaine Veelund, who operates the most successful division of her family's Minnesota-based corporation, so when the Veelund family's foundations begin to crumble, Sophie offers her help. In less than 24 hours, Elaine's brother is shot at, her suicidal daughter disappears and her widowed mother, Mad Dog Millie, dies of an insulin overdose. Earlier, Millie had announced her decision to sell Veelund Industries, which gave her family cause for concern as well as motive for murder. Now the family's reputation is on the line as the investigation brings past secrets to light. Meanwhile, Sophie discovers her mother's diary in a locked box, and Hart (Dial M for Meat Loaf, etc.) cleverly serves bits of it as events unfold, keeping readers guessing about its connection to the current goings-on. A surprise denouement and an elaborate recipe for Chez Sophia's Torta Milano round out this surprisingly rich confection and will leave readers craving Hart's next course. Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc. Review*“Hart is a master of juggling all of her complicated plots and subplots with twists that keep her reader in a constant state of suspense.”—Lambda Book Report *Look for these exciting mysteries featuring Sophie Greenway . . . **THIS LITTLE PIGGY WENT TO MURDERFOR EVERY EVILTHE OLDEST SINMURDER IN THE AIRSLICE AND DICEDIAL M FOR MEAT LOAF **And don’t miss Ellen Hart’s thrilling Jane Lawless mysteries . . . **HALLOWED MURDERVITAL LIESSTAGE FRIGHTA KILLING CUREA SMALL SACRIFICEFAINT PRAISEROBBER’S WINE **Praise for Ellen Hartand her Sophie Greenway mysteries DIAL M FOR MEAT LOAF*“This is a hearty, satisfying meal of a mystery, with chunks of good characters and more than a dash of wit.”—Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazine *SLICE AND DICE“The pace quickly bubbles from simmer to boil. . . . The complexity of Hart’s novel is admirable.”—*Publishers Weekly *THIS LITTLE PIGGY WENT TO MURDER“Strong characters and a rich Lake Superior setting make this solidly constructed mystery hard to put down. Another winner for Ellen Hart!”—M. D. LAKE FOR EVERY EVIL “Another splendid specimen of the classical mystery story, nicely updated and full of interesting and believable characters.”—The Purloined Letter

When powerful Minneapolis art critic Hale Micklenberg is murdered, there aren't too many mourners. A master of the bad review, Micklenberg was bad news for a lot of people.Food critic Sophie Greenway is nonetheless troubled to learn that her college-student son could be involved in the murder. But so could a host of others -- including Hale Micklenberg's artworld colleagues, various so-called friends, and the not-so-bereaved widow. Review"A Fair-Play Plot and contemporary characters that leap off the page. Stir in Martha Grimes with P.D. James and add a dash of Christie and Amanda Cross, and you begin to get the idea: a cozy with a brain." -- Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazine "Another Splendid Specimen of the classical mystery story, nicely updated and full of interesting and believable characters." -- The Purloined Letter From the PublisherIf you've read an Ellen Hart mystery, aside from a murder or two, you know to expect descriptions of mouth-watering food. I can't read one of her books without frequently feeling hungry (note: dieters beware!). FOR EVERY EVIL is the second of a new series starring Sophie Greenway, amateur sleuth and food critic for the Minneapolis Times-Register, and her husband Bram Baldric, local radio talk show host and Cary Grant lookalike. Prepare to be charmed. Readers will discover a lot of smart humor, a well-crafted crime, scandalous secrets, and someone unhesitant to kill again if it will keep buried some long-ago crimes. --Patrick Price, Senior Publicist

Mystery Writers of America Grandmaster Ellen Hart's intimate storytelling returns in Twisted at the Root, where Hart's latest mystery shows the importance of finding the truth.Everyone thought Rashad May and Gideon Wise were happily married. That is, until Rashad was convicted of his husband's murder.Four years later, Rashad's brother contacts Ray Lawless – Minnesota private investigator Jane Lawless's father and the original defense attorney on the case – with potential evidence of a wrongful conviction. When the case is reopened, Jane and her father must work together to attain justice for a grieving widower.Who actually killed Gideon and why? There are suspects and motives galore, and Jane must discover the truth. She must also track down her missing brother, Peter, who was involved in the original trial, and who might be hiding secrets of his own.

It's election year in Minnesota, and Jack Grendel is running hard for the U.S. Senate. But a pair of grotesque murders threatens to derail his campaign. One is the bizarre hanging of a consultant for Grendel Shipping. The other is the shooting of Jack's own father soon after he withdraws financial support from his son's campaign. When food critic Sophie Greenway, a family friend, starts snooping, it begins to look like one of her oldest friends is a killer. But will she discover which one before it's her turn to die?From Publishers WeeklyHart, whose previous mysteries starred restaurateur Jane Lawless (Stage Fright), introduces a new heroine, food critic and amateur sleuth Sophie Greenway. Don't expect much in the way of recipes, restaurants or food, however, since the job serves mainly as an excuse for Sophie's presence on the scene. When an old friend, Amanda Jorensen, remodels her family restaurant, Sophie travels to Duluth, Minn., with her husband, Bram, to cover the grand reopening. The day before, a man has been found hanging from Duluth's Aerial Lift Bridge, and Amanda's father is shot to death soon afterward. A few days later, a third person is poisoned at a Labor Day fund-raiser for Amanda's politician brother. The killer leaves behind verses from the nursery rhyme "This Little Piggy Went to Market," and it soon becomes obvious that the murderer must be a member of Amanda's family. Though Hart has given her characters distinct and detailed backgrounds, they never quite come alive, and a point-of-view switch whenever the killer is about to strike is annoying. The reason behind the nursery rhyme, other than to provide a catchy title for the book, is also never fully explained. Still, there are some good, nail-bitingly tense scenes and lots of red herrings, and Hart manages to resolve things nicely. Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc. From the Inside FlapIt's election year in Minnesota, and Jack Grendel is running hard for the U.S. Senate. But a pair of grotesque murders threatens to derail his campaign. One is the bizarre hanging of a consultant for Grendel Shipping. The other is the shooting of Jack's own father soon after he withdraws financial support from his son's campaign. When food critic Sophie Greenway, a family friend, starts snooping, it begins to look like one of her oldest friends is a killer. But will she discover which one before it's her turn to die?

Fans of Jane Lawless new and old will be fascinated by newly minted MWA Grandmaster Ellen Hart's latest intricate puzzle in Whisper of Bones. Britt Ickles doesn't remember much from her only visit to her mother's childhood home when she was a kid, except for playing with her cousin Timmy and the eruption of a sudden family feud. That's why, when she drops by unannounced after years of silence, she's shocked when her aunts tell her Timmy never existed, that she must be confusing him with someone else. But Britt can't shake the feeling that Timmy did exist...and that something horrible has happened to him. Something her aunts want to cover up.Britt hires Jane Lawless, hoping the private investigator can figure out what really happened to her cousin. When a fire in the family's garage leads to the discovery of buried bones and one of the aunts dies suddenly and suspiciously, Jane can't help but be pulled into the case. Do the bones belong to Timmy? Was the aunt's...

A KILLER WAS FULLY COMMITTED Twin Cities businessman Ken Loy is the first to die; shot between the eyes during a sunset bike ride. Half an hour later, Bob Fabian, the rich and handsome owner of the Minneapolis Times Register, meets a similar fate. It was a year ago when Loy broadsided the VW Beetle driven by Fabian’s wife, Valerie, killing her instantly. Coincidence? Sleuthing food critic Sophie Greenway doesn’t buy it. Indeed, the elegant Rookery Club, where the upper crust gathers to drink, dine, and gossip, is already simmering with rumors–about the murders, about a Times Register reporter’s shameless fabrication of news stories, about rifts in two high-profile relationships. So when Sophie turns up the heat, the lethal bouillabaisse of twisted love, sadistic rage, and insatiable greed boils over. It seems that poisonous concoction murder du jour is back on the menu. . . .**Review“Hart is a master of juggling all of her complicated plots and subplots with twists that keep her reader in a constant state of suspense.”–Lambda Book Report About the AuthorELLEN HART’s other novels include This Little Piggy Went to Murder, For Every Evil, The Oldest Sin, Murder in the Air, Slice and Dice, Dial M for Meat Loaf, and Death on a Silver Platter; and the Jane Lawless mysteries, which were launched with Hallowed Murder. A two-time winner of the Minnesota Book Award for Best Mystery/Detective Fiction and a four-time winner of the Lambda Book Award, Ms. Hart is like her fictional heroine Sophie Greenway in two respects: both have had food-related careers (the author was a chef for twelve years) and both have college degrees in fundamentalist Christian theology. She lives in Minneapolis.

DeAndre Moore came to Minneapolis from St. Louis with a purpose, but things aren’t going as he planned. When it becomes clear he’s in way over his head, DeAndre can think of only one person to call for help—his Uncle Nolan’s business partner, newly licensed private investigator Jane Lawless. However, by the time Jane listens to his voice mail, she’s hearing a voice from beyond the grave—DeAndre left the message only minutes before he was knifed to death outside a gentlemen’s club. Soon his murder isn’t the only one.With Nolan in the hospital, Jane sets out to find out who killed DeAndre, how his death is connected with the others, and what he was doing in Minneapolis in the first place.Rest for the Wicked is another outstanding addition to Ellen Hart’s award-winning mystery series.