The first in a brand-new series from New York Times bestselling author Sheila Connolly! Katherine Hamilton’s goal in high school was to escape from her dead-end hometown of Asheboro, Maryland. Fifteen years later she’s got a degree in hospitality management and a great job at a high-end boutique hotel in Baltimore. Until, that is, the hotel is acquired by a chain, and she’s laid off. When Kate’s high school best friend calls with a mysterious invitation to come talk with the town leaders of Asheboro, she agrees to make the trip, curious about where this new opportunity might lead. Once Kate arrives, the town council members reveal that their town is on the verge of going bankrupt, and they’ve decided that Kate’s skills and knowledge make her the perfect person to cure all their ills. The town has used its last available funds to buy the huge Victorian mansion just outside of town, hoping to use it to attract some of the tourists who travel to visit the nearby Civil War battle sites. Kate has less-than-fond memories of the mansion, for personal reasons, but to make matters worse, the only person who has presented a possible alternate plan is Cordelia Walker—Kate’s high school nemesis. But a few days later, while touring the mansion, Kate stumbles over a body—and it’s none other than Cordelia. Kate finds herself juggling the murder investigation and her growing fascination with the old house, which itself is full of long-hidden mysteries. Kate must clear her name and save her town—before she ends up in hot water. **Review "Fascinating read...The prolific Connelly kicks off a new series that skillfully combines history, romance, and mystery."― Kirkus "Amiable...cozy fans will enjoy Connolly's characteristically warm treatment of small-town life."― Publishers Weekly "Connolly's accomplished series launch avoids the tired tropes found in many cozy debuts, incorporating humor, a realistic setting, and well-developed, appealing characters. Fans of the author's "Museum Mysteries" will welcome the guest appearance of series protagonist Nell Pratt."― Library Journal "Readers who like inheritance drama will enjoy this diverting story."― BookPage "Exceeded my expectations. It blew me away. I will definitely be picking up the next one."―Night Owl Reviews "I fell into this novel head over heels. The author's description of the mansion is sheer bliss to read of, and a murder to go with it is always appreciated by a mystery fan. Don't miss this one."―BookLoons "A good, fast-paced read that's perfect for a plane ride. Warning: once you start reading Connolly's books, you can't put them down."― IrishAmerica Magazine About the Author SHEILA CONNOLLY has published over thirty mysteries, including several New York Times bestsellers. Her series include the Orchard Mysteries, the Museum Mysteries, The County Cork Mysteries, and the Victorian Village Mysteries. She is a member of the Daughters of the American Revolution and the Society of Mayflower Descendants, and owns a cottage in West Cork. She lives in a too-big Victorian in southeastern Massachusetts with her husband and three cats.

The New York Times bestselling author of An Early Wake returns to Ireland where Sullivan's Pub owner Maura Donovan gets mixed up with smugglers.After calling Ireland home for six months, Boston expat Maura Donovan still has a lot to learn about Irish ways—and Sullivan's Pub is her classroom. Maura didn't only inherit a business, she inherited a tight-knit community. And when a tragedy strikes, it's the talk of the pub. A local farmer, out for a stroll on the beach with his young son, has mysteriously disappeared. Did he drown? Kill himself? The child can say only that he saw a boat. Everyone from the local gardai to the Coast Guard is scouring the Cork coast, but when a body is finally brought ashore, it's the wrong man. An accidental drowning or something more sinister? Trusting the words of the boy and listening to the suspicions of her employee Mick that the missing farmer might have run afoul of smugglers, Maura decides to investigate the...

The New York Times bestselling author of Dead End Street returns with Nell Pratt discovering one of Philadelphia’s darker buried secrets . . . When a summer intern at the Preservation Society discovers an aged document hidden in the binding of an antique book, Society president Nell Pratt is intrigued by the possibilities: is it a valuable historic document or just a useless scrap of paper? When analysis reveals that it’s a hand-drawn map of one of Philadelphia’s oldest neighborhoods, Nell learns that the area is being excavated for a new real estate development and may hold long-buried secrets from the city’s historic heyday. Determined to get to the bottom of the map’s origin and what it might tell her about the mysterious plot of land, Nell will have to contend with a construction company owner who disappears, a former Society board member who’s harbored a dark secret her entire life, and a remarkable discovery that may have the dead turning over in their graves . . . Praise for the Museum Mysteries: “[The] archival milieu and the foibles of the characters are intriguing, and it’s refreshing to encounter an FBI man who is human, competent, and essential to the plot.” —Publishers Weekly “She’s smart, she’s savvy, and she’s sharp enough to spot what really goes on behind the scenes in museum politics.” —Mary Jane Maffini, author of the Charlotte Adams Mysteries“ National Treasure meets The Philadelphia Story in this clever, charming, and sophisticated caper.” —Hank Phillippi Ryan, award-winning author of The Other Woman About the Author: Sheila Connolly is an Anthony and Agatha Award–nominated author of numerous bestselling cozy mystery series, including the Orchard Mysteries, the Museum Mysteries, the County Cork Mysteries, the Relatively Dead Mysteries, and the Victorian Village Mysteries. In addition, she has published Once She Knew, a romantic suspense; Reunion with Death, a traditional mystery set in Tuscany; and a number of short stories. She lives in Massachusetts with her husband and three cats and travels to Ireland as often as possible. **

The second book in the Victorian Village Mystery series from New York Times bestselling author Sheila Connolly! Kate Hamilton's plans for recreating Asheboro, Maryland as a Victorian village and tourist attraction are progressing nicely, and most of the townspeople have become supporters. There's only one problem: money. Kate had laid out what she thought was a reasonable plan, and had built in a financial cushion in her estimates, but the over-runs had exceeded everybody's expectations, and the town coffers are empty, while the opening date looms closer and closer. But Kate and her ally, historian Joshua Wainright, may have come up with a solution. The centerpiece Barton mansion outside of town has proven to be a veritable goldmine of documents about the town's nineteenth-century history, and the Clara Barton correspondence and documents they had first discovered in the house will be the centerpiece of the first exhibit at the...

The New York Times bestselling author of Privy to the Dead returns to Philadelphia for more history—and a chilling mystery . . . When the Pennsylvania Antiquarian Society discovers it owns some unique real estate, a deadly plot unfolds . . . Society president Nell Pratt believes life is finally going her way. Everything’s running smoothly at work, and her love life is thriving. Then some unexpected news rocks her foundation. Two members of a local neighborhood rescue program, Tyrone Blakeney and Cherisse Chapman, inform Nell that her society owns an abandoned row house in a rundown area of Philadelphia and they insist on taking her to see the property before its date with the wrecking ball. But soon after they arrive at the house, Cherisse is fatally shot and Tyrone is badly injured. The police believe it’s just random violence in a bad neighborhood, but Nell thinks there’s more to it and is determined to find answers before someone else becomes history . . . **Review Praise for New York Times bestselling author Sheila Connolly’s Museum Mysteries   “A witty, engaging blend of history and mystery with a smart sleuth who already feels like a good friend...[Connolly’s] stories always keep me turning pages—often well past my bedtime.”—Julie Hyzy, New York Times bestselling author of the White House Chef Mysteries “Nell Pratt is exactly the kind of sleuth you want in your corner when the going gets tough.”—Mary Jane Maffini, author of the Charlotte Adams Mysteries “Secrets, lies, and a delightful revenge conspiracy make this a real page-turner!”—Hank Phillippi Ryan, award–winning author of Truth Be Told About the Author Sheila Connolly is the New York Times bestselling, Anthony and Agatha award–nominated author of the Museum Mysteries, the Orchard Mysteries, and the County Cork Mysteries. She has taught art history, structured and marketed municipal bonds for major cities, worked as a staff member on two statewide political campaigns, and served as a fundraiser for several nonprofit organizations. She also managed her own consulting company, providing genealogical research services. In addition to genealogy, Sheila loves restoring old houses, visiting cemeteries, and traveling. Now a full-time writer, she thinks writing mysteries is a lot more fun than any of her previous occupations. 

A new short story from New York Times bestselling author Sheila Connolly! With working conditions deteriorating and tempers wearing thin, construction supervisor Mason is having enough trouble completing the massive building project on time and on budget—the last thing he needs is a dead body. Sure, on a job as big as this one accidents happen, but this death was no accident. Hoping to clear up the murder quickly, Mason begins to search the site and question the construction crew who have set up camp nearby. But with few clues and fewer suspects, he'll have to turn to an unlikely source for the solution—and an explanation that's as old as the project he's given his life too. About the Author: Sheila Connolly is an Anthony and Agatha Award–nominated author who writes four bestselling cozy mystery series: the Museum Mysteries, the Orchard Mysteries, the County Cork Mysteries, and...

Some secrets are too big to stay buried...A few months ago, Boston expat Maura Donovan was rekindled with her mother after more than twenty years of absence. Since then, Maura has been getting accustomed to Irish living, complete with an inherited house and a pub named Sullivan's. But now, her mother has returned—and she's brought Maura's half-sister in tow. To make matters more confusing, a handful of Cork University students are knocking on Maura's door asking about a mystical fairy fort that happens to be located on Maura's piece of land.The lore indicates that messing with the fort can cause bad luck, and most everyone is telling Maura not to get too involved for fear of its powers, but Maura is curious about her own land, and she definitely doesn't buy into the superstition. Then one of the students disappears after a day of scoping out the fort on Maura's property.Maura treads carefully, asking the folks around town who might have an idea, but no one...

Danger comes to Cork in the seventh County Cork mystery from New York Times bestselling author Sheila Connolly, and it's up to Maura Donovan to find a way to protect all she's worked for.Pub owner Maura Donovan is settling into a charmed life in Ireland—until a mutilated body on her property ends her lucky streak. Boston expat Maura Donovan came to Ireland to honor her grandmother's last wish, but she never expected to stay in provincial County Cork—much less to inherit a house and a pub, Sullivan's, in the small village of Leap. After a year-long struggle to stay in the black, Sullivan's is finally thriving, and Maura has even brought back traditional Irish music to the pub. With a crop of new friends and a budding relationship with handsome Mick Nolan, Maura's life seems rosier than ever—but even in Ireland, you can't always trust your luck. It begins with Maura's discovery of a body in the ravine behind the pub. And then,...

The New York Times bestselling author of Seeds of Deception returns with a story of orchard owner Meg and the search for a poisoner.The usually quiet town of Granford, Massachusetts, is even drowsier during the colder months. But this year it's in for a jolt when Monica Whitman moves into town. She's a dynamo who wants to make friends fast in her new home, and she throws herself into community activities. Meg Corey, now Chapin after her marriage to Seth Chapin, is intrigued by the new arrival, who has already sold the town board on a new, fun way to bring in visitors during the off-season: WinterFare, which will feature local foods (such as Meg's apples) and crafts, as well as entertainment. Tragically, Monica falls ill and dies after the event in what looks like a case of food poisoning. When all the food served at WinterFare has been tested, including Meg's apples, it becomes clear that there's a more sinister explanation to the older woman's sudden demise....

As the new owner of Sullivan's Pub in County Cork, Ireland, Maura Donovan gets an earful of all the village gossip. But uncovering the truth about some local rumors may close her down for good... Bostonian Maura is beginning to feel settled in her new Irish home, just in time for summer tourist season to bring fresh business to her pub. But the first traveler to arrive is thirsty for more than just a pint of Guinness. Althea Hathaway is hot on the trail of a long-lost Van Dyck painting. Maura agrees to help Althea meet with the residents at the local manor house, the most likely location of the missing art. But when the manor's gardener is found murdered, Maura wonders what Althea's real motives are. Now, to solve the secret of the lost portrait and catch a killer, Maura will have to practice her Irish gift of gab and hunt down some local history—before someone else is out of the picture...

Laura Shumway couldn’t say why she’d agreed to go on the class reunion trip to Italy. What she didn’t expect to discover was the dead body of esteemed professor Anthony Gilbert.Gilbert had had a long and illustrious career at the college. Now retired to Italy, and still disarmingly handsome, he appeared as a surprise guest speaker. As a young professor all those years ago, Gilbert used his position and looks to seduce and then cast aside many of his young and impressionable students, and at least some of the women on this trip had been hurt by his false promises of love—the kind of hurt that runs deep and may have given any number of them a motive for murder.Before the polizia or carabiniere get involved, Laura and a few trusted classmates set out to solve the murder on their own. With the help of some influential locals and good old-fashioned detective work, they’re soon led to the conclusion that one of their classmates might be a killer—and what started as a trip to see how far they’d all come may turn into a stark lesson about just how far one of them would go.

From Publishers WeeklyConnolly's less-than-gala freshman attempt at crime fiction drops Boston banker Meg Corey into tiny Granford, Mass., where she's agreed to rehab a 200-year-old house while looking for a new job. Then Meg's ex-lover is found murdered and bobbing around in her brand new septic tank, a crime that could sour Granford's big chance to lure outside commercial investors. When the local cops appear determined to look no further than Meg for a suspect, she decides to turn sleuth. Her only ally, Seth Chapin, the plumber who installed the new system, is also a suspect and not much help. The premise and plot are solid, and Meg seems a perfect fit for her role. However, so much time is spent restating the story's major conflict that both Meg and Seth remain enigmas—dropped into the plot as if from outer space—with insufficient background information to ripen into well-rounded characters. (Aug.) Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. Product DescriptionThere’s a killer in the orchard— and he’s rotten to the core. INCLUDES RECIPES Meg Corey has come to the quaint New England town of Granford, Massachusetts, to sell her mother’s old colonial home and apple orchard. Instead, she becomes embroiled in development plans that include her land—and her former flame from Boston. When he’s found dead in the new septic tank on her property, the police immediately suspect Meg, whose only ally in town is the plumber Seth Chapin. Together, they’ll have to peel back the layers of secrecy that surround the deal in order to find the real murderer— and save the orchard.