Jayne's Books

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PAWS-ITIVELY COASTAL

Four Mutt Mysteries Set along the Shore

Who let the dogs out? Jayne Ormerod did, in this delightful collection of four tail-wagging cozy novellas. Amateur sleuths team up with their canine companions to dig up the truth, collar killers, and bring justice to their seaside communities. PAWS-ITIVELY COASTAL is a howlingly good read that will have you cheering, “Go dogs. Go!” Stories included are:

     "Bone Appétit"--Private chef Molly Perkins and obedience school dropout Tater put their noses to the ground in a search for the secret ingredient to murder.

     "Ruff Day"--When Doggie boutique owner Darby Moore finds a dead body, she and her Great Dane Mr. Belvedere quickly realize the police are barking up the wrong tree.

     "Paws-itively Scandalous"--The fur really flies when party planner Pilar Pruitt and her black Lab Natti track down the truth behind a neighbor's arrest and a friend's murder.

     "It's a Dog Gone Shame!"--Man's best friend is crime's worst enemy when Meg Gordon and her mutt Cannoli leash up to rid their bayside neighborhood of theft and murder.

GOIN' COASTAL

Four Cozy Mysteries Set along the Shore

     All is not quiet on the coastal front as dead bodies emerge, marring these idyllic seaside escapes. Killers must be caught! Enter four intrepid sleuths who hit the sandy shores in search of clues, leaving not a single grain of sand unturned in pursuit of truth, justice, and the occasional adult beverage. GOIN' COASTAL is a collection of two novellas and two short stories that have two things in common; a coastal setting, and a gruesome murder. Included in this anthology: 

     “Home is where you Hang your Flip Flops” searches for the answer to a decades-old murder. (This story is also available for individual ebook purchase.)

     "Down by the Bay" connects a woman with a home she lived in as a child, a house that holds many secrets. (This story is also available for individual ebook purchase)

     "Seas the Day" finds two women involved in a crazy plot to frame an ex-husband for murder, but the script flips and they end up framing themselves.

     "The Tide Also Rises" shows how a quiet summer by the water can turn deadly when you delve into a past someone would rather stay buried.

BLOND FAITH 

     With 31,536,000 seconds in a year, what are the odds that the one minute Ellery Tinsdale and Samantha “Sam” Greene choose to break into the confidential files at the Braddocks Beach Church of Divine Spiritual Enlightenment would be the same minute Reverend John Thomas Hammersmith is brutally murdered while eating lunch at his desk?  But that’s the kind of bad luck Ellery experiences since moving to the small lakeside resort founded by her distant relatives.  Her and Sam’s close proximity to the tragic event makes them not only witnesses but suspects, too.  And when not one, but two, more residents are found dead, Ellery and Sam are the unlucky ones to discover those bodies as well.  Police Chief Lewis thinks it is more than a coincidence, and it’s up to Ellery and Sam to clear their names by finding the killer—or killers—roaming the streets of this small Ohio town.​

THE BLOND LEADING THE BLOND

     Ellery Tinsdale’s father never talked about his childhood, never once mentioned what happened to his family, and never ever gave any indication there existed a lakefront resort in central Ohio founded by her ancestors.  Curious upon receiving notice of the death of an aunt she hadn’t known existed, Ellery travels to Braddocks Beach in hopes of learning a bit about her heritage.  What she finds is she is to inherit the family house, the family jewels, the family real estate holdings, the family bank accounts,  and, much to her dismay, the family role of Queen Bee.  Ellery also finds herself accused Aunt Izzy’s murder.
     Samantha Greene is the lifelong friend and neighbor of Isabel Tinsdale, as well as being the self-appointed purveyor of Braddocks Beach history.  The recent discovery of a surviving member of Braddocks Beach’s “royal family” sets the town abuzz with anticipation of Ellery’s arrival.  But Sam soon learns that Ellery is the only person to ever flunk out of Madame Rowena’s School of Etiquette, and has much to learn about making appearances, leading charity drives, heading up committees, setting fashion trends and such.  But first and foremost is the business of clearing the Tindsale name of murder. 
     What do a third-grade science teacher and a small-town socialite know about tracking killers?  It’s what they don’t know that may hurt them.

 

THE BIG FANG ANTHOLOGY

"Wag More, Bark Less"

     Where have all the flowers gone? The ones that were supposed to grace the tables at the annual Wag More, Bark Less charity event in support of the Heron’s Ridge SPCA? It’s up to freshman Private Investigator Chandy Oliver to crack the case. 

All proceeds benefit The Harbor Humane Society, a cause near and dear to my heart. 

50 SHADES OF CABERNET

A Mysterious Anthology

     In vino mysterium is the theme for this anthology of short stories, each blending a baffling mystery and a glass (or more) of cabernet. When eighteen mystery writers combine their talents, the result is the perfect “flight” of stories that range from light-bodied puzzles to sparkling cozies to darker, heavier tales of deceit and murder. While cabernet is the featured wine, this anthology will appeal to connoisseurs of all varietals—in both wine preference and mystery style. 

     Jayne's passion for mystery, wine and mahjongg shines in her story, "Life is a Cabernet." The pitch reads: Randa Miller had been lured to the Mahjongg Maniacs convention by the promise of wine. Thankfully, there is plenty of it, as she’s found it’s the only thing that can calm her nerves after discovering a dead body.

COASTAL CRIMES

Mysteries by the Sea

"The Sniper Sisters”

     Dorothy Westmoreland and her sister Evelyn Binghamton have retired from lives of organizing bake sales and attending civic league meetings. But that doesn’t mean they're sitting in their rocking chairs. No, not these two. They become active in their community…in a way nobody expects.

"Write by the Bay"

     Carrie Hannover solves mysteries—in the literary sense. She’s a writer. But when valuable jewels go missing from her landlady’s home, Carrie finds herself embroiled in a real mystery…one fraught with real danger.

 

VIRGINIA IS FOR MYSTERIES, VOLUME III

"Sorry, Wrong Number"

     A peaceful paddle between Chincoteague and Assateague Islands turns into a disturbing adventure when Margaret Gunderson and Carolyn Prewitt discover a dead man floating in the channel. Inspired by actual events. Set in Chincoteague, VA.

VIRGINIA IS FOR MYSTERIES, VOLUME II

  "It's Wine o'Clock Somewhere." 

     Real estate agents see a lot of things in the houses they tour, but a bomb shelter with a dead body is a first for Terri Sullivan. The only way to clear her name and get her clients back after becoming a suspect is to find the real killer herself. Set in Yorktown, VA.

VIRGINIA IS FOR MYSTERIES 

"Best Friends Help You Move the Body" 

     Playing hooky from work lands two best friends in trouble when their day of sightseeing has them discovering only one thing...a dead body.  Inspired by a visit to the Cape Henry Lighthouse in Virginia Beach. Set in Norfolk, VA.