Synopses & Reviews
First in a new series from the author of the Celebration Bay mysteries In 1895, at the height of the Gilded Age, Newport, Rhode Island, is the summer home of the social elite. Within the walls of their fabulous cottages,” fortunes and reputations are made and lost. Competition for superiority is ruthless and so are the players.
During her first season, Deanna Randolph has the pleasure of attending a ball given in honor of Lord David Manchester, a Barbadian sugar magnate, and his sister, Madeline. The Manchesters are an immediate successalong with their exotic manservant known for his magical, fortune-telling talents.
But on the nearby cliffs, a young maid lies dead, her neck brokenand a member of one of the towns most prestigious families is found kneeling over the body.
Joseph Ballard humiliated Deanna when he broke off their courtship at the end of last season. But while Joe may be a cad, Deanna doesnt believe hes a killer. Now reluctant allies, the two must navigate a world of glittering parties, fashionable tennis matches, and intriguing séances to find the murderer. But when their investigation leads them to Newports most powerful inner circles, theyre exposed to something far more dangerous than malicious gossip
Review
“All the charm of a Norman Rockwell painting, but with a much more colorful cast of characters!”—Cynthia Baxter, author of the Reigning Cats & Dogs Mysteries “A fun romp . . . filled with interesting characters and good times.”—Joyce Lavene, coauthor of the Missing Pieces Mysteries “I fell in love with Liv Montgomery and the citizens of Celebration Bay from the very first page.”—Mary Kennedy, author of the Talk Radio Mysteries
Review
“I fell in love with Liv Montgomery and the citizens of Celebration Bay.”—Mary Kennedy, author of the Talk Radio Mysteries
Praise for Foul Play at the Fair
“An enjoyable slice of small-town life.”—The Mystery Reader
“A delicious read filled with interesting characters and good times.”—Joyce Lavene, coauthor of the Missing Pieces Mysteries
Review
Praise for the Celebration Bay Mysteries “All the charm of a Norman Rockwell painting, but with a much more colorful cast of characters!”—Cynthia Baxter, author of the Reigning Cats and Dogs Mysteries
“Foul Play at the Fair is a fun romp of a story...A delicious read filled with interesting characters and good times.”—Joyce Lavene, coauthor of the Missing Pieces Mysteries
“I fell in love with Liv Montgomery and the citizens of Celebration Bay from the very first page.”—Mary Kennedy, author of the Talk Radio Mysteries
“Liv Montgomery is a terrific new amateur sleuth, competent, intelligent, with a few surprising skills.”—Lesas Book Critiques
“If you like small-town gossip, long-buried secrets, and festivals galore, youll love this...A promising new series with colorful characters and seasonal festivals that create endless possibilities for future story lines.”—RT Books Reviews
Review
Acclaim for Shelley Freydonts Mysteries “All the charm of a Norman Rockwell painting, but with a much more colorful cast of characters!”—Cynthia Baxter, author of Crossing the Lion
“An entertaining mystery in the classic tradition.”—Publishers Weekly
“An enjoyable slice of small-town life.”—The Mystery Reader
“A delicious read filled with interesting characters.”—Joyce Lavene, coauthor of the Missing Pieces Mysteries
Synopsis
Celebration Bay is full of yuletide cheer
but it s hard to remain festive when someone s out to slay Santa.
It s Liv Montgomery s first Christmas out of Manhattan and in Celebration Bay. They ve got a tree to rival Rockefeller Center s, but this year s holidays are turning out to be a disaster. As the small town s event planner, Liv wants everything to be perfect. Unfortunately, the local Christmas shop has been replaced by the gaudy Trim a Tree complete with tacky ornaments and a new replacement Santa who isn t spreading any cheer.
At the town s annual Celebration of Lights, Trim a Tree is the only shop left unlit. Liv, furious, goes to investigate, and discovers something even less festive the store s new Santa has been murdered. Small-town gossip begins to stir, and Liv must clear the name of the previous town Santa just in the nick of time before the real killer ruins Christmas."
Synopsis
Event planner Liv Montgomery is full of yuletide cheer--but it's hard to remain festive when someone's out to slay Santa in the second Celebration Bay mystery. It's Liv Montgomery's first Christmas out of Manhattan and in Celebration Bay. They've got a tree to rival Rockefeller Center's, but this year's holidays are turning out to be a disaster. As the small town's event planner, Liv wants everything to be perfect. Unfortunately, the local Christmas shop has been replaced by the gaudy Trim a Tree--complete with tacky ornaments and a new replacement Santa who isn't spreading any cheer.
At the town's annual Celebration of Lights, Trim a Tree is the only shop left unlit. Liv, furious, goes to investigate, and discovers something even less festive--the store's new Santa has been murdered. Small-town gossip begins to stir, and Liv must clear the name of the previous town Santa just in the nick of time before the real killer ruins Christmas.
Synopsis
Every day is a holiday in Celebration Bay . . .but unfortunately death doesn’t take a holiday. As more and more tourists flock to Celebration Bay, New York, to enjoy their seasonal festivals, the town is in need of a professional coordinator. Enter Manhattan event planner Liv Montgomery, tired of big-city stress and looking for an idyllic spot where she and her Westie terrier, Whiskey, can put down roots. The Harvest by the Bay Festival is Liv’s first chance to prove herself, and everything from apple bobbing to pumpkin painting goes perfectly—until the body of an itinerant juggler is discovered stuffed into an antique apple press. With a murderer on the loose, town leaders threaten to shut down the upcoming Halloween and Christmas festivals. But the town’s livelihood is at stake, and there is no way Liv is going to let that happen, even if she has to solve the murder herself. No matter how many balls she needs to keep in the air, Liv is determined to find a killer who’s rotten to the core . . .
Synopsis
Celebration Bay is full of yuletide cheer but its hard to remain festive when someones out to slay Santa.
Its Liv Montgomerys first Christmas out of Manhattan and in Celebration Bay. Theyve got a tree to rival Rockefeller Centers, but this years holidays are turning out to be a disaster. As the small towns event planner, Liv wants everything to be perfect. Unfortunately, the local Christmas shop has been replaced by the gaudy Trim a Treecomplete with tacky ornaments and a new replacement Santa who isnt spreading any cheer.
At the towns annual Celebration of Lights, Trim a Tree is the only shop left unlit. Liv, furious, goes to investigate, and discovers something even less festivethe stores new Santa has been murdered. Small-town gossip begins to stir, and Liv must clear the name of the previous town Santa just in the nick of time before the real killer ruins Christmas.
Synopsis
On the Fourth of July, Old Glory is flying high in Celebration Bayuntil someone raises a red flag
With Independence Day fast approaching, Liv Montgomery is swamped coordinating one of the towns biggest festivals. In addition to the traditional July fourth events, the town stages a spooky Revolutionary War reenactment that cant be missed. Every year, the ghost of local war hero Henry Gallantineplayed by his eccentric descendant of the same nameappears at the top of the family mansion, kicking off the nights revelries.
But Henrys annual cameo goes awry after the ghost signals SOS instead of his traditional cue. When Liv rushes to the rescue, she finds Henry missing and a real dead body instead of a fake haunt. Now she will have to hunt down both a murderer and a missing person quickly before unwanted political fireworks ignite and someone else winds up as local history
Synopsis
The author of Independence Slay invites readers back to Celebration Bay for Halloween festivities with more tricks than treats
This October in Celebration Bay, you cant swing a black cat without hitting a haunted house. There are three finalists in the contest for the towns official Haunted House, and ten thousand dollars will go to the winner, with the rest of the contributions and proceeds funding a new community center. Event coordinator Liv Montgomery has invited her friend Jonathan Preston, the debonair CEO of a philanthropic organization, hoping he will award a grant to the center.
But after the Museum of Yankee Horrors wins first place, the transformed Victorian boarding house is vandalized ... and among scattered mannequins of Hester Prynne, Lizzie Borden, and the Headless Horseman, a real dead body is foundone of the contest judges. Now in addition to playing host to Jon, Liv has to play detective and coordinate the clues to unmask a self-appointed judge, jury, and executioner.
About the Author
Shelley Freydont is the author of the Celebration Bay mysteries, including Foul Play at the Fair, Silent Knife, Independence Slay and the novella Trawling for Trouble, as well as the Katie McDonald Sudoku mysteries and the Lindy Haggerty Mysteries, and her historical novel A Gilded Grave is the first in a new Newport Gilded Age Mystery series. Under the name Shelley Noble, she is the author of Beach Colors and Stargazey Point. Her books have been translated into seven languages.