Books

Uncover the heart-pounding mysteries and mesmerizing narratives that promise to grip your imagination. Each story is a masterful blend of suspense and intrigue, drawing you into a world of unforgettable characters and mind-bending twists.

The John Lloyd Branson Series

Murder by Impulse

The John Lloyd Branson Series, Book 1

A Lincoln Continental driven by Amy Steele, wife of millionaire rancher, James Steele, rams a tanker full of gasoline. Instant incineration of both drivers; a probable accident, according to Sergeant Larry Jenner of the Amarillo Police Department. Eight months later, it‚Äôs murder, according to Sergeant Ed Schroder of the Special Crimes Unit, and the probable murderer is the widower. Standing between James Steele and Sergeants Jenner and Schroder is John Lloyd Branson, reputed to be the best criminal defense attorney Texas. In his formal three-piece suits, cowboy boots, Phi Beta Kappa key, he is certainly the most eccentric. Assisted by his legal clerk, Lydia Fairchild, John Lloyd must prove that the most unlikely, indeed the most impossible, suspect is a cold-blooded murderer.

Murder by Deception

The John Lloyd Branson Series, Book 2

At first glance, he was a fine figure of a man. Even the butcher knife buried in the middle of his chest didn't seriously detract from his good looks. But that corpse, nude except for a pair of mismatched socks--and the butcher knife, of course--is trouble with a capital T for Leroy MacPherson, in whose wheat field the body is dumped, and rest of his extended family. It's also trouble for the opponents of the nuclear waste depository the DOE plans to build in the Texas Panhandle. The victim is Charlton Price-Leigh III, whose job it is--or was--to persuade local residents that burying radioactive waste in their backyards presented very little danger. That's not what MacPherson and his neighbors believe, and it’s not what attorney John Lloyd Branson believes either. When John Lloyd and his legal clerk, Lydia Fairchild, take on MacPherson’s defense, they find themselves entangled in a series of deceptions. Whatever they see, whatever a witness says, cannot be trusted. Even the victim cannot be trusted.

Murder by Masquerade

The John Lloyd Branson Series, Book 3

Someone is killing prostitutes on Amarillo Boulevard after sending each a cryptic invitation to "cleanse your soul in the blood of the lamb." One victim mails a letter to John Lloyd Branson, the Panhandle's most famous lawyer, begging for his help. When she is murdered before she can talk to him, and her appointment is kept by her pimp and his stable of girls, John Lloyd declines any involvement in the case. His legal assistant, Lydia Fairchild is so incensed that she goes undercover on the Boulevard to search out the killer without John Lloyd's knowledge. Lydia's bumbling attempt to masquerade as a prostitute causes chaos on the Boulevard, and catches the attention of the Butcher. The killer's taunting phone call to John Lloyd, promising that Lydia will be his next victim, brings the attorney roaring onto the Boulevard to protect Lydia and bring posthumous justice to the Butcher's prey.

Murder by Reference

The John Lloyd Branson Series, Book 4

In a variation of the classic locked room mystery, Attorney John Lloyd Branson and his beautiful, trusted, but often impetuous legal assistant, Lydia Fairchild scare up ghosts from the past and rattle family skeletons as they try to discover who murdered the young museum curator. It's no Halloween trick when Brad Hemphill materializes in a locked museum at midnight, the main feature in a prehistoric display. Who among the museum staff would kill the harmless, mild-mannered young curator, and why? What deadly secret did Hemphill know that made him a target for murder?

Murder By Sacrilege

The John Lloyd Branson Series, Book 5

The preacher's bride is a truck stop waitress half his age with a reputation that horrifies his congregation, and a free and easy way with the male membership. Still, no one expects Reverend David Hailey to stone his wife to death. But that isn't the worst of Hailey's acts. Substituting his wife's body for the Virgin Mary in the Nativity Scene is a worse act of sacrilege than murder. With feelings at a fever pitch in the little Texas town of Canadian, John Lloyd Branson steps in to defend the reverend. But first he must learn why the preacher killed his wife, then he must persuade his legal clerk, Lydia Fairchild, that he is not deliberately throwing the case by his seemingly inept courtroom strategy.

Sheriff Charles Matthews SerieS

The Sheriff and the Panhandle Murders

Sheriff Charles Matthews Series, Book 1

Crawford County, Texas, hadn't had a deliberate homicide in 80 years, and Sheriff Charles Matthews liked that statistic just fine, particularly since his department wasn't generously endowed with manpower. He had one deputy who took pride in how far he could spit tobacco and another one who couldn't tell his backside from his elbow. Neither of these deputies bothered Crawford County because folks understood them.

They didn't altogether understand Charles Matthews. It wasn't his law degree - lots of folks had law degrees and were still respectable - and it wasn't the fact he was from Dallas. It wasn't even because he never told anybody why he left Dallas. It was because Charles had no nickname in an area where nicknames were as common as sagebrush. Still, Crawford County took Charles at face value as a good man until he proved otherwise. When Billy Joe Williams was murdered on a lonely county road, Charles knew that someone else counted on being taken at face value.

The Sheriff and the Branding Iron Murders

Sheriff Charles Matthews Series, Book 2

When cowboy artist Willie Russell is murdered on the Branding Iron Ranch, Sheriff Charles Matthews faces a mystery that seems built on the bones of the past. Willie Russell leaves behind sketches that illustrate a century-old legend of a brutal outlaw, a beautiful young woman, and the lost Santiago Crucifix, a three-foot-tall cross of solid gold.

With only the sketches, the footprints of Johnny Brentwood, and very little else, Charles focuses on the eerie links between past and present events. Were Willie's sketches the story of the past, or a portent of the future?

The Sheriff and the Folsom Man Murders

Sheriff Charles Matthews Series, Book 3

Enrique Armijo, archaeologist and, in his own mind, the world's authority on the Folsom Man culture, is spying on a ritual performed by the so-called Skin People in the crater of Capelin Mountain, an extinct volcano in northern New Mexico. He doesn't expect to be murdered. He certainly doesn't expect the weapon to be a prehistoric atlatl.

Back in Crawford County, Texas, Sheriff Charles Matthews doesn't expect a call from his deputy, Raul Trujillo, about the archaeologist's murder and the bizarre weapon used. He certainly doesn't expect to hear that the atlatl has been found in his deputy's hotel room and that Raul is charged with murder. Knowing that no matter what the evidence says, Raul didn't murder anyone, Charles leaves his badge behind in Texas and steps into New Mexican Sheriff Kit Lindeman’s territory to prove his deputy and friend innocent.

The Sheriff and the Pheasant Hunt Murders

Sheriff Charles Matthews Mysteries , Book 4

Eight thousand hunters descend on Crawford County, Texas, for the annual pheasant season. To Sheriff Charles Matthews that's eight thousand chances for a gun-related accident. But when the most hated man in the county, banker Rich Hansford, turns up with his face removed by a shotgun blast, it's no accident; it's murder. To Crawford County folk, it's a public service killing, and no one, not even the sheriff's staff, are much interested in seeing anyone arrested. Certainly no one will inform on his neighbor; in fact, no one will talk at all. It's up to the sheriff to break through the wall of silence and arrest the murderer.

The Homefront Murders

Sheriff Charles Matthews Series, Book 5

When the mummified remains of a World War II G.I. are unearthed in the sub-basement of the Crawford County Courthouse, the local residents, well-known for their nonstop gossip, are suddenly as quiet as the soldier's grave. Sheriff Charles Matthews is frustrated by the town's silence. He isn't planning to arrest anyone for a murder more than fifty years old, but he does want to bury the soldier's remains with a name other than John Doe. One of the local oldster's must know that name, but no one, not even his spinster dispatcher, Miss Poole, will talk. Whoever John Doe was, he still frightens Crawford County's senior citizens fifty years after his death.

Megan Clark SerieS

Murder in Volume

Megan Clark Mystery, Book 1

The most dangerous happenings at the mystery discussion group, held at Time and Again Bookstore every Tuesday night, are the arguments between the members about the finer points of the mystery genre. History professor Ryan Stevens dozes happily during the loud disagreements. Being a closet reader of Westerns with no knowledge of mysteries beyond Poe and Sherlock Holmes, Ryan is only a member of the group because he is the bosom companion and very best friend of Megan Clark, board certified forensic anthropologist with a specialty in paleopathology. In other words, Megan autopsies mummies and examines human remains and other archaeological artifacts. Or rather, she would if she could find a job. There being very limited job opportunities in her field, Megan works at the Amarillo Public Library, and pursues various hobbies and sports to alleviate boredom. When Megan and Ryan stumble over the body of Lisa Heredia, spiteful and unpopular member of the discussion group, propped against the side of the bookstore with her throat slit, boredom is the least of Megan's worries.

By Hook or by Book

Megan Clark Mysteries, Book 2

Planning to write a paper for Smithsonian Magazine on the cultural significance of string figures, such as Cat's Cradle, librarian and unemployed paleo pathologist Dr. Megan Clark has a wonderful idea that will help her with her research. She will organize a convention and invite all the members of the International String Figure Association to attend. She invites the Murder by the Yard Reading Circle to forgo discussing mysteries and help her with her convention. The membership, eccentrics all, and recently introduced to making string figures themselves by Megan, enthusiastically agree, even Ryan Stevens, history professor and Megan's best friend. Ryan mainly agrees because he sees no way that Megan can get into trouble at a string figure convention. What's the worst that can happen? She gets tangled up in her own string? When a long-lost manuscript about string figure art is offered for silent auction by a greedy and very unpleasant conventioneer, Ryan discovers that Megan Clark can attract murder like a magnet attracts metal files, and that certain string figures can be lethal.

Murder Past Due

Megan Clark Series, Book 3

He Murder by the Yard Reading Circle, a mystery discussion group, is six months old, and Megan Clark, assistant reference librarian and unemployed paleopathologist, suggests a mystery tour of Amarillo's real-life murder sites. Megan nominates Ryan Stevens, history professor at the local university to moderate the tour. Ryan is horrified. After Megan and other members of the reading group have already dabbled at solving four different murders on two separate occasions, Ryan doesn't want Megan near any kind of murder cases, even those decades old and long solved. But Ryan is persuaded by Megan to participate in the tour, and as he feared, she is knee deep in another murder. Hired as a consultant by Bruce Gorman, wealthy Amarillo aristocrat, to solve the murder of his grandson's bride, Megan happily recruits the reading circle to help in her investigation. Ryan is both appalled and worried. The Gorman murder case is only twenty years old; whoever strangled young Melinda Gorman could still be alive and unwilling to have Megan digging up the family dirt.

Tome of Death

Megan Clark Mysteries, Book 4

In 1868, Comanche warrior Spotted Tongue finds his second wife's body in Palo Duro Canyon, murdered by one of his fellow Comanche. To spill the blood of Spotted Tongue's wife is a forbidden act. Comanche’s do not murder other Comanche’s, and Little Flower became a Comanche when Spotted Tongue married her. But Little Flower was a white captive first, and many of the Comanche still despise her. But who hated her enough to break a taboo by murdering her. Spotted Tongue vows to track down the murderer and exact his own revenge. In the present, Megan Clark and members of the Murder by the Yard Reading Circle are enjoying a picnic in Palo Duro Canyon. When Megan's two beagles escape and dig up a blue shirt filled with bones, she and reading group find themselves involved in another murder case, much to Dr. Ryan Stevens' horror. The situation escalates when Megan discovers another body next to her beagles' discovery, this one the mummy of a long-dead woman. As Spotted Tongue searches for a murderer in 1868, so does Megan in the present day. The two detectives, separated by time and race, each confront a killer, so that the two victims may find peace.

Murder by the Book

Megan Clark Series, Book 5

When Wild Horse Lake dries up due to drought, an old 1938 Ford surfaces to present a puzzle to Megan Clark, assistant librarian and unemployed paleo pathologist that she can't resist. When the skeleton of a homicide victim is found buried between the walls of an old laundry on Sixth Street, Megan is sure there is a connection to the old Ford. Excited by the possibility of tracking down the connection, as well as uncovering the murderer, Megan asks her mystery readers’ discussion group for help. To her surprise the group refuses except for Randal Anderson and his obsessive-compulsive girlfriend, Candi, not Megan's first choices for assistants. The question becomes: what is the rest of the members hiding and why. If the old skeleton and its murderer isn't enough, Megan stumbles over another dead body. Sergeant Schroder doesn't believe the same person could find so many murdered bodies without having something to do with their unfortunate demise. When Megan discovers two more bodies, all obviously killed by the same person, who leaves a message scratched on the forehead of each, Schroder is ready to read Megan her Miranda warning and arrest her. All the murders occur on Sixth Street, all occur the nights the mystery discussion group meets, and all occur when Megan's alibis are shaky.

The McDade Family Chronicles SerieS

A Time Too Late

The McDade Family Chronicles, Book 1

On the Texas Panhandle frontier as woman was seen as either a whore or a helpmate. Mattie Jo Hunter was neither. Determined to build a ranching empire on the the desolate plains, she went her own way and asked no quarter from nature or man--including her weakling husband. She would do what she must to realize her dream and secure her own self-respect. As Mattie's bond with her ranch manager and former Texas Ranger, Jesse McDade, grew stronger, they risked both their honor and their dreams.

The Reckoning

The McDade Family Chronicles, Book 2

Love--Hate--Natural Disasters--Retribution--Revenge, all contribute to the humbling of Mattie Hunter in THE RECKONING, a complex sequel to Meredith's first novel of historical fiction: A TIME TOO LATE. Separated from Jesse McDade, her former ranch manager and the man she loves, Mattie is at the mercy of whatever cruel acts her weakling husband, Samuel, and his close companion, Clint Murray, can devise. Thanks to a decision her father made, Mattie no longer holds clear title to her ranch, but shares it with Samuel. Whatever decision Samuel makes, Mattie can thwart until one day she learns a strong woman cannot always defeat a man's physical strength. It is up to Jesse McDade to defend Mattie, and he pays a terrible reckoning for loving her. Mattie's own reckoning may be worse as a vengeful woman threatens the land that Mattie loves--perhaps loves more than any man.

More books

One Strike Too Many

With a lifetime bowling average of sixty-nine, Maude Turner was not an aficionado of the sport. In fact, given the choice between watching a bowling tournament and throwing herself into an erupting volcano, she might reconsider her stand against self-immolation. But duty calls. Her brother-in-law Victor Jamison is the star of his bowling team and it is Maude's duty to support Victor and the other members of the Senior Citizens Center League. Also, there is the problem of the voracious three-time widow, Camilla, who is trolling for Victor. But Camilla turns out not to be the problem. Murder is. When the automatic return regurgitates Victor's bowling ball covered in blood, Maude knows it's time to do a little trolling of her own: for a cold-blooded killer.

Incident on 6th Street

Route 66 was the Road of Dreams, the road that led to a second chance, a new beginning for those caught in the despair of the Great Depression. But sometimes, besides the filling stations, cafes shaped like Indian tipis, rattlesnake farms, and roadside zoos, murder waited along the Mother Road.

Mummy No. 50

Director of the Panhandle-Plains Museum John Adams Moore, "Call me Jack," is a constant irritant to his assistant director whom Moore affectionately calls Mole. Not only is the director very, very short with overlarge white teeth which he is constantly exposing in a wide smile, but he has scheduled an Egyptology exhibit to replace Mole's own exhibit on Plains Indian Artifacts. Such a delay is not only humiliating, it is not to be tolerated, and Mole just happens to be holding an 1875 .50-90 Sharps rifle.

Highwater (The Highwater Mysteries)

Highwater, Texas, Population: 455 is an anthology of short tales set in Highwater Texas. The first, “Highwater”, finds Elizabeth Walker, candidate for Justice of the Peace, in Buddy’s Cafe sitting at the round table reserved for Bonham County’s elected officials, all men, and other prominent citizens, also men. Elizabeth wouldn’t have been sitting with these august citizens, since no woman had ever been allowed to join the men at Highwater’s 10:00 coffee hour, except Buddy had invited her. Since Buddy owns the cafe he is entitled to invite whomever he wants. The subject is Eliabeth’s suitability for the job of Justice of the Peace, whether poking at dead bodies is something a lady ought to do. Of course, Highwater hasn’t had an unnatural homicide since Nadine Hatcher caught her husband in bed with the hired girl and ventilated his hide with a 12 gauge shotgun. Ed Hays figures the jury should have found Nadine not guilty since her husband’s death was the natural consequence of his own sinning. Of course, Ed was sensitive about infidelity since his wife Jenny ran off the Pro-Seed salesman ten years ago. Which brings up an interesting point. Why hasn’t Ed divorced Jenny and vice versa? Why would Ed, who never gave away a nickel if he could help it, gamble that Jenny would never turn up to claim half his ranch? It’s a puzzle and Elizabeth can never leave a puzzle alone.

Retrospective

People called her That Hunter Woman and they didn't mean it kindly, but Mattie Hunter suspected if she had her life given back to her to correct, she would make the same choices. She was a hard woman, she knew that, but she had faced hard choices and hard circumstances. She built her property into the largest ranch in the Texas Panhandle, and it takes a hard woman to do that. But now was the time to reflect, to relive old memories, both the sweet and the hurtful, and there were both. Her live was drawing slowly to a close, and Jesse's would end before sunset. It was time to talk about all the memories they had shared, a retrospective of their lives

A Woman's Place and Other Mysterious Tales (Five Star First Edition Mystery Series)

Windkill

Retired schoolteacher Maude Turner and her widowed brother-in-law Victor Jamison are enjoying a day of kite flying. At least, Maude is; Victor is just along as companion and driver. Since Maude stepped in a gopher hole and broke her ankle, Victor has curtailed his social life to serve as Maude's chauffeur. But chauffeur is all Victor volunteered for, certainly not to serve as Maude's assistant when she insists an accidental death by kite they both witness is actually murder. Her claims dismissed by the police as the raving of a senile old woman, Maude launches her own investigation

MURDER IN THE MOON WHEN THE LEAVES FALL

When the Leaves Fall – A Spotted Tongue Comanche Mystery

In Murder in the Moon When the Leaves Fall, D. R. Meredith transports readers to the turbulent world of 19th-century Comancheria, where the Comanche people face the forces of cultural upheaval and looming extinction. At the heart of this compelling historical mystery is Spotted Tongue, a seasoned Comanche warrior whose world is unraveling as his people are forced onto reservations. When a murder occurs at a peace council held by the United States government, Spotted Tongue is called upon to hunt down a killer hiding among his own people.

As the warrior navigates the dangerous politics of inter-tribal relations and the encroaching threat of the white settlers, he must confront not only the external enemies but also the deeper questions of identity, honor, and survival in a world that is changing forever. Rich in historical detail, cultural depth, and thrilling intrigue, this novel is a gripping exploration of the Comanche way of life and the mysteries that lie at its heart.

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Roseanne Designation

I enjoyed the read. It didn't flow as smoothly as the first but I enjoyed it nonetheless. I love the Amarillo and Texas Panhandle setting. I love the female heroine. I do look forward to the rest of the series.

Sophia Designation

Violence and sexual contact more as memories but still in the book. Great summing up of a series spanning Texas panhandle settlement and cattle ranching. Not the ending I would have hoped for but more realistic. Strong characters, Texas pioneers.

Reymon Designation

I have enjoyed each installment of the Megan Clark series and this has been the best one. There are more suspects and more character interaction, ending with a Ellery Queen/Agatha Christie set up to catch the killer in the end.

Sandra G. Washington Designation

You’ll have to read this superbly crafted series. John Lloyd Branson, Lydia Fairchild and all the other colorful characters make for a delightful read. For me to say any more would spoil it. Read them all and read the sheriff series, too.

Robbert Designation

Very good, but not as engaging as the first two. I would still recommend it if you enjoy mysteries! The sheriff is growing somewhat tiresome, as he is always down on himself. I hope he'll soon realize that he is bright and caring and has much to offer.

Kay Robinson Designation

Another great story of Sheriff Charles Matthews and the department getting to grips with a local murder in a town where, until the Sheriff appeared, these things were very rare indeed. The relationships of the main characters in these books are fantastic.

Carlos Designation

I gave 5 stars to this book because I could not put it down! I read it in a day. The plot was interesting and although Sheriff Mathews had several suspects for good reason, we didn't know until nearly the very end who the real murderer was. And who the murderer was came as a big surprise. Thoughouly enjoyed the book.

Allison Kohn Author Designation

This is an excellent mystery. It is, of course, very well written and contrived. I recommend it to anyone who loves a good mystery with a touch of Texas and romance _ and if you can overlook the profanity.

S.Myers Designation

I have recently become a great fan of D R Meredith. I love her descriptions of the people of the Panhandle of Texas. She has small town dynamics down pat. An interesting mystery so interesting I bought all the other books in this series.

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