In the Mountains and River Valleys of the North
FAILURE IS FATAL
(Book 2 in the Laura Murphy mystery series)
Short synopsis: Someone at Professor Laura Murphy’s college appears to be playing a joke on her by planting sexually explicit stories in her research results, but the joke turns deadly when one story details the recent stabbing murder of a coed. Laura’s close friend, Detective Derrick Pasquis from the local police, asks for her help in interviewing the prickly suspects who resist intervention from outside the campus community. Eager to search out clues, Laura ignores warning signs that playing amateur sleuth may jeopardize her newly developing romance with Guy. And of course her usual intrusive manner puts her at odds with everyone on campus—colleagues, the college administration, the head of campus security and fraternity members. Is there no one Laura can’t offend in her eagerness to find the truth? The closer she gets to solving the crime, the more it appears that the past—the coed’s, that of a prominent faculty member and Laura’s own—is the key to the murder. Caught in an early winter blizzard, Laura must choose between wandering the mountains and freezing to death or taking her chances with a killer clever enough to make murder look like the work of an innocent student.
Reviews:
“This story is like a roller coaster. The author starts you up a hill & then you predict something huge will happen only to find out she is just toying with you, prolonging the suspense until you least expect it. This is definitely a good read.” -Chloegirl
“Laura Murphy is a spunky college professor with a penchant for solving mysteries. I highly recommend this humorous, yet suspenseful, novel.” -Patricia Gligor
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MURDER IS ACADEMIC
(Book 1 in the Laura Murphy mystery series)
Short synopsis: Laura Murphy, psychology professor, thinks there’s nothing she likes better than coffee and donuts on a summer morning until she says yes to dinner with a Canadian biker and finds herself and her date suspects in the murder of her college’s president. Laura’s friend, the detective assigned the case, asks her to help him find out who on the small upstate New York college campus may be a killer. The murder appears to be wrapped up in some unsavory happenings on the lake where Laura lives. A fish kill and raw sewage seeping into the water along with the apparent drowning suicide of a faculty member complicate the hunt for the killer. And then things become personal. The killer makes a threatening phone call to Laura. With a tornado bearing down on the area and the killer intent upon silencing her, Laura’s sleuthing work may come too late to save her and her biker from a watery grave.
Reviews:
“Diehl writes with wit and an eye for detail and creates believable characters that I would want to hang out with.”
“I laughed out loud so many times while reading. I couldn’t wait to find out who did what and why. I was eager to read the next page and the next, and so on. That’s why I’d recommend this book to anyone. Friends, family, the stranger looking at me funny when I laughed out loud in the waiting room. Anyone who’d listen. I can not wait for more!”
~fuonlyknew
Laura’s Ramblins and Reviews“The author kept you guessing and gave many good plausible suspects and clues to lead you astray. I enjoyed the ride very much.”
~Socrates Book Reviews
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A DEADLY DRAUGHT
(First book in the microbrewing series)
Short synopsis: Money is always a problem for Hera Knightbridge’s microbrewery, but now drought makes water scarce for all the breweries in the Butternut Valley. Worse, Hera discovers a rival brewer murdered in his brew barn, making Hera the authorities’ favorite suspect. To clear her name, her only choice is to join forces with an unlikely partner, the new assistant deputy sheriff, Jake Ryan, her former lover from law school days. There’s unfinished business between these two, and it surfaces again and again as they pursue a killer who finally turns on the indefatigable Hera as the next victim.
Comments/reviews:
“…is as satisfying as a frosty mug of well-crafted beer.” Deborah Sharp, author of the Mace Bauer mysteries
“From the first page Hera Knightsbridge’s world of beer, brewing and murder keeps a reader not only enthralled but aching for a good ale to sip!” Mary Buckham, co-author of Break Into Fiction™: 11 Steps to Building a Story That Sells and award-winning Suspense author.
“The depth of the story and well-crafted characters delighted me. I just could not put it down.” Mystery Lover in LB
“Diehl’s plotting is superb, and her writing flows like a swift river.” Mystery/Suspense lover, fan in NH
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POISONED PAIRINGS
(Second book in microbrewing series)
Short synopsis: Murder again stalks the breweries of the Butternut Valley and with it, something potentially more explosive—hydraulic fracturing or fracking, a gas exploration technique that could destroy the air, water, and serenity of the region and pit neighbor against neighbor; and this time Hera must pursue the killer alone as well as find some way to bring an end to the fracking controversy before it tears apart her once peaceful community.
Comments/reviews
“Rich with brewing imagery, and set against a backdrop of current events — hydraulic fracking — Poisoned Pairings is a fast-paced, high proof (well, maybe 10 proof) yarn! Lesley Diehl has poured a winner.” William Doonan, author of the Henry Grave mysteries
“…a superb job keeping the reader guessing from beginning to end.” Patricia Gligor, author of Unfinished Business.
“…one murder, one truck accident, one religious fanatic complete with followers and a cast of crackpots.” Randy Rawls, author of Beth Bowman series
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ANGEL SLEUTH
Short synopsis; Kaitlin Singer needs time off—from a philandering husband, from a writing career stalled on a buzzard as a main character, and from the stash of chocolate in her lingerie drawer. Her decision to return to her childhood home might seem like the perfect way to get her life back together were it not for her mother foisting two visitors on her, guests who claim to be guardian angels. Perhaps not all is lost, for the angels might just be the companions she needs to help her solve the murder of a local newspaper columnist. To uncover clues to the crime, Kaitlin takes over the dead woman’s work, writing the column as well as volunteering in the senior center, moves that put her in the path of the killer. She and her guests will need assistance from a pot-bellied pig and some pool skills to bring the murderer down.
Reviews:
“…a well-crafted mystery, humorous and heart-warming.” RP Dahlke, author of Lalla Bains Crop Dusting mysteries
“The story line was great and with all the eccentric, adorable characters, the book was difficult to put down. Enjoy this quick, delightful read.” Silver’s Reviews
“Fast, fun and quirky.” Glenn E. Nilson, author of the Bobby Navarro mystery series
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