The Brothers Karamazov, Dostoevsky's crowning achievement, is a tale of patricide & family rivalry that embodies the moral & spiritual dissolution of an entire society (Russia in the 1870s). It created a national furor comparable only to the excitement stirred by the publication, in 1866, of Crime & Punishment. To Dostoevsky, The Brothers Karamazov captured the quintessence of Russian character in all its exaltation, compassion, & profligacy. Significantly,...

"Elizabeth, Joyce, Ron, and Ibrahim - the Thursday Murder Club - are still riding high off their recent real-life murder case and are looking forward to a bit of peace and quiet at Cooper's Chase, their posh retirement village. But they are out of luck. An unexpected visitor - an old pal of Elizabeth's (or perhaps more than just a pal?) - arrives, desperate for her help. He has been accused of stealing diamonds worth millions from the wrong men, and...

"Summer is busy season for Mackenzie "Mac" Almeida's bicycle shop, nestled in the quaint, seaside hamlet of Westham, Massachusetts. She's expecting an influx of tourists at Mac's Bikes; instead she discovers the body of Jake Lacey. Mac can't imagine anyone stabbing the down-on-his-luck handyman. However, the authorities seem to think Mac is a strong suspect after she was spotted arguing with Jake just hours before his death. Mac knows she didn't do...

"From The Lady's Guide to Swampshire, Volume 1. Acceptable topics of conversation: the weather, hats. Unacceptable topics of conversation: gossip, France, missing person cases. Feisty, passionate Beatrice Steele has never fit the definition of a true lady, according to the strict code of conduct that reigns in Swampshire, her small English township--she is terrible at needlework, has no musical ability, and her artwork is so bad it frightens people....

The Tri-County Summer Solstice Celebration has come to town, and even among local artisans, athletes, and marching bands, Hannah attracts fans of her own while serving lip-smacking pink lemonade desserts. But the mood sours when a body turns up, leading revelers to wonder if the festivities mark both the longest day of the year and the deadliest. A retired professional MLB player has met a terrifying end and, considering the rumors swirling about...

Miracle Springs, North Carolina, is a place of healing. Strangers flock here hoping the natural hot springs, five-star cuisine, and renowned spa can cure their ills. If none of that works, they often find their way to Miracle Books, where, over a fresh-baked "comfort" scone from the Gingerbread House bakery, they exchange their stories with owner Nora Pennington in return for a carefully chosen book. That's Nora's special talent--prescribing the perfect...

"It has been an eventful morning for Agnes Sharp and the other inhabitants of Sunset Hall, a communal home for the old and unruly in the sleepy English countryside. Although they have had their share of issues (misplaced reading glasses, conflicting culinary tastes, mobility issues, and unruly grandsons), nothing prepares them for an unexpected visit from a police officer with some shocking news. The body of one of their neighbors was discovered earlier...

"Preparations are underway for Lake Eden, Minnesota's annual Winter Carnival--and Hannah Swensen is set to bake up a storm at her popular shop, The Cookie Jar. Too bad the honor of creating the official Winter Carnival cake went to famous lifestyle maven Connie Mac--a half-baked idea, in Hannah's opinion. She suspects Connie Mac is a lot like the confections she whips up on her cable TV cooking show--sweet, light, and scrumptious-looking, but likely...

Throwing herself into the holiday season in the aftermath of her husband Ross' disappearance, Hannah Swensen investigates the murder of her husband's television-station assistant, who had been driving Ross' car and working from his office at the time of his death. Hannah has felt as bitter as November in Minnesota since Ross vanished without a trace and left their marriage in limbo. Still, she throws herself into a baking frenzy for the sake of pumpkin...

Hannah has excellent reasons to despise the caddish Bradford Ramsey, as do many other women. Nevertheless, she'd rather not expose her youthful indiscretions, especially to her policeman beau. Hannah is very busy with the mayor's wife Lake Eden, Minn. charity event at which Ramsey is host. So what should she say when she stumbles upon his murdered corpse?