Death in chintz: book one
Book one in the Rhiannon Nolan cozy mystery
series
Rhi Nolan, a newly widowed mother of three teenagers, has just
moved to La Follette County, but already she has her hands full. Her new law
practice isn’t going as well as she thought it would and the town is full of
quirky characters who seem overly interested in her past. There is a nosy
policeman following her around town giving her tickets, her teenagers are
rebelling, and the local Lothario has just dropped dead in her best friend
Didi’s living room. There seems to be a plethora of blonde suspects, none of
them friendly. And when Rhi investigates, she becomes embroiled in a game of cat
and mouse with a madman. No wonder she wants to escape New Belgium, “Where folks are happy and life is heavenly.”
This is the first in a series of cozy mysteries set in the mythical little town of
New Belgium, La Follette County, Wisconsin
series
Rhi Nolan, a newly widowed mother of three teenagers, has just
moved to La Follette County, but already she has her hands full. Her new law
practice isn’t going as well as she thought it would and the town is full of
quirky characters who seem overly interested in her past. There is a nosy
policeman following her around town giving her tickets, her teenagers are
rebelling, and the local Lothario has just dropped dead in her best friend
Didi’s living room. There seems to be a plethora of blonde suspects, none of
them friendly. And when Rhi investigates, she becomes embroiled in a game of cat
and mouse with a madman. No wonder she wants to escape New Belgium, “Where folks are happy and life is heavenly.”
This is the first in a series of cozy mysteries set in the mythical little town of
New Belgium, La Follette County, Wisconsin
death in blue velvet: the second book
High heels can be murder, but it takes a devil of a
criminal to use them to commit the ultimate crime. Rhiannon goes retro, with
midnight blue punk rock hair, sixties style makeup, and sporting a black
leather jacket, as she plunges into the fifties and sixties world of Valerie
Cooper, the sweet spinster who teaches Home Ec at New Belgium Public High
School. Valerie has ignited an old romance with her high school boyfriend,
Skip, the aging Romeo of LaFollette County. But old passions give rise to new
jealousies, rivalries, and murder. Join Rhi, Valerie “Coop” Cooper, Skip,
Scooter and Babs O’Reilly, Melanie, Mugs Malone of Mizzen, and all the
entertaining characters of New Belgium as Rhi rocks from one adventure to
another to solve the crime. Her best friend Didi Spencer lends moral support as
Rhi sets out to untangle the snarled threads of a story which began forty years
ago. At first glance, the quaint little village on the edge of Lake Michigan
might look like a Norman Rockwell painting, but beneath the surface, evil is
bubbling. Who is it that pushes Rhi off the cliff at Piney Point? Who tries to
run her over, blow her away with a shotgun, and stalks her from one end of the
county to the other? Rhi is thrown down a flight of stairs, slashed with a
knife, and beat up in a cat fight, but no one and nothing keeps Rhiannon Nolan
from discovering the truth. There is more than one villain after Rhi, and
several inappropriate men have her in their sights. Almost as disturbing is the
fact that Rhi’s daughter Tabby starts dating, and she rebels in punk rock style
as only Tabby can. Rhi’s college age son Matt and daughter Jennifer join Tabby
in causing Rhi some sleepless nights. And while the widowed Rhi still yearns
for her husband Mick, Stanley Keefer suddenly declares his love. No wonder Rhi
wants Tabby to play her favorite Ramones song, “I Wanna Be Sedated.” This walk
down memory lane turns out to be anything but boring.
criminal to use them to commit the ultimate crime. Rhiannon goes retro, with
midnight blue punk rock hair, sixties style makeup, and sporting a black
leather jacket, as she plunges into the fifties and sixties world of Valerie
Cooper, the sweet spinster who teaches Home Ec at New Belgium Public High
School. Valerie has ignited an old romance with her high school boyfriend,
Skip, the aging Romeo of LaFollette County. But old passions give rise to new
jealousies, rivalries, and murder. Join Rhi, Valerie “Coop” Cooper, Skip,
Scooter and Babs O’Reilly, Melanie, Mugs Malone of Mizzen, and all the
entertaining characters of New Belgium as Rhi rocks from one adventure to
another to solve the crime. Her best friend Didi Spencer lends moral support as
Rhi sets out to untangle the snarled threads of a story which began forty years
ago. At first glance, the quaint little village on the edge of Lake Michigan
might look like a Norman Rockwell painting, but beneath the surface, evil is
bubbling. Who is it that pushes Rhi off the cliff at Piney Point? Who tries to
run her over, blow her away with a shotgun, and stalks her from one end of the
county to the other? Rhi is thrown down a flight of stairs, slashed with a
knife, and beat up in a cat fight, but no one and nothing keeps Rhiannon Nolan
from discovering the truth. There is more than one villain after Rhi, and
several inappropriate men have her in their sights. Almost as disturbing is the
fact that Rhi’s daughter Tabby starts dating, and she rebels in punk rock style
as only Tabby can. Rhi’s college age son Matt and daughter Jennifer join Tabby
in causing Rhi some sleepless nights. And while the widowed Rhi still yearns
for her husband Mick, Stanley Keefer suddenly declares his love. No wonder Rhi
wants Tabby to play her favorite Ramones song, “I Wanna Be Sedated.” This walk
down memory lane turns out to be anything but boring.
Death in Starched White: the third book
Hold onto your cheddar. It’s another crazy romp through Cheese Head land for
Rhiannon Nolan of New Belgium, La Follette County, where folks are happy and
life is heavenly. Someone is killing off the patients at Eldermanse, but what
is the motive? If only attorney and amateur sleuth Rhiannon Nolan can connect
the dots and find her way to identifying the murderer through a maze of red
herrings, false clues, and distracting occurrences. Her secretary Eunice and
Eunice’s book selling sisters Fayne and Maida are on the case. Dr. Chad, Dr.
“Mac” Macdonald, Nurse Bertha MacGregor, Nurse “Waspy” Waspworthy, and the
strange, melancholy Dr. Lesperance make up the very questionable leadership at
the home for the elderly. Mr. Peebles, Crazy John, wizened Sister George, weird
Wayne the janitor, mousy Nurse Mary, and retro twins Julia and Pam add spice to
the mix. Rhiannon, whom her daughter Tabby calls “the rebel punk rock mom of
the universe,” soldiers on, tenaciously refusing to give up. A series of
seemingly natural deaths and accidents prove to be anything but normal as Rhi
digs deeper into the case. Rhiannon adopts a disguise as Nanny Boyle and goes undercover at Eldermanse to ferret out a clever criminal. But will she solve the puzzle before she becomes the next victim? Rhi’s best friend Didi’s hilarious attempts at writing a romance novel and getting Rhi to go on a date provide comic relief, while Rhi’s flashback daydreams of her dead husband Mick lend a hint of nostalgia. Join Rhi and the endearing, eccentric
characters of New Belgium for another wild romp through this cozy mystery, delivered cheese
head style and served up with an edge. Rock on, Rhi!
Rhiannon Nolan of New Belgium, La Follette County, where folks are happy and
life is heavenly. Someone is killing off the patients at Eldermanse, but what
is the motive? If only attorney and amateur sleuth Rhiannon Nolan can connect
the dots and find her way to identifying the murderer through a maze of red
herrings, false clues, and distracting occurrences. Her secretary Eunice and
Eunice’s book selling sisters Fayne and Maida are on the case. Dr. Chad, Dr.
“Mac” Macdonald, Nurse Bertha MacGregor, Nurse “Waspy” Waspworthy, and the
strange, melancholy Dr. Lesperance make up the very questionable leadership at
the home for the elderly. Mr. Peebles, Crazy John, wizened Sister George, weird
Wayne the janitor, mousy Nurse Mary, and retro twins Julia and Pam add spice to
the mix. Rhiannon, whom her daughter Tabby calls “the rebel punk rock mom of
the universe,” soldiers on, tenaciously refusing to give up. A series of
seemingly natural deaths and accidents prove to be anything but normal as Rhi
digs deeper into the case. Rhiannon adopts a disguise as Nanny Boyle and goes undercover at Eldermanse to ferret out a clever criminal. But will she solve the puzzle before she becomes the next victim? Rhi’s best friend Didi’s hilarious attempts at writing a romance novel and getting Rhi to go on a date provide comic relief, while Rhi’s flashback daydreams of her dead husband Mick lend a hint of nostalgia. Join Rhi and the endearing, eccentric
characters of New Belgium for another wild romp through this cozy mystery, delivered cheese
head style and served up with an edge. Rock on, Rhi!
death in a bad habit: the fourth book
In this, her fourth outing, Rhiannon finds an enigmatic puzzle and many challenges on all sides, and her resilient nature is put to the test once again. We find Rhi deep in dilemma, and she will have to call on all her retro, rockin’, resourceful, rad spirit to find her way to the solution. She and her best friend Didi Spencer are accused of
burglary. Her daughter Tabby has painted all the windows in the house in trompe l’oeil murals that she calls “altered states of reality.” A whole convent full of nuns considers Rhi a personal enemy. There are a few terminally annoying criminals trying to kill her. Hairy Mary and Mr. Pavalik are as endearingly goofy as ever. Sgt. LeCaptain seems more than ever determined to invent new reasons for giving Rhi tickets, and the old crones of the village have a lot to say about her retro Dusty
Springfield hairdo, among other things. And then there is the little problem of
a missing set of beautiful twenty year old identical twins who may be mixed up
in something a lot more serious than fashion dilemmas. One has run away from the
convent, one has gone missing from rehab, and both of them are running around
with the wrong boy. Talk about bad habits! Rhiannon goes undercover once again, this time as a nun, to solve the puzzle.
The twins’ wealthy, dysfunctional family resists helping Rhi ferret out the truth about their disappearance.
Brother Hayden has gone around the bend. Daddy Lionel has marked Rhi as one of his sexual conquests. Mommy Sylvan can’t be bothered about anything other than her bank account, and sister Bunty cares more about her shoes than her missing sisters. A genteel burglar, a kleptomaniac nun, the Mother Superior with the arctic blast of a personality, and a former stripper who likes to break things on unsuspecting heads complete the cast of characters.
Rhi’s enemies play her false, lie to her, deceive and frighten her, threaten her, and attempt to kill her. She has
the worst hairdresser in cheese head land, has trouble sticking to a diet, and a boyfriend who finds it difficult to articulate his feelings. And if he did manage to communicate his undying admiration, would his eighty year old mother
let him go out on a date? Rhi is also being chased by a few inappropriate men. Is there any other kind for Rhiannon? Her children are in a state of rebellion, her home in need of constant repair, and her finances, as well as her wardrobe, are in disarray. Will she rise to the occasion? Of course she will. She is not your average soccer mom! Rock on, Rhi!
burglary. Her daughter Tabby has painted all the windows in the house in trompe l’oeil murals that she calls “altered states of reality.” A whole convent full of nuns considers Rhi a personal enemy. There are a few terminally annoying criminals trying to kill her. Hairy Mary and Mr. Pavalik are as endearingly goofy as ever. Sgt. LeCaptain seems more than ever determined to invent new reasons for giving Rhi tickets, and the old crones of the village have a lot to say about her retro Dusty
Springfield hairdo, among other things. And then there is the little problem of
a missing set of beautiful twenty year old identical twins who may be mixed up
in something a lot more serious than fashion dilemmas. One has run away from the
convent, one has gone missing from rehab, and both of them are running around
with the wrong boy. Talk about bad habits! Rhiannon goes undercover once again, this time as a nun, to solve the puzzle.
The twins’ wealthy, dysfunctional family resists helping Rhi ferret out the truth about their disappearance.
Brother Hayden has gone around the bend. Daddy Lionel has marked Rhi as one of his sexual conquests. Mommy Sylvan can’t be bothered about anything other than her bank account, and sister Bunty cares more about her shoes than her missing sisters. A genteel burglar, a kleptomaniac nun, the Mother Superior with the arctic blast of a personality, and a former stripper who likes to break things on unsuspecting heads complete the cast of characters.
Rhi’s enemies play her false, lie to her, deceive and frighten her, threaten her, and attempt to kill her. She has
the worst hairdresser in cheese head land, has trouble sticking to a diet, and a boyfriend who finds it difficult to articulate his feelings. And if he did manage to communicate his undying admiration, would his eighty year old mother
let him go out on a date? Rhi is also being chased by a few inappropriate men. Is there any other kind for Rhiannon? Her children are in a state of rebellion, her home in need of constant repair, and her finances, as well as her wardrobe, are in disarray. Will she rise to the occasion? Of course she will. She is not your average soccer mom! Rock on, Rhi!
death in holly and ivy: a Christmas mystery/fifth book
In this, Rhiannon Nolan’s fifth adventure in the Rhiannon Nolan cozy
mystery series, Rhiannon once again finds herself in the middle of a dilemma.
New Belgium, LaFollette County, Wisconsin, has embraced a famous romance author and found a viper as well. When the egotistical aging Romeo, Charles Pearce Hamilton, becomes the victim, Rhi becomes the sleuth. Whodunit? The suspects include Rhi’s own boyfriend Stan, Charles’s clinging girlfriend, the Clark Kent look-alike male secretary, a mad scientist who reminds Rhi of Einstein on
steroids, an English baronet, and a disturbed illegitimate son. One of Rhi’s
ex-boyfriends makes an appearance and almost steals her heart away. But are his
motives honorable, or is he a bigger villain than Rhiannon once accused him of
being? Why is everyone in town writing a romance novel? Will Didi finally
complete her romance novel and get it published? What is Rhi doing impersonating
a maid? Sergeant LeCaptain, the village policeman, the old crones of the town,
and Hairy Mary, everyone’s favorite hirsute cheese head, provide comic relief as
Rhi braves the icy cold of a Wisconsin winter and skates on thin ice to track down the murderer. Will Rhi succeed in time to get to church on Christmas Day? And why is Stan acting so nervous? Find out in this seasonal holiday adventure filled with holly and ivy, a little mistletoe, a choir of angelic voices, and one devilish villain.
mystery series, Rhiannon once again finds herself in the middle of a dilemma.
New Belgium, LaFollette County, Wisconsin, has embraced a famous romance author and found a viper as well. When the egotistical aging Romeo, Charles Pearce Hamilton, becomes the victim, Rhi becomes the sleuth. Whodunit? The suspects include Rhi’s own boyfriend Stan, Charles’s clinging girlfriend, the Clark Kent look-alike male secretary, a mad scientist who reminds Rhi of Einstein on
steroids, an English baronet, and a disturbed illegitimate son. One of Rhi’s
ex-boyfriends makes an appearance and almost steals her heart away. But are his
motives honorable, or is he a bigger villain than Rhiannon once accused him of
being? Why is everyone in town writing a romance novel? Will Didi finally
complete her romance novel and get it published? What is Rhi doing impersonating
a maid? Sergeant LeCaptain, the village policeman, the old crones of the town,
and Hairy Mary, everyone’s favorite hirsute cheese head, provide comic relief as
Rhi braves the icy cold of a Wisconsin winter and skates on thin ice to track down the murderer. Will Rhi succeed in time to get to church on Christmas Day? And why is Stan acting so nervous? Find out in this seasonal holiday adventure filled with holly and ivy, a little mistletoe, a choir of angelic voices, and one devilish villain.
death in a union jack: the sixth book
Welcome to Rhiannon Nolan’s sixth adventure in the Rhiannon Nolan cozy mystery series. Rhiannon finds herself on vacation with her best friend Didi in a haunted
castle just outside the village of Upper Bramble Cross on the edge of the wild
moors of Yorkshire, England. Rhi feels that she has been plunked down in the
middle of Wuthering Heights and Heathcliff can’t be far off. Didi’s friend Baronet Charles Huntington Goreplays host to his family; a cast of eccentric characters, chief of whom is his ghostly ancestor Dudley, “the old clanker.” But in this particular family, the dead are far less dangerous than the living. One member of the family is bent on murder, and when one of Charles’s villainous nephews turns up dead, wrapped in the Union Jack flag, Rhiannon once again goes sleuthing. With the help of her Irish cousin Mickey O’Hara, the ghost of her husband Mick Nolan, Charles’s
niece Cynthia, and the dishy Scotland Yard Inspector Leon Trill, Rhianon seeks
to bring a killer to justice. Rhi misses her own family back home in New Belgium as she braves Charles’s ghoulish relatives, haunted hallways, family ghosts, surly servants, secret passages, lonely windswept moors reminiscent of Jane Eyre, and the vagaries of human nature to find the murderer. Can she do all this and still make it home in time to marry Stan on October 22nd? Once again, Rhiannon rises to the challenge in Death in a Union Jack.
Death in the Stacks: the Seventh Book
The latest book in the series is a mystery set in the village library. It involves a Victorian era spinster ghost, a master jewel thief, some transplanted Chicago mobsters, a poisonous modern day Lucretia Borgia, and a whole village full of eccentric, endearing characters. And there is also one dead body found by Rhiannon and Didi in the "morgue" at the old Carnegie library, under the shelf of discarded books of true crime. Going undercover as a glitzy mob moll grandma, and then as a "yooper" who resembles Rhi's idea of Betty Crocker's northern Wisconsin mom, Rhi starts to uncover the truth. Once again, she overcomes one hilarious stumbling block after another, as well as some truly terrifying predicaments, to arrive at the inevitable truth, so that justice can be served and the village brought back to a state of peaceful equilibrium. The calendar is very early spring, a time of year we have not yet explored in the Rhiannon Nolan books. And as everyone knows, March can be surprising, deceptive, and mercurial, rather like Rhiannon herself! Assisted by her best friend Didi, once again, Rhiannon rises to the challenge in Death in the Stacks.
Death in a Pink Cadillac: the Door County Special, the Eighth Book
The humor ramps up when Rhi and Didi, the Lucy and Ethel of crime fighters, crash a Supreme Cosmetics workshop while on vacation in Door County. Supreme Cosmetics is owned by Fantastic (Frantastic) Fran, President and resident Valkyrie in charge. The "I'm fabulous" diva of her own cosmetics empire is hated by many, and when Frantastic Fran ends up dead in her pink Cadillac, dead from her big hair extensions to the tips of her pink soled Manolo Blahniks, the dynamic duo of Rhi and Didi go to work to solve the crime. Of course, there are multiple suspects to choose from. Is the murderer Fran's jealous ex, her high school frenemy, her current toy boy, her much put upon assistant, her marketer with the deep dark secret, or one of the attendees of her workshop with an ancient ax to grind? Rhi and Didi go on a cheese head adventure spree in the country to ferret out the killer. Along the way, they encounter the meanest pig in history, a bewigged bi-polar and gender bender of a madman, a few twisted vengeful psychos, a Russian mob retiree boss, and a lot of general mayhem. Rhi dons a Marlene Dietrich look alike costume and disguises herself as a mob moll, takes a fall off a cliff into Lake Michigan, and ends up in the confessional seeking sanctuary in the Catholic Church. All in all, it's a wild ride and another great adventure for Rhi and Didi, at large and lovable as ever.