The Hilary Quayle Mysteries Series

Hilary takes on a pair of mysteries—one fictional, and one all too real In college, Hilary Quayle dreamed of the stage, and playing all the great leading ladies that Shakespeare had to offer. But her interest was due less to the Bard than to another man: director, actor, and theatrical personality Michael Godwin. And though she got her wish, she found that acting onstage and romancing backstage did not add up to happiness. A decade past college, she’s now a publicity wizard and occasional sleuth, but still nursing enough of a schoolgirl crush to help Michael Godwin when he calls. The director is in New York to stage a spectacular, arena-sized Macbeth, one that will answer the centuries-old question: Who is the mysterious third murderer who appears in Act III? When accidents begin to plague the production, Godwin and his company chalk it up to the play’s curse. But when a real murderer enters the scene, only Hilary Quayle can guarantee a happy ending.

In a famous Nashville family, a deadly feud is as much a tradition as country music Hilary Quayle has never done public relations for a country-western client, but Amanda Boulder’s songwriting is beautiful, her voice is pure, and her career is in bad need of a good publicist. But there’s one thing standing in the way of a great solo career: the rest of the Boulder family. The Boulders have been touring for eight decades, ever since old Pappy Boulder first picked up a fiddle. Hilary sends her assistant, Gene, to join up with the traveling Boulder Clan bluegrass musicians as they make their way to Nashville and the Grand Ole Opry. But before Amanda’s budding solo career can put an end to the family business, someone decides to put an end to her. She’s onstage at the Opry when the poison hits. And when Hilary Quayle gets to Nashville, she’ll learn that Southern hospitality and murder can go hand-in-hand.  

The worst comic in New York is dead, and Hilary wants to know who gave him the hook The Sons of the Desert are serious about comedy, fond of cocktails, and utterly devoted to the films of Laurel and Hardy. Their meetings are always merry, boozy romps, but the laughter dies whenever Wayne Poe takes the stage. A comic with bad timing, bad material, and a mean streak, he’s known for stealing jokes and getting nasty when they bomb—which is just about every time he steps into the spotlight. Wayne has been murdering comedy for years, and now someone has decided to return the favor. Press agent and occasional sleuth Hilary Quayle is at her first meeting of the Sons of the Desert, accompanied by her assistant, Gene, when Wayne unexpectedly takes his final bow. And while Hilary may not know much about Laurel and Hardy, only she has the wit to unmask the club member who’s looking to get the last laugh.

New York’s toughest PR woman takes on the city’s deadliest business: toys Hilary Quayle will do anything to get a client a bit of good press—no matter how late she has to stay out or how many martinis she has to knock back. But even though she is the best PR woman in Manhattan, she has a weakness: She has always wanted to be a detective. So when Trim-Tram Toys’ hot new product is stolen and sold to a knock-off huckster named Sid Goetz, Hilary can’t resist the case. And it only gets more interesting when the theft leads to murder. Hilary and her assistant, Gene, push their way through the crowd at the bustling Toy Fair, but when they reach Goetz’s showroom they find it strangely subdued. Sid lies dead, shot in his sizeable stomach, three Scrabble tiles clutched in his fist. Chasing killers may not be a game, but that doesn’t mean that Hilary won’t have a good time playing.  

When a television writer takes a tumble, Hilary finds herself amidst the drama PR whiz Hilary Quayle not only fired her assistant, Gene, she also broke up with him on the same day. And since the implosion of their office romance, Gene has been stuck in Philadelphia, consoling himself with Riverday, a soap opera most notable for its star’s uncanny resemblance to his former boss. But one gray Pennsylvania day, he goes to the local shopping center, where his daytime idol is signing autographs. There he learns the star is Hilary’s cousin, and she has hired his beloved as her press agent. He is just beginning to woo his way back into his old job when murder intervenes. In a plot twist suitable for the world of soaps, Riverday’shead writer takes a stark-naked swan dive off the roof of the TV studio. To protect her cousin, Hilary investigates the killing with Gene, as always, at her side. Determined to Hilary her back, Gene will stop at nothing—so long as he doesn’t find himself written out of the series.