The Circus of Unusual Creatures Series

It's not every day you meet an amateur sleuth… with fangs. Like any traveling circus, Zin's Circus of Unusual Creatures has hair-raising acts and fried food on sticks.  But it's also got an aura-spotting centaur, a chain-smoking unicorn, and an omelet-addicted dragon. Oh, and a body in the center ring. After far too many buckets of wine, Duncan -- aka "Brutus Fangwrath, Deadliest Dragon in the West" -- wakes one morning to find his best friend Porter Kohl isn't just sleeping off a hangover. He's been murdered. Suspicion for the crime quickly turns to the circus's new hire, Cordelia Quinn. After all, she desperately wanted Porter's job and she's got loads of circumstantial evidence stacked against her. But Duncan's not so sure.  When it looks like Cordelia's murderous fate is sealed, that she might be sent off to the Pits, and that no one else is willing to uncover the truth, it's up to Duncan to ponder the puzzling clues, prove Cordelia's innocence, and pry open a troubling secret along the way. As soon as he's done with his omelet, that is. If you like comic fantasy whodunnits that combine laughs with murderous mayhem and mythical beasts, you'll love Hoard It All Before, the first of The Circus of Unusual Creatures Mysteries!   * * *   Set in a 1930s that's just a tad different than what you're used to, The Circus of Unusual Creatures is a delightfully humorous cozy fantasy series that features a detecting dragon, an aura-spotting centaur, a chain-smoking unicorn, and plenty of other quirky characters getting into all kinds of trouble as they stumble their way through clues, crimes, and perfectly cooked omelets. If you like comic fantasy whodunnits you'll love, not only this silly story, but also the other books currently in the series: Tipping the Scales, Fangs a Million, Beast or Famine, and Too Claws for Comfort. What readers are saying... "Very funny and laughs out loud will be heard when reading it…this was so good l read it in one sitting couldn't put it down!"   "What a truly FUN, lighthearted read, full of fantastical and lovable characters!"   "I loved the humour… I loved the way the story was written. The characters are very believable, and the way the mystery unravels is very well crafted…"   Story Note: While these lighthearted stories are mostly clean, the do have a lusty, chain-smoking unicorn who makes more than a few naughty innuendos, a dragon who drinks, a tiny bit of mild swearing, and (obviously) there's a murder or two along the way.

Mix furious dwarves, spoiled iguanas, and a unicorn trying to steal the spotlight, and you've got the perfect recipe for deadly trouble. "…a charming tale of dragons, deception, and dastardly deeds, and I loved every minute of it." "…an excellent read…[a] hilarious series" "Once I started reading it, I couldn't put it down…it was that good!" "Light and fanciful with a darn good mystery woven in. What fun!"   If you like comic fantasy whodunnits that combine murderous mayhem and mythical beasts, you'll love this second installment of the Circus of Unusual Creatures Mysteries.   When his circus arrives in Salem, the satyr Zin has his hooves crossed that all will go off without a hitch. Finances are tight, but when the vivacious Ella Penn shows up looking for work, well, you can't say no to vivaciousness, can you?   Ella quickly raises the hackles of the Dumble Dwarves, the Flying Flynns, and even the peace-loving centaur Flora. So when Ella's pet iguana turns up dead, it's assumed the murder was an act of revenge.   Eager to try his claws at investigating again, Duncan, self-appointed detecting dragon, is on the case faster than you can say 'omelet'.   Trouble is, everyone has an alibi. Everyone, that is, except Ella's ex-boyfriend, who seems to have the perfect motive…a broken heart. And it isn't long after he arrives that the body count climbs and Duncan finds himself with more clues than he can handle.   In this second book of the humorous cozy fantasy series that combines mythical beasts with murderous mayhem, tempers are sizzling, the clues are confounding, and the twists have nothing do with the Flying Flynns' trapeze act.   Don't miss the show. Grab your front row seat for Tipping the Scales today.   IT'S NOT EVERY DAY YOU MEET AN AMATEUR SLEUTH WITH FANGS.

HEY EVERYONE, CORDELIA HERE. Duncan (aka "Deadliest Dragon in the West") has finally finished typing up the third sleuthing adventure he got us tangled up in. It's the one that involves booze smuggling, dragon matchmaking, too much lemonade, and a unicorn having a very bad hair day. I'm not sure about Duncan calling it a "masterpiece of mystery," but trust me, it's a good one. Especially when that unicorn has a wardrobe malfunction and Duncan becomes a victim of his own matchmaking. Of course, things aren't all fun and games at Zin's Circus of Unusual Creatures. We've got some pesky trainees driving us all batty, a police raid that threatens to shut the show down permanently, and, yes, a couple of confounding murders to solve. Now, while I go see what Pepper's cooking up in the Cantina, why not make a dragon's day by grabbing your own copy of Fangs a Million? If you like humorous whodunnits that mix in laughs with murderous mayhem and mythical beasts, you'll love, not only this silly story, but also the other books in the series: Hoard It All Before, Tipping the Scales, Beast or Famine, and Too Claws for Comfort. ~ ~ ~ Set in a 1930s that's just a tad different than what you're used to, The Circus of Unusual Creatures is a delightfully humorous cozy mystery series that features a detecting dragon, an aura-spotting centaur, a chain-smoking unicorn, and plenty of other quirky characters getting into all kinds of trouble as they stumble their way through clues, crimes, and perfectly cooked omelets. Story Note: While this cozy mystery is mostly clean, it does have a lusty, chain-smoking unicorn who makes more than a few naughty innuendos, a dragon who drinks, a tiny bit of mild swearing, and (obviously) there's a murder or two along the way. While it can be read as a stand alone, Fangs a Million is best enjoyed after reading Hoard it All Before and Tipping the Scales   IT'S NOT EVERY DAY YOU MEET AN AMATEUR SLEUTH WITH FANGS. "…a charming tale of dragons, deception, and dastardly deeds, and I loved every minute of it." "…an excellent read…[a] hilarious series" "Once I started reading it, I couldn't put it down…it was that good!" "Light and fanciful with a darn good mystery woven in. What fun!"  

A seaside eating contest. A cheating, song-stealing, all-around-no-good ex. And a chain-smoking unicorn doling out dating advice. What could possibly go wrong? It's time for the Seaside Family Fun Fair's annual eating contests, and Zin's Circus of Unusual Creatures has been invited to perform as the feature act. Right from the start, trouble is brewing. Trouble that, to everyone's surprise, has (almost) nothing to do with Fergus now referring to himself as The Love Guru. Besides foul moods over the weather, the decrepit state of the fun fair, and the sand wedging itself, well, everywhere, tempers truly flare when Molly's ex-husband, Albert, shows up for the competition. Albert has a bad track record. He's cheated in a previous eating contest, he's stolen Molly the Mini-taur's songs, and he's got an ogre-sized secret that could destroy the fun fair. So, the moment the competition turns deadly, Duncan — dragon and amateur sleuth — has a long list of people who wouldn't mind sending Albert six feet under. Problem is, two of Duncan's friends are the most likely suspects. Matters only get worse when Duncan discovers Zin has agreed to a partnership that's smellier than a sack of rotting fish heads. And with Pepper so busy prepping food for the contest, she's failed to keep up with Duncan's omelet needs. Seriously, no dragon should have to sleuth in these conditions. Can Duncan find the killer before they strike again? Will Zin lose his circus to this partnership? What relationship disasters will Fergus cause? And what is up with those ogres? Find out in Beast or Famine, the latest installment of The Circus of Unusual Creatures Mystery series. ~ ~ ~ Although it's the fourth book in the series, Beast or Famine is a great way to jump into Circus of Unusual Creatures Mysteries.  Set in a 1930s that's just a tad different than what you're used to, The Circus of Unusual Creatures is a delightfully humorous cozy mystery series that features a detecting dragon, an aura-spotting centaur, a chain-smoking unicorn, and plenty of other quirky characters getting into all kinds of trouble as they stumble their way through clues, crimes, and perfectly cooked omelets. If you like comic fantasy whodunnits that mix in laughs with murderous mayhem and mythical beasts, you'll love, not only this silly story, but also the first three books in the series: Hoard It All Before, Tipping the Scales, and Fangs a Million. Story Note: While this cozy fantasy mystery is mostly clean, it does have a lusty, chain-smoking unicorn who makes more than a few naughty innuendos, a dragon who drinks, a tiny bit of mild swearing, and (obviously) there's a murder or two along the way.

A crime boss with a secret A swoon-inducing thief A heist that leads to murder It might be the perfect case for Duncan, but he's really just in town for the omelets. Zin's Circus of Unusual Creatures is gearing up for a lengthy run in Chesterwood, a town run by the infamous crime boss, Rochester McCleary, aka "The Goblin King". No one knows why Rochester invited them to town, why he's letting them set up on a recently demolished city block for free, or why he keeps lurking around the circus grounds, but no one is stupid enough to ask McCleary to divulge his suspicious secrets. Meanwhile, Duncan's performances have been drastically cut, and he's bored off his scales. Bored, that is, until someone breaks into and empties Rochester's vault. The boredom is especially lifted when, soon after the heist, a body is found. The only trouble is that the most obvious suspects are a kind-hearted sculptor and Duncan's favorite omelet chef, Pepper. Although eager to take the case, Duncan is reluctant to tangle with The Goblin King. After all, he's pretty sure he'd look terrible in cement shoes. Can Duncan (along with his fellow amateur sleuths Boris and Cordelia) discover who the real culprit is before Rochester McCleary makes good on his threats? Can they uncover Chesterwood's secrets without ending up in pine boxes?  Or will they get too distracted by cute co-workers, skimpy outfits, "modern" dating advice, and a certain dragon's omelet goals to survive this confounding case? Find out in The Scales of Justice, the latest addition to the Circus of Unusual Creatures Mysteries — a cozy fantasy series that mixes in laughs with murderous mayhem and mythical beasts. * * * Although it's the sixth book in the series, The Scales of Justice is a great place to jump into the humor-filled mysteries of The Circus of Unusual Creatures series. Set in a 1930s that's just a tad different than what you're used to, The Circus of Unusual Creatures is a delightfully humorous cozy fantasy series that features a detecting dragon, an aura-spotting centaur, a chain-smoking unicorn, and plenty of other quirky characters getting into all kinds of trouble as they stumble their way through clues, crimes, and perfectly cooked omelets. If you like comic fantasy whodunits that combine laughs with murderous mayhem and mythical beasts you'll love, not only this silly story, but also the other five books in the series:Hoard It All Before, Tipping the Scales, Fangs a Million, Beast or Famine, and Too Claws for Comfort. Story Note: While this lighthearted, humorous series is mostly clean, it does have a lusty, chain-smoking unicorn who makes more than a few naughty innuendos, a dragon who drinks, a tiny bit of mild swearing, and (obviously) there's a murder or two along the way.

Duncan's back and the mysteries are piling up faster than empty bags of Dragon Delights! It's the Annual Unusual Circus Conference, and Duncan and the rest of Zin's troupe are in attendance. On the outskirts, of course, because Zin says it's cheaper that way. Duncan - dragon detective and omelet aficionado - is thrilled to be there, not only because it's his first time attending the overly commercial event but also because he's getting a chance to spend time with the lovely Viola. Only trouble is, Viola appears to prefer spending her time with a rather handsome dragon Duncan's never seen before. A situation that becomes even more worrisome when Viola turns up missing. But before Duncan (along with his fellow amateur sleuths Boris and Cordelia) can sift through the clues and rescue Viola from the dragon-napping clutches of Mr Handsome, they find themselves contending with… A satyr who's become obsessed with styling products A flurry of fortune tellers giving vague advice Transformational tea pots Wigs of unusual size And a unicorn who's discovered that accidentally getting married might be the last thing he ever does. Can Duncan, Cordelia, and Boris sort out everyone else's problems, bring Viola back, and survive several days of overt commercialism? Or will they get too distracted by omelets on sticks, buckets of donuts, and a new line of sparkly fedoras? Find out in Too Claws for Comfort, the latest addition to the Circus of Unusual Creatures Mysteries — a cozy fantasy series that mixes in laughs with murderous mayhem and mythical beasts. * * * Although it's the fifth book in the series, Too Claws for Comfort is a great place to jump into the humor-filled mysteries of The Circus of Unusual Creatures series.  Set in a 1930s that's just a tad different than what you're used to, The Circus of Unusual Creatures is a delightfully humorous cozy fantasy series that features a detecting dragon, an aura-spotting centaur, a chain-smoking unicorn, and plenty of other quirky characters getting into all kinds of trouble as they stumble their way through clues, crimes, and perfectly cooked omelets. If you like comic fantasy whodunnits you'll love, not only this silly story, but also the first four books in the series: Hoard It All Before, Tipping the Scales, Fangs a Million, and Beast or Famine.   Story Note: While this lighthearted series is mostly clean, it does have a lusty, chain-smoking unicorn who makes more than a few naughty innuendos, a dragon who drinks, a tiny bit of mild swearing, and (obviously) there's a murder or two along the way.