Adele Gossling Mysteries Series

Can a forward-thinking woman help the police solve a murder in a backward-thinking town?   California, 1903: Smart, inquisitive, and a firm believer in the new progressive reforms, Adele Gossling seeks a new life after the devastating death of her father. She flees San Francisco for the small town of Arrojo, planning a life of peace and small pleasures with nothing more exciting than selling fountain pens to the locals in her stationery shop and partaking in the town's favorite pastime: gossip.   Peace is exactly what she doesn't get when she discovers her neighbor's dead body in her gazebo. The police think they have a firm suspect: the young man who was secretly engaged to the victim. But Adele and her clairvoyant new friend Nin Branch are sure he's innocent. In spite of the raised eyebrows from Arrojo's Victorian-minded citizens, they set out to prove the young man didn't do it. But if he didn't, who did?   Can Adele and Nin solve this puzzling case involving a striped carnation, a diamond ring, a note, a muddy pair of boots, and a broken promise?   If you love smart, intricate whodunits in the spirit of Agatha Christie, Anna Katharine Green, and Dorothy L. Sayers, you'll love this series featuring a sassy woman sleuthing her way through one of America's most explosive eras.   Fans of Lee Strauss, Rosie Hunt, Sonia Parin, and R. A. Wallace will love these books too!   Pick up your copy of The Carnation Murder for a fun, absorbing mystery set in Northern California at the turn of the 20th century.   What reviewers are saying: "Really well paced and researched appropriately for the era." "The story comes alive." "Great new series, the time period details are interesting and the mystery intriguing." ~~~ Don't forget to check out the other books in the Adele Gossling Mysteries!

Is the death of a schoolteacher suicide or something more sinister?   Adele Gossling is adjusting well to small-town life after the hustle and bustle of San Francisco. Despite her progressive ideas about women and her unladylike business acumen, even Arrojo's most prominent citizens are beginning to accept her. Provided she sticks with the business of fountain pens and letter paper and stays out of crime investigation, that is…   But that's just what she can't do when Millie Gibb, the new teacher at the local girl's school, is found dead and everybody in town assumes the homely, unmarried spinster committed suicide. After all, what enemies could a harmless, middle-aged woman have?   Adele and her clairvoyant friend Nin intend to find out. But can they prove Millie's death was foul play based on a cigar stub, a letter fragment, and a cigarette lighter before the case is closed for good?   You'll love this turn-of-the-century whodunit where a sassy and smart New Woman gives the police a run for their money!   What reviewers are saying: "The characters are true to life, and the early methods used in criminal detection are fun to read." "Characters are well written."   Fans of Lee Strauss, Rosie Hunt, Sonia Parin, and R. A. Wallace will love these books too! ~~~ Don't forget to check out the other books in the Adele Gossling Mysteries!

Can Adele Gossling prove a son didn't kill his mother?   Teddy Roosevelt is running for president and even Arrojo can't deny progressive reforms are here to stay. Rebecca Gold, one of the era's New Women, chooses just this time to set up her own law practice in Arrojo and lands the affluent Thea Marsh as her first client.   When Thea dies unexpectedly, the trail of suspects leads to her own family. The beloved and favored eldest son, Theo, is accused of the crime. Could such a placid man really be guilty of matricide?   The police think so. So Rebecca turns to her new friend in town: businesswoman and fellow suffragist Adele Gossling. Adele has already proven herself to be adept at helping the local police solve crimes, much to the shock and chagrin of the town's conservative citizens. Despite promises never to involve herself in crime detection again, how can she refuse a friend in need?   Will Adele make a case against Theo's guilt for the police out of a stained teacup, a fountain pen nib, ashes that should have been in the fireplace, and daisies that should have been fresh? Or will Theo go to the gallows and the real murderer escape justice?   Find out in this third installment of the Adele Gossling Mysteries, the compelling early 20th century series spearheaded by Adele Gossling and her spiritual sidekick, Nin Branch, as they set out to prove women can be crime busters too!   What reviewers are saying: "Entertaining page-turner!" "Intrigue that will draw you in and make you want more."   Fans of Lee Strauss, Rosie Hunt, Sonia Parin, and R. A. Wallace will love these books too! ~~~ Don't forget to check out the other books in the Adele Gossling Mysteries!

Will a thief ruin Labor Day for the whole town of Arrojo?   For Adele Gossling, Labor Day is about giving voice to progressive reforms such as the eight-hour work day and minimum wage for women. But for business owners in Arrojo, California, Labor Day is about making money. City slickers flock to the country seeking holiday deals they can't get in San Francisco or Sacramento. What better way to celebrate than with bargains and the community picnic?   What they don't know is there's a thief in town. He's already succeeded in getting away with burglarizing business owners in neighboring cities, and the county police can't seem to get their hands on him.   Who is stealing gold trinkets from the shops in Arrojo, California? Is it the dandified Mr. Lyman? The town's junk collector and pariah, Zephyr Brown? or is it someone or something beyond their wildest imagination?   Follow the adventures of epistolary expert and suffragist Adele Gossling and her aura-seeing friend Nin Branch as they embark on an adventure to catch a thief and his unique accomplice.   Pick up this fourth book of the mysteries reviewers have praised as a "great new series" where "characters come alive". ~~~ Don't forget to check out the other books in the Adele Gossling Mysteries!

Can Adele Gossling find out who killed the daring young man on the flying trapeze when the circus comes to town?   In 1905, the Barry Circus makes its way to Arrojo, an event filled with chills, thrills, and enchantment. The whole town is buzzing with excitement to see Julius Rowe, the "daring young man on the flying trapeze". To the crowds, he's the handsome and dashing star of the show. To his fellow performers, he's arrogant, demanding, and a little too ruthless. But who cares, as long as the crowds can't get enough of him?   Then on opening night, the unthinkable happens — Julius misses that third somersault and falls into the net, instantly killed.   The police are baffled. Was it an accident? Was it murder? And if it was murder, who did it? Was it the husband of Julius' latest conquest or the lady herself, proving that a woman scorned can be a dangerous thing? Or was it one of the other performers for reasons of his or her own? It's up to Adele Gossling and her friend Nin Branch to help when the circus closes ranks against the police.   Join one of the early 20th century's clever sleuths and her clairvoyant sidekick as they follow the trail of a lost scarf, a serrated knife, and misguided ambition. Read the next installment of this 1900s series reviewers are calling "fun", "well-paced", and "entertaining". ~~~ Don't forget to check out the other books in the Adele Gossling Mysteries!

A lady's maid is getting too big for her britches. But does that justify murder?   Everyone agreed: Arabella Parnell thought far too highly of herself. She worked her way up from scullery maid to lady's maid for one of Arrojo's finest families and personal friends of the mayor. She wrote letters to her former employer as if they were comrades. She flirted with some of the most prominent young men in the county.   So the Arrojo police were hardly surprised when they find her dead among the shrubbery in a wealthy bachelor's conservatory.   And yet, amateur sleuth and suffragist Adele Gossling can't help but wonder: Who was Arabella Parnell? Was she just a servant with arrogant manners and too much self-assurance? Or was she the victim of the pride and passions of powerful men, one of whom did her in? With only a hair comb, a broach, and a candlestick to go on, can Adele solve this case?   Read how Adele and her psychic friend Nin unravel a shocking and twisted case inspired by a real-life early 20th-century unsolved crime!   Enjoy the sixth book of this series featuring the sleuth with, as one reviewer puts it, "a wonderful mixture of sassiness and sensitivity." ~~~ Don't forget to check out the other books in the Adele Gossling Mysteries!