Magnolia Moonlight

June 27, 2016
Beth Kirby is an ex-cop turned PI with a past she’d like to forget, and training nerdy accountant Michael Preston is the last thing she wants to do. When their boss, Nate Price, goes on his honeymoon in Bay St. Louis Miss., she and Michael are left to partner up on a case featuring a pastor who committed suicide and embezzled hundreds of thousands of dollars from his church. The reverend’s widow, however, believes her husband was murdered and demands the truth be found. Despite her emphatic beliefs, the evidence points in all the wrong places. Meanwhile, Nate’s romantic getaway takes an unexpected turn with the appearance of his wife’s ex-husband. Fearing he may be relapsing into his gambling addiction, Nate does his best to help the struggling man, unaware of his larger problems. While the honeymooners deal with their unwelcome guest, Beth and Michael investigate the suspicious pastor’s death . Ellis’s (What Happened on Beale Street) tightly plotted mystery is exciting and involved. The humorous banter between Beth and Michael keeps the story light, and the growth of their relationship feels natural alongside the more remarkable circumstances of the pastor’s death. A fine balance of suspense and romance. Agent: Mary Sue Seymour, The Seymour Agency

June 15, 2016
A quartet of private detectives has their hands full with cases in two different cities.Natchez private eye Nate Price and his wife, Isabelle (Midnight on the Mississippi, 2015, etc.), are two years behind on a honeymoon until their friends and colleagues chip in and send them to lovely Bay St. Louis, Mississippi, leaving former police officer Beth Kirby and new hire Michael Preston to hold down the office back in Natchez. Beth had wanted to stay as far away from Natchez as possible after falling in love with her former boss earned her a bad reputation in the department. Although she did nothing wrong, her life was made miserable, and her self-esteem is in the cellar. Michael too is suffering after being dumped just before his wedding, and the two get off to a rough start. Beth's pastor is suspected of stealing money from the church building fund and killing himself when the loss is discovered. His wife, convinced that he's innocent, hires the agency to prove it. Michael's accounting expertise comes in handy while tracking down the missing money, and Beth proves that the pastor was murdered despite resistance from the police and ill-will from her former partner. Meanwhile, the Prices' honeymoon gets derailed when Isabelle sees her ex-husband, Craig, whose gambling ruined their marriage, in Bay St. Louis. Isabelle calls Craig's second wife, who's been devastated since Craig told her he was leaving her, a story both women suspect may be false. Isabelle resolves to find out what Craig's really doing as Beth and Michael slowly begin to trust each other and try to keep their relationship friendly--no more, no less--after their bad experiences while going all out to solve their case. A pleasant cozy, more romance than mystery, with inspirational overtones.

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September 1, 2016

Sometimes the truth hurts, and sometimes it kills. No one knows this better than newly hired PI Michael Preston and his ex-police officer partner, Elizabeth Kirby. When a much-loved Baptist minister is found dead, the evidence points to suicide, but his widow believes otherwise. As Michael and Beth uncover clues relating to the reverend's death, including possible embezzlement, the danger levels reach new heights. The growing tension will keep readers hooked until the end. VERDICT Ellis's third entry in her Southern-flavored series (after What Happened on Beale Street) is an edgy police procedural, ideal for Greg Iles fans and crime fiction devotees seeking an immersive reading experience.

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