Chapter 1 ST. VALENTINE’S DAY MASSACRE The Slasher He reached over to the wooden block of serrated steak knives on the kitchen counter and yanked one out, clutching it in his fist. He slashed and slashed, and the blood splashed and splashed. Over the walls. Over the counter-tops. Over the floor. Over skin and clothing…
We teamed up with five cozy mystery writers to create a short story in real-time. The end result was “Sweet Voodoo Magic” which you can read in full below! A special thank you goes out to the participating authors (in order of appearance): Hannah Dennison, S.C. Perkins, Donna Andrews, Diane Kelly, and Ellie Alexander. The…
Dead in the Doorway by Diane Kelly is the second in the delightful House-Flipper cozy mystery series set in Nashville, where the real estate market is to die for—take a visual tour with GIFnotes! Whitney Whitaker has scored the perfect piece of real estate: a ramshackle white Colonial at the top of a hill with…
Having grown up with multiple dogs and now living with three spoiled mutts, I’ve learned quite a bit about the canine species. Of course, all of the dogs in my family have been consistently unemployed, unless you count barking to announce the arrival of the mail carrier as a job. When I set out to…
Paw of the Jungle by Diane Kelly is the eighth Paw Enforcement novel, where police officer Megan Luz and her K-9 partner in crime, Brigit, are on all fours as they try to solve their latest Lone Star mystery—take a visual tour with GIFnotes! The weather is beautiful. The work is slow. And Megan’s canine…
Diane Kelly is back with The Long Paw of the Law, the seventh installment in her Paw Enforcement series. One night, while on duty with her four-legged crime-fighting companion, Meg gets an urgent call from her boyfriend Seth, who works for the Fort Worth fire department. A baby girl has turned up at the station with…
Every Wednesday, we here at Criminal Element will put together a list of Staff Picks of the books that published the day before—sharing the ones that we are looking forward to reading the most! This week, a new Bailey Weggins novel from Kate White and the fourth Otter Lake Mystery by Auralee Wallace highlight an awesome…
Death, Taxes, and a Shotgun Wedding by Diane Kelly is the 12th book in the Tara Holloway series (available October 31, 2017). For IRS Special Agent Tara Holloway, this case is personal… Wedding bells are ringing as Tara and her soon-to-be-husband Nick prepare for their big day. But along with all the RSVP cards are…
Discover (or remember to order) your next cozy with a delightfully convenient shopping list of upcoming soft-boiled mysteries! Last month, we ended summer with some great cozies; this month, get your tricks and treats with awesome October reads! Let us know in the comments how you like it and what you can't wait to read…
Enforcing the Paw by Diane Kelly is the sixth book in the Paw Enforcement series (available June 27, 2017). When a case of he-said/she-said turns criminal, it’s up to Megan Luz and her devoted K-9 to dig for the truth. When relationships go south, some people just can’t—or won’t—let go. When Fort Worth Police Officer Megan…
