Pine Ridge Mysteries (Novel Series)

***The Pine Ridge Mysteries*** is a cozy mystery novel series written by Maryam Wells. The series features Lexi Calder, a young waitress and a uber-fan of cozy mysteries and crime fiction, solving criminal investigations with help from an ex-boyfriend from high school, who is a homicide detective and her lifelong best friend, who is a local reporter.

## Synopsis

The series centers around Lexi Calder, young directionless waitress and a murder mysteries junkie, who becomes involved in various criminal investigations and uses her knowledge of crime fictional novels and cozy mysteries to solve crimes with help from her best friend, Jo Stiles, a local newspaper reporter and investigative journalist and a handsome homicide detective, Ryan McBride, who is also her ex-boyfriend from high school. There is a recurring subplot around Lexi's mother, Maxine who gives her an ultimatum: return to college to get a proper job or she is evicted as she refuses to see Lexi waste her life once more.

## Main Characters

* Lexi Calder, a waitress and fan of murder mysteries who uses her knowledge as a murder mystery junkie to solve crimes.
* Jo Stiles, a reporter with the local newspaper, Lexi's best friend, and a investigative journalist.
* Michael Stiles, a doctor at Pine Ridge Hospital and medical examiner. He is Jo's father.
* Donna Morton, a police chief with the homicide division of the police force (later chief) who often finds Lexi annoyingly in the middle of her investigations. She is best friends with Maxine Calder, Lexi's mother.
* Ryan McBride, a detective with the homicide division of the police force. He went to high school with Lexi and Jo. He is Lexi's love interest.
* Maxine Calder, a criminal defense attorney. She is Lexi's stern mother.
* Ashley Calder, a fashion stylist at Poise magazine in New York. She is Lexi's older sister. It is revealed the Maxine favors Ashley, as she is her favorite child because she did something with her life as Lexi hasn't.

## Novels

* A Deadly First Mystery - Lexi Calder uses her knowledge of reading crime fiction novels to solve a murder that occurred in her town.
* A Deadly Sci-Fi Convention - The star of a popular space western TV show is attacked at a sci-fi convention and Lexi Calder is on the case.
* A Deadly Beauty Salon - When a hair stylist is found dead at a trendy beauty salon, Lexi uses several crime fiction novels centering beauty salons to solve the murder. Lexi reveals that she was interested in pursuing a career in hairdressing.
* A Deadly Retirement Home - When an elderly man dies in a retirement home, Lexi Calder doesn't think that much of it. But when it was revealed that he is a former cop and was secretly undercover to find something up, Lexi and her best friend, Jo disguise themselves as elderly woman to investigate. When Det. McBride and the other find out about it, they try to get the girls out of harm's way.
* A Deadly Real Estate - The murder of a hotshot real estate agent has Jo Stiles's former aunt, who is a successful interior designer, a top suspect due to her fight with the victim. Best friends Lexi Calder and Jo Stiles join the real estate world to solve the mystery. Jo's uncle David has a one-night stand with ex-wife Linda.
* A Deadly Love Triangle - The investigation of a restauranteur's murder reveals of a shocking love triangle between the victim's competition and the victim's wife.
* A Deadly Sibling Rivalry - Lexi has two things to contend with, solving a murder and her older sister's visit.
* A Deadly Courtroom Drama - The death of a high-powered prosecuting attorney has Lexi teaming up with her criminal defense attorney mother, Maxine to solve the case.
* A Deadly Family Drama - The death of a wealthy and powerful businessman has his children and younger wife clashing over who gets his money and businesses and Lexi and Jo thinking that they all had a motive to kill him. Jo has her own family drama to deal with when her older brother, Mikey returns home and she tries to heal the rift between her father and her brother.
* A Deadly Love Affair - When highly-respected doctor``