Search query: valerie wolzien

Product: We Wish You a Merry Murder (Susan Henshaw Book 3)
Description: Your essential cozy crime read this Christmas.

Hancock, Connecticut, was bustling for Christmas: parties, cookie baking, concerts… and a missing body.

Although Kelly Knowlson firmly thought her newly remarried ex-husband, Evan, would return to her, did she set him by the fire, egg nog by his side, the Night Before Christmas in his hands, and put a bullet in his head?

By the time the police show up, the body is gone, so of course Kelly is the prime suspect.

Between molding cheese balls and salmon mousse for a holiday dinner, suburban sleuth Susan Henshaw fits in a little yuletide detecting to discover if Kelly Knowlson iced her ex. And if not, who would dare send such an uncharitable Christmas greeting?

Praise for Valerie Wolzien:

'A nice writing style and considerable wit' - Chicago Tribune

'Engaging' - People Magazine
Relevance (ESCI, E=Exact S=Substitute C=Complement I=Irrelevant): E

Product: Death in Duplicate (Susan Henshaw Book 16)
Description: Double the love, double the death.

Susan Henshaw and her husband, Jeb, are the proud grandparents of beautiful twins, and their daughter and son-in-law are temporarily moving into the Henshaws’ Connecticut home with their tiny bundles of joy. Added to the mix are two giant bullmastiffs and a nanny. Though a bit overwhelmed, Susan and Jeb are delighted to be a part of the chaos.

But a neighbor, Nadine Baines, soon starts to rain on their parade. She recognizes the nanny as a suspect in several recent shady deaths at a nursing home. The day after this troubling revelation, Nadine is found in her kitchen with a knife protruding from her chest. Is the nanny the culprit? Are Susan’s grandchildren at risk?

With murder so close to home and another possibly following, Susan must investigate – and she uncovers a tangled conspiracy beyond her wildest imagination.

Praise for Valerie Wolzien:

'Valerie Wolzien is a consummate crime writer. Her heroines sparkle as they sift through clues and stir up evidence in the darker, deadly side of suburbia' - Mary Daheim

'Wit is Wolzien’s strong suit.… Her portrayal of small-town life will prompt those of us in similar situations to agree that we too have been there and done that' - The Mystery Review

'Domestic mysteries, with their emphasis on everyday people and everyday events, are very popular and the Susan Henshaw stories are some of the best in this subgenre' - Romantic Times
Relevance (ESCI, E=Exact S=Substitute C=Complement I=Irrelevant): E

Product: Death in a Beach Chair (Susan Henshaw Book 15)
Description: It was paradise... until the body turned up.

For Susan and Jed Henshaw and their friends Kathleen and Jerry Gordon, the tiny Caribbean resort called Compass Bay has everything. White sand, luxurious cottages, rum punches to die for—even a gorgeous unattached blonde ornamenting the premises.

But Kathleen and Jerry are having marital problems—and when the mysterious blonde turns up murdered, the cloud hanging over their little paradise grows black indeed. It turns out that the victim is the once-frumpy sister of Jerry’s first wife. Many years ago, Susan, Jed, and Jerry had known her well, and the island police don’t believe it’s a coincidence that she appeared at Compass Bay at the same time as her old friends.

Nor does Susan, who shifts into investigative red alert—and finds a serpent in Eden, its fangs loaded with venom...

Praise for Valerie Wolzien:

'Valerie Wolzien is a consummate crime writer. Her heroines sparkle as they sift through clues and stir up evidence in the darker, deadly side of suburbia' - Mary Daheim

'Wit is Wolzien’s strong suit.… Her portrayal of small-town life will prompt those of us in similar situations to agree that we too have been there and done that' - The Mystery Review

'Domestic mysteries, with their emphasis on everyday people and everyday events, are very popular and the Susan Henshaw stories are some of the best in this subgenre' - Romantic Times
Relevance (ESCI, E=Exact S=Substitute C=Complement I=Irrelevant): E

Product: An Anniversary to Die for (Susan Henshaw Book 14)
Description: It's the party of the year. Champagne, caviar... and murder

The anniversary celebration at the inn where Susan and Jed Henshaw spent their honeymoon promised to be a night to remember. And it was … for all the wrong reasons. For by evening’s end, Ashley Marks became the ultimate party pooper.

She was dead, apparently poisoned, her body hidden beneath a pile of gifts on the bed in the Henshaws’ room. Ashley certainly wasn’t popular in social circles, but who at the soiree disliked her enough to knock her off?

Following a cold trail of clues, Susan tracks down a killer whose roots may be buried deep in Ashley’s past, along with deadly secrets.…

Praise for Valerie Wolzien:

'Valerie Wolzien is a consummate crime writer. Her heroines sparkle as they sift through clues and stir up evidence in the darker, deadly side of suburbia' - Mary Daheim

'Wit is Wolzien’s strong suit.… Her portrayal of small-town life will prompt those of us in similar situations to agree that we too have been there and done that' - The Mystery Review

'Domestic mysteries, with their emphasis on everyday people and everyday events, are very popular and the Susan Henshaw stories are some of the best in this subgenre' - Romantic Times
Relevance (ESCI, E=Exact S=Substitute C=Complement I=Irrelevant): E

Product: Death at a Discount (Susan Henshaw Book 13)
Description: She shopped 'till she dropped... dead.

As her wealthy friends and neighbors knew, Amanda Worth wouldn’t be caught dead in a discount store. But she was. Susan Henshaw found her in a dressing room with a Hermes scarf knotted murderously tight around her elegant neck. What could possibly have lured Amanda to the grand opening of the new outlet mall?

Susan shops around for the answer and discovers that, on the seamy side of suburbia, the seven deadly sins are alive and kicking. Greed, envy, illicit romance, financial chicanery—anything goes. For in this pristine Connecticut village, murder is suddenly the fashion. And one size fits all...

Praise for Valerie Wolzein:

'A nice writing style and considerable wit' - Chicago Tribune

'Valerie Wolzien is a consummate crime writer. Her heroines sparkle as they sift through clues and stir up evidence in the darker, deadly side of suburbia' - Mary Daheim

'Wit is Wolzien’s strong suit.… Her portrayal of small-town life will prompt those of us in similar situations to agree that we too have been there and done that' - The Mystery Review
Relevance (ESCI, E=Exact S=Substitute C=Complement I=Irrelevant): E

Product: The Student Body (Susan Henshaw Book 12)
Description: This is definitely bad chemistry.

Like many fifty-something housewives facing empty nests, Susan Henshaw decides that returning to college will give her life new meaning. But a murdered lab partner isn’t what she had in mind—especially since the victim was strangled with the straps of Susan’s own backpack.

So when Susan is named the prime suspect, she fits an investigation into her extracurricular activities. But after a strange student ominously named “Jinx” becomes her informant, Susan begins to wonder: What does she really know about the victim, academic politics, or even her newfound friends? One thing is certain—finding answers to this test could cost Susan her life.…

Praise for Valerie Wolzien:

'A nice writing style and considerable wit' — Chicago Tribune

'Valerie Wolzien is a consummate crime writer. Her heroines sparkle as they sift through clues and stir up evidence in the darker, deadly side of suburbia' — Mary Daheim

'Wit is Wolzien’s strong suit.… Her portrayal of small-town life will prompt those of us in similar situations to agree that we too have been there and done that' — The Mystery Review

Valerie Wolzien is the author of the Susan Henshaw suburban mysteries and the Josie Pigeon seashore mysteries. Valerie lives in an old house overlooking the Hudson River.
Relevance (ESCI, E=Exact S=Substitute C=Complement I=Irrelevant): E

Product: Weddings Are Murder (Susan Henshaw Book 11)
Description: A wedding to remember…

Suburban housewife Susan Henshaw dips into the middle-age blues after hearing the news that her little girl, Chrissy, is getting married. To bolster her spirits, Susan plans to produce the wedding to end all weddings.

Chrissy’s college roommate, now a designer in Italy, agrees to create an original wedding dress. Then, on the day before the ceremony, the long-anticipated box arrives. Yet the contents are a bit unexpected. For instead of a delicate confection of lace and tulle, nestled inside is a strangled corpse. Is someone trying to ruin the season’s biggest wedding?

Over Susan’s dead body…

Praise for Valerie Wolzien:

‘A nice writing style and considerable wit’ - Chicago Tribune

‘Valerie Wolzien is a superlative—and witty—crime writer’ - Mary Daheim

Valerie Wolzien is the author of the Susan Henshaw suburban mysteries and the Josie Pigeon seashore mysteries. Valerie lives in an old house overlooking the Hudson River.
Relevance (ESCI, E=Exact S=Substitute C=Complement I=Irrelevant): E

Product: Remodeled to Death (Susan Henshaw Book 9)
Description: Oh those lazy days of summer in suburbia, when there's always time for a murder or two.

With the kids away, Susan and Jed Henshaw are in the mood for a lazy, romantic August. Then the pipes in an upstairs bathroom burst and water inundates the floors below. Suddenly their cozy twosome is joined by a dozen plumbers, plasterers, and carpenters, who leave the house looking worse than the water damage.

The only bright spot is that they won't have to deal with the town's hated building inspector, for the excellent reason that he has just been murdered. And most people in Hancock say they'd like to shake the hand of the man who did it. Susan has enough problems without trying to nail Simon Fairweather's killer; but she just can't resist, especially since chances are good that the murderer is actually at work in her bathroom...

Remodeled to Death is another gripping, hilarious Susan Henshaw mystery.

Praise for Valerie Wolzien:

'A nice writing style and considerable wit' - Chicago Tribune

'Engaging' - People Magazine

Valerie Wolzien is the author of the Susan Henshaw suburban mysteries and the Josie Pigeon seashore mysteries. Valerie lives in an old house overlooking the Hudson River.
Relevance (ESCI, E=Exact S=Substitute C=Complement I=Irrelevant): E

Product: This Old Murder (A Josie Pigeon Mystery #4)
Book
Relevance (ESCI, E=Exact S=Substitute C=Complement I=Irrelevant): E

Product: A Good Year for a Corpse (Susan Henshaw Book 7)
Description: It was a pleasant day until the body turned up.

All the local organizations were courting Mr. Horace Harvey—and his mounds of wealth. But one angry suitor stuffed a wad of bills into Horace’s mouth, wrapped a money belt around his neck, and left his strangled body in the wine cellar of the Hancock Inn.

Between worrying about her teenage daughter’s new boyfriend and trying to housebreak a new puppy, Susan Henshaw has time to conclude that the prime murder suspect—the head of F.O.P.P. (Friends of Potted Plants)—is innocent.

Where had Horace Harvey and his money come from? Why was he so anxious to give his money to a group in Hancock? All sorts of sordid activities are going on in the private lives of Hancock’s most civic-minded citizens. And at least one of them had reason to kill.…

Praise for Valerie Wolzien:

'A nice writing style and considerable wit' - Chicago Tribune

'Engaging' - People Magazine

Valerie Wolzien is the author of the Susan Henshaw suburban mysteries and the Josie Pigeon seashore mysteries. Valerie lives in an old house overlooking the Hudson River.
Relevance (ESCI, E=Exact S=Substitute C=Complement I=Irrelevant): E

Product: A Star-Spangled Murder (Susan Henshaw Book 6)
Description: The death of the summer…

Susan Henshaw and her family have been coming to their summer house in Maine for years, but when neighbor Humphrey Taylor is found bludgeoned to death in her living room, Susan’s relaxing holiday goes out with the tide.

Somebody in the small town committed murder—and in between making potato salad, watching the July 4th parade, and dodging firecrackers, Susan means to find out who…

Praise for Valerie Wolzien:

'A nice writing style and considerable wit' - Chicago Tribune

'Engaging' - People Magazine

Valerie Wolzien is the author of the Susan Henshaw suburban mysteries and the Josie Pigeon seashore mysteries. Valerie lives in an old house overlooking the Hudson River.
Relevance (ESCI, E=Exact S=Substitute C=Complement I=Irrelevant): E

Product: An Old Faithful Murder (Susan Henshaw Book 5)
Description: Murder is a family affair.

The Henshaw family trip to Yellowstone National Park promised two fun-filled weeks of fantastic scenery, great skiing, and sightseeing. Nobody expected the gruesome discovery of a dead body by Old Faithful. The victim is patriarch George Ericksen—on vacation for a family reunion.

When her reputation for solving murder cases in her Connecticut suburb is revealed, Susan Henshaw is asked to find the killer. A web of twisted emotions and buried family secrets quickly unfolds, and Susan discovers that everyone had a reason to kill George. But who hated him enough to resort to murder at a world-famous resort?

Praise for An Old Faithful Murder:

'A nice writing style and considerable wit' - Chicago Tribune

Valerie Wolzien is the author of the Susan Henshaw suburban mysteries and the Josie Pigeon seashore mysteries. Valerie lives in an old house overlooking the Hudson River.
Relevance (ESCI, E=Exact S=Substitute C=Complement I=Irrelevant): E

Product: The Fortieth Birthday Body (Susan Henshaw Book 2)
Description: Down-to-earth housewife Susan Henshaw is turning forty—and feeling ancient.

Adding insult to injury is the unfortunate return of gorgeous local hussy Dawn Elliot, rumoured to have slept with half the neighbourhood of quiet Hancock, Connecticut…the married male half anyway.

To lift her sagging spirits, Susan’s loving husband throws her a surprise party to end all surprise parties. And for one guest, it was the end. Dawn turns up dead, giving new meaning to the phrase “party pooper.”

There appears to be an endless array of suspects, including Susan herself. And so begins an intense investigation that will crack the seemingly peaceful veneer of suburbia wide open...

Praise for Valerie Wolzien:

'[Wolzien has] a nice writing style and considerable wit' - Chicago Tribune

Valerie Wolzien is the author of the Susan Henshaw suburban mysteries and the Josie Pigeon seashore mysteries. Valerie lives in an old house overlooking the Hudson River.
Relevance (ESCI, E=Exact S=Substitute C=Complement I=Irrelevant): E

Product: Murder at the PTA Luncheon (Susan Henshaw Book 1)
Description: A cyanide appetizer was not on the menu.

When the Parent-Teachers Association president drops dead from a poison-laced canapé, two investigating officers enlist the aid of the PTA’s busy vice president, Susan Henshaw.

Susan finds juggling car-pool duty and crime fighting most exhausting. Yet who but a seasoned member could take the detectives inside the byzantine workings of the PTA, an organization that was riddled with sex, drugs, and scandal and turning into a killer’s playground?

Praise for Murder at the PTA luncheon:

‘Valerie Wolzien, in her first mystery, shows a nice writing style and considerable wit.… She weaves a clean, believable, subtly humorous tale’ - Chicago Tribune

‘ENGAGING’ - People

Valerie Wolzien is the author of the Susan Henshaw suburban mysteries and the Josie Pigeon seashore mysteries. Valerie lives in an old house overlooking the Hudson River.
Relevance (ESCI, E=Exact S=Substitute C=Complement I=Irrelevant): E

Product: 'Tis the Season to Be Murdered
Relevance (ESCI, E=Exact S=Substitute C=Complement I=Irrelevant): E

Product: All Hallows Evil (Susan Henshaw Book 4)
Description: For Susan Henshaw, the trick is that somebody has been murdered. The treat would be finding out who did it. And all the clues point to his "grieving" widow.

At first Susan Henshaw thought the body in the library was a Halloween trick - but then she saw the blood and heard the man's dying gasp.

Then a second body, celebrity morning talk-show host Jason Armstrong, was found stabbed on his front porch. Now, as Susan begins to investigate the deaths, she uncovers secrets that a killer would go to any lengths to keep hidden...

All Hallows Evil is another gripping and gruesome instalment in the Susan Henshaw mystery series.

Praise for Valerie Wolzien:

'A nice writing style and considerable wit' - Chicago Tribune

'Engaging' - People Magazine

Valerie Wolzien is the author of the Susan Henshaw suburban mysteries and the Josie Pigeon seashore mysteries. Valerie lives in an old house overlooking the Hudson River.
Relevance (ESCI, E=Exact S=Substitute C=Complement I=Irrelevant): E