A Saturday Christmas Shopping Trip to Chinatown Leads to Murder in Christmas Angels, a Historical Cozy Mystery from Alice Duncan1926, Los Angeles, CAMercy and Lulu visit one of Ernie Templeton's favorite Chinatown dives, a silken items shop owned by Ernie's friend, Charley Wu.Their Christmas shopping plans take a chill when they witness a young Chinese woman being dragged kicking and screaming into the shop by its proprietor. Even more chilling is the woman's plea for help as she passes Lulu and Mercy.When the body of an elderly Chinese man is found in a nearby alley the next day, the police arrest Charley for the murder. Ernie Templeton, concerned about police hostilities toward the community, decides to investigate along with Mercy and Lulu.But Chinatown doesn't welcome the prying of outsiders. Known for its seedy underbelly and dark secrets, those who ask questions often meet a bitter end.Publisher Note: Readers who enjoy cozy...

When a Former Madame Bilks Bounty Hunter, Lou Prophet, Out of Money to Start a New Life, Daisy and Sam Intervene to Save Her Life in SCARLET SPIRITS, a Cozy Historical Mystery by Alice Duncan—1925, Pasadena, California—Angie Mainwaring moves to Pasadena to start a new life and atone for her past by rescuing former "sporting" girls and housing them in a mansion in her orange grove just down the street from Daisy and her folks.Unfortunately, one of the people Angie bilked to fund her new life is notorious bounty hunter, Lou Prophet. Daisy tries to make peace between Angie and Lou but Lou's not happy.Even worse, it seems that everyone from Angie's past is coming to Pasadena to avenge their grievances against her and things get out of hand when Lou shoots one of the aggrieved out of an orange tree.Now Daisy and Sam are doing a merry dance to keep Angie alive and themselves out of trouble.Get ready for the next installment in the Daisy Gumm Majesty...

Bridal Bouquet Becomes Murder Weapon in Wedded Spirits, a Cozy Historical Mystery by Alice Duncan—1925, Pasadena, California—Daisy is the Matron of Honor for the wedding of Mr. Robert Browning and Miss Regina Petri, Daisy's favorite librarian, when she discovers the body of a young man on the floor of the dressing room. From the looks of the flower petals falling from his mouth, he'd chomped down Regina's bridal bouquet.Having recently studied poisoned plants in the library, Daisy knows all of the flowers in Regina's bouquet are poisonous. She figures someone poisoned the fellow, although she can't quite figure out how.Sam and the usual cast of characters investigate, including their old friend Lou Prophet. Daisy uncovers a long-list of possible suspects but the murderer might be closer than anyone suspects.From the Publisher: The Daisy Gumm Majesty Cozy Mystery Series is a light-hearted mystery in a historical setting. There are no...

When a Woman Mysteriously Disappears From an Orange Grove Mansion, Daisy Gumm, Sam and the Ever Crotchety Lou Prophet, Launch A Search in Exercised Spirits, a Cozy Historical Mystery by Alice Duncan—1926, Pasadena, California—Already irked about having to participate in an exercise class with some church chums, Daisy is horrified when her beloved Aunt Vi, the greatest cook in Pasadena, goes missing from her place of employment—Mrs. Pinkerton's mansion in Orange Grove.Daisy, Sam and Lou Prophet launch a search, with some help from Mrs. Jackson, a real live Voodoo mambo from New Orleans, who is at present living in Altadena.In the meantime, food preparation in the Gumm/Majesty/Rotondo households takes a severe downturn. Lou Prophet lends a hand, and the family finds themselves choking down some concoctions they never even knew existed.But it's going to take more than some clever sleuthing from Daisy, a peg-legged man on a horse and some...

Young Woman's Body Discovered in Library Gazebo, Lou Prophet Accused in Library Spirits, a Cozy Historical Mystery by Alice Duncan—1926, Pasadena, California—When Daisy's old nemesis, Stacy Kincaid, is found murdered in the Pasadena Public Library's gazebo, suspicion is cast upon the one-legged Lou Prophet—former bounty hunter, current curmudgeon, and reluctant Pasadena citizen.Daisy, who has had remarkable success in the kitchen considering her loathing of cookery, begins to have problems. Things burn in seconds, pots run dry, and she fears losing her mind, perhaps due to the early stages of her pregnancy. Odd things happen in the library, too, which puzzle and distress Daisy's friend, librarian Regina Browning.But the problems mount when the real murderer steals a car, resulting in another death and the demise of a Hispano-Suiza.From the Publisher: The Daisy Gumm Majesty Cozy Mystery Series is a light-hearted mystery in a...

Boston Socialite Cracks Band of Bootleggers in Angels Adrift, a Historical Cozy Mystery from Alice Duncan1926, Pasadena, CAMercy Allcutt's imagination is more exciting than her job as secretary to P.I., Ernie Templeton. As usual, she has nothing to do except gaze out the office window overlooking Pasadena and imagine the plots of stories she plans to write someday.Generally, when she watches the alley behind the Figueroa Building, she needs to imagine someone being strangled, today was different. She calls the police to report the murder but the corpse is gone before she hangs up the phone.Ernie tries his best to convince her it was her imagination. The police find nothing. Now her reputation is on the line as well as her aspirations for becoming a P.I.With her boardinghouse tenants as advisors, she launches her own investigation, putting her and her friend Lulu right in the middle of a band of bootleggers who don't like nosy secretaries or...

Dachshund Discovers Doctor's Body in Altadena Cemetery, Daisy Gumm Majesty Investigates, in the Historical Cozy Mystery, SPIRITS UNEARTHED, by Alice Duncan"Author Alice Duncan whisks the reader to 1924 in a way that will have you wishing for skinny dresses and cloche hats." ~Deborah L. Rogers, Verified ReviewerNothing interrupts a good lover's spat like a dog – Daisy Gumm Majesty's Dachshund, Spike, in particular. Of course, they were in a graveyard, and Spike did have a shoe in his mouth – and the shoe did have an occupant. Well, a foot, if that counts. Daisy is horrified until she discovers that the occupying foot belonged to Dr. Everhard Allen Wagner, a notorious abuser of women and young girls. Good riddance!Of course, there's still a good mystery for this spiritualist-medium to people-with-more-money-than-sense to solve; after all, there may still be a risk to the good citizens of Pasadena. Her fiancé, Sam Rotondo – detective for...

It's 1924 and spiritualist-medium Daisy Gumm and her fiancé, Detective Sam Rotondo, discover a dead body tucked away in the Pasadena Public Library's bibliography stacks.Worse, Daisy's old friend, Mr. Browning, is holding the bloody knife, putting him at the very top of Sam's suspect list.But Daisy is not convinced, and sets out to exonerate her friend, only to stumble into a professor's geological study, encounter a mad scientist, and uncover a phony gold rush that someone is killing to hide.PRAISE for THE DAISY GUMM MAJESTY MYSTERIES"Well plotted with a band of whimsical characters and genuine humor..." ~Diane Morasco, RT Book ReviewsTHE DAISY GUMM MAJESTY MYSTERIES, in series orderStrong SpiritsFine SpiritsHigh SpiritsHungry SpiritsGenteel SpiritsAncient SpiritsDark SpiritsSpirits OnstageUnsettled SpiritsBruised SpiritsSpirits UnitedSpirits Unearthed