Hey there folks, I'm Cody Phillips, welcome to New Orleans. N'awlins is known for many wonderful things, our coffee, music and the ability to throw a damn fine party. We're also known as the city most people believe may be one of the most haunted places in the world. Well, let me tell you this, we have more than our fair share. I know because I can see them. But, listen, don't spread that around. Yeah? It's been a closely guarded family secret my whole life. Not even my best friend knows this about me. See, I use my 'gift' in my work as a homicide detective with NOLA's finest boys in blue. Now, I understand why you might call it cheating, and that's fine. But I always catch the bad guy with the victim telling me everything I need to know and give the family involved closer. So it evens out as far as I can tell. Now just as my life is moving slower than a gator with a full belly, the worst happens. I get the call about a homicide that's hit too close to home. It leaves the girl of my dreams coming home to face tragedy. The moment I see her I find myself reminded of the one secret no one ever knew. Ever since I was eight years old I have felt many different things for Emma O'Neal, and those feelings haven't disappeared with time. Problem is now that she's come home; I find myself fighting not only an unknown assailant out for blood, my partner's misguided beliefs but my own need for the enticing beauty I'm duty sworn to protect. Damn, I just hope I'm able to fight the feelings I have for this woman, and stay focused on the case. Otherwise, I might end up losing something far more precious to me than the honor I've worked so hard for: Emma's life.

In 1997 a young girl went into the local school and was never seen again. It was assumed that she had gone missing between her school and home. But, even after a six-month search, no body was found, crucial evidence was missing, and any leads in the case led to the same thing - a dead end. Now many years have passed and the case has been all but forgotten in the eyes of the town's few remaining residents. It was ever apparent by the many decrepit and abandoned buildings, however, that the town had suffered greatly by the disappearance. As a teenage girl passes the old abandoned schoolhouse she is drawn towards a strange noise coming from the enclosed schoolyard, only to find a cat cowering over the bloody corpse of a young woman. Who is this woman? Why was she murdered? And what is on the curious note tucked into the cat's collar? She isn't sure, but the teen is determined to find out. ••• My entry for this year's Mystery Party, hosted by EarnestyCommunity. I hope you enjoy, and I wish all the other participants well.

Margo Watson was found murdered in her own home on October 13th. Leaving the town of Scattervale, with the solving of it's first murder mystery, in 30 years. Her body was found in her bathroom tub with evidence of a homicide, that led to her death. Once the autopsy came back with fingerprints from her friends, covered on her corpse, the mystery unravels. As each side of the story gets told from different perspectives. Only which side is the truth? And which is a lie? But that's not all, Margo's soul could not rest until she could remember who killed her. Forcing her to haunt her five friends who brought pain upon her, mentally and physically. In several different ways, since she moved here. Only to find out the truth, about what happened to her, that gruesome night. With her memories in shambles and even questioning her friendships. Margo wanted nothing more, than to get to the bottom of her own murder mystery, so she could move on & find peace. But when her foes as friends argue to be framed for the murder and not actual suspects. Things start to get bloody, as the town of Scattervale, point fingers, pick sides, and bid on the killer. So which one of her five foes did murder her in cold blood? And will anyone ever know the truth? There's only one way to find out.... DISCLAIMER: this story tackles very serious and disturbing topics, such as suicide, sexual assault, & drug use. If you have struggled with these topics before. This story might be triggering for you. Please be aware. Cover Art Illustrated By: Veronika Weroni Vajdova

A serial killer stalks Barbados and Detective John Riley returns to the island to stop them before they turn their attention to the people closest to him. ***** A serial killer stalks the tropical paradise of Barbados, leaving victims naked in canefields and the island police force is ill-equipped to handle the case. Enter Seattle homicide detective and Barbados native: Detective John Riley. John hasn't been back to Barbados in decades, and he has his own demons to face. But as he combats the heat, the media, and the very police force he's working to help, he desperately hopes he can stop the violence before the killer turns their attention to the people closest to him. [[Wattys Winner]] [[word count: 100,000-150,000 words]]

He's an undercover cop investigating her for murder; she's a femme fatale enacting her revenge. Neither of them ever predicted it would lead to love. Season 1 of My Girlfriend: The Serial Killer *** The plan was simple. Lure a billionaire, con him into proposing to gain access to his assets, and then kill him. Never fall in love. Serena Wolfe had successfully managed to scheme her unsuspecting victims until Landon Michaels entered the picture. Employed as an NYPD homicide detective, he was assigned to Serena's case after her former fiancé went missing. The plan was simple. Go undercover disguised as a billionaire, sweep Serena off her feet in a staged steamy romance and then catch her in the act. It was to be the case that would cement Landon's career and put him in the books as a legend in his field. Both their plans should have been simple except they forgot to account for one thing: their undeniable and sizzling attraction towards one another. Now, they must both decide between what's more important, their love or their deceit.

It's murder at the Buy-Right, a small town grocery store, a cozy-mystery set in rural America. When a body is found behind the store in a dumpster, Daisy Ann, the cashier, is mortified. She sets out to find the killer before he strikes again.

Once the blue-blooded heirs of Queens Erlington Academy are arrested for murder, bloody secrets start to spill. After all, even blue bloods have blood that runs red. [BLUE BLOOD SEQUEL]

Zoe is a teenage girl convicted of a murder she didn't commit, but that doesn't matter in the Arena of Justice. You either win your fights, or you die. ***** Seventeen-year-old Zoe never expected to find herself on the wrong side of the law, but when she's convicted of a murder she didn't commit, she's sentenced to the Arena of Justice - the home of gladiator matches where murderers fight murderers, and every fight ends with a death. Zoe's plan for surviving is simple: ignore the other inmates and fly under the radar until it's time to fight, but that's easier said than done. As hard as she tries to hate those she must kill, Zoe soon befriends the other inmates and falls in love - a deadly proposition when a moment's hesitation can prove fatal. It's up to Zoe to save her life, no matter how hard the system is trying to kill her. [[word count: 50,000-60,000 words]]

This story will become FREE on August 30th, 2023! Hudson Caldwell is being stalked, but the cops don't believe her. Can she unravel the truth before it consumes her? * * * * * Just when Hudson Caldwell's life is finally coming together, an unwavering paranoia threatens to tear it apart. Someone is following her - that's the feeling she gets every time she leaves her downtown Chicago apartment. After a failed attempt to file a police report, Hudson's stripper best friend gifts her with an unregistered firearm, but the weapon isn't enough to stop an attack in the middle of the night. When rookie cop, Myles Young, responds to a complaint of gunfire, he instantly falls for Hudson's quiet vulnerability and shattered past. He vows to keep her safe - much to the dismay of his case-hardened partner. As their relationship intensifies, the identity of Hudson's stalker slowly comes to light. But the closer Myles comes to solving the mystery, the more he realizes he's in over his head. WARNING: This story is a NA romantic suspense and contains references to mental illness and sexual abuse. Cover created by me, using MidJourney and Canva Pro. Down Came the Rain copyright © 2016 Darly Jamison All rights reserved. [[word count: 70,000-80,000 words]] Notice: This document is not authorized for upload or use with artificial intelligence systems or platforms. Any attempt to upload, analyze, or process this content using AI technology is strictly prohibited.

Elliot Huxley is tasked to go undercover and find the killer of CEO Adam Delton--the head of the richest family in the country. But as he uncovers the Delton Family's secrets one by one, things turn out to be much more complicated than he thought it would be. *** Undercover Agent Elliot Huxley infiltrates the Delton mansion by pretending to be the bodyguard of the eldest son, Cyrus Delton. His task should be simple--find the killer of Adam Delton and make it out alive. But as Elliot stays in the Delton mansion, he discovers that the "perfect" family isn't as perfect as the public thinks--they are twisted, wicked and secrets run deeper than one can imagine. To be able to solve the case, Elliot must now follow the Delton Family rules: act like a saint, tempt like a slut, talk like a boss and kill like a gentleman. As his feelings tangle up with his task, can Elliot see through the lies and make the right decisions in time? Cover Design by Louise De Ramos