Amateursleuth Stories

"A cruise through history.....with murder on board" Set in the early 1900s Brittany never expected a simple cruise to the Caribbean to turn into something impossible. One moment, she was on a modern ship the next, she found herself in another time altogether. The year? The early 1900s. Elegant women in long frocks with cinched waists glided by, their hair styled in intricate fashions she'd only seen in history books. Men in pristine suits and polished top hats filled the halls. It was a scene from the past... and she was stuck in the middle of it. But shock turned to horror when the crowd suddenly parted, revealing a body lying face down on the polished floor. A murder. Confused, trapped, and with no way to return to her own time, Brittany makes a daring choice: if she wants answers and a chance to survive she'll have to play detective. © 2025 sdjJames. All rights reserved This story is my original work. Please don't copy, repost, or claim it as your own. Ranked: #7 in historical mystery

Rowena Flores has problems...and we're not just talking about her anger management issues. After cursing her cheating ex-boyfriend, this home goods cashier's life is turned upside down when a pack of werewolf shifters accuse her of being a murdering witch. Will Rowena ever prove she's not a witch? Will the hunky pack alpha ask her out? More importantly, will she clear her name before she's burned at the stake? A Not So Cozy Mystery Series: Book I: Good Witch, Bad Alpha Book II: Never Cheat a Witch Book III: Oh, Shift! *cover made with Canva

In this sixth novel of the Terribly Acronymed Detective Club series, all the world's a stage, and Rachel, Al, Lauren, Joe and Sunny find themselves playing parts scripted for them deep in the past, forced into acting when all they want is a quiet, content summer after an eventful fall and winter that saw many of their number injured and out of commission. A new tragedy, the passing of Joe's father, has them reminiscing and looking at old pictures in Al's photo albums, and a series of pictures Al's never seen before has them on a new case, trying to find more information about Sadie T. Diamond, the author of a chalk message claiming to have committed the perfect murder. What none of them know yet is that Sadie is closer than they think, and inordinately interested in them, why, they have to figure out, and quickly, because other revelations are coming at them fast and hard: Val, wife of Johnny, Joe's brother, has walked out on her husband after discovering he cheated on her, leaving her phone behind and going off the grid; Omar, Rachel's first boyfriend, walks back into her life when he hires Lauren's firm to investigate a colleague; and Rachel gets the shock of her life when she attends a play and discovers one of the actors shares a name with a boy she hasn't seen in over thirty years, a boy who's supposed to be dead. With no time for an intermission, because a triple murder has them all on their guard, they must find out why these events are happening, and what their connection is, because, though they don't know it yet, they're all going to be on the stage for the final act that has them travelling to a place from which they might never return, to do a deed that will change things forever...

Ainsley Moss never thought she'd become a representative for the dead. But as a newbie obituary writer for the Aurora Fall's Guardian, she gets a sneak peek at her new profession. Her ex-best friend and rival newspaper worker turns up blue and stiff as a board in the women's bathroom-after they've had a less than civil confrontation. Ainsley's in the habit of memorializing the dead, not finding them. But now she's saddled with a motive for murder-killing to drum up obituaries in order to further her career in a dying newspaper business where everything is going digital. When another victim meets his maker with a connection to the first victim, Ainsley has to make nice with a hard ass, bombshell Detective who's dead set on closing the case or risk the calm of their cozy town. Ainsley's charming, ex-boyfriend turned roommate Gage Sullivan comes to her aid as they throw themselves into deadly research. Every obituary interview brings them that much closer to finding a killer connection. While fighting her new rep as a prime suspect, her matchmaking, Stepford mother is intent on keeping her daughter's dirty laundry under wraps and her sex addicted wealthy grandparents want to buy her way out of jail. Or at least help her learn how to make a shiv. None too thrilled with the idea of making friends with a cellmate named Betty the Bruiser, she'll wade knee-deep into a cesspool of the town's secrets, gossip, and lies. But with a wacky cast of characters hell-bent on keeping the peace, no bit of personal information is sacred. They have to find a killer-before Ainsley loses her freedom and her chance to make peace with a fate that scares her more than anything else in life.

Between adjusting to life as a newlywed and trying to survive the first month of medical school, Sara Alderson has a lot on her plate. She definitely doesn't need to start visiting other people's dreams again. Unfortunately for her, it's happening anyway. Every night, she sees a different person and a different dream. But every dreamer has one thing in common: they all hate Dr. Morris, the least popular professor in the medical school, and they're all dreaming about seeing him - or making him - dead. Once again, Sara finds herself in the role of unwilling witness to a murder before it happens. But this time, there are too many suspects to count, and it doesn't help matters that she hates Dr. Morris every bit as much as any of his would-be murderers do.

Entry to @YAMystery and @WattpadKDramas' The Connection contest. Prompt: You/ Your protagonist is performing at the school's annual function where a K-drama actor/actress is invited as the chief guest. Out of the blue, a dead body comes hanging down on the stage which you recognize to be your best friend's . And the K-drama actor/actress offers you help in solving this as your best friend was a huge fan of his/her. How will it all go? The K-drama actor I've chosen for my entry is Cha Eun-woo (the one who played Lee Su-ho from True Beauty, and has recently starred in the fantasy thriller, Island).

The third book in the Nell Letterly mystery series. Boulder rages "on fire" over legalized marijuana. Suddenly, Boulder really rages on fire. The house next door burns down. The rubble includes the body of a famous landscape artist. Killed because of his marijuana landscape? Killed by Nell's best new friend to collect fire insurance? Killed by the voracious condo developer who covets a more profitable business? Only Nell can figure this out aided by her crotchety dad, her rebellious teen daughter, and her soon-to-be ex sister-in-law. Then her fugitive husband shows up with a blond on each arm. Find the killer before the killer finds her.

Winifred Smith was adopted ten years ago by the man she now knows as her father. She has everything she could ever hope for - a caring brother and father, a nice house, a beautiful countryside home - but she is haunted by her past. Nightmares keep her from sleeping and hallucinations slowly eat away at her mind. Matters worsen when her hateful mother is found murdered after an argument with Winifred the previous night, and Winnie is immediately suspected. What's worse is, she can't remember anything. Will Winnie, her brother, and Timothy, a friend and perhaps something more, uncover the true murderer before the police take her?

For 30 years, Lou has been waiting for a mystery to walk into his barbershop. After a catastrophic fire hits Lou's small town of Daughtry, the fire inspector steps into his chair--with both a suspect and a secret. Will Lou finally get his chance to solve a mystery and right a wrong?

At the start of the new millennium, ten-year-old Emily's made-up mysteries and snooping keeps getting her into trouble, and no one at school likes her because of it. Not fitting in and getting bored with her favorite books, she doesn't know who she should be. Worried, her mom takes her out for a girls' day at the mall, and Emily spots a Ouija board promising answers. Her mom refuses to let her buy it, so in the lamplight of her bedroom, she scrawls one herself and whispers to the spirit realm for help. Contact is made with a spirit named Morrigan, who has forgotten her past, and they agree to help each other so both of them can move on. But a dark mystery unfolds as they go searching for Morrigan's past. Emily makes a new friend, secrets are kept, and guilt and betrayal come between her and the spirit. As tensions rise, Emily seeks the guidance of three young witches for help. Now, she must learn to live for herself before losing herself forever. *** HIGHEST RANKINGS: #1 paranormalmystery #3 cozymystery #3 amateur-sleuth #3 crystals #7 ouijaboard #15 middle grade

Maya wants to become a detective, but there is a problem...She is a woman and this is 1878 Dr. Chinew's first night in his new house is disturbed by a break-in. The intruder steals nothing but leaves behind a message - Death Comes to All. Maya maintains she is not crazy, only different. Henry Camleman, the chief of Bombay Detective Agency, disagrees. He cannot think of any other reason why a (as far as he knew) reputable 21 year old woman would want to become a detective in his agency. Solving crimes in Cardim, a city teeming with crime and criminals, is fraught with danger and involves dealing with the kind of people he wouldn't imagine a woman mingling with in a thousand years. To humor the stubborn woman, however, he gives her a fairly harmless domestic case. A celebrated spiritualist claims that there are spirits in his house and Camleman wants Maya to prove otherwise. He hopes the case would keep Maya indulged in a puzzle of ghosts and spirits while keeping her safe from the grime of actual crimes. Little does Camleman know the true extent of the affair. As Maya delves deeper into the mystery, it takes her little time to uncover a web of theft, deceit, betrayal and murder which would test the skills and perseverance of the amateur detective to the fore. Will she pass the first exam of her professional career?

An investigative journalist finds more than she bargained for when she infiltrates kaya, a celebrity cult with a millennial following. NEW CHAPTER OUT EVERY FRIDAY!

Book description will be updated soon.

"I'm assuming that little speech was meant for me?" "It was meant for everyone." "But mostly me. Is it because I called her selfish earlier? Are you still hung up on that?" "I'm not hung up on anything, Gemma." "Then why would you go up there and say that?" I demand, my voice rising above a whisper. "Of all days, why would you choose today to publicly humiliate me?" "Today isn't about you, Gemma," Bowie says, catching me by surprise. "Today is about Raelyn, and the fact that we all failed her." ----------- 𝕲𝖊𝖒𝖒𝖆 𝕭𝖊𝖆𝖚𝖋𝖔𝖗𝖙's life is turned upside down the day she gets the call that her best friend, Raelyn, took her own life. No note, no explanation, just an empty bottle of pills atop a mountain of unanswered questions. As far as Gemma knew, Raelyn wasn't depressed. Why did she do this? Why did she kill herself? While searching for answers, she forms a bond with Evangeline, Raelyn's six-year-old daughter. Gemma soon learns that Raelyn didn't just leave behind a daughter, though. She also left a stack of secrets so high that Gemma fears she never knew her best friend at all. She's so desperate to find out the truth that she may get more than she bargained for. After all, you can't un-ring a bell. BOOK ONE IN THE RAE OF LIGHT SERIES. Copyright © 2019 Briana Eliza. All rights reserved. 50k - 60k words Awards: 2019 Summer Zodiac Awards - 2nd Place ⭐️ 2019 Talent Awards - 1st Place ⭐️ 2020 Winter Rose Awards - Honorable Mentions 2020 Belle Amé Awards - Runner Up

Based on the story, Where's Aiya by ArinaHarmony At White House High, reputation is everything. And no one has a better reputation than Aiya Bennett. She's the girl who has it all: the awards, the perfect grades, and a national TV debut scheduled for next week. She's the girl who never gets sick and never misses a beat. Until Monday morning, when her seat is empty. While the teachers look the other way and the Principal insists she's just "resting," Aiya's best friend, Amelia, knows better. Amelia is shy, quiet, and used to living in Aiya's shadow-but she knows Aiya would never leave her "Student of the Year" ribbon torn and trampled by her locker. When a cryptic text message arrives-"Amelia, I found it"-Amelia is thrust into a race against time. With the help of Aiya's protective brothers, a rival from the debate team, and a legion of loyal fans, Amelia uncovers a dark conspiracy hiding beneath the school's polished surface. The school isn't just educating them; it's selling them. From the dark, humming boiler rooms of the school basement to a 100-mile high-speed chase into the frozen peaks of Blackwood Mountain, Amelia must find the courage she never knew she had. To save Aiya, she has to expose the people she's supposed to trust. In a world where data is worth more than dreams, can one "shy girl" take down a system to save her best friend? The truth is about to go live.

A witch who is a chocolatier to the fairies As a chocolatier to the fairies Winifred is a beloved member of the magical communities in Wiltshire, the land of Stonehenge. It's a lot of work but walking through the countryside to deliver orders to grateful fairies is rewarding. There's just one problem, the sheriff suspects she might have followed in her Grandfather's footsteps by becoming a smuggler. And then...An old college flame named Larkin shows up, now working for the very sheriff who is always watching her like a hawk. Still, she might actually enjoy being under Larkin's watchful eye. Except, to add fuel to the fire a murder threatens to upend the peace between the fairy kingdoms and her Grandfather quickly becomes the top suspect. The paperback version of this book includes multiple pictures of the Wiltshire fairies for you to enjoy

A monster is running down Main Street! An old mountain hermit, dressed as Death, drops dead at a Halloween festival in Hope Rock County. Nobody knows why. But mysterious forces are at work on the Appalachian ridges. Granny witches and the Ancients. Black witches and sin eaters. Most folks think the old ways and traditions are a thing of the past. But the past rears up its aged head, and there's more going on here than meets the eye. A lovely tract of land is threatened by developers. Will life in the sleepy little town be forever changed? Can Hadley Pell solve the murder and keep Paradise from being lost forever? The Hadley Pell Cozy Mystery Series: 1. Nobody's Sorry You're Dead 2. Nobody Knows Your Secret 3. Nobody Can Say It's You 4. Nobody's Fool Y'all 5. Nobody Says It's Easy

It's 2001, and Emily has lost her childhood home to both a haunting spirit and now the government is ready to snatch it up. Emily regrets ever inviting that spirit into her house and wants to make it right (and get her stuff back). Terrified since the ghost possessed her, Emily's life takes an unexpected turn when her name is drawn for a rare Halloween festival. A camp of spirits is the last place she wants to go, but if she doesn't show up, her classmates won't let her hear the end of it. But a comment from a classmate suggests the festival may hold the secret to banishing the spirit. Digging deeper, Emily learns about a mysterious portal opener who releases spirits on festival grounds every nineteen years. This has happened since the first festival's unexplainable "accident." Joined by her cousins, Emily rides terrifying rides, follows suspicious camp leaders, questions creepy carnies, and pieces together clues about the festival's dark past. All while gathering tickets to win the grand prize and spite a bully. But when Emily discovers a secret book, she must face her fears before the spirits unleash a dangerous entity. If she can't control her fears, everyone at the festival risks losing their sanity. Can she master her fears, banish the spirits, and reclaim her home? *** HIGHEST RANKINGS: #1 carnies #3 paranormalmystery #5 dark-past #8 whodunit #10 portals #11 sleuth #15 middle-grade

Fellow sleuths. It's time once again to "exercise the little grey cells," as Agatha Christie's Hercule Poirot would say, with a Dickens Station Mini Mystery. You can easily read today's mystery in under 7 minutes, and the resolution in under 6 minutes. That leaves you 2 minutes for your deductions and hypotheses. Child's play. Is it not? So, test your "little grey cells" against mine with The Case of the Telltale Tiles, A Dickens Station 15-Minute Mystery.