Books published by Kensington Publishing

In this gripping follow-up to the Depression-era saga Mrs. Wiggins, the New York Times bestselling and award-winning author transports readers to the Deep South, as a proper church-going woman determined to snare Alabama’s most-sought after widower finds his secret desires and righteous lies come as a package deal…Forty-something widow Jessie Tucker is beloved throughout Lexington, Alabama, for her kind heart and endless generosity. But she feels it’s past time she rewarded herself—especially when upstanding Hubert Wiggins tragically loses his wife and son. Making herself indispensable, yet discouraged by Hubert’s lack of romantic interest, Jessie cooks up a deception she knows will make pious Hubert do right by her… Hoax or not, Hubert couldn’t be happier. The passionate self he’s long hidden from everyone has a new, much-riskier secret love. And the unsuspecting second Mrs. Wiggins will help him maintain his ever-so-devout image in the community…   But when Hubert is not the ardent lover Jessie always dreamed he was, she turns her desires to handsome younger man Conway. Suddenly the “good church wife” can’t resist temptation at all. And someone is watching: Conway’s new girlfriend—and Jessie’s longtime rival—Blondeen. Now Blondeen has the perfect opportunity to harass Jessie, destroy her reputation, drive her out of town—then become the real wife Hubert should have had all along…   In one shattering night, Jessie, Blondeen, and Hubert will each go too far. And when their web of deceit threatens to drag them under for good, they will have only one chance to erase the past and claim everything they’ve ever wanted. If their secrets don’t destroy them first…

"Smoke Jensen is mighty proud of his son Louis for finishing law school. But he can't help being a little disappointed that Louis isn't returning to the Sugarloaf Ranch. Instead, he's setting up his own law practice in nearby Big Rock--a career choice that turns out to be every bit as dangerous as fending off cattle rustlers. The boy's first case lands him smack in the middle of a heated dispute between two riled-up ranchers over water rights. If Louis can't settle them down, the whole thing could blow up into a bloody range war. Then a scheming con man shows up in town to stir up trouble--and ends up dead. Now Louis has to defend his sister's boyfriend on murder charges. What's worse, the real killer is still out there. And he's ready to slaughter again... Smoke Jensen's son may be a lawyer now. But if there's one thing he learned from his daddy, it's that in places like Big Rock, men live and die by one law alone: the law of the gun... Johnstone Country. Guns and Money. And Sometimes, Lawyers." --

Award-winning, critically acclaimed author Terrence McCauley has drawn comparisons to Elmore Leonard for his skilled writing of traditional historical Westerns with a crime fiction soul. Now he brings his signature historical accuracy, three-dimensional characters, and non-stop, adrenaline-fueled action to the first in a brand new series featuring Jeremiah Halstead. He may be the newest Deputy Marshal in the Montana Territory, but it doesn't take long for him to find himself in a mess of trouble…"Blood on the Trail is one action-packed, western . . . and Jeremiah Halstead is a lawdog to fog the outlaw trail with!" -Peter Brandvold, author of The Cost of Dying Silver Cloud, Montana. A mining town welcome to all seeking to make their fortune. And a place where a lawman has to watch his back before some hardcase empties his pistol into it. Deputy U.S. Marshal Jeremiah Halstead is escorting notorious outlaw John Hudson across the territory for trial when he's ambushed by a pack of Hudson's men anxious to rescue their partner from his custody. Halstead puts the blast on them, but outnumbered and outgunned, he has little choice but to hole up in an old mining town known as Silver Cloud, Montana. It's a place where he can keep a lock on his prisoner while figuring out how to get past Hudson's gang alive. But the folks in Silver Cloud are none too happy playing host to the lawman or his kill-crazy prisoner. Unable to trust the sheriff to back his play, Halstead finds himself standing alone against Hudson's gang as they slip into town, recruiting gunmen to help free their leader. Except for Ed Zimmerman. He's spent his whole criminal life in John Hudson's shadow. He wants Hudson dead and buried so he can become the leader of the gang. And if he must, he'll put everyone in Silver Cloud six feet under-including Deputy U.S. Marshal Halstead... "McCauley's Westerns move at a pace that leaves readers sweating and out of breath. Blood on the Trail is one wild, entertaining ride." -Johnny D. Boggs

"King Kohl...has a reputation for loving three things: the ladies, closing on properties, and playing bridge...After receiving a mysterious message to hurry to King's home, Wendy almost collides with the man's real-estate rival, running out the front door insisting he found King dead when he arrived. Not just dead, it turns out, but murdered...With her detective husband Ross and her father Bax Winchester, the chief of police, Wendy is determined to find the offender who dropped the unguarded King"--

During the first winter of the twentieth century, Gilded Age trouser diva Ella Shane refuses to dim the lights on her dazzling show business career for marriage-even to a dashing British duke. But the versatile mezzo-soprano may have to put it all on the line once murder takes centerstage... New York City, 1900. Renowned opera singer and theatre company owner Ella may have both much to gain and much to lose by getting engaged to her courtly long-distance love, Gil Saint Auburn. But there's little time for romance or resolutions with Gil's aristocratic mother and aunts visiting Greenwich Village-especially when the ladies discover a dead man in the bathtub of their hotel suite. The victim's disturbing background and subsequent demise at the elegant Waverly Place Hotel leave the group puzzled beyond the obvious certainty of an unnatural death. Adding to the confusion and mounting fear, danger explodes through Ella's close-knit circle after a friend makes a stunning confession and Gil becomes a fresh target for violence. Now, with a London tour run fast approaching, prenuptial worries weighing heavily on her heart, and an intricate Joan of Arc aria to rehearse, can Ella decide what she's willing to sacrifice before confronting a relentless criminal bent on watching her entire life go up in smoke?

In Agatha Award-winning author Erica Ruth Neubauer's third wanderlust-inspiring historical mystery, young American widow Jane Wunderly, there are worse fates than adventuring aboard a transatlantic liner with the only man who could change her mind about romance. Unfortunately, her first-class itinerary has an unexpected-and deadly-addition waiting just below deck…Atlantic Ocean, 1926: Voyaging from Southampton to New York, self-reliant Jane is determined to prove herself a worthy investigator on the stately ship-even awkwardly going undercover as the fashionable wife of her magnetic partner, Mr. Redvers. Few details are known about the rumored German spy the duo have been tasked with identifying among fellow passengers, but new troubles unfold once wealthy newlywed Vanessa FitzSimmons announces the sudden disappearance of her husband at sea… Miles Van de Meter, the man Vanessa rushed to marry in Monte Carlo, has allegedly vanished into thin air along with his luggage. Redvers guesses the shifty heiress may be weaving tall tales for fun between flutes of champagne, yet Jane isn't convinced-not after the stunning murder of a trusted acquaintance sends them into uncharted waters. Facing two dangerous mysteries and a boat load of suspects, Jane must navigate a claustrophobic quest for answers before the culprits can slip from her grasp on land…or, worse, ensure she and Redvers never reach their destination.

Includes an excerpt for The Snow Man (pages 343-361).

In the latest book in her Infamous Amish series, Patricia Johns crafts an uplifting, sensitive story about a young woman striving to reclaim the promise of love and community after losing her memory in an accident. As she navigates her old life where everything is unfamiliar, can she rediscover her guiding faith and reconnect with the steadfast young man to whom she is engaged and build a hopeful future? When the peaceful Amish community of Bountiful, Pennsylvania, is rocked by scandal, the three Yoder siblings must each find their path to love, family, and forgiveness… Waking in the hospital after a car accident, Lovina Yoder doesn't remember the Amish family who claim her as their own-or the man who says he's her fiancé. Thoughtful and handsome, Johannes Miller clearly cares for her, and Lovina longs to recall the walks and buggy rides he describes, and the plans they once made. Life in the Amish community seems full of joy, faith, and warmth. And yet, Lovina senses there is something more in her past, just beyond her grasp… Gott has answered Johannes' prayer to bring Lovina back-but not quite as he hoped. A year ago, she ran away to the Englisher world, unable to face the community after her daet's misdeeds. Her family hopes that Lovina can rediscover her Amish heart before those painful recollections return. Johannes loves her as deeply as ever, but if she walked away once, will she leave again, taking his dream of home and family with her? Or will the new memories they are making together, day by day, convince her that this Bountiful future is Gott's plan for them both?

Brimming with romance and adventure, New York Times bestselling author Betina Krahn's thrilling new series reveals the hero in every man... Just as Barclay Howard declares himself finished with the idea of true love and in pursuit of the more pragmatic "free love," he is thrust into another sort of commitment: guardian to his little nephew. Barclay hasn't a clue about children and now must quickly relocate to his family estate. But when he is swept up in the raid of a free love gathering and jailed with a lovely, cultured, innocent bystander, things become more complicated-or perhaps simpler... Norah Capshaw was fleeing a brute when she found herself swept into a lecture hall, jailed, and jobless. Without a penny or a relative to her name, she has sworn never rely on others, much less look for a hero. But she can't resist Barclay's offer of a position as tutor to his nephew. In fact, despite her distrustful nature, it's hard to resist Barclay. Soon, with their attraction growing, and a mysterious man still following her, the two embark on a journey into the southern uplands of Scotland-and into the heart of a great love neither expected...

In bestselling author Holly Chamberlin's poignant novel, a mother and daughter escape to a beautiful coastal town in Maine to find healing in the wake of heartbreaking loss. The journey to Yorktide, Maine, was always a happy one for Frieda and Aaron Braithwaite and their two daughters. Frieda loves her mother's old farmhouse, and the girls have grown closer there, sharing a bedroom and spinning stories into the night. But that was before-when tragedy was something that happened to other families. Since the car crash that claimed the lives of her husband, and their younger daughter, Frieda has struggled emotionally and financially. Bella, now seventeen, is withdrawn and wary, and Frieda fears losing her too. At her mother's urging, Frieda decides to return to Yorktide with Bella for the summer. Bella gets a job in a local shop, and little by little edges her way back into the world. But it's the unexpected connections they make-with a former schoolmate, a troubled teenage girl, and Frieda's estranged father-that will spur them to find healing amid bittersweet memories, and discover if their bond is strong enough to guide them back to hope once more.

From one of the most gifted and beloved storytellers of her time comes a riveting new novel of suspense where one woman's picture-perfect island sanctuary reveals itself to be filled with dangers…At twenty-nine, Alison Marshall is ready to find a place to call home. With no family and no ties, she's drifted from one small Florida town to another since high school, working odd jobs, saving hard, and building a nest egg. Once she finds the right place to settle down, she'll know. And when she reaches beautiful Palmetto Island, she thinks she may have found it. The small, close-knit island community seems to have everything Alison needs. On a hunch, she contacts the island's only realtor, and learns that an old beach house is on the market. Miraculously, it's in her budget, and Alison takes it as another sign that she's in the right place. At first, home is everything she hoped it would be. But as days turn into weeks, she uncovers a dark side to this supposedly peaceful haven. The locals have a secret, and once Alison discovers what it is, she faces a stark choice. She can stay and join them-or escape. But leaving brings its own risks, and Alison is starting to wonder if coming to Palmetto Island is the last mistake she'll ever make . . .

Now available for the first time in trade paperback, the New York Times and USA Today bestselling Southern Gothic thriller from #1 bestselling author Lisa Jackson! A serial killer is on the loose in The Big Easy, murdering victims in pairs, and it’s up to New Orleans detective Reuben Montoya to stop him…Now available for the first time in trade paperback, Lisa Jackson’s blockbuster New York Times and USA Today bestselling Southern Gothic thriller featuring New Orleans detective Reuben Montoya in a race to catch a serial killer on the loose in The Big Easy…Thanks to years of working with the dark side of society, Detective Reuben “Diego” Montoya’s youthful swagger is gone, replaced by straightforward determination. He’ll need it, because a serial killer is turning The Big Easy into his personal playground. The victims are killed in pairs—no connection, no apparent motive, no real clues.His only lead is Abby Chastain, ex-wife of one of the victims. Twenty years ago, Abby watched in horror as her mother, a patient at the Our Lady of Virtues Mental Hospital, plunged through a window to her death—and Abby has always dreaded that she too would one day go insane. Abby’s honest fear gets to Montoya. His gut tells him she’s innocent, and that there’s something significant about the once-grand hospital. Abby can help unlock the mystery—if only Montoya can get her to trust him enough to face the ghosts of her past.As more bodies are found in gruesome, staged scenarios and the FBI moves in, Montoya’s in a desperate race to find a killer who’s getting closer all the time. Plunging deep into a nightmare investigation will uncover a shocking revelation—a deadly connection between Abby and Montoya and an asylum where unspeakable crimes were committed, evil once roamed free, and a human predator still waits…

When a bee wrangler is bludgeoned, Let It Bee honey shop owner Wren Johnson makes it her beeswax to solve the crime...For the picturesque town of Oceanview on the Oregon Coast, May brings blossoming fruit trees and the annual UFO festival. As Aunt Eloise tries out alien costumes on their Havana brown cat Everett, Wren is off to meet with a bee wrangler, her go-to guy for local fruit tree honey. But when she arrives, Elias Brentwood is lying on the ground amidst destroyed hives and a swarm of angry bees. The bees didn't kill him, a blow to the head did. As blue-eyed Officer Jim Hampton investigates and the town is invaded by its own swarm of conspiracy theorists and crackpots, Wren and Aunt Eloise decide the only way to catch the bee wrangler's killer is to set up a sting...

Chloe's Windy City ex-fiancé gets blown away in the Florida panhandle... DEAD EXES TELL NO TALES Saloon owner Chloe Jackson appears to have a secret admirer. She's pouring drinks at the Sea Glass Saloon in Emerald Cove when an airplane flies by above the beach with a banner reading I LOVE YOU CHLOE JACKSON. She immediately rules out Rip Barnett. They are in the early stages of dating and no one has said the L word. Then a bouquet of lilacs-her favorite flower-is delivered to the bar, followed by an expensive bottle of her favorite sparkling wine. It couldn't be... Sure enough, her ex-fiancé from Chicago has flown down to Florida for an accountants' convention. But is he trying to mix business with pleasure and win her back? Unfortunately he's not in a hotel conference room, he's floating facedown in the lake next to her house, clutching a photo of Chloe. Who murders an accountant on a business trip-it just doesn't add up. When Rip becomes the prime suspect, Chloe is determined to find the secret murderer. But if she isn't careful, it may be closing time and lights out for her...

A uniquely intimate portrait of Malcolm X not just as a revolutionary leader, but as a complex family man, told through personal stories, memories, and rare family photos from his sister and nephew.AN INSIDER'S STUDY OF AN AFRICAN-AMERICAN ICONNo other book about Malcolm X offers such enlightenment on the man who was not just a great leader, but a beloved brother, cousin, nephew, uncle, father, husband, and friend. As politically relevant today as he was during his lifetime, Malcolm X also remains a controversial figure alternately mythologized and misunderstood. Ella Little Collins saw her brother Malcolm through some of the most significant times of his life, and knew him better than anyone else. Here she shares her poignant, vivid memories of him. Told to her son, Rodnell, to whom Malcolm was a much-loved uncle and mentor, Seventh Child contains haunting, bitter, as well as joyful recollections, and deeply personal insights. Seventh Child also provides remarkable details about Malcolm's family genealogy previously unavailable to the general public, and rare family photos—including one of Rodnell with Malcolm the night before his assassination. As informative as it is intimate, Seventh Child adds immeasurably to our knowledge of this complex and extraordinary figure.

Daddy's little girl is not all she claims to be. Go on a suspenseful and supernatural ride in this twist-filled thriller about a father and daughter with psychic abilities as he discovers his own flesh and blood might be his manipulative match…Ty Carter is at the prime of his career, making millions in Atlanta real estate, and his Cuban-Jamaican good looks and charm make him a hit with the ladies. One would think he was on top of the world; however, things are not always what they seem. Recently divorced, he's taking care of his grandfather, who suffers from dementia and also trying to keep his sexual addiction under wraps. Just when he thinks he's got things under control, Ty is knocked down by a surprise visit from his past. As a college student, he was a sperm donor, and now Journey Salazar, his 22-year-old daughter, has come looking for donor #1544. Journey is eager to learn about her family roots and build a relationship with her father. Ty and Journey realize they have a lot more in common than just looks. They both possess some supernatural traits. Their unique abilities of telepathy and astral projection help deepen a bond between them, but Ty will soon realize that Journey likes to get what she wants, sometimes abusing her gift if necessary. As Journey demands to weave herself into his life, Ty will see things rapidly unravel before his eyes. Like her father, Journey is a master of control and manipulation…has Ty finally met his match in his own flesh and blood?

In this captivating family drama from award-winning, bestselling author ReShonda Tate Billingsley, four estranged sisters must return to rural Arkansas when their mother is diagnosed with a terminal illness. Their mother wants them to repair their shattered relationships, but first they’ll have to face the lies and obstacles they’ve worked so hard to leave behind…Raising four very different daughters on her own in rural Arkansas wasn't easy for Miss Pearly Bell. And she's always regretted that the sisters went their separate ways for good—and never wanted to see each other again. But when Pearly is stricken with a terminal illness, she summons them all home—determined to somehow help them get right with each other and forgive...But that means dealing with past secrets and lies first.As the oldest sister, pastor's wife Maxine took her responsibility way too seriously—and never fails to judge everyone else. But a secret she can no longer keep will explode everything she stands for. Youngest sister Leslie is all about making a very different life with her new love—but she didn't expect a shattering past truth to be suddenly revealed and uproot everything she ever thought she knew. Elegant PR professional Stella and her earthy twin, Star, don’t see eye-to-eye on anything—and now a long-ago deception could wipe out their last chance at a relationship.Soon each sister must confront the illusions they've taken refuge in for so long and deal with each other woman-to-woman. But can building an all-too-fragile trust repair the damage done—and help them come together when they are needed most?

In Agatha Award-winning author Maddie Day’s tenth Country Store Mystery, Pans “N Pancakes owner and part-time sleuth Robbie Jordan must untangle the clues to find the killer of a knitting circle member...In South Lick, Indiana, fine foods and classic cookware can be found at Robbie Jordan’s Pans ’N Pancakes. Unfortunately, her country store also seems to stock up on murder… Robbie and her new husband Abe O’Neill are enjoying a summer evening in the park with fellow townsfolk excited for some Friday night fireworks. In attendance are senior residents from Jupiter Springs Assisted Living including Grant Bird, father to South Lick’s very own Police Lieutenant Buck Bird. Despite his blindness, Grant is a member of his group home’s knitting circle, spending quality time with some lovely ladies. But when the light show ends, one of the knitters who sat with Grant is found dead, a puncture wound in her neck. The poor woman’s death echoes that of Buck’s mother and Grant’s wife—an unsolved homicide. To help find the killer, Robbie’s going to have to untangle the knotty relationships deep in the victim’s past…