Bøger af John Carter Stell

It's almost Halloween! The perfect holiday for sweet munchies, monsters, and murder! Attorney Tracy Brubaker Shane is especially looking forward to October 31, 2019, because a childhood hero will be returning to the small screen - live! Former horror host Richard George, aka Dr. Mort Itchin, comes out of retirement to again present a classic horror film from his House of Funerals, and Tracy will be in the studio audience. She even manages to be invited to rehearsals. But soon after her arrival behind the scenes, she realizes everyone is not wallowing in happy nostalgia. The thorn is everyone's side is Carl Jeffries, who once-upon-a-time played Dr. Mort's sidekick, Nagging Skeleton. Jeffries daughter, Megan Wallace, is producing the program. But there's no love lost between father and child. The show's director is in love with Megan and isn't too pleased with the friction Jeffries is causing. Other crew members have their own reasons for despising Jeffries. When the violence finally erupts in a most appropriate, if grisly, fashion, Tracy is right there to begin her investigation, especially when her hero is charged with the crime. Not surprisingly, she discovers multiple possible motives including buried secrets, sheer hatred, and old-fashioned showmanship. But can Tracy find the truth in time so the show can go on? It's another Tracy Brubaker mystery filled with tricks, treats, and surprises. Happy Halloween!

It's almost Halloween! The perfect holiday for sweet munchies, monsters, and murder! Attorney Tracy Brubaker Shane is especially looking forward to October 31, 2019, because a childhood hero will be returning to the small screen - live! Former horror host Richard George, aka Dr. Mort Itchin, comes out of retirement to again present a classic horror film from his House of Funerals, and Tracy will be in the studio audience. She even manages to be invited to rehearsals. But soon after her arrival behind the scenes, she realizes everyone is not wallowing in happy nostalgia. The thorn is everyone's side is Carl Jeffries, who once-upon-a-time played Dr. Mort's sidekick, Nagging Skeleton. Jeffries daughter, Megan Wallace, is producing the program. But there's no love lost between father and child. The show's director is in love with Megan and isn't too pleased with the friction Jeffries is causing. Other crew members have their own reasons for despising Jeffries. When the violence finally erupts in a most appropriate, if grisly, fashion, Tracy is right there to begin her investigation, especially when her hero is charged with the crime. Not surprisingly, she discovers multiple possible motives including buried secrets, sheer hatred, and old-fashioned showmanship. But can Tracy find the truth in time so the show can go on? It's another Tracy Brubaker mystery filled with tricks, treats, and surprises. Happy Halloween!

After driving a drunk party guest to his ex-wife's condo, attorney Tracy Brubaker finds herself in the middle of another murder investigation, only this time as a witness! Gemma White, having just returned from a business trip, has been shot to death. Tracy hears the fatal noise, as does White's inebriated ex-husband, Patrick Vinton. Police first think the crime is related to a series of burglaries in the area. But Tracy suspects there's much more to the murder than a botched theft. She soon learns the victim was working with the FBI regarding two previous unsolved killings. Much more troublesome, however, is that a former informant of Tracy's father is arrested for the burglaries. Coincidence? The attorney doesn't think so. Determined to learn the truth, Tracy eventually butts heads with a very clever killer, who may have committed the perfect murder! The sixth entry in the Tracy Brubaker series, Murders and Acquisitions finds the attorney hunting for a new home, as well as that final piece of evidence that will nail an especially cocky killer.

As attorney Tracy Brubaker Shane looks forward to her impending motherhood, sister-in-law Crystal shares some disturbing news. Her fiancé Elias Tanner, Jr.'s ex-girlfriend, Marleena Riggins, has returned, wanting to patch things up and pick up where they left off. When the ex is turned down, she threatens that if she can't have Elias, Crystal can't either. Soon after there's a corpse in a cake, which means another murder case for Tracy, this time with some very personal stakes. As she navigates the twists and turns, she arrives at a most complicated and unexpected solution. The ninth entry in the Tracy Brubaker mystery series, The Lady in the Cake finds Tracy pulling out all the stops to protect her family as she prepares to welcome a new addition.

The police have ruled the death of Laurie Soles, the sister of Tina Mallory's coworker Carly, a suicide. But Tina's boyfriend, Jimmy "Mother" Pemberton, thinks there is more to the tragedy than just a depressed young woman. Her family history is a horrific one, including the murder-suicide of her parents and the death of her brother Dylan at age eight. More troubling is the anonymous individual interested in purchasing the Soles family home, a house that has been vacant for over 20 years, for significantly more than it is worth. Most disturbing of all, however, is Laurie's recent interest in a cult of Satanists. Hoping to learn the reasons for her sister's death, Carly accepts Jimmy's offer to help. But when more crimes connected to the Soles family are discovered, Jimmy wonders if Carly is a potential victim, or a psychotic killer. The second entry in the Mother, May I... series is another twisted tale of murder, buried secrets, and shocking revelations, with Jimmy again risking his own life to discover the truth behind acts of a most evil nature.

Having now settled in her new home, just in time for the holidays, attorney Tracy Brubaker Shane has been invited by new client Richard Clay to the ultimate Halloween party. But Clay has an ulterior motive. He wants Tracy's help in figuring out who poisoned his wife Candice almost one year ago. He even has a list of suspects. Then one of those suspects ends up poisoned too, and now Clay needs Tracy's help for different reasons. On happier notes, husband Brian is now an employee of Tracy Brubaker Attorney at Law, and Tracy tries playing matchmaker for her sister-in-law Crystal. It's going to be a very busy holiday season. Join Tracy and company for the seventh entry in the Tracy Brubaker mystery series, as the amateur detective seeks yet another trickster who thinks they can outsmart the determined attorney.

While attorney Tracy Brubaker and fiancé Brian Shane move forward with wedding plans, musician Karen Purl hires Tracy in anticipation of being charged with murder. The married man with whom Karen was going to leave the country is found shot to death in his hotel room. The murder weapon is found in Karen's suitcase. Some of Karen's wealthy family want her to accept a plea to minimize scandal. But Tracy thinks Karen's been framed, and it soon becomes apparent there is a viscous killer who will stop at nothing to protect his or her identity. Is it the victim's jilted wife? The sanctimonious and hypocritical sister-in-law? One of Karen's brothers? Someone else? Tracy is determined to learn the truth. But it may cost her more than she's willing to pay. The fifth entry in the Tracy Brubaker Mystery Series, Gun in White Satin is a harrowing tale of love and loss, and the ugliness that can in exist inside the most beautiful of guises.

Juggling her return to work, a nursing infant, the search for a new employee, and relocation of her office space, the last thing attorney Tracy Brubaker Shane needs is another murder case dumped in her lap. But that's exactly what she gets when client Myron Leakly's ex daughter-in-law is found poisoned in her own home. The only witness is the victim's pet Corgi, Benny. The police arrest ex-husband Teddy, the son of Tracy's client. So, Tracy once again works her magic as she sifts through various other suspects, including the poet boyfriend, a nosy neighbor, and even the victim's own sister. An employee of Teddy's real estate company may even be involved. The attorney will uncover various secrets, lies, and betrayals as she learns just how twisted the victim and her various plans were. Just who finally got the better of her? With some assistance from the very enthusiastic and cooperative Benny, Tracy hopes to find out.

Almost one year ago Jimmy "Mother" Pemberton sold his bar Mother's and has been living a life of leisure ever since. But that's about to change. Back into his life comes Tina Mallory, a woman with whom he's enjoyed a casual relationship over the last few years. She's also the single mother of 17-year-old daughter Julie, a smart but troubled young woman whose choices in men greatly worry her mother. Meanwhile Jimmy's younger brother Tommy, a detective with the Baltimore City Police Department, informs him of a brutal murder involving a nude male corpse covered in lipstick. As more victims killed in the same manner soon follow, Jimmy learns the horrifying truth that Julie is somehow connected to the crimes. Hoping to help Tina and her daughter, Jimmy digs deeper into Julie's past and learns a terrible secret that may hold the key to present events. Determined to find the truth before Julie's admirer makes her his next target, Jimmy puts his own life in danger, as the police desperately try to stop the murderer before he or she strikes again. Join Jimmy, Tina, and Julie as they work together to unmask the killer in this fast-paced debut entry of the Mother, May I... series.

Three high schoolers have been strangled; their bodies then dumped on their respective parent's lawns. The police arrest the son of one of attorney Tracy Brubaker Shane's clients for the latest murder. It doesn't take long, however, for Tracy to prove a mistake has been made, but not before she's captured the attentions of the killer. Now, she finds herself caught up in a psychotic's plan of revenge, triggered by the suicide of a bullied 13-year-old. But as she digs deeper, Tracy makes a shocking discovery that turns the present case on its head. The eighth entry in the Tracy Brubaker Mystery series presents a new challenge for the gifted attorney: hoping to unmask someone whose motives are anything but logical, at least to her. Never has solving a case been so important for her own well-being, because never has her own life been in so much danger.

Primarily, this book is a thank you to horror hosts in general, particularly the Baltimore-area hosts-The Great Zucchini, Dr. Lucifer, Ghost Host, Sir Graves Ghastly and Count Gore De Vol-for the immeasurable pleasure they gave their young and young-at-heart viewers throughout the years they served. For many people, their first exposure to horror films was through these hosts, and this in turn began a love affair with the genre. In fact, these friendly fiends created little movie monsters with insatiable appetites, not nearly satisfied by a once-a-week-fix. Thus, this book does not just include filmographies of local hosts, but also chapters on local television airings that would have been of interest to the budding horror fan. Some stations had dedicated "Chiller Theaters" that specialized in horrific programming, even if there was no host. Other horrors frequently popped up on the more inclusive "Late Late Show." This type of programming would not last much past the 1980s, when the combination of the cable television explosion and the home video revolution sent networks scrambling to reconfigure their schedules. Author John Carter Stell worked over 10 years gathering the films, dates and times to remind those little monster kids of the joys of their youth. Waiting for a new (to them) monster, mad scientist or alien to scare the bejeezus out of them. Includes mini bios of the horror hosts and complete listings of the films shown. Guaranteed to bring a smile and happy memories to those little horror fiends that still reside in all of us.

Tailor Massimo "Max" Paganini is in trouble. His long-time rival Randall Pepper has been found shot dead in Max's own shop. Only Max's fingerprints are on the gun and there's evidence he arranged a meeting with Pepper. Still, Max insists he's innocent. But who could possibly believe him? Attorney Tracy Brubaker does. She's known Max since she was four years old and agrees to defend him. And she soon finds out there's a lot more to this murder than just a decades-old feud. Several of Max's own employees have secrets to hide. The FBI shows up at her office asking questions but refusing to give answers. The most disturbing element of all, however, is prospective client Charlie Betts, whose true identity puts Tracy in the cross hairs of career criminal Reginald Walters, who's gotten away with murder before. It doesn't help matters that Max isn't the most cooperative of clients, refusing to believe anyone close to him could be involved in Pepper's killing. In spite of everything, however, Tracy presses on, and gets close enough to the truth so that lives are threatened. But neither the FBI, Charlie Betts, nor Reginald Walters have ever dealt with anyone quite like Tracy. Willing to put her life on the line for Max, Tracy plans a dramatic courtroom reveal which not only exposes whodunit, but also how it was done.