Bøger af Neal Sanders

"You can call this a confession if you must. Last year ... I murdered my husband. I did it with malice aforethought - a premeditated, cold blooded killing. No. On second thought, let's not call this a confession. A confession implies acknowledgement of guilt or remorse. I don't feel the least bit guilty and I certainly have no remorse. The bastard got what he deserved." With these words, Kat, a well-to-do suburban housewife with a flexible definition of morality, launches into her story. She has found ample evidence that her securities analyst husband, George, is cheating on her. But she has also discovered something else: George has squirreled away millions of dollars in secret accounts, violating every law in the SEC handbook. Claiming those assets in a divorce would alert authorities to George's crimes, and the resulting punitive fines might well wipe out their net worth. As Kat puts it, "The notion of George in prison was not so satisfying that I was willing to become poor."George's death becomes Kat's goal, and she carries out what she believes is the perfect murder with careful attention to detail. But she hasn't counted on a debonair district attorney with his eyes on higher political office, an aggressive SEC lawyer chafing because George died just as he was to be brought in for questioning, or an ambitious mistress with her own agenda.Funny, irreverent and introspective, Murder Imperfect traces Kat's tale through a roller coaster of financial shenanigans, ex-lovers and courtroom dramatics. If the essence of suspense is not, 'whodunit' but, rather 'will they get away with it?', Murder Imperfect will leave you guessing right to the very end.

"Someone wants you dead..."Three years out of business school and working for a investment banker, Lynn Kowalchuk is a junior analyst whose job is to look for mistakes in merger and acquisition projects. Her latest two-week assignment is at a failing New Hampshire company being sold to a competitor.What Lynn doesn't know is that someone in that company has a scheme to illegally siphon millions of dollars from the sale. That person sees Lynn as the one person working on the deal who treats it seriously; looking for the 'deal killer' that could cause the buyer to walk away. Lynn needs to be sidelined.When her car is run off the road, Lynn's vague sense that 'something is wrong' sharpens into a full-blown search for both the fraud and its perpetrator. At the same time, State Trooper Lou Bergeron, who responded to the crash, decides to look further into Lynn's claim that the 'accident' was an attempt on her life.'Deal Killer' takes you into the real world of investment banking. Not glamorous, billion-dollar deals done on private jets; this is the small, everyday deal, where the opportunity to line your pockets with a private 'golden parachute' is worth killing for - if you think you can get away with it.

Who killed Sally Kahn? There hasn't been a murder in 15 years in tranquil, affluent Hardington, Massachusetts. But someone pushed a moderately wealthy 65-year-old widow down her basement stairs, and then tried to make it look like an accident.Two people will work - together and independently - to find the murderer. John Flynn, a retired Boston Police Department detective with an outstanding record, will lead the official investigation. He will solve the murder despite the best efforts of Hardington's police chief, who cannot abide the idea of a murderer on the loose in his bucolic town and so who arrests the first likely suspect. Liz Phillips has a life centered on her garden and her garden club. Sally Kahn was one of her best friends and it is Liz who found the body. But Liz is a lonely woman, her daughter married and living far away, and her husband constantly on the road. Liz will help solve the murder by using intuition, asking questions, and knowing her town. Their quest to find Sally Kahn's killer will lead Liz Phillips and Detective John Flynn into an unfamiliar world of email inboxes and wireless Internet routers, hazardous waste disposal and the economics of tearing down houses to build 'McMansions'. Their search will also take them through an emotional landscape of adultery and the simmering resentment between 'townies' and the new-money affluent.

An internationally acclaimed Russian floral designer is found murdered in a Boston hotel ballroom. Who killed her? And why?Valentina Zhukova is a glamorous, globetrotting floral designer; the "Queen of Negative Space" and "Vladimir Putin's favorite flower arranger". But in the hours before the opening of the prestigious International Floral Design Alliance conference in Boston, someone stabbed her and then hung her body from a massive floral design.Six weeks after solving the murder of the Executive Director of the New England Botanical Society, Lieutenant Victoria Lee and young, computer-savvy Detective Jason Alvarez are again plunged into a world where flowers and horticulture can be grounds for homicide. They quickly learn that Zhukova was both more and less than the woman she seemed. The proud granddaughter of a World War II hero, she was also an ardent nationalist who toed the Kremlin line, and someone who relished inflicting on those around her. Who killed Zhukova? With an international cast of suspects, Lee and Alvarez - aided by suburban garden club president Liz Phillips - find few who knew her will mourn her death. Murder in Negative Space takes you into a world where 'amateur' designers are deadly serious about their work.

"Joey thought building my house was his ticket to unearned riches. He was wrong. Unforgivably wrong. Where is Joey now? Let's just say that I was Joey's final customer. I can make that statement with authority."Anne Evans Carlton is a woman with a simple goal: to serve Thanksgiving dinner in the 'retirement dream home' she is building with her husband, Matt. All that stands in her way is Joey McCoy: possibly the worst contractor ever to be entrusted with the building of a new house. How to Murder Your Contractor is the story of a battle of wits between Anne and Joey. Joey's goal is simple: stretch the job out and keep inventing 'up-charges'. But Joey hasn't planned on Anne's determination or Matt's legal prowess. Neither has he taken into account Anne's unusual circle of friends. They're multi-day Jeopardy winners, Master Gardeners, and equestrian jumping champions. They bring an arsenal of ideas - many of them deadly - to the task of either getting Joey to do his job right, or to get Joey out of the way once and for all.

What happens when the head of a major Boston cultural institution turns out to be a con man... and dead?Just hours after the Northeast Garden and Flower Show's opening night gala, St. John Grainger-Elliot, head of the venerable New England Botanical Society, is found brutally murdered. For newly minted Lieutenant Victoria Lee it's a high-profile investigation that could either accelerate or derail her meteoric career - and there are higher-ups who resent the promotion of a 30-year-old woman. Working with former partner John Flynn, and young, computer-savvy Detective Jason Alvarez, Lee learns that Grainger-Elliot was not what he claimed to be. He was a con man, and funds for his high-profile signature project, 'The Gardens at Government Center' are either missing or were never raised. Who killed him? A Society employee or trustee? A flower show exhibitor? A business partner whose reputation he ruined? And, was Grainger-Elliot's wife a dupe or an accomplice? Horticulture and high tech will solve the crime.A Murder at the Flower Show is a twisting, fast-paced story that goes behind the scenes into the not-so-genteel world of flowers and money.

It's 1967 and 27-year-old Pan Am stewardess Susan Delaney's highest aspirations are working first class on transatlantic flights... and meeting Mr. Right. That is, until one July afternoon when Susan agrees to deliver an errant suitcase from New York to Miami Beach. She arrives just in time to find that its owner has jumped - or been thrown - off a hotel balcony. The suitcase Susan is carrying contains detailed plans for a computer on a chip, an invention of enormous military importance but one thought to be years away from reality. But whose plans are they? No one seems to know, but among the people who want those plans are the KGB, the CIA, an anti-Casto Cuban exile group, and the Mafia.Susan is recruited by Joe Klein, a handsome Israeli agent, who convinces her of the need to find the plans' rightful owner. They embark on a round-the-country odyssey aided by Sadie, a grandmotherly El Al air marshal whose knitting bag packs a lethal arsenal.There's one disturbing thing that we as readers know from the outset: that by the end of the story, someone will be murdered. And the nature of the murder is such that Susan has kept it secret until today. The Accidental Spy moves across a fascinating mid-20th-century landscape that will be familiar to viewers of Mad Men. Susan tells her story with an infectious sense of humor that will keep you reading - and laughing - well into the evening.

Roland Evans-Jones thought by lending an 1889 work by a minor American Impressionist to an upcoming art exhibition, the value of his painting might increase by a few thousand dollars. But when pages from the artist's journal are found wedged in the frame - and they tell of a double murder committed by one of the dominant painters of that era - Roland knows he has something sensational on his hands.Using clues provided by the painting and the journal, Detective John Flynn, now-former garden club president Liz Phillips, and Roland set out to see if there are, indeed, two bodies buried behind a modest house in the Boston suburb of Hardington.What they find is something no one could have expected, and thus begins twin tales: one of the lengths to which the descendants of an artist will go to protect a legacy; and another of illicit riches being made today through robocalls and phone scams.The attraction between Liz and Flynn is more evident than ever as events in their lives sweep them toward an unknown future.Murder Brushed with Gold is the sixth entry in a series that includes A Murder in the Garden Club and A Murder at the Flower Show.

Revenge is a dish best served unexpectedly.Penny Walden once gained unwanted fame after writing a best-selling novel about revenge. Now, she loves her new job as an anonymous research scientist. Allie is a brilliant teen who never got over her father abandoning his family. Her mother, Helga, thought she had put the divorce behind her, but had only repressed her anger. Zoe and Tyler, stuck in dead-end, entry-level jobs that use none of their considerable journalism skills, desperately need a break. And Emily, wealthy and beautiful, has just found out that the man she planned to marry is the opposite of what she and the world believes.A week ago these women did not know one another. Now, their lives are about to intersect as Penny plots real-life vengeance against Brian LaPointe, the handsome, revered head of New England Green - who also happens to be a cad and a crook. Be aware that a) things will get complicated, and b) it will involve cats.A Whiff of Revenge is a wild tale of unexpected consequences, with a cast of unforgettable characters.

A cry for help from an old friend starts Paula, Eleanor, Jean, and Alice - the Garden Club Gang - investigating Senior Equity Lending Solutions, a company specializing in reverse mortgages for the elderly. Aiding them once again is insurance investigator Samantha Ayers.To get close to Senior Equity, the Gang needs a cover: a showroom for a fictitious company selling fancy French linens on the internet.Even as the Gang begins to document the scam at the center of Senior Equity - that the firm is deliberately pushing its customers into foreclosure - there's a problem: their website is drawing a flood of business. Ignoring the orders could tip Senior Equity to the Gang's true purpose, so they have a crash course in importing Provençal fabrics. But one person inside Senior Equity begins to suspect that the 'little old ladies' are more than they appear.Fatal Equity is a fun, fast-paced mystery with an appealing cast of characters. It's also an immersion into the world of reverse mortgages... and fine French placemats.

Committing the perfect crime was just the beginning of their problems. When Paula, Eleanor, Alice and Jean - women of a certain age - plotted to steal the daily cash gate from the Brookfield Fair, they thought they'd split about $125,000. They pulled off the robbery without a hitch, without injuring anyone and without witnesses. But when they counted the money, they found they had nearly half a million dollars, far more than the fair reported stolen. In a matter of hours, the Garden Club Gang would find themselves in a battle of wits with the local and state police, a determined insurance investigator and the criminals looking for their money. Instead of a lark, the four women found themselves in danger, and dependent upon their own resources - and an unexpected ally - to outwit both the law and the crooks determined to find the money and silence those who stole it. The Garden Club Gang offers finely drawn portraits of four women with all-too-credible motives for doing highly unladylike things. If you're expecting a 'cozy', then be prepared for a cozy with quite a kick. The characters are memorable, the action is non-stop and the plot twists until the final page.

Liz Phillips and Detective John Flynn are back! And they've got just five days to solve a murder before the evidence disappears.In the suburban Boston community of Hardington, all anyone can talk about is that the cast and crew of the hit TV show, Ultimate House Makeover, have come to town to help 500 volunteers build a home for a family in need. But on the morning construction is to begin, the body of selectman Fred Terhune is found at the site. Detective John Flynn doesn't lack for suspects or clues: cameras recorded the previous evening's party where two men threatened Terhune and a woman showed her displeasure with him in spectacular fashion. And, as a selectman, Terhune had enemies.Meanwhile, Liz Phillips thinks her only role is to keep volunteers on the project busy. But the more she sees and hears as she works on the project, the more she understands that she may hold the key to solving the murder.A Murder in the Garden Club introduced garden club president Liz Phillips and the town's new detective, John Flynn. Set two months after the events of that book, Murder for a Worthy Cause continues to explore the community in which it is set and the relationship between these two compelling people.

The 'Gang' is back. The death of garden club member Cecelia Davis, age 93, sends Paula, Eleanor, Alice and Jean 'undercover' to the high-end nursing home where Cecelia lived her last two years. They're not even certain if they're trying to solve a murder: at 93, you're no longer on the actuarial tables. But Cecelia's wake provides tantalizing tidbits of information and an initial roster of people to investigate, and Cecelia's granddaughter is convinced there was foul play.But at the same time, another of the Gang's ventures is about to come back to haunt them. Three months earlier, investigator Samantha Ayers sent the group into an auto dealership in search of insurance fraud. They found it, and exposed Pokvovsky Motors in a most spectacular fashion. Now, 'Smilin' Al' Pokrovsky, the patriarch of a chain of dealerships, wants revenge.Deadly Deeds brings back the cast of The Garden Club Gang with a twisting plot that is as suspenseful as it is a great mystery. They'll try to catch a nursing home murderer while keeping out of the clutches of an auto magnate who wants to silence them.

The Gang is out for justice. For the first time in her life, Jean Sullivan is free. Her abusive husband died five years ago but, even in death, he managed to control Jean through a punitive trust. Now, that document is broken and, even though she's now 67, Jean is interested in romance. She has even posted an essay to a dating site, 'Me&YouAfter62', tailored to mature singles.Out there, waiting for women like Jean, are the Miller brothers. They're life-long con men who travel to the places where wealthy widows and divorcees gather. Now in Boston, they've just come up with an ingenious new con; one so good their marks won't even know they've been swindled.It will take the entire Gang (plus insurance investigator Samantha Ayers) to uncover the scheme. Stopping these men, though, won't be as easy as going to the police because, technically, the Miller brothers haven't yet broken any laws. Paula Jean, Alice, and Eleanor are strong, independent and resourceful women. But, in the Miller brothers, they're up against people who are steeped in deceit; with a lifetime of tricks up their sleeves.