More Hometown Mysteries from Barbour

Barbour Books is back in 2011 with more of their Hometown Mysteries.

Click on the author and title links for more :)


The Camera Never Lies by Elizabeth Goddard

Photographer extraordinaire Polly Perkins is fascinated by people. But when a friend hires her for a wedding at an Oregon national park, she captures a murder victim instead! Will her uncanny ability to read emotion through a camera lens help her prevent another crime---and maybe zoom in on a chance for romance, too?

December, 2010









Burying the Hatchet by Chris Well

Longtime grump, Earl Walker is attending church for the first time in years. The minister, Andrew Benton,has been waging a public war with celebrity psychic Montague Black, who is riding his way to national fame by intruding on a local murder investigation. The pastor, standing on the Bible, opposes consorting with a psychic. When the two men are invited to a public summit, both walk into the room--but only the minister comes out alive. Can Earl prove that Pastor Benton was inexplicably framed...or is it time to start looking for a new church?

January, 2011




Blown Away by Nancy Mehl

Hilde Higgins has an unexplainable dislike of clowns. Trouble is that she's fallen for a handsome stockbroker who moonlights a s a clown at the children's hospital. When Harold "Binky" Tuttwiler and another member of the clown group both end up dead, Hilde's boyfriend suddenly becomes a suspect of murder. Is someone clowning around with the Clowns for Christ, or has Hilde misjudged the man she thought Adam Sawyer to be? Can Hilde solve the mystery before a Kansas twister blows away all the evidence?

February, 2011




The Perfect Match by Janice Hanna

Shortly after Devin Peterson signs up at the local dating service the Perfect match the business is set on fire. When Devin's mom, Annie, vows to find the culprit, suspects abound. Is the arsonist the financially strapped widow who runs the matchmaking service; the bitter newspaper editor who rues the day he wed his "unfortunate match"; the unsatisfied forty-something customer who's never found her ideal mate; or the investigator with a shady past? Will Annie and her cast of cohorts solve the crime before another arson reignites the citizens of Clarksborough? Will Devin find Ms. Right before anything else goes wrong?

March, 2011



Rest in Peace by Frances Devine

In Cedar Chapel, Where Victoria Storm runs a senior boardinghouse, things are quiet. That is, until she enters the local pet store and finds Clyde Foster, the owner, dead, and his parrot, Watzit, frantically screeching. What clues will this bird reveal regarding a murder most foul? Unable to resist a mystery, Victoria, her fiance' Benjamin, and her senior cohorts begin their own investigation, landing them headfirst in a dangerous adventure. When their friend, Miss Aggie disappears, leaving a blood-stained trail, no one seems safe. Will Victoria live long enough to unravel the clues and tie the knot?

April, 2011




Died in the Wool by Elizabeth Ludwig & Janelle Mowery

Hoping to procure much needed funds o buy computers for her beloved library, Monah Trenary is battling for monies donated to the city of Pine Mills. When a rival for the revenue ends up dead, Monah is one of the prime suspects. Could she have killed for computers? Pine Mills police detective Mike Brockman is dismayed when he finds evidence that monkshood and Monah appear to be a lethal combination. As bodies begin piling up, Monah and proven sleuth Casey Alexander step up their own investigation. Will they clear the librarian's name before she's booked for murder?

May, 2011



Chocolate Covered Crime by Cynthia Hickey

Summer Meadows' chocolate candy business is booming in Spring, Arkansas, and she becomes overwhelmed with her own April Fool's Day wedding plans. But then her cousin/wedding planner is found murdered and more mysteries keep occurring at family parties. Can Summer resist the urge to investigate when she and her dysfunctional relatives are dipped into a plot of unrequited love, internet scam, and jilted hearts? Could the murderer be related to her and have Summer targeted next? Will her fiance' support her sleuthing antics, or is he another suspect with something to hide?

June, 2011

Character Spotlight ~ Elizabeth Ludwig's Abigail Watts & Nathan Hawk

Abigail & Nathan

Elizabeth Ludwig is no stranger to writing books but Love Finds You in Calico, California is her first full length novel and a bit of a departure from her previous cozy mysteries. The cover intrigues me, I want to meet the woman who is wearing the red boots - LOL!

Enjoy this insight into Abigail & Nathan:~

Brief physical description

With soft brown curls and matching brown eyes, Abigail is not your typical heroine. Her understated beauty and modest demeanor belie the strong woman she is inside—one fully capable of taking care of herself…

Now, if only she could prove that to Nathan.

Grief and hard work have chiseled the softness from Nathan’s body, but not from his tender heart. Every now and then, he lets his guard down and allows Abigail to glimpse the gentle man behind the hazel eyes and sandy brown hair.

Each of them finds the other attractive. The only problem is, neither of them is ready to fall in love...

Actor/famous person

I picture Abigail as a natural beauty—not a standout, but memorable, nonetheless. She’s someone you might see on your street, right next door.

Rel: I picked Jennifer Morrison from House for Abigail.

Nathan, on the other hand, will make any woman turn her head for a second look. He’s handsome but brooding…kinda like Gerard Butler.

Strengths and weaknesses

Abigail always thought her strength was her faith in God. It’s only after she loses her father that she realizes how frail her faith really is. Still, it’s her strength of character that keeps her going…and keeps her searching for the truth.

Nathan’s strength lies in his ability to love deeply. After losing his first wife, however, that strength becomes his Achilles heel and hinders his ability to love again.

Quirk (if any)

Spunky Abigail cannot tell a lie—at least…not without being eaten up with guilt.

And Nathan? Well, he’s a man’s man, thank-you. He doesn’t believe in being quirky.

Your inspiration for the character

The inspiration for Abigail sprang from my sweet daughter (who also bears that name). Abby, as we like to call her, is a natural beauty with a deep inner strength that makes her a born leader. She can be fierce when it comes to her convictions or defending her friends, but she also has a soft side and a very tender heart.

As for Nathan…well…I guess that’s just the mother coming out in me. What parent doesn’t want their daughter to find that one person who will love, cherish, and protect their little girl? And if he's rugged and good-looking…well…Merry Christmas, sweetheart.

Background to the story

Love Finds You in Calico, California is a historical romance about a young girl who finds herself alone in a silver mining town after her father is killed. Driven to discover the truth about the facts surrounding his death, she begins searching for clues and winds up nearly losing her life (what can I say—I just can’t help putting a little mystery into my stories).

This is my first full-length historical novel, and I’m so excited about its release. Calico is a ghost town now, but at the time my story is set, it was a booming place full of rich history. I really hope I captured that.

Elizabeth ~ thanks for sharing about your characters. I love that Abigail is based on your daughter :)


On Thursday, the spotlight shines on Emma Shuster & John Patterson from Susan Page Davis' The Crimson Cipher.

Relz Reviewz Extras

Visit Elizabeth's website

Buy Elizabeth's books at Amazon or Koorong

Coming soon from Summerside Press

Summerside Press continues to impress with the authors it is attracting to its Love Finds You line of historical and contemporary romance line. July sees the following releases. Enjoy!




Love Finds you in Victory Heights, Washington by Tricia Goyer and Ocieanna Fleiss

When World War II robs Rosalie of her fiance, she throws herself into her work at the Boeing aircraft plant in Victory Heights.

A local newspaper dubs her "Seattle's Own Rosie the Riveter," and her story becomes an inspiration to women across America. Rosalie can handle that---but what about her feelings for the handsome reporter?











Love Finds You in Calico, California by Elizabeth Ludwig

Hearing news of a silver strike, spunky seamstress Abigail Watts packs up her needles and thread---and follows her father out West. But she soon finds herself alone and pressed into a marriage of convenience.

When she uncovers the truth behind her father's mysterious death, will she leave the town---and her husband---for good?