Maud Novec has been kicked out of her own home and winds up on the doorstep of Elmer Martin, a farmer who seeks companionship and help running his home. The two find friendship as Elmer teaches Maud the beauty of life on a farm. Eventually they realize their feelings run much deeper than employer/employee. The budding romance is threatened, however, by a mystery surrounding Maud. Someone comes close to successfully killing her, and Elmer seeks Sam's help in figuring out what's going on, as well as whether the attempts on her life are connected to a mysterious treasure and to the death of...

Holiday Connections is a series of stories that explore how the days of the year we set aside for celebrations can tie together family, friends and often strangers. From the child who involves her neighbors in planning her own funeral for Easter to the woman whose bump in the night on Halloween turns out to be a family in need, these stories explore human connections using twelve U.S. holidays as themes. The stories range from the mystery of a murder at the prestigious President's Club to the gentle romance that develops when a mail order bride falls in love with...

Jacob Hardy, a reclusive and wealthy author of fiery romance novels is losing his most prized possessions - a collection of valuable Kuan Yin statues. The mysterious thief seems to have the ability to walk through walls and grab the statues right from under the author's nose. Jacob hires Sam to help him catch the thief at about the same time as he hires a new typing assistant--Rosalie McGovern. As Sam works on the puzzle of the thefts, he also helps Jacob in his struggle with knowing how to handle the strong-willed, opinionated Rosalie. Sam puts everyone Jacob's life has touched on the...

Private investigator Sam Osborne is still setting up his new office when he gets a call from young heiress Casey Lewis asking him to investigate several recent attempts on her life. Twenty-year-old Casey is wheelchair-bound, the use of her legs taken in the same wreck that killed her parents just after her father changed his will to leave his business and fortune to her. Now, on the eve of full inheritance, someone is trying to kill her. Danny Jones has been homeless since he was a child. His long-time protector has died, leaving him completely on his own. With a large storm bearing down...