by Philip Eliot | Aug 7, 2026 | Crime Fiction |
Two bodies lie in the ashes—and Iris Raines is about to expose secrets worth killing for.This gritty Texas private investigator mystery is fast-paced and relentless—blending danger, corruption, dark humor, and shocking turns into an explosive ride.Iris Raines makes a living unearthing the secrets others will do anything to hide. She’s sharp-tongued, armed with a biting wit, and not above bending the rules if it gets her closer to the truth. But this case drags her into a firestorm of corruption and murder no one else dares to touch.The lawyers are pit-vipers, the politicians are crooked, and a faceless killer knows way too much about her. The cops don’t believe her, the criminals want her gone, and the powerful players behind it all will do whatever it takes to silence her. As bodies pile up and the truth closes in, Iris finds herself at war with forces that will stop at nothing to bury their secrets forever.But Iris Raines doesn’t scare easy—and she’s not about to back down now.Fast, razor-sharp, and impossible to put down, Hell to Pay is the explosive first book in the Iris Raines Mystery series. Written by a licensed private investigator with decades in the field, Hell to Pay is perfect for readers who crave fearless heroines with a sardonic streak, unpredictable investigations, and mysteries that don’t flinch when the bullets start flying.Fans of Stephanie Plum, Kinsey Millhone, V.I. Warshawski, and Elvis Cole will find a new favorite in Iris Raines.Start reading Hell to Pay today!PrologueI should have stuck with finding dead people. I’m really good at that. I always find them—dead people, I mean. They’re buried someplace, and they never move. No change-of-address cards, no aliases…just dead guys in boxes. You find the dead guy, you find his heirs, you give them their money, you get paid. Everybody’s happy. Instead, it’s after two in the morning, and I’m pulling out of the parking lot of our temporary offices. I’ve spent a long night, preceded by a long day, tracking down a witness who went missing the day before trial. I look across the street at the office building where the Raines family has practiced law for fifty years and where my fathers raised me…just in time to see it explode. Award-Winning Finalist — Next Best Read Writing Contest, December, 2025 Gold Book Award — Literary Titan Book Award for Fiction, February, 2026
by Philip Eliot | Aug 7, 2026 | Cozy Mystery |
It’s hard to be hard-boiled when your biggest fan and toughest critic is your twelve-year-old daughter.Comedy meets mystery and history in the summer of 1961, when Houston is still a cowboy backwater — overheated, under-air conditioned, and plagued by daily downpours that bring the Gulf of Mexico ashore and wash crawdads down suburban streets.P.I. Harry Lark is running a detective agency out of a seedy downtown office building when a well-dressed out-of-towner entangles him in President Kennedy’s moon mission. LBJ and his Texas cronies are plotting to get NASA to build a space center in Houston, but somebody is out to stop them. Harry decides that he’s working for the wrong side and gives his client the brush-off, but when a dead body shows up in his office, he discovers that he can’t walk away. Then Harry is hired to clear a local civil rights group of involvement in a string of firebombings.Meanwhile, Dizzy and her pals are running a lost and found out of a suburban garage when they’re hired to find a missing father who is supposed to be dead and buried.What’s the thread connecting a dead mobster, a missing father, torched buildings, and NASA’s moon mission? Harry and Dizzy race to find out before the city goes up in flames.If you like stylish, witty writers like Raymond Chandler, Robert B. Parker, Lisa Scottoline, and Elmore Leonard, you’ll see why Romance Reviews Today’s Jani Brooks rates Bayou City Burning “a Perfect 10 book.” You may agree with blogger Brooke Gunderman when she calls Bayou City Burning “one of my new favorite books!”Will Harry and Dizzy save the city? Will Harry survive a month of single parenthood? Buy Now to find out.
by Philip Eliot | Aug 7, 2026 | Dark Romance |
In an ironic twist of fate, I’ve found myself entangled in Dante Salvato’s world. The ruthless mafia king is no stranger to violence; but when he lays his eyes on my bruised and battered face, he’s furious.I thought my makeup was thick enough to cover the beating I suffered until my inappropriately flirtatious boss noticed. As a cocktail waitress in his casino, I’ve always been on Mr. Salvato’s radar, but now he’s obsessed, demanding to know who hurt me and why, intent on making them suffer.When Dante discovers that my boyfriend Mitch not only owes money to another vicious Vegas mobster but is also cheating on me, he offers him one hell of a deal – Dante will pay off Mitch’s debt in exchange for the one thing he wants more than anything – me.Dante’s offer requires me to spend the next seventy-six days and nights with him, one for every thousand dollars of Mitch’s debt. When I refuse, Dante promises to kill Mitch right then and there for being the one ultimately responsible for my bruises.Desperate to avoid bloodshed even after I’ve seen the evidence of Mitch’s betrayal, I reluctantly accept Dante’s deal with one stipulation. I warn the arrogant bastard that I will never, under any circumstance, sleep with him.Now I just have to resist the mob boss for seventy-six days and nights while he uses every weapon in his arsenal to try and change my mind.
by Philip Eliot | Aug 6, 2026 | Mystery |
A London detective investigates when a troubled Scottish laird takes a fall in this classic British mystery by the author of Hamlet, Revenge!.Strange things are happening around the remote Castle Erchany, located in the Scottish Highlands. The miserly and reclusive laird, Ranald Guthrie, roams the castle’s freezing halls, reciting an old poem over and over: Timor mortis conturbat me. Fear of death disturbs me . . .Then on a wild winter night, Guthrie plummets to his death from his castle’s tower. Was it an accident? Was it suicide? Or was it murder?Suspicion falls on a local man, but when Insp. John Appleby arrives from the Met in London, he doubts this solution. To discover the truth, Appleby immerses himself in the dead man’s final days in a gloomy, gothic castle. Of course, he must be on his guard, because there’s no telling whether someone else might fall victim to another “accident.””The simple-seeming and single-seeming plot of Lament for a Maker holds about as many layers of complication as a first-class mystery story could well hold without bursting, and . . . Michael Innes manages this complication with the lucidity of a master.” —The Observer”Magnificently written.” —The Times Literary Supplement”A grand and ghastly tale with a surprising double climax.” —The New Yorker
by Philip Eliot | Aug 6, 2026 | Womens Fiction |
A BRAND NEW romantic feel-good read from BESTSELLING author of So This Is Christmas, Helen Rolfe. Perfect for fans of Shari Low, Heidi Swain and Cathy Bramley Welcome to a very special book club – where stories are shared, secrets kept, and friendships found.Howard, newly retired to Dorset, joins because he can’t sleep; the weekly sessions give him an opportunity to connect. Margot logs in only after her husband’s fallen asleep – her life has grown small, and the club is the one place she can still be herself. And on the other side of the world, Faye joins to escape her sister’s latest crisis and feel, for an hour, that she belongs somewhere.For each of them, the book club is more than a hobby – it’s a lifeline.So when Howard suddenly disappears from the meetings, everything changes. Determined to be there for their friend, Faye and Margot must step out of their own troubled lives and travel to Dorset – where the truth behind Howard’s silence may turn out to be the most unexpected story of all…A warm-hearted and gripping story from bestselling author Helen Rolfe that will captivate fans of Lucy Diamond, Cathy Bramley and Jessica Redland.Readers can’t get enough of Helen Rolfe’s books:’A gorgeous story of love, loss, best friends and unbreakable bonds. It truly melted my heart’ Shari Low‘I really loved this book! I ended up devouring it all in just two sittings…’ Jo Bartlett‘Helen Rolfe is an absolute specialist at building cosy communities and making me want to live there. I want the characters as my friends!’ Sue Moorcroft’A beautiful tale exploring the bonds of family and friendship and how strong these are when tested. Loved it’ Jessica RedlandReaders LOVE Helen Rolfe:‘This incredibly special book celebrates friendship. It is rich with perfectly flawed characters and relatable themes that had me visiting many emotions. Ultimately, it’s perfect and I can highly recommend it’ ?????????? Reader Review‘ This is an excellent book, it will take your emotion on a roller coaster ride’ ?????????? Reader Review’Good book throughout, couldn’t put it down. Loved how it ended’ ?????????? Reader Review’It’s a Helen Rolfe book, so it’s worthy of nothing less than five stars!’ ?????????? Reader Review‘Barely a chapter in and I was hooked and knew I’d love it’ ?????????? Reader Review‘I have never read anything by Helen Rolfe before but I really enjoyed this book. I was hooked from the first chapter, I loved the setting of the story’ ?????????? Reader Review‘A must read!!’ ?????????? Reader Review‘Brilliant characters, a great storyline and an absolute delight to read’ ?????????? Reader Review
