Josephine Stuart Mysteries Series

Josephine Stuart, a fifty-year-old widow, is blessed and cursed with an overactive curiosity, a strong sense of right and wrong and a willingness to put herself on the line for her friends. Josephine has been hired to paint murals in the secluded Munger Mansion, located at the top of a wooded mountain. Certain local reprobates have their reasons for wanting the Mungers to leave their new home. Accidents, fires and the death of a forest ranger have everyone on edge. Josephine's curiosity drives her down the mountain, into the world of illegal activities and nefarious characters. Her situation become dire--no way to escape. One captor has a knife, the other has a rifle. Can she save herself and her friends? Secure the Ranch is the first in a seven-book series. The cozy mystery stories take place on the California Central Coast. They are short on murder and blood and long on sleuthing, adventure and fun.

Josephine discovers Inez, a Guatemalan woman, hiding in a field after she witnessed a murder. Inez speaks little English and is fearful of the police. Jo reluctantly takes the woman to her home and keeps her hidden while she tracks down the murderer. The victim was a part owner of the hotel where Jo has been hired to paint murals. As she and her two hired painters create murals, Josephine finds time to search for the killer. Her sleuthing puts her in harms way--on the Pacific Ocean with no way to escape the murderer's devious plot.

Josephine divides her time between her mural contract with a local gallery and her self-imposed duty to keep old Mr. Hooley safe. Hooley and his sister lived next door until the sister was blown to heaven when their house exploded. Mr. Hooley wasn't home at the time and wants to know who murdered his sister. Josephine wants to know why. Sheriff''s Deputies are working on the case, but Josephine is willing to do almost anything to keep Hooley safe, which boils down to finding the murderer--even if it means a dangerous dive into the Pacific Ocean.

An accountant working at the Thornton Therapy Center dies from a fall down the stairs. Josephine Stuart has been hired to paint murals at the Center and happens to be the first person at the tragic scene. The dying man indicates he was struck from behind. The outraged and ever-curious Josephine finds an email that convinces her that someone she knows is involved in a land-grab scheme that includes murder. The killer realizes Josephine knows the truth, lures her to a cabin in Tahoe and is prepared to shut her up for good. This story moves from Watsonville, California to Lake Tahoe, Nevada where a blizzard is in full swing.

Mario Portello is run over by a black sedan while sitting at his desk at Ralph"s Roller Rink. Josephine happens to be painting a mural at the rink the day he was rubbed out, making her the only witness to the hit-and-run event. Everyone assumes it was an accident caused by an octogenarian with bi-focal vision and a lead foot. From what Josephine saw, however; she believes the hit was intentionally carried out by a shrewd killer. The police are slow to believe her theory. Mario's family and acquaintances did not like him, but Josephine must look beyond dislike and find someone with a real motive for murder.

Josephine teams up with her Aunt Clara to solve a murder mystery involving Clara’s old high school friend, Joey Gianelli. He is found dead on the railroad tracks on a cold winter night. The women suspect foul play because Joey was not dressed for the cold weather and why was he there in the first place? The Sheriff’s department is slow to collect the clues. As usual, Josephine throws herself into solving the mystery, even when danger lurks at every turn. An unexpected trip to Santa Maria in an ice cold boxcar is nothing compared to what’s coming down the tracks.

No one in Josephine's plein-air watercolor class thought that Mary Milford, known by her friends as Mary Christmas because of her fabulous Christmas decorations, would topple off a Capitola Cliff into the Pacific Ocean. One minute she was there--painting--and the next minute her red sweater swirled in the rough surf. When the authorities determined she had been pushed,Josephine was all in--studying every angle, every person of interest. Besides poking around in everyone's business to uncover Mary's killer, Jo and her friend, Alicia are working hard creating watercolor paintings to sell at the Aromas Christmas Art Festival. A deadline looms. Josephine homes in on the killer, teams up with Mary's sister, and the two women catch a plane to Tijuana in search of their suspect. The trip proves to be revealing and highly dangerous. The police are slow to take Josephine's claims seriously. The well being of a five-year-old depends on Josephine's skill, instincts and dumb luck. Can she find the person who murdered Mary Christmas without becoming the next victim?

Scent of a $windle is flush with provocative foreign intrigue and unforgettable characters--including a menagerie of animals that consists of a dog, a cockatoo, a goat and a rooster. A disturbingly tragic murder has upset the balance of life on the white carpets of Pirunedale, California. Muralist Josephine Stuart is keeping a promise by house-sitting for Mr. and Mrs. Trippy who are touring Europe for thirty days. When the Trippy's neighbor is murdered, they automatically inherit Boris, the victim's rowdy cockatoo. Unfortunately Josephine becomes caretaker not only of their house, but also the inscrutable bird. Being the nosy neighbor she is, Josephine can't help getting involved in solving the murder. She has a long roster of suspects--all of them apparently interested in one small, but valuable item.