Cozy mysteries set in the Southwest
The Cardinal & the Crow
Samantha Olivares seems to have it all but after her beloved father’s sudden death, she’s devastated. When an unknown cousin comes to town Sam strives to trust again.
Jack is at the pinnacle of his career as a medical examiner. Scarred by his loveless childhood, however, he doesn’t do relationships. Thanks to Sam, he experiences a sense of family and community for the first time but their family reunion is interrupted by murder.
The delicate bonds of trust and family ties are strained when Sam’s best friend is accused of poisoning the town blackmailer. Then the stakes rise as Jack’s personal and professional lives collide.
Can he and Sam catch the killer without losing everything they hold dear?
“A dramatic Southwest mystery. Testing the depths of loyalty and the bonds of friendship, this unpredictable mystery is lighthearted but still hits hard, with thoughtful themes about family and community, and eccentric but relatable characters, offering a gripping first installment of the Samantha Olivares Mysteries series.” Self-Publishing Review, ★★★★
The Cardinal, the Fat Boy, & the Flamingo
Murder in Sin City!
Samantha Olivares feels the need to get away. She’s looking for adventure but finds more than she bargains for when she joins a motorcycle club in Las Vegas.
Her dreams of sightseeing and idyllic days by the pool are soon cut short by a shocking murder. Finding herself alone in the city that never sleeps, Sam must keep a cool head and quickly get beyond the facades of her quirky clubmates.
Struggling to balance empathy and suspicion, Sam forges tentative friendships and alliances among the suspects. She walks a fine line, knowing that trusting a murderer can be deadly.
Explore the sights and sounds of Las Vegas with Sam and her new friends as she races to find the culprit before they strike again.
The Cardinal & the Hawk
IT BEGAN AS SABOTAGE
Sam Olivares, newly certified survival instructor, carefully planned her first winter survival camp. Delicious food, comfortable hot tents with wood stoves, and excellent courses provided by local experts.
IN THE SNOWY MOUNTAINS OF NORTHERN NEW MEXICO
When sabotage didn’t work, the villain decided arrows might be more effective. Injured and on the run, Sam must figure out who wants her dead and why, as a storm closes in and the campers get restless.
MURDER WAS NOT ON THE AGENDA
The blizzard leaves them stranded and unable to call for help after a shocking murder so Sam and her friends must work together to catch a crafty killer.
Survival in the snow
NEW! The Cardinal & the Crane
Samantha Olivares, spunky rancher and inadvertent murder magnet, made a promise to her cousin Jack, and she always keeps her promises.
Chief Medical Examiner, Jack Olivares has worked up the courage to meet his mother’s family in Japan and needs Sam by his side. Used to leading the show, he suddenly finds himself on the outside looking in when a family member is arrested for murder.
As the cousins are immersed in what feels like an alternate world, their perceptions about life and family are changed forever.
In this traditional whodunit, author Alice Kanaka offers a unique perspective on life in Japan as she experienced it. Commonplace Japanese family life and a first-time visitor’s point of view, combined with a dash of murder, provide depth and understanding of familial love across cultural borders.
“A trip to Japan for a whirlwind reunion goes fatally awry for Sam and Jack in The Cardinal and the Crane by Alice Kanaka, an addictively readable international mystery. As if navigating the complex cultural landscape of Japan isn’t hard enough, Sam and Jack stumble upon a mysteriously hairless body in the park – a neighbor of Jack’s family with whom he’s reconnecting. Pulled into the enigmatic investigation, and drawn closer to one another than ever before, this sleuthing pair must find the killer before the crime rips Jack’s family apart. With immersive attention to cultural detail, a cast of compelling new characters, and Kanaka’s signature storytelling style, this fourth installment is a thrilling progression of the Sam Olivares Mystery series.” -Self Publishing Review
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