Showing results by author "Patricia Rockwell" in All Categories

Fireworks are supposed to light up the night sky on the Fourth of July. They’re not supposed to come flying into the front lawn of the Happy Haven Retirement Home and strike one of the residents in his keister. But that’s just what happens to gallant Lester Mills, new resident, and charming gentleman, who has risen to offer his seat to fellow resident and amateur sleuth Essie Cobb, when the rocket’s red glare smashes into both of them.

It’s Halloween and time for the goblins to come out. But for Essie Cobb, senior sleuth, and her pals at the Happy Haven assisted living facility, there’s nothing quite so spooky as a good mystery. Maybe it’s the strange new resident who resembles Mark Twain. Why does he collect a box, surreptitiously, each day from a stranger behind the kitchen entrance? Or, maybe, it’s Felix Federico, Happy Haven’s new manager. Where did this Italian heart throb of all the female residents develop his charming ways?

When Glory Lockhart is prodded into going on a blind date by her friend Connie, no one could have predicted the strange and terrifying turn of events that would take place when her gentleman caller Tom Rankin takes her for a romantic ride on a Ferris wheel at a county fair. But when the wheel returns to the ground, Glory finds Tom dead - shot in the back.

Why would spry senior Bob Weiderley suddenly faint and fall into a coma after winning a game of Bingo? After all, he was the most physically fit of all the men at the Happy Haven Assisted Living Facility (although there weren't many men at HH because women outnumbered them four to one). It was just very suspicious. That's why Essie Cobb and her friends and fellow residents - Opal, Marjorie, and Fay - decided to investigate. Was it possible that someone was out to get the friendly old gentleman?

Essie Cobb hates the pandemic. She misses her friends Opal, Margery, and Fay. But now she’s restricted to her room, and she can’t go anywhere or do anything. Or can she? Essie is not one to take adversity lying down - or rather, shuffling along behind her walker. She decides to try her hand at Zooming - that is, chatting online with her friends and acquaintances. Little does she know that this adventure is just beginning, and before long, Essie and her pals will be solving a crime that the police haven’t been able to solve for years!

When their best friend Merilee lands in jail, Janet and Molly naturally rush to her aid. But when the two girls find out that Merilee has been accused of murdering her own mother, they realize that the only way to help her is to find the real killer! The mystery takes the three friends back and forth from their artsy neighborhood in Dallas, to the Old West town of Shotgun City, to a ranch so big you could get lost in it.

A night out with her husband to watch her best friend perform in a local community theater “in-the-round” production surely shouldn’t be cause for amateur sleuth Pamela Barnes to use any of her acoustic detecting skills. But when one of the actresses collapses on stage and dies, Pamela finds herself in the thick of things. The recorder in her purse making an audio copy of the performance for another friend who couldn’t attend, may now prove important when it’s determined that the victim was poisoned.

James Grant, a young politician with everything going for him, including the most recent polls, gives a rousing stump speech in a local park. His campaign for mayor against the entrenched incumbent looks unstoppable. That is, until the police discover him standing over his wife’s dead body with the murder weapon in his hands. It certainly looks as if James is guilty. But psychologist and acoustics expert Pamela Barnes has other ideas - and they include helping this young man prove his innocence and succeed in his bid for mayor.

Who stabbed the philandering football coach in the back? Was it one of the three women who left romantic voice mail messages on the cell phone found next to his body in the motel room? The police don’t have a clue. None of the coach’s family, friends, or colleagues recognize the voices of the unidentified women - and probable mistresses. Who could they be? This sounds like a case for Pamela Barnes, local psychology professor, acoustics expert, and sometimes amateur sleuth.

When Essie finds an over-the-top, flowery valentine from an unknown individual in her mailbox, she goes into detective mode. Who could this person be? Why would they send her such a card? Essie is determined to find out, even if she has to ask for help from her three friends - Opal, Marjorie, and Fay. When Essie’s snooping takes a dangerous turn, she finds herself thrust into the middle of a police investigation. Will Essie help the police solve this Valentine’s Day mystery, or will she strike out on her own against an unknown foe who has anything but romance in mind?

The Happy Haven Assisted Living Facility is a home for senior citizens - not newborn babies. So when one of the kitchen workers asks 90-year-old resident Essie Cobb to secretly care for his missing coworker's infant, she is flabbergasted but determined. Along with her intrepid friends - Marjorie, Opal, and Fay - amateur sleuth Essie sets out to hide and protect the baby - and find his missing mother.

When Psychology Professor Pamela Barnes discovers her department's star researcher strangled to death in the computer lab, she's determined to find out who did it. Will an accidental recording of the murder allow Pamela to use her expertise in acoustics to identify the killer? A unique cozy mystery - set in the world of academia and high-stakes research - full of excitement, humor, and romance.

Who shot the disk jockey while he was on air? No one saw the killer, but many heard the murder on the radio. Local police are mystified and ask psychology professor and acoustics expert Pamela Barnes to assist them in investigating the crime. Can she determine who shot the deejay just by listening to the radio station's audio recording of the killing? And how does this crime connect to the impending death of a wealthy carpet manufacturer hundreds of miles away?

Senior sleuth Essie Cobb and her three gal pals Opal, Marjorie, and Fay take a cross-country train trip. Surely four little old ladies from the Happy Haven Retirement Home couldn't cause any trouble on a quiet journey across the country by rail...or could they? True to form, Essie and her friends manage to get into all sorts of trouble as they attempt to help fellow passengers in need.