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Elizabeth Dearl and her pal, Casey

Elizabeth Dearl is a former Texas police officer who also owned a small bookstore for several years. Her short mysteries have appeared in Woman's World, Mystery Net, Mystery Time, Blue Murder, Futures, Britain's Fiction Feast, Writer's Digest and other magazines. Her story "The Way to a Man's Heart" won a Derringer Award, and "The Goodbye Ghoul" has been optioned for a short film. Elizabeth's romance fiction has been published in Woman's World, The Romantic Bower, and The Lover's Knot, to name a few. Writer On Line and InSinc (the Sisters in Crime Newsletter) have published her articles, and her fantasy/horror stories have appeared in Plot Magazine, Xoddity, and the Civil War ghost story anthology, DEAD PROMISES.

Elizabeth's mystery novels are set in West Texas and feature amateur sleuth Taylor Madison, who is assisted in crime-solving by her ferret, Hazel.

Elizabeth lives in the Houston area with her husband and two fur-children of the canine variety.

 

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Tales for every mood, running the gamut from quirky mystery to chilling horror.

 When a lifelong friend betrays her trust once too often, an elderly woman plans the ultimate revenge.  A young drifter meets a famous artist, with grisly results.  A secretary's get-rich-quick scheme backfires.  Recently released from a mental institution, a woman fears she's hallucinating -- but is she?  A detective makes use of an unusual witness.  A woman escapes her coffin for a final farewell.  A real estate agent discovers why her best model home is scaring away customers.  Is a cache of confederate gold really haunted?

 Often strange, sometimes startling, always unpredictable, these stories and more await you in Malicious Intent.

 Review "Chilling, thrilling . . . Fun!"

-- Mike Pettigraf, Paper Tiger Reviews

 


 

 

When novelist Taylor Madison discovers a mysterious letter among her late mother's effects, she heads for West Texas in search of her father's identity. But small, sleepy towns don't appreciate rude awakenings and Taylor soon finds herself up to her neck in rattlesnakes and long-kept secrets--a deadly combination.

Review:  Hate Snakes Love Diamondback

Janet Evonovich move over. Taylor Madison is a terrific heroine. She's spunky, likable, inventive and knows how to stir the pot. If you hate snakes, like I do, you'll feel like a well-protected voyeur as you slither through this engaging story. The book is very well written, a grabber from page one with a cast of characters you'll enjoy to the very end. I loved Hazel, Taylor's pet ferret. Made me want to run right out and buy one. Then I remembered they're illegal in California. Ah well, I'll just have to wait for the next Taylor Madison book. This is one of those books once you start reading you just want to keep right on going until you reach the end. If you don't have this book, it's a must read for mystery lovers. Put it on the top of your TBR stack and get started. You'll love every page.  Julie M. Gettys

 

 

 


 

More than thirty years ago, a minister named Ralph Posey absconded with the church funds, abandoning his wife and daughter. At least, that's what everyone in Perdue thought . . . until now.

When Ralph's skeleton is discovered, it quickly becomes obvious that he never left town at all -- he was murdered, and all evidence implicates his wife as the killer. Bonita Posey admittedly detested her husband, but she denies taking his life. Can Taylor uncover the truth in time to keep her octogenarian friend out of prison?

Review: 

"TWICE DEAD is the sequel to the first highly entertaining Taylor Madison adventure, DIAMONDBACK. Dearl has another hit on her hands with TWICE DEAD! This time out Taylor (assisted by her ferret buddy Hazel and her hunky Sheriff boyfriend Cal Arnette) gets into trouble trying to keep her friend Bonita Posey from being charged with the 30 year old murder of her snake of a husband. As old friends and enemies of Bo Posey crawl out of the woodwork, Taylor has her hands full keeping Bo and herself alive. The story is as action-packed and entertaining a read as you could ever hope for. I'm hoping this is a series that will last for many years to come."

Reviewed by Elizabeth Henze, for Murder Express

 

 

 


Taylor Madison charges to the rescue when her friend gets a steal of a deal as she buys a house at auction. Stealthy footsteps and a mournful ghost soon convince them that the deal is too good to be true.

An elusive armadillo haunts the garden, a curious ferret romps through the house, and Taylor learns that it's not easy to trot on tiptoe. Her significant other, Sheriff Cal nails the situation in a flash: 'Y'all are goin' a tad nutso, here."

 

 

 

 

 

 


 

Triplets, a tornado, and twisted lies add up to trouble for Taylor Madison as Perdue’s townfolk gather for Hank Barton’s funeral.  Why do the three identical sisters dislike each other so much?  Why did Hank put such an odd codicil in his will?  Throw in swaggering new deputy, a citizen’s police academy, and an amateur tornado hunter, and Taylor finds herself longing for the comparative peace of big city life!

Review:  What people are saying about Triple Threat . . .

In this, Elizabeth Dearl’s third Taylor Madison mystery, we find ourselves pulled even deeper into the lives and loves of the inhabitants of the small town of Perdue, Texas. All our favorite characters are still there, continuing to tickle us with their unique quirks and charms, but new characters take center stage bringing with them personal histories and experiences that pull us immediately into a hotbed of mystery and intrigue. A dead father’s simple wish to reunite his triplet daughters becomes increasingly more complex until Taylor, her handsome sheriff lover, Cal, and the town in general, find themselves embroiled in a murder mystery as frightening and unpredictable as the tornado that pays Perdue a destructive visit.

 

Review:  Triple Threat revolves around a man's dying wish to reconcile his grown triplets: Lily, Rose, and Iris.  A simple provision in his Will sparks a complicated dance of personalities and intrigues as old secrets threaten the sisters' bequests.  At the same time, Taylor entangles herself in a deputy sheriff's bright idea:  The Perdue Citizens' Police Academy.  When the two situations collide, Taylor's meddlesome curiosity rivals that of her pet ferret. 

Triple Threat offers many a chuckle on its blithe trip through the cobwebs of human behavior. I had some difficulty putting the book down, but no matter.  I'll get the laundry done another day.  For readers in search of light entertainment, both intriguing and amusing, Triple Threat is a winner.

Jeanette Cottrell, Reviewer
eBook Reviews Weekly