Marian Larch Mysteries Series by Barbara Paul

When a television writer is murdered, three women join forces to find his killer After years churning out schlock for television, Rudy Benedict is afraid his job will kill him if he doesn’t leave Hollywood soon. He’s wrong. He’ll make it all the way to New York before he dies. After a few weeks of fruitless work on his new play—an exposé of Hollywood’s seamy underbelly—Rudy is found dead on the floor of his apartment, poisoned. The cops are baffled... moreWhen a television writer is murdered, three women join forces to find his killer After years churning out schlock for television, Rudy Benedict is afraid his job will kill him if he doesn’t leave Hollywood soon. He’s wrong. He’ll make it all the way to New York before he dies. After a few weeks of fruitless work on his new play—an exposé of Hollywood’s seamy underbelly—Rudy is found dead on the floor of his apartment, poisoned. The cops are baffled. Who would bother killing someone with so little talent? At first, it looks like the real target was Kelly Ingram, a gorgeous actress on the verge of her big break, but NYPD detective Marian Larch isn’t convinced. Looking for answers, the two women reach out to Rudy’s mother for help unraveling the mystery—but Mrs. Benedict may have an appetite for murder.The Renewable Virgin is the 1st book in the Marian Larch Mysteries, but you may enjoy reading the series in any order. less

From Library Journal — Nasty, unethical business tycoon A.J. Strode needs one more block of shares in order to destroy House of Glass. He blackmails three apparently honest stockholders with evidence of past murders, and then arranges for them to choose who will sell and who will go to jail. The three "victims," of course, concoct a vicious plan of their own--one which ultimately involves another murder... moreFrom Library Journal — Nasty, unethical business tycoon A.J. Strode needs one more block of shares in order to destroy House of Glass. He blackmails three apparently honest stockholders with evidence of past murders, and then arranges for them to choose who will sell and who will go to jail. The three "victims," of course, concoct a vicious plan of their own--one which ultimately involves another murder. Changing points of view, an elegant mansion setting, and standard plot manipulations all lead to a serious, slick production. Despite a few stylistic flaws and a total lack of the comic, this is nearly as good as But He Was Already Dead When I Got There. less

When four employees working on a government contract at Universal Laser Technologies are found handcuffed and shot in the eye in Manhattan, Marian Larch must find out what they were not supposed to know. Reprint.

New York Police Sergeant Marian Larch feels blue. Her personal life is heading toward a crisis, and her professional life is a disaster. She refuses to work again with her incompetent partner, and she has lost all respect for her irresponsible boss. She wants out. Leaving the force is an appealing option, but, meanwhile, what Marian needs is a new assignment in a new precinct. That's what she gets, at least temporarily, when her longtime friend, Broadway actress Kelly Ingram, requests her help... moreNew York Police Sergeant Marian Larch feels blue. Her personal life is heading toward a crisis, and her professional life is a disaster. She refuses to work again with her incompetent partner, and she has lost all respect for her irresponsible boss. She wants out. Leaving the force is an appealing option, but, meanwhile, what Marian needs is a new assignment in a new precinct. That's what she gets, at least temporarily, when her longtime friend, Broadway actress Kelly Ingram, requests her help. Kelly has more to worry about than opening-night jitters. Somebody is sneaking backstage and stealing mostly unimportant memorabilia associated with Kelly's new play, The Apostrophe Thief. Missing items, such as shoes, a mug, and scripts, would seem to have little resale value. Such petty crime hardly merits a detective of Marian's rank and experience, but she's just the right person when the annoying incidents suddenly escalate into murder. Marian soon discovers that some collectors of theatrical trinkets take their hobby very seriously indeed. And somebody among the cast and crew may be traitorously involved in the intrigue. With occasional help from her mysterious friend, former FBI agent Curt Holland, who would like nothing better than for Marian to quit the force, and with some timely assistance from versatile policewoman Gloria Sanchez, Marian pulls the curtain on a surprising killer. Rich in character and ambience, The Apostrophe Thief is the best yet in Barbara Paul's acclaimed Marian Larch series. The police procedural with a feminine flair doesn't get better than this. less

Affluent Manhattan mother Rita Fairchild Galloway takes her four-year-old son Bobby to a puppet show at New York's Little Church Around the Corner. As they leave the show, a stranger darts "out of nowhere, " grabs Bobby, and heads down the block. The mother screams for help and Bobby escapes, but Rita is far from comforted. She's sure the attempted kidnapping is the work of her wealthy estranged husband, Hugh Galloway, who could try again... moreAffluent Manhattan mother Rita Fairchild Galloway takes her four-year-old son Bobby to a puppet show at New York's Little Church Around the Corner. As they leave the show, a stranger darts "out of nowhere, " grabs Bobby, and heads down the block. The mother screams for help and Bobby escapes, but Rita is far from comforted. She's sure the attempted kidnapping is the work of her wealthy estranged husband, Hugh Galloway, who could try again. All Bobby knows is that the man who scooped him up had a strange smell. Hugh maintains his innocence, but either him or Rita may be lying. It's Marian's difficult job to discover the truth from these clever and privileged people, who might well be manipulating the police for their own purposes. With Bobby apparently safe, at least for the moment, the complaints are troubling but less than urgent. Then everything changes when several people associated with the case turn up dead. It's no longer a domestic dispute among the elite. It's homicide. Marian must lead the investigation into the murders while keeping an eye on young Bobby, who may still be in danger, and while tentatively exploring new frontiers at home with lover Holland. Two powerful, strong-willed people, they are erotically drawn to each other with an intensity neither could have anticipated. Then Holland himself becomes a player in the Galloway case, suffering pain and humiliation - and perhaps worse - at the hands of a sadistic killer. As Marian searches for answers, the realization of what she faces, and what she might lose, changes her forever. less