Lillian Byrd Crime Story Series by Elizabeth Sims

Lillian Byrd is a small-time reporter with a flair for making big-time mistakes—like getting fired for fending off the boss's son with an X-Acto knife and breaking up with her girlfriend for no good reason—so her investigation into the disappearances of women in the Detroit area might not be the best idea. But when one of the missing women turns up dead and Lillian recognizes the bizarrely mutilated corpse, she's in too deep to get out... moreLillian Byrd is a small-time reporter with a flair for making big-time mistakes—like getting fired for fending off the boss's son with an X-Acto knife and breaking up with her girlfriend for no good reason—so her investigation into the disappearances of women in the Detroit area might not be the best idea. But when one of the missing women turns up dead and Lillian recognizes the bizarrely mutilated corpse, she's in too deep to get out. Of course, it doesn't help that she's still fighting off the boss's son and ducking the intensely aggressive amorous overtures of the roughest dyke in town. Now, after simultaneously blowing the case for the police and revealing herself to the off-kilter killers, she's completely on her own. Can she catch the murderers before they catch up with her?"In the wisecracking tradition of Janet Evanovich, Elizabeth Sims brings us a delightfully down-to-earth character in Lillian Byrd, a woman who refuses to take herself too seriously, even in the face of serious threats of grievous bodily harm. Sims's tight plot, delicious irony, crisp dialogue, and colorful cast make Holy Hell not only an impressive first novel, but an honest-to-God page-turner." —Lauren Maddison, author of Deceptions and Witchfire less

After her narrow brush with death in HOLY HELL, you'd think Lillian Byrd would have learned to keep her head down, but when a friend in crisis calls from California, Lillian jumps on a plane and wings her way from Detroit to Palm Springs---and danger.It's the long weekend of the Dinah Shore golf tournament, one of the top women's sporting events in the world, when thousands of women descend on the desert and take over... moreAfter her narrow brush with death in HOLY HELL, you'd think Lillian Byrd would have learned to keep her head down, but when a friend in crisis calls from California, Lillian jumps on a plane and wings her way from Detroit to Palm Springs---and danger.It's the long weekend of the Dinah Shore golf tournament, one of the top women's sporting events in the world, when thousands of women descend on the desert and take over. At a pre-championship party, Lillian leaps into a romance with a top LPGA star.But her superstar athlete has a Someone is quietly terrorizing her. Lillian, eager to help, goes undercover as a high-profile reporter, an unhinged nun, and a professional caddie while uncovering layer after disturbing layer of the golfer's past.Finally, with violence erupting at every turn, Lillian uncovers her lover's ultimate horrifying secret--and it is not at all what she had guessed. With this book, Elizabeth Sims presents another nail-biting thriller featuring her oh-so-human amateur detective. DAMN STRAIGHT crackles and zings and will have you laughing through your shivers."Once again, Elizabeth Sims comes up with a nail-biting chiller of trophy caliber."—Stonewall News Northwest less

Once again Lillian Byrd is down on her luck, strumming her mandolin for spare quarters alongside Blind Lonnie, Detroit's resident blues guitarist. But a chance encounter with her childhood friend Duane is about to completely turn her life upside-down. One summer night when Lillian was twelve, flames ripped through the Polka Dot, her parents' beloved tavern. Three bodies were found in the ashes: those of her mother, her father, and the barmaid, Trix Hawley. Or so Lillian has always thought... moreOnce again Lillian Byrd is down on her luck, strumming her mandolin for spare quarters alongside Blind Lonnie, Detroit's resident blues guitarist. But a chance encounter with her childhood friend Duane is about to completely turn her life upside-down. One summer night when Lillian was twelve, flames ripped through the Polka Dot, her parents' beloved tavern. Three bodies were found in the ashes: those of her mother, her father, and the barmaid, Trix Hawley. Or so Lillian has always thought. But when Lillian and Duane put their stories together, the past erupts into a wild enigma.As the two friends travel-accompanied by the tenacious crime writer Minerva LeBlanc-to the underbelly of Las Vegas to find the truth about their parents, Lillian must face the demons of the past in ways she never dreamed possible. With Lucky Stiff, the author of the best-selling Lillian Byrd Crime Series has crafted yet another white-knuckle thriller."Whatever you do, mystery readers, do not bypass this compelling series."-Lambda Book Report less

This is a collection of the first three Lillian Byrd Crime Novels by Elizabeth Sims. They're all here, full and complete! Reviewers are saying: “Elizabeth Sims offers readers a rare combination of a good mystery plot with solid writing, whole characters and dialogue that doesn’t sound like it’s been wrenched out of a bad made-for-TV movie. There’s a wonderful irreverence to Sims’s Lillian Byrd and a bizarre realism to the individuals she encounters... moreThis is a collection of the first three Lillian Byrd Crime Novels by Elizabeth Sims. They're all here, full and complete! Reviewers are saying: “Elizabeth Sims offers readers a rare combination of a good mystery plot with solid writing, whole characters and dialogue that doesn’t sound like it’s been wrenched out of a bad made-for-TV movie. There’s a wonderful irreverence to Sims’s Lillian Byrd and a bizarre realism to the individuals she encounters.” “Sims’s suspenseful plot moves fast and is full of surprising turns and quirky, engaging characters.” “The author has delivered a smorgasbord—humor, sex, gore, and a dyke I enjoyed meeting.” “Really well written and completely lacking in the pompousness that often plagues the genre.” “Your evening read will keep you up till dawn.” HOLY HELL Lillian Byrd is a small-time reporter with a flair for making big-time mistakes--like getting fired for fending off the boss's son with an X-Acto knife and breaking up with her girlfriend for no good reason--so her investigation into the disappearances of women in the Detroit area might not be the best idea. But when one of the missing women turns up dead and Lillian recognizes the bizarrely mutilated corpse, she's in too deep to get out. Of course, it doesn't help that she's still fighting off the boss's son and ducking the aggressively amorous overtures of the roughest dyke in town. Now, after simultaneously blowing the case for the police and revealing herself to the off-kilter killers, she's completely on her own. Can she catch the murderers before they catch up with her? DAMN STRAIGHT After her narrow brush with death in HOLY HELL, you'd think Lillian Byrd would have learned to keep her head down, but when a friend in crisis calls from California, Lillian jumps on a plane and wings her way from Detroit to Palm Springs---and danger. It's the long weekend of the Dinah Shore golf tournament, the wildest women's sporting event in the world, when thousands of lesbians descend on the desert and take over. At a pre-championship party, Lillian leaps into a slippery romance with a top LPGA star. But her superstar athlete has a secret: Someone is quietly terrorizing her. Lillian, eager to help, goes undercover as a high-profile reporter, an unhinged nun, and a professional caddie while uncovering layer after disturbing layer of of the golfer's past. Finally, with violence erupting at every turn, Lillian uncovers her lover's ultimate horrifying secret--and it is not at all what she had guessed. With this new book, Elizabeth Sims presents another nail-biting thriller featuring her oh-so-human amateur detective. DAMN STRAIGHT sizzles and zings and will have you laughing through your shivers. LUCKY STIFF Once again Lillian Byrd is down on her luck, strumming her mandolin for spare quarters alongside Blind Lonnie, Detroit's resident blues guitarist. But a chance encounter with her childhool friend Duane is about to completely capsize her life. One summer night when Lillian was 12, flames ripped through the Polka Dot, a bar owned and run by her parents. Three bodies were found in the ashes: those of her mother, her father, and the barmaid, Trix Hawley. Or so Lillian has always thought. But when Lillian and Duane put their stories together, the past erupts into a wild enigma. As the two friends travel, accompanied by the tenacious crime writer Minerva LeBlanc, to the underbelly of Las Vegas to find the truth about their parents, Lillian must face the demons of the past in ways she never dreamed possible. With LUCKY STIFF, the author of the best-selling Lillian Byrd Crime Series has crafted yet another white-knuckle thriller. less

Lillian Byrd's battered Caprice is convulsing through the last of its death throes; her pet rabbit, Todd, ails; and as usual she's single-and flat broke. For a few extra bucks she signs on to help an old friend, retired police detective Erma Porrocks, renovate her house, but of course nothing ever goes smoothly in the life of Lillian Byrd. The end of her first day on the job yields a partially demolished wall, a mysterious stash of cash, and a fresh corpse... moreLillian Byrd's battered Caprice is convulsing through the last of its death throes; her pet rabbit, Todd, ails; and as usual she's single-and flat broke. For a few extra bucks she signs on to help an old friend, retired police detective Erma Porrocks, renovate her house, but of course nothing ever goes smoothly in the life of Lillian Byrd. The end of her first day on the job yields a partially demolished wall, a mysterious stash of cash, and a fresh corpse. And Lillian's attentions are diverted by the appearance of a drop-dead gorgeous neighbor.Nonetheless, Lillian throws herself into chasing down every complex thread, especially after Porrocks is injured in a suspicious accident. The action ranges from Porrocks's Detroit riverfront neighborhood to a nursing home in Cleveland, where Lillian and Todd pose as animal therapy workers to shamelessly coax information from an elderly resident. From there Lillian goes undercover to Boise, Ft. Lauderdale, and points beyond, facing deception and danger the whole way-as well as the bewildering emergence of her own dark side."You'll be happy to know that Lillian has returned in all her dry, witty splendor to pull us all into yet another totally enjoyable and satisfying mystery."-The L Word Literature Review less

Lillian Byrd has been searching her soul after the gut-wrenching experience of killing someone in self-defense. Scrabbling to make ends meet, she takes a job as a quasi detective, solving life’s little mysteries for a pair of eccentric women in one of Detroit’s last prestigious neighborhoods. When she spots a corpse on the next-door lawn, she jumps back into honest work as an investigative journalist... moreLillian Byrd has been searching her soul after the gut-wrenching experience of killing someone in self-defense. Scrabbling to make ends meet, she takes a job as a quasi detective, solving life’s little mysteries for a pair of eccentric women in one of Detroit’s last prestigious neighborhoods. When she spots a corpse on the next-door lawn, she jumps back into honest work as an investigative journalist. Her friend Mercedes reveals that the dead woman, Abby Rawson, played on a women’s softball team she manages and pressures Lillian into taking her spot. Softball turns to hardball when Lillian not only plunges into a love affair with the team’s sought-after pitcher but also goes undercover as an exterminator, a squatter, and a charity worker to investigate Abby’s death and the corrupt medical organization she worked for. No one on the team is above suspicion, and as they get closer to snagging the coveted championship title—and Lillian gets closer to discovering the dark truth behind Abby’s murder—she fights to keep her new love in her life and literally save her own. Filled with Lillian Byrd’s trademark snark, nail-biting twists and turns, and a thrilling climax, Left Field scores a grand slam that’ll leave readers cheering in the stands. less

For once, life is good for Lillian Byrd:She’s working as the media liaison for Detroit mayoral candidate Leon Sorrel, and getting paid for it, too! But she’s courting danger by conducting a torrid affair with the married campaign manager, Marie Chamberlain. After discovering Marie and her husband dead in a catastrophic double murder, Lillian lands in a soup of suspicion, and Sorrel’s in trouble too... moreFor once, life is good for Lillian Byrd:She’s working as the media liaison for Detroit mayoral candidate Leon Sorrel, and getting paid for it, too! But she’s courting danger by conducting a torrid affair with the married campaign manager, Marie Chamberlain. After discovering Marie and her husband dead in a catastrophic double murder, Lillian lands in a soup of suspicion, and Sorrel’s in trouble too.Sorrel’s opponent, the incumbent mayor Andromeda Jacobs, isn’t above using dirty tricks to win, aided by a crooked cop and a venomous gossip columnist. When the lead detective on the murder investigation tightens the vise on Lillian, she has no choice but to square off against powerful enemies, seen and unseen, to clear herself and get Sorrel’s campaign over the finish line.Lillian’s old pal Flora Pomeroy uses her connections among the city’s A-listers to outmaneuver their enemies, while the dashing DPD Lieutenant of Internal Affairs, Anna Hughes, employs hardball strategies to advance the murder investigation.But when Mayor Jacobs surprises Lillian with a secret visit during which she reveals a catastrophic personal problem, the threads start to come together. And as Lillian and Anna grow closer, their challenges mount, and suddenly their lives hang in the balance. Can they confront the killer, solve the mayor’s dire trouble, and stop the chaos before the election? less

This is a collection of the Lillian Byrd Crime Novels, books 4 through 6 by Elizabeth Sims. They’re all here, full and complete! EASY STREET [Book 4]Lillian Byrd’s battered Caprice is convulsing through the last of its death throes; her pet rabbit, Todd, ails; and as usual she’s single—and flat broke. For a few extra bucks she signs on to help an old friend, retired police detective Erma Porrocks, renovate her house, but of course nothing ever goes smoothly in the life of Lillian Byrd... moreThis is a collection of the Lillian Byrd Crime Novels, books 4 through 6 by Elizabeth Sims. They’re all here, full and complete! EASY STREET [Book 4]Lillian Byrd’s battered Caprice is convulsing through the last of its death throes; her pet rabbit, Todd, ails; and as usual she’s single—and flat broke. For a few extra bucks she signs on to help an old friend, retired police detective Erma Porrocks, renovate her house, but of course nothing ever goes smoothly in the life of Lillian Byrd. The end of her first day on the job yields a partially demolished wall, a mysterious stash of cash, and a fresh corpse. And Lillian’s attentions are diverted by the appearance of a drop-dead gorgeous neighbor.Nonetheless, Lillian throws herself into chasing down every complex thread, especially after Porrocks is injured in a suspicious accident. The action ranges from Porrocks’s Detroit riverfront neighborhood to a nursing home in Cleveland, where Lillian and Todd pose as animal therapy workers to shamelessly coax information from an elderly resident. From there Lillian goes undercover to Boise, Ft. Lauderdale, and points beyond, facing deception and danger the whole way—as well as the bewildering emergence of her own dark side. LEFT FIELD [Book 5]Lillian Byrd has been searching her soul after the gut-wrenching experience of killing someone in self-defense. Scrabbling to make ends meet, she takes a job as a quasi detective, solving life’s little mysteries for a pair of eccentric women in one of Detroit’s last prestigious neighborhoods. When she spots a corpse on the next-door lawn, she jumps back into honest work as an investigative journalist.Her friend Mercedes reveals that the dead woman, Abby Rawson, played on a women’s softball team she manages and pressures Lillian into taking her spot. Softball turns to hardball when Lillian not only plunges into a love affair with the team’s sought-after pitcher but also goes undercover as an exterminator, a squatter, and a charity worker to investigate Abby’s death and the corrupt medical organization she worked for. No one on the team is above suspicion, and as they get closer to snagging the coveted championship title—and Lillian gets closer to discovering the dark truth behind Abby’s murder—she fights to keep her new love in her life and literally save her own. TIGHT RACE [Book 6]For once, life is good for Lillian She’s working as the media liaison for Detroit mayoral candidate Leon Sorrel, and getting paid for it, too! But she’s courting danger by conducting a torrid affair with the married campaign manager, Marie Chamberlain. After discovering Marie and her husband dead in a catastrophic double murder, Lillian lands in a soup of suspicion, and Sorrel’s in trouble too.Sorrel’s opponent, the incumbent mayor Andromeda Jacobs, isn’t above using dirty tricks to win, aided by a crooked cop and a venomous gossip columnist. When the lead detective on the murder investigation tightens the vise on Lillian, she has no choice but to square off against powerful enemies, seen and unseen, to clear herself and get Sorrel’s campaign over the finish line.Lillian’s old pal Flora Pomeroy uses her connections among the city’s A-listers to outmaneuver their enemies, while the dashing DPD Lieutenant of Internal Affairs, Anna Hughes, employs hardball strategies to advance the murder investigation.But when Mayor Jacobs surprises Lillian by asking her help in solving a catastrophic personal problem, the threads start to come together. less