Top Shelf Series by Lolli Powell

2016 WISHING SHELF INDEPENDENT BOOK AWARDS BRONZE WINNER!New Yorker Erica "Ricki" Fontaine's n'er-do-well uncle has dropped dead and left her a dive bar in a small Ohio River town. With a lousy apartment, less-than-promising job prospects, and even worse romantic ones, the inheritance comes at just the right time. Ricki packs up her cat and heads for the Buckeye State... more2016 WISHING SHELF INDEPENDENT BOOK AWARDS BRONZE WINNER!New Yorker Erica "Ricki" Fontaine's n'er-do-well uncle has dropped dead and left her a dive bar in a small Ohio River town. With a lousy apartment, less-than-promising job prospects, and even worse romantic ones, the inheritance comes at just the right time. Ricki packs up her cat and heads for the Buckeye State.Now she's trying to change the Top Shelf from a bar known for its Friday night fights into the kind of drinking establishment where you can bring your granny. Finding her ex-husband dead on a barstool at opening time one morning just might put a kink in those plans. less

Whiskey with a murder chaser!Big cities are known to be dangerous, but former New Yorker and bar owner Ricki Fontaine is finding the small town of Waterton, Ohio, is proving to be the murder capital of the world—well, at least her world. The new Top Shelf is open for business, but business as usual for Ricki and the Shelf translates to another dead guy.Ricki’s friend, Ruby Fogarty, is charged with murdering her boyfriend by clubbing him to death with a bottle of whiskey... moreWhiskey with a murder chaser!Big cities are known to be dangerous, but former New Yorker and bar owner Ricki Fontaine is finding the small town of Waterton, Ohio, is proving to be the murder capital of the world—well, at least her world. The new Top Shelf is open for business, but business as usual for Ricki and the Shelf translates to another dead guy.Ricki’s friend, Ruby Fogarty, is charged with murdering her boyfriend by clubbing him to death with a bottle of whiskey. The police consider the case closed, but Ricki is convinced Ruby is innocent and sets out to find the real murderer.Although Waterton police detective Gabriel Russell is crazy about Ricki, he isn’t too crazy about her trying to do his job. The killer’s not too happy about it either.2017 WISHING SHELF INDEPENDENT BOOK AWARDS BRONZE WINNER! less

New York and Hollywood come to the Top Shelf! Ricki and the Top Shelf crew have worked for weeks preparing for the launch party for Logan Parker’s book. Waterton is abuzz, not just about their very own newspaper editor writing what promises to be a bestseller, but also about the movie based on the book that might be filmed on location in Waterton... moreNew York and Hollywood come to the Top Shelf! Ricki and the Top Shelf crew have worked for weeks preparing for the launch party for Logan Parker’s book. Waterton is abuzz, not just about their very own newspaper editor writing what promises to be a bestseller, but also about the movie based on the book that might be filmed on location in Waterton. But when the location scout drinks from the wrong energy drink—well, nothing ruins a party like a dead body! Ricki’s not so sure the location scout was the intended victim, and Gabe’s not so sure it’s a murder. One thing he is sure of—he doesn’t want Ricki investigating. You’d think he’d know by now that she never listens. less

Murder and men!When Daniel Fuller, a hotshot real estate developer, chases a double shot of bourbon at the Top Shelf with a double shot to the chest in the parking lot, the police arrest Trey Franklin, the grandson of Waterton's only taxi driver, Mose Franklin.It appears to be an open-and-shut case:--Trey has motive. Daniel was evicting Mose after buying his delinquent mortgage under suspicious circumstances.--Trey has opportunity. He left the Shelf just minutes before the murder... moreMurder and men!When Daniel Fuller, a hotshot real estate developer, chases a double shot of bourbon at the Top Shelf with a double shot to the chest in the parking lot, the police arrest Trey Franklin, the grandson of Waterton's only taxi driver, Mose Franklin.It appears to be an open-and-shut case:--Trey has motive. Daniel was evicting Mose after buying his delinquent mortgage under suspicious circumstances.--Trey has opportunity. He left the Shelf just minutes before the murder.--Trey has the means--or at least he might. The police determine a .38 was the murder weapon, and Mose's .38 is missing.Mose begs Ricki to prove his grandson's innocence, and at first, she refuses. But after talking to Trey, she agrees and sets out to find the real killer.That should be enough to keep Ricki busy, but she's got more than a murder to solve. Gabriel Russell, the hunky detective who left town to think about their relationship, is back. He wants to pick up where they left off, but Logan Parker, owner/editor of the local paper, wants to fill the vacancy left by Gabe. That's problem enough, but the real problem is that Ricki wants them both.And then there's that FBI agent...Sometimes Ricki wishes she'd stayed in New York. less