Mary O'Reilly Paranormal Mystery Series

Dying is what changed Mary O'Reilly's life. Well, actually, coming back from the dead and having the ability to communicate with ghosts is really what did it. Now, a private investigator in rural Freeport, Illinois, Mary's trying to learn how to incorporate her experience as a Chicago cop and new-found talent into a real job. Her challenge is to solve the mysteries, get real evidence (a ghost's word just doesn't hold up in court), and be sure the folks in town, especially the handsome new police chief, don't think she's nuts.

Black Friday - the official opening of the Holiday Shopping Season - and Patrice Marcum is stuck in the middle of her local superstore with a crying infant, a near hysterical desire to just abandon the diapers and milk she desperately needs, and the snowstorm of the century dumping a half-foot of snow on the parking lot outside. She needs a miracle.

He crept forward between the tall narrow aisles created by the shelves. Just before he reached the corner he heard a thump, the sound of a body hitting the floor. He rushed forward into the corner of the room. The desk was empty. The chair was pushed up against it, neatly awaiting its usual occupant. No one was in the corner. No one was there to make the sound. No one...alive.

Stanley peered up into the shadows above the stage. There was a colorful blaze of fabric amidst the burgundy curtains and canvas backdrops. He moved closer, trying to get a better view from a different angle. Faye McMullen was murdered in cold blood at Winneshiek Theater, and Mary O'Reilly and Police Chief Bradley Alden have to discover who done it before the murderer gets the chance to get rid of the prime witness...Mary O'Reilly.

Jeannine appeared in the room across from Mary. Her face was streaked with tears and she was visibly trembling. “Mary, I remembered,” she cried. “I remembered and it was awful.” The time has finally come for Mary to investigate Jeannine’s murder. As all clues point to someone in Bradley’s old neighborhood, Mary and Ian move into the former Alden residence and pose as newlyweds to set Mary up as bait for the killer.

The explosion violently blew the windows out of the building. Screaming students darted across the lawn, barely escaping the shards of glass raining down on them. All of the students except Stevo, who still stood below the gaping hole in the wall, oblivious to the blood running down his face and arms. "Coach, Coach," he screamed. "I'm here, Coach. Coach, I'm here." Mary O'Reilly investigates the death of a beloved high school coach while she tries to overcome the repercussion of solving Jeannine's murder.

The man smiled at Timmy. “That would be nice of you. Why don't you lead the way?” Timmy moved past the man and started back up the hill. He heard the whoosh of something moving quickly through the air, but it hit him before he had time to react. He felt the impact against his head and his whole body flew sideways through the air.

The trial for Gary Copper has begun, but was there another murder in his past? One that would change the future for Bradley's daughter? And as Rosie and Stanley prepare for their wedding, they both have some ghosts in their own closets they will have to deal with.

Gloria Foley turned off the light in the hallway and made her way slowly upstairs to bed. She paused at the doorway of her daughter's bedroom and shook her head. It had been such an emotional day for all of them. She prayed she would have the strength to get them both through these treacherous teenage years.

A famous mystery writer drowns in a hotel bathtub. Was it an accident, or foul play? His ghost thinks it was murder. His mystery writer colleagues want to help Mary solve the case. Gary Copper is still on the loose, and gunning for both Bradley and Mary.

Hurrying to the old bridge that crossed Yellow Creek, Courtney stepped to the side as a car came up behind her. The bridge was only wide enough for one car and even foot traffic had to climb up on the narrow ledge for safety. The car slowed and the driver's side window rolled down. A familiar face greeted Courtney. "Hey, Courtney, how about a ride?" he asked. She shook her head. "No, thanks, I'm good," she said. "It's only a few more blocks." The driver looked up to the sky.

Was it raining outside? Dale Johnson wondered as he woke up. It was dark and he could hear the sound of rain hitting the roof. Suddenly, he was pelted with something small and hard. He opened his eyes and sat up, nearly fainting in the process. His head was pounding. What the hell happened? He was pelted again and realized he was being hit with small pieces of corn. His stomach twisted and his heart pounded. He wasn't in his house; he was in the grain silo!

He continued singing it, "Who will wipe away my tears? Who will chase away my fears? Who will sing me to sleep at night? Who will tuck me in real tight? Now that Momma's dead and gone, now that Momma's dead and gone."

"But Sol, it ain't haunted like you thought," Marty argued cautiously. It wasn't a good idea to get Sol too angry. "We've tried everything, séances, Ouija boards, mediums - everything. This place is just an old, empty house. A creepy, old house." Sol shook his head, disregarding Marty's words, and started up the tall staircase to the second floor. "It just has to seem like a haunted house," he said.

The death of a beloved fourth-grade teacher has haunted Andrew Tyler his entire life. Was it really an accidental death, or was she murdered? And if it was only an accident, why did her ghost haunt the hallways of the old, abandoned school in Polo, Illinois? Andrew calls on Mary O'Reilly to solve the mystery and catch a killer who is still on the loose in the small town.

The bedroom door flew open with a powerful crash. "What the...?" Mary exclaimed. Mike nodded. "Yeah, well see, that's the problem," he said with a sigh. "You brought someone home with you tonight." "What?" "And it looks like she's not real happy about your relationship with Bradley," he said. "I have a jealous ghost in my house?" Mary asked, astonished. Mike shook his head apologetically. "No, sweetheart," he said. "You have a jealous poltergeist in your home."

A gunshot rings out on the night of the Super Moon and a promising college student is killed. Was it an accident, or did her research into false claims by a bio-tech agricultural company garner her too much attention? The wrong kind of attention? Mary and Bradley have to find out or Ruth McCredie will never rest.

Mary O'Reilly has absolutely no plans to meet with anyone on Black Friday as she sets up her office for the annual Christmas Walk that is to be held the following weekend in downtown Freeport. So, nearly eight months pregnant, she dresses for comfort - sweats, thick socks and a flannel shirt. Imagine her surprise when someone barges into her office and announces they're filming her for a guest spot on their cable television show, Ghost Discoverers.