Kate Austen Series by Jonnie Jacobs

Abandoned by her husband who is traveling in Europe to "find himself," Kate Austen is left to make a life for herself and her five-year-old daughter. What's more, Kate is something of a misfit in her well to-do neighborhood. But when her socialite neighbor, Pepper Livingston, is murdered, and the handsome detective Michael Stone turns to Kate for information about the victim, Kate's life takes an unexpected turn. This is the first book in the Kate Austen series... moreAbandoned by her husband who is traveling in Europe to "find himself," Kate Austen is left to make a life for herself and her five-year-old daughter. What's more, Kate is something of a misfit in her well to-do neighborhood. But when her socialite neighbor, Pepper Livingston, is murdered, and the handsome detective Michael Stone turns to Kate for information about the victim, Kate's life takes an unexpected turn. This is the first book in the Kate Austen series. It was originally published in hardcover in 1995. less

Suspense simmers in the suburb of Walnut Hills as Kate tries to figure out who killed her recently divorced friend Mona Sterling. A bottle of expensive scotch and an empty vial of sleeping pills convince the police that her death is a suicide. But Kate has her doubts... moreSuspense simmers in the suburb of Walnut Hills as Kate tries to figure out who killed her recently divorced friend Mona Sterling. A bottle of expensive scotch and an empty vial of sleeping pills convince the police that her death is a suicide. But Kate has her doubts. With the help of mutual friend Sharon Covington, Kate contends with Mona’s troubled teenage daughter and her surly boyfriend, Mona’s ex-husband and his suspicious wife, and a mysterious stranger plying kids with candy on the school grounds – all while trying to ferret out the killer and decide what to do about the handsome detective Michael Stone. less

The overlapping threads of two murders lead Kate from Cybersex to love sonnets, from a clandestine research project to the deepest of family secrets, and ultimately threaten Kate and those she loves. This is the third book in the Kate Austen mystery series. It was first published in hardcover in 1998. “This fine mystery is buoyed by rich characterization (and) a gripping plot.” Publisher’s Weekly “Murder Among Us is a winner – a shining addition to an excellent series.” Janet Evanovich