When my partners and I are not out working on our latest case at the Desert Flowers Detective Agency in Palm Springs, we tend to spend our free time pursuing our favorite hobbies. Iris can usually be spotted on the golf course or celebrating a good game with a cocktail at the nineteenth hole and Violet, who is an avid reader, will almost always be found lounging by her pool with a good book. I am usually glued to the TV watching my favorite crime shows because as a newly licensed private investigator, I like to keep up with how others pursue clues and solve their cases. If you’re like me and have a limited amount of time to devote to watching the best crime shows out there, let me suggest a primer on the ones I absolutely can not miss!
- Crime Watch Daily with Chris Hansen – Chris is an awfully handsome devil and I could watch him read from a Macy’s catalogue, but this involving series about solving murders that have never been solved is a must on my DVR recorded shows list.
- Live PD on A & E – Fast paced and fun to watch, this riveting true crime series set at a command center follows about six different cities in different states and it’s all live so you feel as if you’re on a ride-a-long.
- Forensic Files – There have to be hundreds of episodes of this true crime classic, and I’ve seen every one at least twice. The cases draw you in as the detectives use new technology and DNA evidence to solve cold cases.
- Law & Order: SVU – Talk about hundreds of episodes! This long-running series currently in it’s 18th season starring my favorite actress Mariska Hargitay never disappoints. If I’m feeling glum about not finding the right clues to close a case, I tune in to Mariska for instant inspiration!
- Hallmark Mysteries & Movies – This is my favorite guilty pleasure cable channel featuring reruns of all my old favorites such as Murder, She Wrote, Columbo and Hart to Hart, which in my opinion are the equivalent of comfort food. The channel also premieres original movies based on best selling cozy mysteries so if anyone ever decides to write books based on my own adventures at the Desert Flowers Detective Agency, I sure hope they one day show up here!
Lee Hollis begins a delightful new series in which Poppy Harmon and her friends find that life after retirement can be much busier—and deadlier—than any of them ever anticipated . . .
When Poppy goes from complacent retiree to penniless widow in a matter of weeks, the idea of spending her golden years as the biggest charity case in Palm Springs renders her speechless. With no real skills and nothing left to lose, Poppy uses her obsession with true crime shows to start a career as a private eye . . .
But after opening the Desert Flowers Detective Agency with help from her two best friends, Violet and Iris, Poppy realizes that age brings wisdom, not business—until she convinces her daughter’s handsome boyfriend, Matt, to pose as the face of the agency. It’s not long before Matt’s irresistible act snags a client desperate to retrieve priceless jewelry burglarized from an aging actress at the Palm Leaf Retirement Village. Or before Poppy stumbles upon the bloodied body of the victim’s arch rival . . .
In a flash, Poppy’s innocent detective gig is upstaged by a dangerous murder investigation riddled with slimy suspects and unspeakable scandal. As she and her team uncover the truth, Poppy must confront the secrets about her late husband’s past and swiftly catch a killer lurking around the retirement community—even if it means turning her world upside down all over again.
Praise For Lee Hollis And The Hayley Powell Mystery Series
Death Of A Pumpkin Carver
“The mystery is well-written and the story will keep any reader’s attention. After meeting these hysterical characters there is no doubt that you’ll go back.” —Suspense Magazine
Death Of A Bacon Heiress
“A fun mystery that will have readers enraptured.” —Kings River Life magazine
Death Of A Christmas Caterer
“A fun Christmas cozy.” —Library Journal
Death Of A Coupon Clipper
“Hayley is a likable heroine that readers will cheer for.” —Parkersburg News and Sentinel
Death Of A Country Fried Redneck
“A snappy pace, fun characters and a clever plot. A tasty entrée for the culinary cozy crowd.” —Library Journal
Death Of A Kitchen Diva
“Lee Hollis’s debut mystery featuring food columnist Hayley Powell is delicious and satisfying. Another course, please!” —Carolyn Hart, New York Times bestselling author