Dianne Harman – The Murder Verdict is featured at the HBS Author's Spotlight Showcase

The Showcase is a special feature of the Author's Spotlight. It is designed to highlight Spotlight author's NEW releases and their soon to be released novels.

The HBS Author's Spotlight SHOWCASES Dianne Harman' s New Book: The Murder Verdict.
She is an Award-Winning Bestselling Mystery, Suspense and Romance author of The Teddy Saga, the Coyote Series, the Cedar Bay Cozy Mystery and the Liz Lucas Cozy Mystery.

The Murder Verdict

Cedar Bay Cozy Mystery Series Book 26

Author: Dianne Harman


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A woman's murdered.
Her cuckolded husband is the prime suspect.
But a jury’s verdict is not guilty.
How can that be?

It was no secret that Sophia Reilly had lovers, a lot of them, and always had. Her husband, Eric, decided to go to a remote fishing shack to decide what to do about his marriage and while he was gone, she was found murdered in their home.

Was he responsible for her murder? Or was it one of the other men in her life?

Sheriff Mike and the Beaver County District Attorney are convinced that Eric’s the murderer, but the jury finds him not guilty. Is that the beginning of the story or the end?

Author: Dianne Harman

Author Genre: Cozy Mystery, Romance and Literary Fiction

Website: Dianne Harman Author
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Author Description:
USA Today Bestselling Author and Amazon All-Star, Dianne Harman, draws her stories and characters from a diverse business and personal background. She owned a national antique and art appraisal business for many years, left that industry, and opened two yoga centers where she taught yoga and certified yoga instructors.

She's traveled extensively throughout the world and loves nothing more than cooking with her husband, Tom, and playing with their boxer dog, Kelly.

Being a dog lover and having attended numerous cooking schools, she couldn't resist writing about food and dogs. She’s the author of several cozy mystery series: Cedar Bay, Liz Lucas, High Desert, Midwest, Cottonwood Springs, and Chef Dani Rosetti. Most of these books contains recipes from her travels.

She is also the author of the award-winning suspenseful Coyote Series, Midlife Journey Series, Holly Lewis Mystery Series, Miranda Riley Paranormal Cozy Mystery Series, and the Maria Rodriguez Mystery Series.

She hopes you enjoy the reads as much as she enjoyed the writes!




Author's Book List




The Missing Husband - Northwest Cozy Mystery Series Book 24
A troubled marriage,
A missing husband,
An early morning dropped call from him,
They all fuel fears for his safety.

When Jayne Bartlett walks into Al and Jake’s private investigation office and tells them her husband is missing, they figure it’s just one more case of a husband who needed a little time and space away from his spouse.

But when her husband, Corey, doesn’t return after several days, and his parents and friends haven’t heard from him, and he doesn’t answer his cell phone, red flags of alarm begin to surface.

And faced with the difficult task of solving the case of the missing husband, the last thing Jake needs is to learn that homes have been broken into during the day on Bainbridge Island, the island where he and his wife, DeeDee, live. She’s at home during the day. Could she be in danger? Would their dogs be able to stop a would-be robber?

When a friend of the missing husband gives Al and Jake a lead, they find themselves in a remote campground that serves as a trailhead for difficult hiking trails, trails they’re too inexperienced to take. At this point, there’s nothing they can do but put their trust in the forest rangers to find Corey, but they worry it will be too late.


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Murder in Coeur d'Alene - Gabriella Hunt Cozy Mystery Series
A widow.

A failed hotel.

A murder in the cellar.

When Ella Hunt’s husband dies in a mysterious diving accident in Belize, she decides to buy a small hotel in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho to help her get through her grief. Ella’s a specialist in designing and upgrading hotel properties and has traveled the world with her business.

The once prosperous hotel she bought had fallen on hard financial times and is closed. It’s difficult for a single woman, or really anyone, to turn a distressed hotel around and restore it back to its former popularity, but Ella’s determined to make that happen.

And then there’s the problem of the former hotel owner having been found murdered in the hotel cellar. Ella never expected to have to deal with a murder, but when one of the hotel employees hints that the killer could be one of the hotel staff members, she decides she better investigate the murder in order to clear the name and reputation of her newly acquired hotel.

Ella teams up with the lead police detective assigned to the case, Luke Falconer, and they receive some help from the main man in Ella’s life, Boris the Bulldog.


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Holly and the Vandal - The Holly Lewis Mystery Series Book 16
It was supposed to be an ideal summer, the last carefree one for four teenagers who were all going separate ways after high school graduation. But it’s ruined by a single act of vandalism – the word CHEATER keyed into the side of a truck.

All Holly wanted that summer was for her two best friends and her boyfriend, Wade, to spend time together and enjoy their last summer together. Too bad they had a senseless rude awakening when one of them was attacked, and Wade’s truck was vandalized. A truck he’d worked so hard to earn the money to buy.

Holly knows that the only way to salvage what’s remaining of their last summer is to find the person who committed the vandalism. But that’s easier said than done when a crime is committed in a big city and even the security camera footage is of no help.

Join Holly, Levi, Lydia, and Wade through this last summer as they try to keep the future at bay. And find out who the vandalizer is, a brutal reminder of the real world they’ll soon be entering.


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The Family Secret - Cottonwood Springs Cozy Mystery Series Book 21
When yard security lights at your house start randomly coming on, it can be terrifying. It just might mean that even though you moved from New Mexico to Colorado to get away from your uncle, if he’s found you, it’s no safer here.

If you’re being stalked, and you’re afraid it’s a family member, sometimes it’s a good idea to move out of state. What you don’t count on is the stalker being able to find you, your very young daughter, and where you live and work. Olivia now knows why the yard security lights are randomly coming on. But is anywhere safe?

When Linc and Brigid hired Olivia to help with the housework at their B & B as well as at their home, they never expected to become involved in trying to keep Olivia and her daughter safe. Olivia thinks her uncle might be the person stalking her, but how could he find her?

It’s a good thing Brigid’s a consultant with the local Sheriff’s Department and has access to confidential information. It’s not a good thing when her one-hundred-twenty-pound Newfoundland dog, Jett, shows all the signs that someone is sneaking around at night on their property. Are their lives in danger as well? And how did Olivia’s stalker find out she was staying at their B & B?

When Olivia’s daughter is grabbed by her uncle at a children’s playground, it’s a very good thing that Jett will do whatever it takes to protect those he cares about.


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Murder on the Golf Course - A Midwest Cozy Mystery
Finding a dead body on the 5th hole of the golf course when you’re out for an early morning walk is enough to make you never want to play the game again. Particularly when it looks like the murder weapon lying on the ground next to the victim is a 4-iron!

When the new police detective in Lindsay, Kansas, asks Kat Denham to help him with the golf club murder case, she readily agrees. Little does she know that when she determines who the murderer is, it will affect her so strongly she’ll decide to quit her career as a private investigator and go back full-time to being Sexy Cissy, the popular author of steamy romance novels.

But just which person of interest causes her to make that decision? The wife of the victim? The wealthy businessman who had dealings with the victim and who the IRS and FBI have placed on their lists as a person of interest in a case of money laundering and illegally bringing medical supplies over the border from Mexico? The psychologist who was having an affair with the victim’s wife? Who also just happened to be one of his patients? Or even someone no one ever suspected?

Join Kat and Detective Exall as they crisscross Kansas in search of the killer. And sometimes it sure helps to have a huge Rottweiler and a little West Highland Terrier to greet you at home when you’re overwhelmed by what man can do to his fellow man.


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Murder in California - Chef Dani Rosetti Cozy Mysteries Book 7
Fundraisers can be fatal. Just ask the four wealthy hosts who opened their homes to a political candidate running for the U.S. Senate. On second thought, don't bother, because they're all dead!

The only connection between the four people who died is the campaign consultant used by the Senate candidate. Each of the four fundraising events was set up by him. However, there was absolutely no reason to suspect that the campaign consultant was somehow involved in these mysterious deaths. After all, working with wealthy people who are willing to host a political fundraiser, is a critically important part of a campaign consultant's job.

When Dani is asked to cater a political fundraiser hosted by the wealthy owner of a Napa winery, she's ecstatic. A lot of the movers and shakers in California will be attending the event. But when she tells her sous-chef, Arthur, who is also the owner of an international private investigation firm about it, he tells her he doesn't want her to do it, because he's heard that four people have died who hosted fundraisers for the candidate.

He's afraid the Napa fundraiser might result in a fifth death, and he doesn't want Dani, and her precocious niece, to be collateral damage. Dani encourages Arthur to solve the mystery of the deaths, so she can cater the prestigious event.

Join Arthur and his right-hand man, Matt, as they crisscross California searching for a possible murderer and a motive. And Matt has a personal interest in solving the mystery, because it just might affect his upcoming wedding.


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A Murderous Opening - Northwest Cozy Mystery Series Book 23
After months of work and worry, the time has finally come. It's opening night at Deelish, DeeDee's new restaurant on Bainbridge Island, a ferry ride across Puget Sound from Seattle. It's a huge success, that is, until a dead body is found in a car in the restaurant's parking lot.

When it turns out the deceased person was murdered, DeeDee feels she must be responsible in some way for the murders that always seem to happen when she's around. Her husband, Jake, a private investigator, decides he has to find the murderer to save her restaurant's reputation.

The murdered man had a history of lying to women and cheating on them, but finding out if one of these angry women murdered him is the problem. There are too many of them, and the more Jake finds out about the decedent, the more he begins to wonder if sometimes murder may be justified.

Jake's not sure it was one of these women, because it's becoming clear to him that there are other suspects as well, people who hated the murdered man and definitely wanted something bad to happen to him. And the last thing Jake expected was to be the one who would save the murderer from committing suicide.

Join Jake, DeeDee, and her right-hand helper, Susie, who's worried that her boyfriend problems may have caused the murder, in their search for the murderer.


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Murder in New York - High Desert Cozy Mystery Series Book 19
Alan Woolsham was at the top of his game. He was an acclaimed television star in England and had come to New York to film four special TV shows dealing with British antiques. The shows were to be taped at the Whitney Museum, and Alan hoped to open up a whole new viewing audience for his wildly successful show. But things didn’t go as planned. Murder does have a way of changing things. So much for stardom in the States.

Marty and her husband, Jeff, were in New York City for what the hype promised to be a television and museum extravaganza about British antiques. Marty, an art and antique appraiser living in Palm Springs, California, had come to learn, but she hadn’t planned on the show’s presenter and the television idol, Alan, being murdered. Becoming involved in a murder case in New York was definitely not in her vacation plans.

However, when your husband’s a police detective, even if it is with a police department on the other side of the United States, you’re an expert in antiques, and Jeff knows the New York detective who’s in charge of the murder investigation, there’s no way Marty could have avoided getting involved.

A rabid fan, an unethical antique dealer, a jealous director, and an ambitious assistant are a lot of people with motives for murder. But finding out which one is the killer proves difficult. Even Barney the Beagle is called in to help.

Join Marty and Jeff as they try to solve the case while they take in the sights and great food of New York City!


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Mystery at the Field - Cottonwood Springs Cozy Mystery Series Book 20
Which one’s more important to a high school? The football team or the band? Probably depends who you ask.

There are always two sides to every disagreement, but deciding which one is right can be very, very difficult.

Brigid was suddenly confronted with a number of problems. Some were personal, and some were related to a developing situation at the high school. First, there was a ruined football field. Then the school band members and their parents were all riled up. And to add to her problems, Brigid finds that there are some tears in the cloth that made up her perfect marriage.

Cottonwood Springs is a sleepy little town nestled in the Colorado Rocky Mountains – postcard picture perfect. That is, until the football field is totally damaged by vandals.

Doesn’t sound like that big of a deal, but in a small town like Cottonwood Springs it is. The school board was certain the town would be thrilled by having their football field completely redone. And then the band members, for the first time ever, were asked to perform in Washington, D.C. But the problem was that all the discretionary school funds had been used for the football field repair. Now what?

The band members and their parents were understandably furious that there was no money for them to go to Washington, D.C., but there had been enough money for the football field to be completely renovated. But were they furious enough to ruin it?

And then there’s the problem with the strange guest at the B & B owned by Brigid and her husband, to say nothing of the strain on Brigid’s marriage when her husband is determined to help the guest.

Join Sheriff Davis and Brigid as they try to figure out what happened. And they know they don’t have time to waste, because the little town is sharply divided on the football issue, and there’s a good chance retaliatory acts will be committed.


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Murder in Africa - A Midwest Cozy Mystery
When Kat Denham decided it was to time to become a licensed private investigator, in addition to her successful career as an author, she never expected her first case to take her to South Africa to investigate the murder of a member of a U.S. Trade Commission.

Talk about trial by fire! Not only does she have to navigate language and living condition barriers, she has to walk a very fine line not to upstage the investigation by the local Cape Town police officials.

Ladies of the night, gamblers, old feuds, and jealousy make for a lot of suspects, but finding which one did it is the problem. It’s a good thing people like to talk to Kat. It sure makes solving murders a lot easier. And it might just make for a good book for one of her steamy romance novels that she writes under the pen name of Sexy Cissy!

Join Kat and her family as they look for the murderer and discover the beauty and allure of South Africa. Who knew elephants would let you pet them?


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Holly & the Stolen Phone - The Holly Lewis Mystery Series Book 15
When her friend’s phone is stolen, Holly promises her that she will find it. But as the school year ends, and she hasn’t been able to find it, she’s certain she’s failed her friend and doesn’t deserve her nickname, Nancy Drew.

Teen years are filled with never-ending problems, from final exams to dealing with parents divorcing, realizing you probably can’t deliver on a solemn vow you’ve made, and trying to find the time to throw a surprise birthday party.

Holly finds out that she has no control over final exams and the reality of her friend Lydia’s parents’ divorce. But having to renege on a promise she was certain she could keep, not only destroys her self-confidence, it also makes her feel like a total failure.

Join Holly and her friends as they pass through several rites of passage during these difficult years. And with a little bit of a miracle, maybe, just maybe, she can fulfill that promise she made to Lydia


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Secrets in Savannah - Chef Dani Rosetti Cozy Mysteries Book 6
What could be better than being hired to cater a champagne celebration in Savannah, Georgia in honor of the 150th anniversary of the Daughters of the Confederacy? Well, maybe it’s not such a good thing if your life is threatened.

The Daughters were an exclusive group of women who owned Historic Registry homes in Savannah, plantations outside of town, and wielded a huge amount of influence over Savannah, and even the whole state of Georgia. But Dani Rosetti never expected to have her life threatened because she was a symbol of change that some of those women did not want.

But were they ready to do whatever they had to do in order to preserve the status quo of their community? Did that involve doing something harmful to Dani, because she wasn’t one of their preferred Savannah caterers? When Dani started receiving root bundles and mojo bags, her niece’s nanny, Briana, became concerned. Was Dani in danger? And according to Dr. Henry, a man who had spent his life working with the white magic and black magic of that region of the United States, she definitely was.

But what was the motive, and who was responsible? Arthur, Dani’s sous-chef and bodyguard, tries to make sense of it, but Dani thinks it is absolutely ridiculous, probably nothing more than an old wives’ tale. Whether or not she believes in it, Arthur is convinced the danger is real. Then Cosette, the Daughter who hired Dani for the event, starts to receive root bundles and mojo bags.

Anna, Dani’s niece, is her usual precocious self and quickly learns what “Bless you” really means in the South. Join Dani, Arthur, and Anna as they become involved in the light and dark side of what is commonly referred to as the “Hostess City of the South,” the mysterious and oh-so-beautiful city of Savannah, Georgia.


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Confusion at the Convention - Northwest Cozy Mystery Series Book 22
An old lover, technology knockoffs, a missing self-defense instructor, and a dead convention exhibitor. They must have something in common, but what?

When DeeDee, Jake, Al, and Cassie, from the Northwest Cozy Mystery Series, meet up with Brigid and Sheriff Davis, from the Cottonwood Springs Cozy Mystery Series, at a law enforcement convention in Denver, it’s almost a given there will be a mystery to solve. Or maybe two. So much for getaway vacations.

So just what happened to Marie, a self-defense expert who specializes in instructing women on how to protect themselves? Now she’s missing. And it would be nice to know what happened to Max, the man at the convention with the latest developments in law enforcement technology. Too bad he’s dead, but some people think he deserved it.

The characters from two cozy mystery series work together to find the answers, but sometimes a dog’s senses are a little more fine-tuned when it comes to solving mysteries. Camilla the coonhound’s certainly were! New friends, more mysteries, and a budding romance. Vacations are always interesting, but sometimes they certainly don’t go as planned!


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The Mysterious Detective - High Desert Cozy Mystery Series
It seemed like any other routine appraisal. But that was before Marty found out about the theft, the illegal gambling and other questionable activities, and then there was the note in the book. A note that resulted in twenty police officers putting their lives on the line to arrest those responsible.

When Marty’s hired to do an appraisal at a storage unit and the residence of the wife of a Palm Springs detective, she had no reason to think that there would be a problem with it.

The appraisal looked pretty run-of-mill with its small antique items and furniture, but that was before Marty discovered that all of the antiques she’d appraised in the storage unit had been stolen. And then several hours later her friend, Carl, who was appraising the antique books at the client’s residence, found the note. The note that caused an all-points bulletin to be issued for a man who was going to be murdered.

When Marty’s client decided to stay at a spa for a few days while the appraisal was taking place, a spa for a total mind, body, and spirit rejuvenation, who knew that meant she wouldn’t be able to be contacted. But when her husband is about to be murdered, rejuvenation is no longer an issue, locating him and saving his life takes precedence.

And Marty had no idea that Patron, her psychic boxer guard dog, would end up on the Palm Springs police force. But since he’d saved her husband Jeff’s life, she’d be the first to say that Patron deserved it!


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Murder on Jupiter Island - Chef Dani Rosetti Cozy Mysteries Book 5
The editor of Chic magazine, JoJo Morales, was a fashion icon. Too bad she was murdered at the meeting of the world’s leading fashionistas on Jupiter Island, Florida.

She had a lot of enemies, and they were all at the dinner Chef Dani catered at JoJo’s partner’s spectacular waterfront home. And how fitting she was poisoned using her grandmother’s antique atomizer, the very grandmother who had groomed her to rise to the top of the fashion industry.

The local police detective assigned to the case has to suddenly leave to handle another case. He asks Arthur, Dani’s catering sous-chef, to take over the case, since Arthur is the owner of a private investigation company. Cooking is his avocation, but finding murderers is his vocation.

It seems like everyone had a motive to murder JoJo, from her philandering husband, to the top fashion editors in the world. But when all of them have airtight alibis for where they were when the murder occurred, now what?


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Murder in Seychelles - A Midwest Cozy Mystery
Their vacation to a group of tropical paradise islands called Seychelles was a dream come true until the father of the bride was murdered moments before the beachside wedding!

When Kat and her friends took a vacation trip to Seychelles, they were planning on spending some time snorkeling in the Indian Ocean, enjoying the food of Seychelles, and exploring the island of Mahé.

What they weren’t planning on was becoming involved in solving the murder of the father of the bride. And nearly all of the members of the large, wealthy, Texas family, of which the victim was the patriarch, had a motive to commit murder.

When a man has an affair with a much younger woman and leaves his long-time wife and the mother of his four adult children for her, it’s bound to leave some scars. But which of the scarred people murdered the big Texas oil tycoon?

Join Kat, her friends, the police, and Harry, a three-legged dog, as they hurry to catch the suspect before the killer leaves the island!


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Mystery at the Groomers - Cottonwood Springs Cozy Mystery Series Book 16
There’s a new dog groomer in Cottonwood Springs, and Brigid’s delighted! No more taking her dogs, Jett and Lucky, to an out-of-town groomer.

But there are a few problems, like broken statues, dug-up plants, and a very bad word written on a window.

Joss, the owner of Happy Paws Grooming, thinks it's probably just the work of neighborhood kids and doesn’t want to pursue it. But what if it isn’t? What if someone has more sinister plans in store for the groomer?

Brigid becomes concerned not only for the safety of the groomer, but also for the neighbors, because the more she and Sheriff Davis discover, the more certain they are that someone intends to seriously harm the groomer. During their investigation, they uncover family feuds, revenge for a dog being too friendly, and a person seriously depressed from the death of her mother.


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The Dear Reverend - A Suspense-Filled Cozy Mystery
Bob Silva has a wonderful rags-to-riches story to tell.

The son of immigrant farmworker parents, he has become one of the most successful attorneys in Southern California.

He recently married the love of his life and adopted her two young sons. He’s devoted to his new ready-made family, and they adore him.

Then he’s asked to run for political office, with a promise that his election campaign will be fully funded by some deep-pocket donors. If elected, he would have the opportunity to represent his Latino heritage. He doesn’t think life could get any better when his wife, Nina, tells him he’s going to be the unexpected father of twin girls.

But that was before his election opponent, the Dear Reverend, began to make threats against his family. Bob’s newborns are kidnapped from the maternity ward of the hospital on the day he wins the election and now he’s faced with tough choices,


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Murder in Portland - Northwest Cozy Mystery Series Book 17
Al De Duco is a man with a not so pleasant past,
A Chicago past that included being a very high-profile figure in the mob.
But he left that all behind when his boss, a mob leader, was murdered.
Now he has a new life in Seattle that includes an adoring wife and being on the right side of the law as a private investigator.

Even if his methods for solving cases can be somewhat unorthodox at times, He’s the happiest he’s ever been, and then the call comes.
A friend from his mob days needs his help.
And will it cost him the new life he’s made?
Tough choice.
Sometimes it’s hard to make peace with the past.
But when murder is imminent, nice to know there’s a dog to watch your back!

Join Al, his old friends, and a dog named Hero, as they try to prevent another murder. Hopefully not Al’s.


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Holly & the Underage Party - The Holly Lewis Mystery Series Book 12
Parties where undereage teenagers are served alcohol are nothing new, And they’re often considered a right-of-passage for young people.
But when your car’s almost demolished
By a drunk high-school driver
It gets a little personal.

When Sheriff Davis asks Holly to help him find out who’s buying the alcohol for these parties, she doesn’t feel she has a choice. She’s compelled to find the person, if for no other reason than to try and get someone to pay for the repairs to her car.

Join Holly and her friends as they go “undercover” to hunt for the offending person. But as always in cases like this, there’s a lot more to it than what appears on the surface. Could she have gotten in over her head with this investigation? And what would Nancy Drew do?


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For a Complete List of Dianne's Books, visit Amazon Author Profile and Book List.

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The Showcase is a special feature of the Author's Spotlight. It is designed to highlight Spotlight author's NEW releases and their soon to be released novels.

Post Created by: James Moushon
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