Firestorm by Nevada Barr
Park ranger Anna Pigion and her companions discover a slain firefighter in a Northern California park, sending them on a search for a murderer in the midst of a winter firestorm.

Tahoe Blowup by Todd Borg
Tahoe Blowup is a thrilling mystery about an arsonist who is lighting deadly forest fires at Lake Tahoe. When the firestarter kidnaps Detective Owen McKenna's girlfriend, McKenna and his Great Dane Spot have just hours before the killer burns her in a fire so big that firefighters call it a Blowup.

Hardwired by Sally Chapman
Julie Blake and her partner-cum-lover Vic Paoli get hired by NASA to find a hacker intent on sabotaging a space-shuttle mission. The idea of working among astronauts-in-training at the Johnson Space Center in Houston sounds great, except that the woman who hired Julie is Vic's old girlfriend. Soon, rekindled romance is the least of Julie's problems, as astronauts start dropping dead under mysterious circumstances. Vic and Julie learn that the last shuttle crew experienced a "close encounter," during which the computers went dead, but their monitors displayed a mysterious pattern of numbers--the same numbers now appearing on computer screens throughout the center. Is an alien being the ultimate hacker?

Dying to Sing by Margaret Chittenden
When an earthquake reveals a skeleton in the backyard of Chaps, California's hottest country-western bar, lively divorcee Charlie Plato, who lives upstairs, turns sleuth with the help of her business partner Zack Hunter to find out which of her Bellamy Park neighbors is hiding a deadly secret.

Hayburner by Laura Crum
In the wake of a series of barn fires, equine veterinarian Gail McCarthy discovers that her friends and clients may not be who they appear to be and finds her own life threatened by encounters with the arsonist.

Santa Cruz Guru Murders by Marc Darrow
Slocum Happler, a grad student currently between relationships, is enticed out of his academic world into a realm of intuition, dreams and karma, as he investigates the motivations of a murderer.

Kindred Crimes by Janet Dawson
Faced with the case of Renee Foster, a beautiful blonde reported missing, P.I. Jeri Howard discovers that Renee is actually Elizabeth Willis, the older sister in a sensational parent-murdering case that sent her younger brother to prison.

Fire and Fog by Dianne Day
Awakening to find herself in the middle of the Great San Francisco Earthquake, Miss Fremont Jones struggles to escape the ensuing chaos while learning how to drive, avoiding ardent suitors, and investigating two murderous smugglers.

No Immunity by Susan Dunlap
One time medical examiner-turned-private investigator Kiernan O'Shaughnessy delves into the disappearance of a young geologist returning from a potential multi-million-dollar discovery in Central America.

Fool's Puzzle by Earlene Fowler
Thirty-four-year-old widow Benni Harper takes a job as curator of the San Celina folk art museum only to find herself embroiled in the murder of an artist and small-town intrigues that shed new light on her own late husband's death.

Murder, My Deer by Jaqueline Girdner
Newly married Kate Jasper is forced to put her honeymoon on hold when she finds herself targeted by a radical group of deer supporters and must track down a killer before it is too late.

Cons, Scams & Grifts by Joe Gores
The private detectives of Dan Kearny Associates become involved in a series of cases as they search for a gypsy princess framed for murder, look for a unique treasure stolen by an L.A. oil tycoon, and test the defenses of the oil tycoon's mountain fortress.

Vampire Bytes by Linda Grant
When private investigator Catherine Sayler is hired to investigate the death of a young computer game developer from a bizarre Silicon Valley subculture, she matches wits with a minister looking to wreak vengeance on what he believes to be a satanic cult.

Black Dreams by Kate Green
Psychic sleuth Theresa Fortunato receives messages from a kidnapped child, even as her LAPD friend, Oliver Jardine, begins a murder investigation linked to the abduction, leading to a desperate race against time.

Ellipsis by Stephen Greenleaf
San Francisco private detective John Marshall Tanner takes on the job as bodyguard for an alluring, world-famous author who has been receiving threatening letters, but when a car bomb comes too close for comfort, Tanner discovers a host of suspects out to eliminate his client.

Emma Chizzit and the Mother Lode Marauder by Mary Bowen Hall
Emma Chizzit must investigate a series of murderous threats in an old gold town along California's Highway 49, about to become a tourist trap.

Maltese Falcon by Dashiell Hammet
A murder investigation requires private detective Sam Spade--a man of few words who displays little emotion--to become involved in a dangerous search for a valuable statue.

Murder, Honey by Vinnie Hansen
Baker/sleuth Carol Sabala probes into the death of Chef Jean Alcee Fortier at the swanky restaurant Archibald's. As a great womanizer, Fortier has left a trail of possible suspects, from his young lover Delores Medina to the lesbian feminist Patsy.

Fetish by Jeanne Hart
In a small, upscale town near San Francisco, three middle-aged women, two widows and a divorcee, agree in a moment of inebriated good humor to place an ad in the personals for a weekend lover they could all share. It seems they have hit the jackpot when attractive, charming Paul Shapiro answers their ad and agrees to meet them one at a time.

Trick of Light by David Hunt
Kay Farrow, a colorblind photographer, roams San Francisco in search of clues to the death of her mentor, a photojournalist who mysteriously wandered into a netherworld of decadence.

Witness for the Defense by Jonnie Jacobs
Lawyer Kali O'Brien's seemingly routine adoption case takes a disturbing turn when her clients, the Harpers, adopt a baby from a young teenage girl, and controversial radio host, Bram Weaver, claims he is the father of the baby and sues the Harpers for custody. As a bitter battle ensues, Bram is murdered, and Kali must race against time to catch a killer.

Flash Point by Nancy Baker Jacobs
A San Francisco arsonist murders new mothers in their homes, after apparently kidnapping their babies. California's new arson czar, Susan Kim Delancey, takes on this baffling case that covers several counties, and soon finds herself warring on several fronts. With the help of her small staff, she must catch the elusive killer, fight anti-Asian bias, territorial local officials, the hostile news media, and Sacramento political foes who want her fired. But the biggest battle of all turns out to be one that threatens Susan's own life and that of her teenage son.

All That Glitters by Jerry Kennealy
Searching for an ancient artifact seems like a pretty simple case, but private eye Nick Polo soon finds himself immersed in a world of massage parlor prostitutes, military intelligence, an international dating service, and murder.

Copy Kat by Karen Kijewski
Hired to investigate the death of a young woman in a Colorado resort town, Kat probes the life of the victim and finds clues that cast doubt on the parking lot robbery/murder theory.

A Grave Talent by Laurie King
Assigned, along with her new partner, to the murders of three little girls, homicide detective Casey Martinelli closes in on a colony of mismatched people living in the wooded hills near the city.

The 13th Juror by John T. Lescroart
Jennifer Witt, accused of murdering her husband, their young son, and her first husband, gainsays evidence her spouses abused her, frustrating Dismas Hardy's attempts to mount a convincing defense.

Until Proven Guilty by Christine McGuire
Struggling to cope with the demands of single motherhood and the pressures of her job as assistant district attorney, Kathryn Mackay finds herself working side by side with former lover Dave Granz to track a serial killer.

The Samurai's Daughter by Sugata Massey
Investigating Japanese decorative arts in San Francisco, antiques dealer Rei Shimura becomes involved in her lawyer boyfriend's class action lawsuit on behalf of Asian nationals forced to perform slave labor during World War II, an effort that results in a murder and reveals suspicious facts about Rei's family.

Smart Money by Lia Matera
Laura Di Palma finally has it made. Eleven years ago, she ran from a broken marriage and her small northern California town in search of fame and fortune. As the smartest and most controversial young defense attorney in her high-class law firm, she found it. But she's got an old grudge back home that she can't let die. So she's moving back to ruin her ex-husband's career by taking the job he wants as public defender -- just long enough to make him squirm. Once she evens up the score, Laura can go back to her big city life. Unfortunately, a few things get in the way, including two murders, a crazed killer on the loose, old wounds that haven't healed, and a forgotten feeling that Laura is almost afraid to name.

Beyond Bingo by Joan Drummond Miller
Female friendship and the ethics of medical marijuana figure as major themes in this humorous, warmhearted mystery.

The Beryllium Murder by Camile Minichino
When her colleague suddenly dies from a case of beryllium poisoning while working in his physics laboratory in California, Gloria Lamerino, a fellow physicist and proven amateur detective, questions the findings and begins to research the case herself.

Dead Midnight by Marcia Muller
Sharon McCone takes on a wrongful-death case in which a grieving family is suing a company for the suicide of a young employee, but as her investigation progresses, she discovers that there may have been more to the death than meets the eye.

Cat Under Fire by Shirley R. Murphy
Joe Grey, a cat with the ability to talk and understand English, joins forces with his equally talented feline girlfriend Dulcie to prove the innocence of a man accused of killing a famous artist and burning her studio, even if it means risking Joe Grey's life.

A Novena for Murder by Carol Anne O'Marie
Sister Mary Helen, a seventy-five-year-old recently retired nun, arrives at San Francisco's Mount St. Francis College for Women and finds herself investigating the murder of a history professor.

Murder Offscreen by Denise Osborne
Attending the premiere of a horror movie, struggling screenwriter and Hollywood security checker Queenie Davilov is shocked when its producer-director is spectacularly murdered in a mimicry of his film.

Spare Change by John A. Peak
Down-and-out, alcoholic lawyer Jeff Talbot joins a San Francisco law firm at the request of a local police officer to investigate the murder of the officer's sister, an employee of that firm.

Something's Cooking by Joanne Pence
When a recipe contributor to her column is murdered, food writer Angelina Amalfi discovers she is next on the killer's list, and after two more murders ensue, she concocts a clever scheme to thwart the killer.

Blowback by Bill Pronzini
Beset by his own fears and uncertainties, a detective answers an old service buddy's call for help and finds himself in an isolated fishing camp where theft, sexual intrigue, and murder add to his troubles.

Another Fine Mess by Lora Roberts
Palo Alto author Bridget Montrose is looking forward to spending two weeks working on her novel at Ars Ranch near Santa Cruz, but the mix of established literati and student writers proves highly combustible and deadly.

Shell Games by Kirk Russell
Involved in an investigation into an abalone poaching operation that leads to murder, Lieutenant John Marquez, a former DEA agent and current head of a special operations unit of the California Department of Fish and Game, discovers that his own life is in danger from Kline, a vicious drug smuggler and abalone poacher with a grudge against Marquez.

Royal Flush by Shelley Singer
Jake and Rosie infiltrate an ultra-right-wing group in order to help a young man named Royal escape, because the last person that tried to leave the group ended up dead.

Tourist Trap by Julie Smith
When out-of-state visitors are found murdered at a series of local San Francisco tourist attractions, Rebecca Schwartz, an attorney and amateur detective, decides to investigate.

A Single Stone by Marilyn Wallace
Three years after the murder of her seven-year-old daughter--a murder for which she was tried and acquitted--Linda Orett finds her nightmares beginning again when yet another child is killed.

Sign of Foul Play by Panny Warner
Hot on the trail of a killer in her small mining-turned-tourist town, deaf reporter Connor Westphal is out to prove that the "accidental" death of the local soil engineer had really been murder, revealing a scandal so shocking it could silence the lip-reading reporter forever.

Murder on the Run by Gloria White
During an early morning jog by the bay, San Francisco detective Ronnie Ventana stumbles onto the scene of a crime, and soon she's running for her life, from the barrios to San Francisco's poshest neighborhoods.

Stalking Horse by Collin Wilcox
Josh Swallow is a top class jumps jockey coming to the end of his career. Before he retires he wants to achieve one more goal, to win the title of season's champion jockey. Unknown to Josh and his girlfriend Susie, an unbalanced fan has developed an intense and incredibly unhealthy obsession for him. Known only as Mouse, the stalker is convinced that she and Josh are destined to live happily ever after together, just as soon as she can get rid of The Mistake, as she refers to Susie.

She Came to the Castro by Mary Wings
Hired to find a blackmailer and retrieve a devasating videotape, San Francisco private detective Emma Victor becomes embroiled in murder when the blackmailer turns up dead.