Welcome to Texas Reads Mysteries, where I get to share my love of books. 

Hidden truths, dark secrets, conspiracies, and murder. This is how I would define a captivating thriller that’s guaranteed to catch my attention. Even the titles, Murder Leads to Marriage and The Underground Murders, sparked a desire to know more. It’s why I not only added them to my TBR list, they went to the top of the list. 

Murder Leads to Marriage 

By Shannon Peoples 

 
When a young woman is found murdered in the woods behind the local veterinarian's office, the four Hurley sisters (Daisy, Lily, Rosie, and Amy) assume it is a tragedy that has nothing to do with them. But when the woman is identified as Skylar Smith, the sisters make an ominous connection: Skylar had threatened the eldest sister, Daisy, with a terrible secret just eight weeks before she was found dead. 

Each of the sisters is soon targeted by an unknown attacker who seems hell-bent on destroying the Hurley family altogether. But who can they trust when the truth is shrouded in darkness? 

About the Author 

Shannon Peeples started her career as a coronary care nurse in Kansas City, Missouri. Knowing that she always wanted to be a lawyer, she went to law school at the young age of 45 and worked at the firm of Shook, Hardy, and Bacon. Shannon has four wonderful children and five perfect grandchildren. She lives in San Antonio with her husband Keith and Hudson, her 200 pound Great Dane.  

The Underground Murders 

Susan P. Baker 

Sharp-witted Private Investigator Mavis Davis dives into a web of deceit, intrigue, and corruption on the Texas Gulf Coast when a determined banker’s widow challenges the medical examiner’s ruling of her husband’s suspicious death as a suicide. As Mavis scrutinizes the autopsy and questions those involved, she uncovers a chilling truth: the supposed suicide was actually a gruesome murder. 
 
Each revelation pulls Mavis deeper into the murky waters of political scandal and corruption, where the line between justice and vigilantism blurs. As she unravels a conspiracy designed to silence those entangled in covert activities echoing political headlines, Mavis realizes the widow, her associates, and she herself are perilously close to exposing dangerous truths. 
 
Amid mounting threats and the looming specter of violence, they must race against time to uncover the sinister plot before they become its next victims.  

About the Author 

Susan P. Baker, a retired Texas family court judge, presided over everything from murder to divorce for 12 years. Afterward, she traveled around Texas as a visiting judge for another 12. Prior to being elected to the bench, she practiced law for nine (9) years, and was a probation officer for two (2) years. Susan’s works are derived from her experiences in the justice system or events in and around courts in Texas, fictionalized, of course!  

She is the author of 11 novels of mystery and suspense set in Texas, two nonfiction books, and an eclectic collection of short pieces. Her novels include five featuring Mavis Davis, a private detective; two Lady Lawyer mysteries starring criminal defense lawyers Sandra Salinsky and Erma Townley (3rd in the works); and four standalones with court participant protagonists (including judges and lawyers). 

Her two nonfiction books are Murdered Judges of the 20th Century and Heart of Divorce—Advice from a Judge. The title of her story collection is Fly Catching.  

Susan is a member of All Author, Alliance of Independent Authors, Sisters in Crime, Authors Guild, Writers League of Texas, Texas Authors, and Galveston Novel and Short Story Writers. 

My kind of books!