"Riveting...not to be missed!" –The Midwest Book Review
Aine believes herself to be a regular teenager in 1930s Alabama, but when a blue-eyed monster named Biblos attacks, she discovers that the reclusive woman raising her isn't really her grandmother and that she's been living inside a book for the past five years.
With her blind brother, Spenser, she flees the pages of the novel she's called home, one terrifying step ahead of Biblos' black magic. Her only chance at survival lies in beating him to the three objects that he desires more than life. 
As she undertakes her strange and dangerous odyssey, Aine must choose between a family she doesn't remember and her growing attraction to a mysterious young man named Gilgamesh. Only through treacherous adventures into The Time Machine, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, A Tale of Two Cities, and the epic Indian saga The Ramayana will she learn her true heritage and restore the balance of the worlds...if she can stay alive.
"Lourey never slackens the pace!" –St. Paul Pioneer Press
"Riveting reading with a fascinating concept, The Toadhouse Trilogy is not to be missed." –The Midwest Book Review
"Readers will, like the protagonists, literally get lost in this book. Beautifully written and unquestionably entertaining, this projected trilogy truly does have the potential to become a young adult classic." –Paul Goat Allen (The Chicago Tribune reviewer)
“Lourey's wonderful way with words will whisk readers away to an amazing new world!” –Anthony and Agatha Award winning author Chris Grabenstein

The Toadhouse Trilogy: Book One

Lourey, Jess

Toadhouse Books

"Move over, Stephanie Plum. There's a new bad girl in town, and her name is Mira James!" Mira James never imagined life after Minneapolis would be a doublewide trailer outside Battle Lake, Minnesota. Then again, maybe the North Country has more to offer than mosquitoes and broasted chicken. Maybe it has hot sexy Johnny Leeson and...lost jewels? Local legend claims that a diamond necklace was lost nearly a century ago in Whiskey Lake,not far from the present-day Shangri-La resort. Mira, a part-time reporter, goes fishing for the story behind the legend, but her dive turns up more than missing jewelry. Her exhilarating search leads to anew mystery and puts her face to face with a menacing foe from her past. Can she avoid his deadly advances long enough to lock lips with Johnny? This novel is the second in a series of laugh-out-loud-funny romantic mysteries featuring Mira James, an urban woman with rural Minnesota roots. The series can be read in any order; each book stands alone. Get all the Mira James mysteries: May Day June Bug Knee High by the Fourth of July August Moon September Mourn October Fest November Hunt December Dread January Thaw February Fever March of CrimesApril Fools Or, if you love to sink into a satisfying binge read,check out the smart-priced bundles! Mira James Mysteries Summer Bundle, Books 1-4 (May, June, July, and August) Mira James Mysteries Fall Bundle, Books 5-7 (September, October, November) Mira James Mysteries Winter Bundle, Books 8-10 (December, January, February)

June Bug (Murder-by-Month Mysteries, No. 2)

Literature & Fiction

Humor & Satire

Midnight Ink

Nominated for a Lefty for Best Humorous Mystery What's so wrong with admiring from a distance? Mira's quirky puppy love for Chief Wenonga, a well-muscled fiberglass statue in her Minnesota small town, might be a safer love pursuit than online dating. But when the 23-foot Chief goes missing from his cement base, Mira's not the only citizen to be crushed. The town of Battle Lake is celebrating their statue's 25th anniversary and no amount of blue, sugar-soaked popcorn balls at Wenonga Days can uplift their gloomy mood. But when Mira runs into a dead body, the town has more pressing issues. Mira's second biggest crush, organic gardening god and dead ringer for Brad Pitt-Johnny Leeson-has disappeared. Her luck with men is running out, and a killer might be moving in. With something of her own to hide, Mira hopes she can avoid the police long enough to track down the object of her mega-crush-but is Mira trailing a statue-thief, a kidnapper, or a murderer?

Knee High by the Fourth of July (Murder-By-Month Mysteries, No. 3)

Genre Fiction

Maybe it's time for me to leave this crazy town, hightail it back to Minneapolis, and become a cat-collecting, fist-shaking, asexual English professor... Furious after being stood up by local hottie Johnny Leeson, Mira decides to abandon Battle Lake, Minnesota, where the women are churchgoers, the men like to hunt, and the body count is above average. But when a cheerleader bites the dust, Mira loiters long enough to snoop. Mira is highly suspicious of the New Millennium Bible Camp, a disturbing place with a Stepford Wives meets Hee Haw vibe. Before ditching Battle Lake, Mira is hell-bent on confronting her own demons and catching a killer. Praise: "Lourey’s mystery is hilarious, fast paced, and madcap."―Booklist (starred review) "Hilarious, wonderfully funny cozy."―CrimeSpree Magazine "Entertaining."―Library Journal "Another amusing tale set in the town full of over-the-top zanies who've endeared themselves to the engaging Mira."―Kirkus Reviews "“A fun, fast-paced mystery with a heroine readers will enjoy, even if her foibles are not entirely believable...3 stars."―The Mystery Reader "Lourey has a gift for creating terrific characters. Her sly and witty take on small town USA is a sweet summer treat. Pull up a lawn chair, pour yourself a glass of lemonade, and enjoy."―Denise Swanson, author of The Srcumble River Mystery series.

August Moon (Murder-by-Month Mysteries, No. 4)

"Janet Evanovich fans have a new reason to celebrate!" The Minnesota State Fair is the beloved home of 4H exhibits, Midway rides, and everything on a stick. The festival fun is riding high until the recently crowned Milkfed Mary, Queen of the Dairy, a Battle Lake native, is brutally murdered while her regal likeness is carved in butter. Can Mira James, covering the fair for the Battle Lake Recall, manage make-out time with guitar-slinging Johnny Leeson while winning a blue ribbon for caging a killer? You bet your last deep-fried Nut Goodie! This novel is the fifth in a series of hilarious romantic mysteries featuring Mira James, an urban woman with rural Minnesota roots. The series does not need to be read in order; each book stands alone. Get all the Mira James mysteries: May Day June Bug Knee High by the Fourth of July August Moon September Mourn October Fest November Hunt December Dread January Thaw February Fever March of Crime

September Fair (The Murder-By-Month Mysteries, 5)

Beer and polka music reign supreme at Octoberfest, Battle Lake's premier fall festival. To kick off the celebrations, the town hosts a public debate between the two congressional candidates: straight-laced Arnold Swydecker, and slippery incumbent, Sarah Glokkmann. As a reporter for the Battle Lake Recall, Mira James is roped into writing up the word war. But the festive mood sours when a well-known Glokkmann-bashing blogger is found dead . . . and the congresswoman herself meets a gruesome fate. To keep the heat off her best friend's fiancé―an ex-con reporter―Mira wades through the candidates' dirty laundry, their unsavory secrets, and some murderous mudslinging to expose the killer. Praise: "With snappy jokes and edgy dialog, Lourey brings a Gen-X tone to a traditional mystery. The classic romance setup and her effective handling of eldercare issues enhance a clever plot. More spunky than sweet; get started on this Lefty-nominated series if you've previously missed it."―Library Journal (starred review) "Lourey has cleverly created an entertaining murder mystery with the most unlikely murder accomplice ever. Her latest is loaded with humor, and many of the descriptions are downright poetic."―Booklist (starred review) "The story is funny, ribald and brimming with small-town eccentrics."―Kirkus Reviews "I loved Lourey's quirky, appealing sleuth and her wry yet affectionate look at small town life. No gimmicks, just an intriguing plot with oddball characters. I hope Mira's misfortune of stumbling over a dead body every month lasts for many years!"―Donna Andrews, New York Times bestselling author of Stork Raving Mad

October Fest (The Murder-By-Month Mysteries, 6)

Humor & Entertainment

Humor

November in Battle Lake, Minnesota, is cold enough to freeze the balls off a pool table. lt's also deer hunting season. When Tom Kicker is killed in a hunting accident, Mira James is hired to investigate―a job that brings her closer to a P.I. license. Braving subzero temps and shrieking blizzards, Mira uncovers a decades-old scandal that has never quite died, unlike the cold stiffs who are piling up in the town morgue. As she pieces together the clues, Mira discovers that Battle Lake's good-old boys have been up to some bad business. But with threats and enemies around every icy corner, she may not live long enough to expose the truth. Praise: "It's not easy to make people laugh while they're on the edge of their seats, but Lourey pulls it off, while her vivid descriptions of a brutal Minnesota winter will make readers shiver in the seventh book in her very clever Murder-of-the-Month series."―Booklist, (starred review) "A good story told well, with solid writing."―Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine "Lourey’s seventh cozy featuring PI wannabe Mira James successfully combines humor, an intriguing mystery, and quirky smalltown characters."―Publishers Weekly "Lourey has successfully created an independent, relatable heroine in Mira James. Mira’s wit and fearlessness enable her to overcome the many challenges she faces as she tries to unravel the murder."―Crimespree Magazine "Lourey has a knack for wholesome sexual innuendo, and she gets plenty of mileage out of Minnesota. This light novel keeps the reader engaged, like one of those sweet chewy Nut Goodies that Mira is addicted to."―Hallie Ephron, The Boston Globe "Clever, quirky and completely original! This taut and compelling mystery--with a twist on every page-is edgy, entertaining, and irresistible."―Hank Phillippi Ryan, Anthony, Agatha and Macavity Award-winning author "In November Hunt Jess Lourey skillfully navigates her way along the razor's edge of the traditional mystery. With a masterful mix of mayhem and mirth, she shows us there's more to small town Minnesota than frozen lakes and fish fries. A fun read all the way through."―Reed Farrel Coleman, three-time Shamus Award-winning author of Hurt Machine

November Hunt (The Murder-By-Month Mysteries, 7)

Silent Night, Deadly Night With Christmas just over a week away, ’tis the season for grinning sales elves on TV, maddeningly jolly Muzak, and a guilty Nut Goodie addiction. But for Mira James and other Battle Lake-area women, the holidays are marred by something far worse―a serial killer leaving candy canes as his calling card. His target? Thirty-something brunettes who look just like Mira. When a woman from her high school graduating class becomes his latest victim, Mira plows through a case of online dating turned deadly with Mrs. Berns at her side. Will she earn her detective stripes . . . or end up deader than the Ghost of Christmas Past? Praise: "Lourey pulls out all the stops in this eighth case."―Library Journal "Lourey creates a splendid mix of humor and suspense."―Booklist "Lourey, who keeps her secrets well, delivers a breathtaking finale."―Publishers Weekly

December Dread (The Murder-By-Month Mysteries, 8)

United States

The Ice Man Succumbeth Private-eye-in-training Mira James loves Minnesota’s crisp January days, as long as she can spend them in the arms of hunky Johnny Leeson. But when Mrs. Berns’s erratic Zamboni driving uncovers an icebound dead man, Mira’s cold-weather tranquility threatens to melt away. With a frozen body in the lake and a freak January thaw descending on town, neither Johnny nor generous portions of high-octane comfort food are enough to ease Mira’s frazzled nerves. There’s big trouble brewing in Battle Lake. And if Mira can’t figure out who’s behind it, the next time she feels sub-zero temperatures, she may be sporting a toe tag in the town morgue. Praise: "Those looking for an engaging, multigenerational small-town mystery that tackles contemporary issues can’t miss with this entry."―Library Journal "Fans of smalltown mysteries will be charmed."―Publishers Weekly "Who can resist a mystery that includes a daredevil octogenarian sidekick; a flashy, plant-whispering mayor; some really bad villains; and a little girl ghost?"―Booklist

January Thaw (The Murder-By-Month Mysteries, 9)

All Aboard the Murder Express Mira James’s hot and heavy relationship with boyfriend Johnny Leeson is definitely warming up her winter. But when Johnny has to go to Portland, Oregon, for a month-longth internship, airplane-averse Mira lets her septuagenarian friend Mrs. Berns talk her into a visit. On the plus side, Mira can make the trip a tax write-off by attending the International Private Investigator Conference. On the down side, Mrs. Berns books them―much to Mira’s dismay―on the Valentine Train, a place for singles to meet and mingle. After a few glasses of champagne and Mrs. Berns’ encouragement, Mira begins to relax and enjoy herself . . . until a fellow passenger is murdered and a snowstorm traps the train in the Rockies. If Mira can’t track down the killer, she may end up derailed―permanently. Praise: “Lourey skillfully mixes humor and suspense . . . the characters are wonderful and wacky, and the mile-a-minute pace never falters."―Booklist (starred review) “The best outing yet for Mira."―Kirkus Reviews "[An] incredible series . . . [February Fever] is a very charming story with great dialogue [and] there are more months coming, so readers definitely have something to look forward to."―Suspense Magazine “I can’t wait to see what Mira does next.”―Crimespree Magazine

February Fever (The Murder-By-Month Mysteries, 10)

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