A Hint of Murder

A Hint of Murder #1-3

by Lia Fairchild

This books compiles all three A Hint of Murder stories in one book:

A Hint of Murder: The Writer
Alicia Fairfield didn’t plan on being famous. Now a bestselling author with millions of fans, Alicia also has the attention of a killer. Someone has been recreating the murders from her books and the suspects are piling up; her mentally ill son, a disgruntled associate, and possibly even her loyal literary agent. The pressure of public recognition along with the guilt over these senseless killings could be enough to drive Alicia over the edge. Can she hold it together long enough to uncover a killer?
Story length 9,000 words

A Hint of Murder: The Doctor
Russell Morgan had it all; good looks, the perfect woman and a rewarding career as a well-respected physician. When the doctor’s patients start turning up dead, his world comes crashing down. Second in the "A Hint of Murder" series, this short story brings Detective John Lewis back in action to track down the killer.
Story length: 12,000 words

A Hint of Murder: The Bouncer
Bobby Crane was tired of being a bouncer and a glorified errand boy. He longed to be a professional singer and was just about to get his big break. Then Allen Schaffer is found murdered and Bobby’s car was spotted at the victim’s home. Third in the A Hint of Murder series, this story has detective John Lewis returning with a new partner to uncover a murderer.
Story length: 10,400 words

Also included is one bonus mystery entitled "Homeless" and excerpts from the novels of these mystery and thriller writers: Libby Fischer Hellmann, Valerie Maarten, Mel Comley, Sibel Hodge, Faith Mortimer, and Seb Kirby.

Genres: Mystery, Mystery Thriller

210 pages, Kindle Edition

First published August 11, 2011

About the author

Lia Fairchild writes romance and women's fiction. Fans of her books praise her endearing, real characters who come to life in stories that will touch your heart.

Fairchild is addicted to the warmth of Southern California and holds a bachelor's degree in journalism and a multiple-subject teaching credential. She is a wife and mother of two children.

Amazon amazon.com/author/liafairchild

Look for updates on her and her books at http://www.liafairchild.com or follow her on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/liafairchild/ or Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/lia.fairchild...

Books by Lia Fairchild
Building Bridges (Bridges Brothers Book1)
Broken Bridges (Bridges Brothers Book2)
Compulsive
Liar
Circle in the Sand
In Search of Lucy
Emma vs. the Tech Guy
Vigil-Annie
High Maintenance
Home for Christmas
Special Delivery

Reviews

[Mary · Rating 5 out of 5]

I do not usually read short stories, but I could not put this book down. These stories held my attention from the first word to the last and I was wishing for more.

Lia has written some amazing stories in this book. She has taken the stories of life and added her own twists and turns to make the stories her own.

I would recommend this and any book that Lia has written to anyone who needs a good read and needs to know what could possibly happen in life if certain things happen to people who try to help others out of situations that are impossible.

Please read any of Lia's books to enjoy life! She will help you enjoy reading!

[Marilou George · Rating 4 out of 5]

This collection of engaging short stories involving mystery and murder is fast paced and filled with unexpected outcomes. Each story is descriptive, well written and will keep you guessing until the end. The characters in each of the stories are very well defined and portrayed in a way that enables you to form an image of them in your mind as you feel their emotional conflicts.

THE AUTHOR

Alicia Fairfield is a bestselling murder/mystery author. Regrettably for her, there is a bizarre turn of events when she discovers someone is actually committing the murders she writes about in her books. She is devastated and tries to cope with a situation that endlessly haunts her. The direction this story takes will keep you speculating until the very end.

THE DOCTOR

Dr. Russell Morgan is a well-respected yet narcissistic Doctor who has the misfortune of finding his patient dead in his hospital bed under suspicious circumstances. Because the patient was terminally ill this was thought to be some type of mercy killing. When another patient turns up dead and his only ailment is a broken leg, the enormity of the situation is realized and the hunt for a killer begins.

THE BOUNCER

Bobby Crane is finally getting the big break he has been waiting for. In minutes he will be taking the stage to sing in public for the first time thus making his dreams a reality. As he is being introduced he is tapped on the shoulder by police detective John Lewis who wants to discuss a murder. Allen Schaffer was brutally murdered and Bobby is abruptly thrust into the investigation because his car was seen at the scene earlier that day. The investigation will take them to a conclusion that is totally unexpected.

I recommend this book of short stories to all readers. The stories are all self-contained and will quench your thirst for some mystery and suspense. You will get a complete and compelling story in a short amount of time.

[Karen · Rating 5 out of 5]

There are three very different stories contained in this book. All are about murder and are being solved by the same detectives. The writer-Alicia is a mystery writer whose books are being mirrored in recent murders. The Doctor-a doctor is playing God with his patients health and the detectives are closing in. The Bouncer-a young man wants a shot at fame to escape the dead end job he has as a bouncer and glorified errand boy when a prominent business man turns up dead the bouncer is suspect numero uno. All the stories start out with an obvious suspect but there are interesting twists that will surprise the reader. I know I was amazed by the out comes in each story. I had a hard time putting the book down and was impressed with the connections. I recommend the book to anyone who likes a good mystery with an unexpected end. 5 sherriff stars for this one.

[Marisa · Rating 2 out of 5]

Very infrequently do I give a poor review but I really can't help it with this book. I received this book when it was free for Kindle on Amazon thinking it may be a fun read on the side. Now, I see why it was free.

While the stories are good, their is almost no character building or background to the story. It is very much left up to the reader to decide what is what and to create the image and fill in the blanks. The stories end rather abruptly and don't build up to a climax, they simply go from a series of strange deaths and then they hand you the murderer without any investigation etc.

Simply, I found these stories really amateur and boring. Definitely NOT what I had expected from Lia Fairchild or from the title.

[Jeff LaFerney · Rating 5 out of 5]

I don't read nearly as much as I'd like, so when I saw Lia Fairchild, whose book Vigil Annie was so good, had a short story book, I figured it was the perfect read for me. All three stories kept me guessing throughout, and since I love mysteries, I have nothing but good things to say. I liked the detectives especially, who professionally analyzed the clues and suspects in each story while never giving away the guilty parties. Fairchild does a great job of providing suspects with motive as well as providing clues and misdirection. I never felt confident about who was guilty and was surprised each time. They were all enjoyable stories, and I would recommend the book to any mystery lover.

[Ey · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Hint of Murder is a collection of three mysteries written by Lia Fairchild. I enjoyed pitting my wits to the author in trying to figure out the murderers. Ahh, but she is sneakie. I have read other books by the Ms. Fairchild and I like her style of writing.Being an author myself I was tickled with the the plot of 'The Writer'. I like murder mysteries and wasn't disappointed with either of the stories in the anthology. They were well paced, not too gory, and very entertaining. Especially the strange reasons people choose to kill someone. Loved them all.

[Shay · Rating 3 out of 5]

I thought these stories were fast paced, well thought out and interesting. They contained the beginnings of good characters - I found myself wanting to know more about them and their back stories, though and felt like they just were a little lacking in places. The Bouncer was my least favorite - I had trouble keeping up with who was who and the plot. The Doctor was my favorite and if it was a full length novel I would have happily read more! I'm definitely interested in reading more from this author and seeing what other offerings she has.

[Melissa · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Hint of Murder: The Series By Lia Fairchild This was a series for three little stories of murder. The cops that handle them are Detective John Lewis and Detective Frank Costas, added at the end is Detective April Barnes. These are three little mysteries that keep you guessing right up to the end. So many possible suspects, so many possible motives, it is fun to watch the detectives work through the scene, the people, the victim. Loved these little stories, plus the bonus at the end that is so totally not what it seems. Five star rating for this book, it will be a keeper.

[Desley (Cat fosterer) · Rating 3 out of 5]

A collection of 3 short stories, along with excerpts from other authors.

Due to the time between downloading this and reading it, I hadn’t re-checked the blurb and thought these would be linked, and maybe from a different point of view, but they aren’t. They are nice cozy mysteries though, my favourite was the first one.

I also thought that having excerpts from other authors was a nice touch, and gave a chance to see if you liked their styles – I hope it works and that it helps sales for other authors.

[Nicole Storey · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m not big into mysteries, but this book was different. The stories were short enough that I didn’t get bored with them and they held my attention. The characters were interesting and not carved from the same tree that most murder-mystery characters are. Lastly, I could NOT figure out who the killer was in ANY of the stories like I usually do! All in all, Lia Fairchild has made a new fan with me and I can’t wait to read more of her work. Great job to the author and keep up the good work!

[M.A. Comley · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved these three mysteries. They keep you guessing and involved as a reader right up till the end.

Loved the characterisation throughout from the author Alicia Fairchild who is in emotional turmoil. Through to the bouncer, Bobby Crane who is about to achieve his lifetime's ambition to be a singer, when the police arrive to question him about a murder.

Entertaining reads that will keep you on the edge of your seat between longer novels.

[F.A. · Rating 4 out of 5]

A HINT OF MURDER has three stories in one.The series reads like a who done it type of a read.The drama in the book raises your senses as to know which person in the stories could actually commit such a hanious crime.Also the author throws in a host of characters to peek your interest,and also to throw you off a bit.All three stories had me reading from page to page to find out who actually done the crime.Over all it was a great read.

[Heather Wildman · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found the writer story mildly cliche, but the remaining stories brought up the star count. The writing was decent, and it was not difficult to get through, nor did it bore me enough to make me want to toss it aside and start something else. I'm mildly picky about my short stories, so three stars is pretty good coming from me. :)

I would read more by this author.

[Barbara Rauch · Rating 4 out of 5]

Three short stories, well written and full of suspense ! Although I normally do not read short stories, I did enjoy these simply because they were loosely woven together through the police detectives. But I must say that my favorite Lia Fairchild book is Vigil Annie, with Emma vs the Tech Guy a close second.

[Quinlan Marcy · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent story and another great read from Lia Fairchild!

[Ron Mac · Rating 3 out of 5]

~Three little whodunnits
~This is a book consisting of three short stories all connected together by the same investigating police detective. Short stories tend to not have a lot of time to spend on character development. This definitely holds true for this book.
~“The Writer” All the red herrings were in place…all the clues point to the disgruntled wannabe writing partner, then in a flash, all the clues point toward the son with mental problems, and almost as quickly, the clues fall onto the agent and close personal friend. However, anyone who has watched a TV mystery, where everything must be wrapped up in 25 minutes and have a simple twist figured out who the real murder was early on (like within the first couple pages!). I did get tired of the whimpering main character author rather quickly.
~“The Doctor” Again the implications of the guilty party were overwhelming. So, of course, they were innocent. It was a total surprise and plot twist when we discover who the real killer is…well, not really. Again, about half way through the story, a seasoned mystery reader could see where the author was going with this little mystery.
~“The Bouncer” The third story had a bit more ‘meat’ to it. It was still in the way too short and simplistic style. I will admit that the discovery of who the guilty party was at the end was a bit more of a surprise that the first two stories in the series.
~“Homeless” The ‘bonus’ story. Okay, I am really pleased with this one! Of everything that I read, this was by far the best and most satisfying story. It was not a murder mystery…it was a fictional story dealing with the struggles of a family. It had an unexpected twist right at the ending, very much like one of Rod Serling’s Twilight Zone TV shows.
~I would not really recommend this book, simply because the three main stories were too simple and predictable. However, I do recommend the story “Homeless” by Liz Fairchild.

[Cathi · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was three books in one: The Writer, The Doctor and The Bouncer. Each book shared police detective John Lewis. I liked the twists and turns in each of these stories. There were clues leading to the perpetrator but it seemed as soon as I had this person figured out, something new would come up and I would find out that I had been completely wrong. This was another great book by Lia Fairchild.
I received a copy of this book to read and share with an online book club. The opinions are my own honest ones.

[Teri · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a group of short stories all including some type of murder. Stories are pretty good unfortunately this authors skills don't really shine in the short stories even though they are good with some interesting twist, I just think they would be much better if they were longer and showed this author's skills in weaving stories with intrigue and her strong characters.

[Donna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Short Stories

A collection of short store that make a decent yet quick read. The characters are varied as are the plots. Although well written there could have been more sunstance

[Annette M Guerriero Nishimoto · Rating 3 out of 5]

Today's review is on A Hint of Murder: The Anthology by Lia Fairchild

This Anthology consists of three delightful, who done it, mysteries. Each one keeping you engaged and wondering who the culprit really is. Just when you think you know the answer, your wrong!

The first in the series is The Writer
Alicia Fairfield lives a lonely life. The only people she has are her son; who is away at a mental institution, and her agent Edward. Even with this solitary life, she has become quite famous due to her fabulous murder mystery books. Now however it seems that someone is taking the books a little to seriously, and bodies begin turning up. At each crime, a page from one of Alicia's novels is found with the victim.
Feeling somehow responsible, Alicia tries to cope as best as she can with a little help from her pills and Edward. With so many suspects, it's difficult for Detective John Lewis and his partner to nail down the perp. until the very end.

The second in the series is The Doctor
Dr. Russell Morgan is an exceptionally handsome man and an excellent doctor, and he knows it. Even though he does come off a bit arrogant, he really doesn't mean harm to anyone and even goes the extra mile to get the ultimate slacker of a nurse, Nicole to work harder. When the body of one of his patients is found dead though all eyes turn to him as the possible killer. After all, he was suspected of "playing God" with another patients life in the past. He's not the only suspect however, and as other bodies turn up dead as well, the suspect list only grows. Detective John Lewis and his partner have their work cut out for them. Again the reader is surprised as to who the real killer is.

The final story in the series is The Bouncer
Bobby Crane is standing behind the curtain waiting to perform for the first time. He has waited so long for this chance to show that he actually has some singing talent. Just as he is being announced however two police officers arrive. There's been a murder in town and the police know he was at the vic's house that morning.
Allen Schaffer was found dead in his home. The strangest part of that is not how he was found, but the state of the house itself. It is completely white. White walls, white furniture, white rug. The only color, the red of his blood on the carpet. But did Bobbie do it? You'll have to read it to find out. Any more info would spoil the surprise!

Nicely written with minimal mistakes in editing; which is a pet peeve of mine and more often than not decreases my rating, each story is bound to keep anyone guessing. Now to long and not to short, the stories will entertain without keeping you up all hours of the night wondering who done it.

3 of 5 stars

[Sharilyn Dickerson · Rating 3 out of 5]

THE WRITER
This is the first in the Hint of Murder series. A short who-done-it mystery. Not a bad read but felt like there could have been more to it. With that being said, it was written well for a short story. Definitely didn't see the twist at the end coming!

THE DOCTOR
This is the second murder mystery story in the Hint of Murder series. Someone is killing patients at the hospital and everyone is a suspect. I guessed the killer pretty early on even though there were a couple of times I almost second-guessed myself. A quick read and full of details that at times has your head spinning trying to keep up.

THE BOUNCER
This is the third short mystery in the Hint of Murder series. Bobby is about to make it big with his singing career but that could be derailed if he's arrested for the murder of wealthy Allen Schaffer. However, there are several suspects and it is up to Detective Lewis and his new partner to solve the crime.
A very quick read that leaves your head spinning as one moment you're sure that one person killed the victim, only to have some new evidence point to someone else.

[Darcysmom · Rating 3 out of 5]

Short stories are a difficult genre to master. Mystery short stories even more so. The three mysteries in this anthology are good; however, the second story "The Doctor" was the standout for me. I felt like it had the tightest story line and best characters.
I felt like these stories were a good introduction to Lia Fairchild. I want to read a full length work of hers now. I think she will really shine with the additional pages for character and plot development. With all three stories, I wished that they were longer so that I could have more.

[Jacqueline Kinion Falkenberry · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a very unique story in that it had three different ones in one. I liked the aspect of figuring each story out. It was almost like playing clue, who was it, with what and why. If you like who done it books then this is for you.

[Joanne · Rating 2 out of 5]

Okay stories, but kind of shallow in many ways; unsatisfying.

[Michele Reise · Rating 3 out of 5]

Three short stories in one. Not bad but not great either. A little predictable but still decent.

[Terry Trahan]

Quick read

I really enjoyed this quick read. Mysteries abound in this one. If you find yourself with a couple of hours to sit and read, you will enjoy this one.

[Shell Williams · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great read

This was a great read keeps you wondering what will happen next and who did what really enjoyed it. Hope you enjoy it too

[Chele · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5. Good author, interesting short stories. Minimal editing mistakes, I noticed two.

[Jan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Just didn't bring out enough about the characters :(