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Jeri Howard Mystery #1-9
Jeri Howard Books 1-9
Alternate cover edition of ASIN B07CSTTVGY
Jeri's as savvy as Sam Spade, with something of Spade's seen-it-all outlook. She handles the daily bread and butter without breaking a sweat, and she's got the street smarts to handle the bad guys, always managing somehow to land a well-deserved punch. What she doesn't know, her chic lawyer pal, Cassie, can supply; and her cop ex-husband's on hand to make trouble.
Included in this 9-book box set:
KINDRED CRIMES
A puzzling missing persons case--a wife who disappears with the grocery money--keeps winding backward, revealing brand new secrets as fast as ancient skeletons can fall out of closets.
TILL THE OLD MEN DIE
The grisly murder of a sedate, widowed history professor, is written off as a random street crime until a woman turns up at his university, claiming to be his widow and demanding access to his "papers."
TAKE A NUMBER
Out of loyalty to a former client, Jeri takes on a nasty divorce case. The soon-to-be ex-husband winds up with a bullet in his back, and the prime suspect is Jeri's client.
DON'T TURN YOUR BACK ON THE OCEAN
Jeri is looking to catch a respite from the PI life to relax and visit family in lovely Monterey on the California coast. Now, what's the worst thing that could happen on a PI's vacation? A dead body on the beach, most likely.
NOBODY'S CHILD
Is a Jane Doe uncovered at a construction site the body of her client's long-lost daughter Maureen? If so, what's become of Maureen's two-year-old daughter?
A CREDIBLE THREAT
A UC Berkeley undergrad fears the worst when her shared house receives multiple threats from an unknown antagonizer.
WITNESS TO EVIL
A seventeen-year-old Jeri tracked down when she swiped her mother's credit card and took off for Paris is now a "person of interest" in a murder case--and, once again, in the wind.
WHERE THE BODIES ARE BURIED
Jeri's newest client was about to blow the whistle on a large food manufacturer just before he took a header out his fifth-floor apartment window--but he hadn't yet told her what it was about. Next step: Undercover in the corporate office.
A KILLING AT THE TRACK
Set in the fascinating and forbidden racetrack backside. Dawson's complex plot is a pleasure--one dead jockey, then two dead jockeys, three exotic poisons, and several possible payoffs.
Jeri's as savvy as Sam Spade, with something of Spade's seen-it-all outlook. She handles the daily bread and butter without breaking a sweat, and she's got the street smarts to handle the bad guys, always managing somehow to land a well-deserved punch. What she doesn't know, her chic lawyer pal, Cassie, can supply; and her cop ex-husband's on hand to make trouble.
Included in this 9-book box set:
KINDRED CRIMES
A puzzling missing persons case--a wife who disappears with the grocery money--keeps winding backward, revealing brand new secrets as fast as ancient skeletons can fall out of closets.
TILL THE OLD MEN DIE
The grisly murder of a sedate, widowed history professor, is written off as a random street crime until a woman turns up at his university, claiming to be his widow and demanding access to his "papers."
TAKE A NUMBER
Out of loyalty to a former client, Jeri takes on a nasty divorce case. The soon-to-be ex-husband winds up with a bullet in his back, and the prime suspect is Jeri's client.
DON'T TURN YOUR BACK ON THE OCEAN
Jeri is looking to catch a respite from the PI life to relax and visit family in lovely Monterey on the California coast. Now, what's the worst thing that could happen on a PI's vacation? A dead body on the beach, most likely.
NOBODY'S CHILD
Is a Jane Doe uncovered at a construction site the body of her client's long-lost daughter Maureen? If so, what's become of Maureen's two-year-old daughter?
A CREDIBLE THREAT
A UC Berkeley undergrad fears the worst when her shared house receives multiple threats from an unknown antagonizer.
WITNESS TO EVIL
A seventeen-year-old Jeri tracked down when she swiped her mother's credit card and took off for Paris is now a "person of interest" in a murder case--and, once again, in the wind.
WHERE THE BODIES ARE BURIED
Jeri's newest client was about to blow the whistle on a large food manufacturer just before he took a header out his fifth-floor apartment window--but he hadn't yet told her what it was about. Next step: Undercover in the corporate office.
A KILLING AT THE TRACK
Set in the fascinating and forbidden racetrack backside. Dawson's complex plot is a pleasure--one dead jockey, then two dead jockeys, three exotic poisons, and several possible payoffs.
3106 pages, ebook
Published May 1, 2018
1554 people are currently reading
526 people want to read
About the author
Janet Dawson
65 books71 followersJanet Dawson is the author of The Sacrificial Daughter, first in a new series featuring geriatric care manager. She has also written thirteen novels featuring Oakland private investigator Jeri Howard. Her first, Kindred Crimes, won the St. Martin's Press/Private Eye Writers of America contest for best first private eye novel. The most recent book in the series is The Devil Close Behind.
Her Jill McLeod historical mystery series features a Zephyrette sleuthing aboard the long-distance train called the California Zephyr in the early 1950s. The first in that series is Death Rides the Zephyr.
In the past, Dawson was a newspaper reporter and a Navy journalist. She has worked in the legal field and on the staff of the University of California Berkeley. She is a long-time member of Mystery Writers of America and Sisters in Crime.
Her Jill McLeod historical mystery series features a Zephyrette sleuthing aboard the long-distance train called the California Zephyr in the early 1950s. The first in that series is Death Rides the Zephyr.
In the past, Dawson was a newspaper reporter and a Navy journalist. She has worked in the legal field and on the staff of the University of California Berkeley. She is a long-time member of Mystery Writers of America and Sisters in Crime.
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 58 reviews
Want to read
December 17, 2025I don’t know this author, but how can I say no to NINE free books?
Want to read
May 24, 2019🎁 FREE on Amazon today (5/24/2019)! 🎁
March 23, 2019
These were among the first books I read on Kindle a long time ago. They convinced me I wanted to keep reading on Kindle. When an anthology came along I took it, just to make sure I hadn't missed one all those years ago.
July 31, 2019
Great Books!
What a wonderful Series this was.I missed a lot of sleep as I couldn’t put a book down until I finished it.Wonderful,believable Characters.I also enjoyed reading about towns that I grew up around and in.keep up the good work...
What a wonderful Series this was.I missed a lot of sleep as I couldn’t put a book down until I finished it.Wonderful,believable Characters.I also enjoyed reading about towns that I grew up around and in.keep up the good work...
January 23, 2020
Needs better editing but good stories
LOTS of run-on sentences due to missing punctuation. Misspelled words in every book, sometimes totally wrong words. But great stories. I'm glad I got the full set.
LOTS of run-on sentences due to missing punctuation. Misspelled words in every book, sometimes totally wrong words. But great stories. I'm glad I got the full set.
May 7, 2020
Great Bundle!I
I enjoyed these mysteries by Janet Dawson. All very different. Interesting characters and locations. I docked one star because of the many misspelled words. Ones like fire instead of hire. Definitely needs better editing.
I enjoyed these mysteries by Janet Dawson. All very different. Interesting characters and locations. I docked one star because of the many misspelled words. Ones like fire instead of hire. Definitely needs better editing.
June 6, 2025
I could not finish this entire anthology. It is with great pain (and a lot of regret) that I read books 1-5 in it. I am baffled as to why this author gets such rave reviews because I am usually fairly generous in my ratings and can't rate anything over 2.5 stars, most of them only 1 star. It probably averages to 1.5, but I'm going to round down because I can't in good conscience give it a 2.
The first book was awful. The second book was awful. But then the third book showed some slight improvement. And the beginning of the fourth book made it clear that she had been attending some writing workshops and making an attempt to develop her skills and craft. However, by the end of that fourth book, I saw fewer and fewer examples of those attempts. And the fifth book was awful again. That's when I decided I'd had enough agony and deserved to read a good book instead. Maybe I'll go back out of curiosity one day (and I do hate to leave books unfinished).
Why are these so bad, you ask?
First, she spends far too much time in California. There is so so so so much description of her navigation along the streets and towns. It doesn't further the stories, is incredibly tedious for the reader, and doesn't generally add to any ambience. It's also a perfect example of telling and not showing, as if she's trying to make the reader understand the maps and turn-by-turn directions to everywhere she goes. This probably takes up close to 25% of each book. Seriously. Additionally, I get the impression that the weather, politics, and culture of California are all she knows. Despite some characters being military personnel who came from other places and traveled all over, she doesn't bring that into their personalities at all, as if they've all been assimilated.
Second, there are just so many unrealistic and inconsistent things that I can't get a reasonable story that I can accept. She is constantly driving around everywhere, but rarely does it take her more than 20-30 minutes to get there (this is California, a big state with a lot of traffic). She spent four books talking about how black coffee is the elixir of life (ad nauseum and with great cliche), and suddenly in the fifth book, she's drinking lattes without mention of her previous obsession with black coffee. And tons of little bits all over that just don't sound reasonable at all, especially people's behavior and actions.
Third, the main character is generally flat (at best) and unlikable (at worst)! She sleeps with at least one other character involved in each investigation, during the investigation. She's always claiming she can take care of herself, but doesn't have any skills in that area at all (doesn't know how to fight, no self-defense skills, no gun... nothing but stubbornness). She's regularly asking the people in her life for favors, but never seems to be grateful or return one. There is nothing whatsoever that is particularly interesting about her.
And finally, her stories are OK-ish, but without good writing to flesh them out, they just get boring and tiresome. The fourth book was the only one that I cared about the "mystery" part, even though it was beyond obvious well before the end. Truthfully, her entire series through Book 5 felt amateurish. I went on Amazon and saw all the rave reviews and was stunned. Even those who rated them poorly mostly did so because of editing (which wasn't great) and technical issues with the books. I don't understand. I wouldn't recommend them to anyone and really wish *I* hadn't been so stubborn as to read these for as long as I did.
The first book was awful. The second book was awful. But then the third book showed some slight improvement. And the beginning of the fourth book made it clear that she had been attending some writing workshops and making an attempt to develop her skills and craft. However, by the end of that fourth book, I saw fewer and fewer examples of those attempts. And the fifth book was awful again. That's when I decided I'd had enough agony and deserved to read a good book instead. Maybe I'll go back out of curiosity one day (and I do hate to leave books unfinished).
Why are these so bad, you ask?
First, she spends far too much time in California. There is so so so so much description of her navigation along the streets and towns. It doesn't further the stories, is incredibly tedious for the reader, and doesn't generally add to any ambience. It's also a perfect example of telling and not showing, as if she's trying to make the reader understand the maps and turn-by-turn directions to everywhere she goes. This probably takes up close to 25% of each book. Seriously. Additionally, I get the impression that the weather, politics, and culture of California are all she knows. Despite some characters being military personnel who came from other places and traveled all over, she doesn't bring that into their personalities at all, as if they've all been assimilated.
Second, there are just so many unrealistic and inconsistent things that I can't get a reasonable story that I can accept. She is constantly driving around everywhere, but rarely does it take her more than 20-30 minutes to get there (this is California, a big state with a lot of traffic). She spent four books talking about how black coffee is the elixir of life (ad nauseum and with great cliche), and suddenly in the fifth book, she's drinking lattes without mention of her previous obsession with black coffee. And tons of little bits all over that just don't sound reasonable at all, especially people's behavior and actions.
Third, the main character is generally flat (at best) and unlikable (at worst)! She sleeps with at least one other character involved in each investigation, during the investigation. She's always claiming she can take care of herself, but doesn't have any skills in that area at all (doesn't know how to fight, no self-defense skills, no gun... nothing but stubbornness). She's regularly asking the people in her life for favors, but never seems to be grateful or return one. There is nothing whatsoever that is particularly interesting about her.
And finally, her stories are OK-ish, but without good writing to flesh them out, they just get boring and tiresome. The fourth book was the only one that I cared about the "mystery" part, even though it was beyond obvious well before the end. Truthfully, her entire series through Book 5 felt amateurish. I went on Amazon and saw all the rave reviews and was stunned. Even those who rated them poorly mostly did so because of editing (which wasn't great) and technical issues with the books. I don't understand. I wouldn't recommend them to anyone and really wish *I* hadn't been so stubborn as to read these for as long as I did.
December 13, 2022
Wonderful action packed series about a female Private Investigator.
Every once in a while you find a collection of books by a talented writer for a bargain price. Sometimes they are just OK and the rarest find is a gem like The Jeri Howard Murder Mysteries by Janet Dawson.
Each story is well researched and. Descriptions of scenes and people ring true to life to the last detail. All are emotional and thought provoking. As I worked my way through 1-9 I was glad that I purchased the whole set. "Nobody's Child" delves into the life of being homeless in San Francisco. The theme of each book features a thought provoking topic. You are learning as you are reading. It's really a stellar series.
Oakland PI Jeri Howard is a gutsy, brave lady who won't give up She will go to any lengths necessary to right the wrongs done to people and to society at large, even when her clients don't want to pursue it. She's a person to be admired and I'd say that when you read these books you'll wish Jeri was a real person and you could meet and talk with her.
Every once in a while you find a collection of books by a talented writer for a bargain price. Sometimes they are just OK and the rarest find is a gem like The Jeri Howard Murder Mysteries by Janet Dawson.
Each story is well researched and. Descriptions of scenes and people ring true to life to the last detail. All are emotional and thought provoking. As I worked my way through 1-9 I was glad that I purchased the whole set. "Nobody's Child" delves into the life of being homeless in San Francisco. The theme of each book features a thought provoking topic. You are learning as you are reading. It's really a stellar series.
Oakland PI Jeri Howard is a gutsy, brave lady who won't give up She will go to any lengths necessary to right the wrongs done to people and to society at large, even when her clients don't want to pursue it. She's a person to be admired and I'd say that when you read these books you'll wish Jeri was a real person and you could meet and talk with her.
July 6, 2018
A new detective series for me. Jeri Howard. investigator.
A little too many words sometimes, describing surrounding, but overall a good easy detective story. While investigated we get to watch Jerri's personal all life change as she makes a sort of peace with her Mother and kinda gets a steady male friend. Overall, pretty enjoyable. Because there are none books it took me awhile to finish, as I read other things in between to take a break.
A little too many words sometimes, describing surrounding, but overall a good easy detective story. While investigated we get to watch Jerri's personal all life change as she makes a sort of peace with her Mother and kinda gets a steady male friend. Overall, pretty enjoyable. Because there are none books it took me awhile to finish, as I read other things in between to take a break.
November 13, 2018
Brilliant in Every Way
Unusually fine writing combines with believable characters and solid plots, along with settings that almost become characters themselves, to produce novels that are among the best available. My husband, himself a writer from San Francisco, is impressed with Dawson's ability to welcome the reader into the world she clearly knows so well. Recommended for all readers who want really good books.
Unusually fine writing combines with believable characters and solid plots, along with settings that almost become characters themselves, to produce novels that are among the best available. My husband, himself a writer from San Francisco, is impressed with Dawson's ability to welcome the reader into the world she clearly knows so well. Recommended for all readers who want really good books.
September 29, 2023
Wonderful, Fast Paced Series
The Jeri Howard Anthology, written by Janet Dawson, includes books 1 - 9 of the Jeri Howard series. These are the first books I have read by Ms. Dawson, but they won't be the last! From the detailed world building to the in depth character development, as well as the interesting subject matter within each story, these books held me captive from beginning to end. I am looking forward to reading the next books in this series!
The Jeri Howard Anthology, written by Janet Dawson, includes books 1 - 9 of the Jeri Howard series. These are the first books I have read by Ms. Dawson, but they won't be the last! From the detailed world building to the in depth character development, as well as the interesting subject matter within each story, these books held me captive from beginning to end. I am looking forward to reading the next books in this series!
January 6, 2019
Absolutely terrific!
The Jeri Howard series is wonderful reading if you're a lover of mysteries and of detective stories. Suspenseful and mysterious, fast paced and so very well written. Janet Dawson's name should be included in the same sentence as any of the top writers of the detective genre. So glad I got these and will add them to the list of books worth re-reading.
The Jeri Howard series is wonderful reading if you're a lover of mysteries and of detective stories. Suspenseful and mysterious, fast paced and so very well written. Janet Dawson's name should be included in the same sentence as any of the top writers of the detective genre. So glad I got these and will add them to the list of books worth re-reading.
January 20, 2020
A spectacular read that will captivate you!😍 Buy this book now!😍😅
Here is one of the best Detective series that you will want to get! It has murder, mystery and breathtaking descriptions of each character. Imagine stories that will have you trying to figure things out and you think you have!!😍 Only thing is that you know nothing! BUY THIS BOOK!
Here is one of the best Detective series that you will want to get! It has murder, mystery and breathtaking descriptions of each character. Imagine stories that will have you trying to figure things out and you think you have!!😍 Only thing is that you know nothing! BUY THIS BOOK!
October 1, 2020
This series of 9 books kept me riveted to my ebook reader all week! The characters are compelling and well described, and the imagery of the scenes puts you right there with the protagonist. It is a trip down memory lane, given how much has changed in the Bay Area and in the world of electronic communications since this series was written. I thoroughly enjoyed each of the books.
January 2, 2022
Great "who done it?" books. These kept me guessing until the very end. All of the characters, especially Jeri Howard are very likable. I read books one through 9, but cannot seem to locate book 10. I would highly recommend these books to someone who enjoys getting to know the central character, but also enjoys changing locations and situations. All 9 were really enjoyable.
January 2, 2022
Mixed feelings
Overall, I enjoyed these 9 books. They are clever and enjoyable mysteries. On the negative side, there's a lot of of superfluous info. e.g. descriptions of streets and buildings that have nothing to do with the stories. At first they were interesting but there were times I paged past them.
Overall, I enjoyed these 9 books. They are clever and enjoyable mysteries. On the negative side, there's a lot of of superfluous info. e.g. descriptions of streets and buildings that have nothing to do with the stories. At first they were interesting but there were times I paged past them.
March 9, 2025
The best Series I read this year
All nine books were well researched and written. All of the books had enough information to allow them to be read as standalone novels while building up the characters for the series. I’m looking forward to reading more by this author. Extremely highly recommended
All nine books were well researched and written. All of the books had enough information to allow them to be read as standalone novels while building up the characters for the series. I’m looking forward to reading more by this author. Extremely highly recommended
January 2, 2026
Plots OK BUT
The plot would make the story only about a third of book the rest is so much filler it gets boring. Every little detail about clothes, rooms, cars and scenery, most of which has nothing to progress the story. I'd rather have less pages of actual story and less filler. Slow reading unless you skim through filler which is what I eventually did
The plot would make the story only about a third of book the rest is so much filler it gets boring. Every little detail about clothes, rooms, cars and scenery, most of which has nothing to progress the story. I'd rather have less pages of actual story and less filler. Slow reading unless you skim through filler which is what I eventually did
January 18, 2019
Interesting stories and relatable characters provide for an entertaining read. Noteworthy for me was the overly wordy descriptions of some settings and individuals which resulted in my skimming of pages.
Overall a recommended 4 star read.
Overall a recommended 4 star read.
November 24, 2019
WAY too much detail. Good plots. But with so many characters and SO much detail about the characters (even irrelevant ones), the scenery, the location, etc. it's very hard to maintain continuity and interest.
July 25, 2020
Read them straight through
I really enjoyed these mysteries. I think I read through them in a week. Great characters. Plots fall together well. There is this thing where Th at the beginning of a word sometimes becomes m.
I really enjoyed these mysteries. I think I read through them in a week. Great characters. Plots fall together well. There is this thing where Th at the beginning of a word sometimes becomes m.
Read
August 28, 2020Good Series
What a good series. Reading Dawson is not only entertaining but educational. Sometimes the details not down the flow of the story but the reader really gets a feel for the location. Well written.
What a good series. Reading Dawson is not only entertaining but educational. Sometimes the details not down the flow of the story but the reader really gets a feel for the location. Well written.
September 10, 2020
Great box set
Loved these stories. They were all informative on their particular topics and get held your attention as to the mystery. Loved the main character Jeri. Would definitely read more from this author.
Loved these stories. They were all informative on their particular topics and get held your attention as to the mystery. Loved the main character Jeri. Would definitely read more from this author.
October 12, 2020
A fun read
Jeri Howard is a down to earth woman, with a strong stubborn streak that eventually gets her where she needs to be. The books are well researched as to subject, but the knowledge imparted never overrides the sheer readability of the books. I enjoyed every one of them.
Jeri Howard is a down to earth woman, with a strong stubborn streak that eventually gets her where she needs to be. The books are well researched as to subject, but the knowledge imparted never overrides the sheer readability of the books. I enjoyed every one of them.
November 22, 2020
Racing
I love horses and investigations. These books were a quick read and believable. I would recommend this author for anyone who is looking for an escape from the doldrums of everyday life. Her characters are living in the edges and bring you with them.
I love horses and investigations. These books were a quick read and believable. I would recommend this author for anyone who is looking for an escape from the doldrums of everyday life. Her characters are living in the edges and bring you with them.
May 9, 2021
Interesting storylines
These books all have interesting storylines that deal with many issues in society today. I could not stop reading until I finished all nine in this collection. However the typos were atrocious. Doesn't anybody proofread anymore?
These books all have interesting storylines that deal with many issues in society today. I could not stop reading until I finished all nine in this collection. However the typos were atrocious. Doesn't anybody proofread anymore?
August 17, 2021
I really enjoyed all the books in the collection. I loved how each successevice story referenced at least one of the previous stories. The only thing I didn't like was I thought most of the stories were about 5 chapters too long.
September 6, 2021
Good cozy to read
The mysteries are about a private investigator, Jeri Howard, who resides in San Francisco in the 1990’s.
While I enjoyed the stories, I found the typos distracting. The descriptions are in great detail for a clearer understanding of California.
The mysteries are about a private investigator, Jeri Howard, who resides in San Francisco in the 1990’s.
While I enjoyed the stories, I found the typos distracting. The descriptions are in great detail for a clearer understanding of California.
May 23, 2022
LOVE these books!!
Janet Dawson really knows how to tell a story. Excellent characters brought to life in living color. Janet needs a good editor, but the errors do not distract the reader. Don't pass up up the Jeri Howard series.
Janet Dawson really knows how to tell a story. Excellent characters brought to life in living color. Janet needs a good editor, but the errors do not distract the reader. Don't pass up up the Jeri Howard series.
October 8, 2022
So great to read them all in order. I've read a few over the years, most recently the last one. Images stayed in my mind, and it was cool that with a second (or third?) read I caught things I hadn't before. What a treat!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 58 reviews