Showing results by narrator "Robin McAlpine" in All Categories

Ten years earlier, two teenage girls were found murdered by what appeared to be a satanic sacrifice. The case had dominated the news headlines for months before the original investigators failed to arrest the perpetrators of the crime—despite multiple suspects. Without solid evidence to prosecute, and even with the near-heroic efforts of the original detectives, the homicide investigation turned cold. For years, the families of the two victims fought to keep the young women’s memory alive and to get the attention of law enforcement to not give up on finding those responsible.

In the thick of the current cold case investigation, PI Martina Monroe receives a hand-written letter from a desperate mother pleading for Martina and Hirsch to reopen the cold case of the woman’s missing daughter and five-year-old grandson. Feeling a deep connection to the request, Martina knows that Hirsch and she have found their next case.

This Christmas, the season of joy turns into a terrifying game of revenge. A man dressed as Santa is found murdered and shoved up a chimney—a meticulously staged scene straight out of a nightmare. Days later, another murder staged like a twisted Christmas display is discovered. With every gruesome crime comes a taunting Christmas card bearing a hand-drawn snowflake… delivered directly to PI Martina Monroe’s door.

A college student takes a job as a nightwatchman at his uncle’s junkyard and the ghosts that haunt the wrecked cars are the least of his worries. When a hardened New York City Detective tries to help two young boys being stalked by someone or something, he uncovers a truth that terrifies him.What happens when a mother makes a wish on a four-leaf clover and wants to take back her request?

PI Martina and Detective Hirsch accept the new sheriff’s request to reopen a ten-year-old serial killer case. Not that they could refuse. One victim was the sheriff’s brother, a married father of two. The case is strange. Someone has murdered three successful men within a six-month time period. There were no suspects and no motive. The only connection is their cause of death. The links are thin and the motive is unknown, but Martina and Hirsch know better than to ignore the similarities.

From Berlin to the Bronx, from Holocaust survivor to American success story, this riveting, fast-paced biography traces the extraordinary life of Gary “Pips” Phillips who defied the odds at every turn.

Claire wails when her wedding cake shaped like a birch tree slides toward the floor. Ferries to the island are cancelled, keeping guests on the Seattle-side of the water. To make matters worse, the groom has a hangover, and rain clouds are moving in. Claire’s cousin, who wants to be maid of honor, finds ways to ruin the event. The groom invites his ex-girlfriend, but doesn’t tell Claire. His ex heads to the wedding to create a nightmare, where someone must die. Will Claire survive her wedding day?

Miranda Diggs longs for absolution. But when she tries to purge bad memories and accidentally sends a motel up in flames, the regret-filled young woman seeks peace by checking into a mysterious remote resort. Driven by insatiable curiosity and venturing beyond the “No Trespassing” signs, she’s horrified after stepping into a rundown barn that the doors slam shut…and lock. Seeking a way out, Miranda pries open a trapdoor and follows the tunnel beneath into an eerie game that seems to know all her closest-held secrets.

Detective Leslie, once a key figure in the Cold Case Squad, is convinced she’s closed the case on Darren, Martina’s brother, for a cold-blooded murder. But Martina, shaken by her brother’s guilty plea and an anonymous tip claiming his innocence, starts questioning the conviction. As Martina delves into the details, she encounters a series of unsettling discrepancies. The investigation’s weak foundation, coupled with the lack of physical evidence and a dubious motive, ignites Martina’s suspicions.

Her ex-husband disappeared, leaving her overwhelmed, cleaning up the mess he left behind. She suspects a friend of foul play but can’t prove it. She must find out the truth to protect her daughter from heartbreak. Irena Fishbone is always in a hurry, repairing boat engines and caring for her...

Overtime offers a current, revelatory corrective to our understanding of the future of the American workforce and aging. Experts across economics, sociology, psychology, political science, and epidemiology examine how increasing economic and social inequalities, coupled with changes across generations or birth cohorts, call for a rethinking of the working-longer policy framework. Together, they argue that policies affecting work must be considered alongside policies affecting retirement and provide a path forward to achieve better retirement security for all Americans.

With aging, regardless of which stage of life we are talking about, there is a metamorphosis taking place. In truth, it scares the bejeesus out of each and every one of us. Why? Because we don't know how to do this thing called aging. We would rather practice tried and true denial. Who wants to admit to themselves, or anyone else, the degree to which they feel powerless and helpless about what’s happening to them? Um, like, no one!

With haunted eyes, a survivor steps into the offices of Drakos Monroe Security & Investigations, asking for Martina’s help. Thirty-five years earlier, Nancy made a harrowing escape from the clutches of a ruthless sex-trafficking syndicate in San Francisco, forced to leave her best friend Victoria behind. Clean and with a family of her own, Nancy hires Martina to find Victoria in a search for closure, justice, and the friend she lost so many years ago.

Whether you're a cat person or a dog lover, this collection of fabulous trivia won't disappoint! In Cat Trivia: Fur a purr-fectly great time that'll have you paw-sitively at the edge of your seats, grab this trivia book.... I'm not kitten you! And you also get Dog Trivia: The ulti-mutt must-have for a paw-fectly amazing time!

Retired Way Out There: My Evolving Life on Koh Lanta Thailand is the story about how I came to retire on Koh Lanta, a small island in southern Thailand. The book covers my discovery of Koh Lanta two decades ago, and how I made the decision that I wanted to retire there. It includes my many trips to Koh Lanta and my transition from a tourist to a local expat. It discusses getting a home on the island, life during the pandemic restrictions, and the discovery of so much more that changed the direction of my life. I

Giving Back: Memories, Reflections, and Lessons Learned includes 50 short human-interest articles by the author. The majority of the selections were previously published in senior newspapers, national magazines, or books. Some of the stories will inspire; some inform, some bring a tear, and some a smile. It is a feel-good listen.

Zoey Monroe planned to surprise her mother, PI Martina Monroe, with one final Friday movie night before her wedding—a cherished tradition since childhood. But after landing in the Bay Area, Zoey vanishes without a trace. Her phone goes dark. And Zoey is gone.

When a woman is discovered beaten and bloodied in a park, with no ID, no memory, and no past she can recall, Martina and her team at Drakos Monroe Security & Investigations are called in to uncover the truth. But from the start, this case defies all logic. The woman, known only as "Jane Doe," has no fingerprints or DNA matches. No social media. No records. It’s as if she never existed. Every lead Martina follows only deepens the mystery, raising questions that pull her further into an unsettling puzzle.

Using granular data and authoritative Chinese sources, Oriana Skylar Mastro demonstrates that China was able to climb to great power status through a careful mix of strategic emulation, exploitation, and entrepreneurship on the international stage. This “upstart approach”—determined by where and how China chose to compete—allowed China to rise economically, politically, and militarily, without triggering a catastrophic international backlash that would stem its rise.

Gloria Morris is a scholarly, vehement, and hard-boiled private detective, a force of nature who doesn’t suffer fools. She’s also a lover, and her inamorata understands her swagger and quest for justice. Gloria must locate the runaway heiress to an industrial empire, a volatile young woman who is happy being on the lam in San Francisco, free of her family’s dark secrets and business responsibilities. She feels she can protect herself, and perhaps she can, but people connected to her are dying, and someone is pulling the strings.