Maisie Dobbs by Jacqueline Winspear

Maisie Dobbs (Book 1) - Maisie Dobbs began in service as a tweenie in Lady Rowan Compton's household.  Because Lady Rowan recognized Maisie's intellect and desire for knowledge, she asked her good friend, Maurice Blanche, a renowned investigator, to oversee Maisie's education.  While she was at Girton college at Cambridge, the great war began, and eventually, Maisie became a nurse and served near the front in France.  Ten years later, she opens her own investigative business.  Her first big case involves The Retreat, a convalescent farm for injured veterans of the war.

Maisie Dobbs by Jacqueline Winspear

Maisie Dobbs (Book 1) - Maisie Dobbs began in service as a tweenie in Lady Rowan Compton's household.  Because Lady Rowan recognized Maisie's intellect and desire for knowledge, she asked her good friend, Maurice Blanche, a renowned investigator, to oversee Maisie's education.  While she was at Girton college at Cambridge, the great war began, and eventually, Maisie became a nurse and served near the front in France.  Ten years later, she opens her own investigative business.  Her first big case involves The Retreat, a convalescent farm for injured veterans of the war.

Live to See Tomorrow by Iris Johansen

Live to See Tomorrow (Catherine Ling) - Catherine Ling wants nothing more than to spend a couple of weeks with her son Luke.  However, her mentor, Hu Chang, plans to rescue an American journalist, Erin Sullivan, from Paul Kadmus, a madman determined to take over the world. Kadmus kidnapped and tortures Erin because he believes that Erin will tell him how to locate a man, Richard Cameron, who he believes he can control and therefore give him the power to accomplish this.  Cameron appears to be loved by everyone he meets and is working for a secret organization wanting to create a better world.

Live to See Tomorrow by Iris Johansen

Live to See Tomorrow (Catherine Ling) - Catherine Ling wants nothing more than to spend a couple of weeks with her son Luke.  However, her mentor, Hu Chang, plans to rescue an American journalist, Erin Sullivan, from Paul Kadmus, a madman determined to take over the world. Kadmus kidnapped and tortures Erin because he believes that Erin will tell him how to locate a man, Richard Cameron, who he believes he can control and therefore give him the power to accomplish this.  Cameron appears to be loved by everyone he meets and is working for a secret organization wanting to create a better world.

I've Got You Under My Skin by Mary Higgins Clark

I've Got You Under My Skin: A Novel - Dr. Greg Moran was murdered in front of his 3-year-old son Timmy.  Because the killer wore a mask, all Timmy saw was blue eyes.  A passerby heard the killer's threat, "Tell your mother she's next, then it's your turn..."  Still haunted by her husband's death and unsolved case five years later, Laurie Moran produce's a cold case reality show; the pilot, a 20-year-old case concerning the murder of a woman the morning after her daughter's graduation party.  Leo Farley, Laurie's father, believes that his son-in-law's murderer will use the pilot to carry out the threat.

It is the characters of this story that Clark and Alafair Burke employ in their series Under Suspicion

Curious Minds by Janet Evanovich & Phoef Sutton

Curious Minds: A Knight and Moon Novel (Book 1) - Riley Moon fresh out of college is hired as a junior analyst for the bank Blane-Grunwald.  Her new assignment, assuage the fears of one of the biggest depositors the eccentric Emerson Knight.  Knight wants to see his gold, in person, and he won't take no, or later, for an answer.  He insists that Moon goes with him to New York to visit the bank's vault. He believes that something has happened to the US gold reserves. As he pulls Moon along, they find out that he is right, and the Grunewalds have something to do with it.

Curious Minds by Janet Evanovich & Phoef Sutton

Curious Minds: A Knight and Moon Novel (Book 1) - Riley Moon fresh out of college is hired as a junior analyst for the bank Blane-Grunwald.  Her new assignment, assuage the fears of one of the biggest depositors the eccentric Emerson Knight.  Knight wants to see his gold, in person, and he won't take no, or later, for an answer.  He insists that Moon goes with him to New York to visit the bank's vault. He believes that something has happened to the US gold reserves. As he pulls Moon along, they find out that he is right, and the Grunewalds have something to do with it.

I've Got You Under My Skin by Mary Higgins Clark

I've Got You Under My Skin: A Novel - Dr. Greg Moran was murdered in front of his 3-year-old son Timmy.  Because the killer wore a mask, all Timmy saw was blue eyes.  A passerby heard the killer's threat, "Tell your mother she's next, then it's your turn..."  Still haunted by her husband's death and unsolved case five years later, Laurie Moran produce's a cold case reality show; the pilot, a 20-year-old case concerning the murder of a woman the morning after her daughter's graduation party.  Leo Farley, Laurie's father, believes that his son-in-law's murderer will use the pilot to carry out the threat.

It is the characters of this story that Clark and Alafair Burke employ in their series Under Suspicion

The Collector by Nora Roberts

The Collector - Freelance writer and professional house-sitter Lila Emerson likes to watch people and makeup stories about their lives.  One night as she watches from the bedroom she is currently using, she sees a woman pushed out a window.  After she gives her statement at the police station, the brother of the man accused of the murder, Ashton Archer, asks her to join him for coffee at a local cop hangout.  Archer, the oldest son of a rather large family, convinces her that his brother is not responsible.  Furthermore, Lila and Ash become friends.  Meanwhile, the real killer is following both of them to determine if they know anything about the murder as well as the location of the item the killer was hired to find.

The Collector by Nora Roberts

The Collector - Freelance writer and professional house-sitter Lila Emerson likes to watch people and makeup stories about their lives.  One night as she watches from the bedroom she is currently using, she sees a woman pushed out a window.  After she gives her statement at the police station, the brother of the man accused of the murder, Ashton Archer, asks her to join him for coffee at a local cop hangout.  Archer, the oldest son of a rather large family, convinces her that his brother is not responsible.  Furthermore, Lila and Ash become friends.  Meanwhile, the real killer is following both of them to determine if they know anything about the murder as well as the location of the item the killer was hired to find.

Otherwise Engaged by Amanda Quick

Otherwise Engaged - Amity Doncaster writes about her travels around the world.  As she is returning to London, she encounters an injured Benedict Stanbridge, on a Caribbean island.  With the help of others, she gets him on the ship. She nurses him back to health, as they sail to New York where he disembarks. When she returns home, someone circulates the rumor that she and Ben had a torrid love affair aboard the ship.  She then is kidnapped by a killer known as the Bridegroom.  However, she is able to escape.  When Stanbridge returns to London, they announce their engagement to stop the rumors and to hunt down the killer.

Otherwise Engaged by Amanda Quick

Otherwise Engaged - Amity Doncaster writes about her travels around the world.  As she is returning to London, she encounters an injured Benedict Stanbridge, on a Caribbean island.  With the help of others, she gets him on the ship. She nurses him back to health, as they sail to New York where he disembarks. When she returns home, someone circulates the rumor that she and Ben had a torrid love affair aboard the ship.  She then is kidnapped by a killer known as the Bridegroom.  However, she is able to escape.  When Stanbridge returns to London, they announce their engagement to stop the rumors and to hunt down the killer.

What's So Funny? by Donald E. Westlake

What's So Funny? - Johnny Eppick, an ex-cop, blackmails John Dortmunder into stealing a gold chess set.  The set, a gift commissioned by a Russian czar, was stolen by a group of US soldiers at the end of WWII.  However, only one benefitted.  The others, after years of searching, passed on the quest to their children.  Now, however, the search is only carried out by one, who believes his granddaughter has found it.  But, it is being held in an impenetrable vault.

What's So Funny? by Donald E. Westlake

What's So Funny? - Johnny Eppick, an ex-cop, blackmails John Dortmunder into stealing a gold chess set.  The set, a gift commissioned by a Russian czar, was stolen by a group of US soldiers at the end of WWII.  However, only one benefitted.  The others, after years of searching, passed on the quest to their children.  Now, however, the search is only carried out by one, who believes his granddaughter has found it.  But, it is being held in an impenetrable vault.

W is for Wasted by Sue Grafton

W is for Wasted (Kinsey Millhone Mystery) - In the fall of 1988, the death of two men changed Kinsey Millhone's life.  The first man, an unscrupulous PI, Pete Wolinsky was shot on the edge of the Santa Teresa Bird Refuge.  The second man, unknown to Kinsey until she saw him in the morgue, was R.T. Dace, a homeless man who had Kinsey's name in his pocket.  In his will Dace disinherited his three children and named Kinsey as executor.

W is for Wasted by Sue Grafton

W is for Wasted (Kinsey Millhone Mystery) - In the fall of 1988, the death of two men changed Kinsey Millhone's life.  The first man, an unscrupulous PI, Pete Wolinsky was shot on the edge of the Santa Teresa Bird Refuge.  The second man, unknown to Kinsey until she saw him in the morgue, was R.T. Dace, a homeless man who had Kinsey's name in his pocket.  In his will Dace disinherited his three children and named Kinsey as executor.

Endlessly by Kiersten White

Endlessly (Paranormalcy) - This is the third book in the Paranormalcy Series.  Since my local library does not have the first two books, I went ahead and read this book.  I would not advise this, as several events and characters from the first two books are a big part of the background for this installment.

In Endlessly, Evie joins with two of her past boyfriends to open a portal to the Faerie World.

Endlessly by Kiersten White

Endlessly (Paranormalcy) - This is the third book in the Paranormalcy Series.  Since my local library does not have the first two books, I went ahead and read this book.  I would not advise this, as several events and characters from the first two books are a big part of the background for this installment.

In Endlessly, Evie joins with two of her past boyfriends to open a portal to the Faerie World.

Perfect Lies by Kiersten White

Perfect Lies (Mind Games) - Annie and Fia set up to expose and destroy the Keane Foundation.  After Annie's faked death, she joins with a group who also works to thwart the foundation.  Meanwhile, Fia joins with James Keane to destroy the foundation from within.

Perfect Lies by Kiersten White

Perfect Lies (Mind Games) - Annie and Fia set up to expose and destroy the Keane Foundation.  After Annie's faked death, she joins with a group who also works to thwart the foundation.  Meanwhile, Fia joins with James Keane to destroy the foundation from within.