Praise for Rick Adelmann’s MG&M Detective Agency series:
“Spellbinder! A great first book. I can’t wait for the next one. Great surprise ending!” – 5 stars online review “Sherwood Garth and James Mallory seem like an unlikely partnership in sleuthing, but their skills and experience provide a unique combination in the fine art of solving murders. Garth is reminiscent of our old friend, Sherlock Holmes, while Mallory, the retired cavalry officer, embodies the spirit of the old West. Rick Adelmann's debut novel takes you into a world where automobiles are replacing horse drawn buggies and the Jazz Age is coming into its own. Set against the rich backdrop of turn-of-the century Americana, The Greek Coins Affair is sure to please.”–Mysticmoods book review “Sizzles with Jazz Age mystery and intrigue” –J Shaw, online review "Great Read! Rick Adelmann's first book is a hit. Each chapter kept me on the edge of my seat wanting more, I couldn't put it down. Mystery mixed with a little bit of romance mixed with twists and turns kept me captivated. The author made Garth and Mallory come to life. I can't wait for the next book, I want to find out what's next for these characters!" 5-star Amazon review |
“Mallory and Garth are destined to become icons in the jazz age, historical mystery genre. They are private investigators with flair!” –Connie Shelton, USA Today bestselling author
Book 1: The Greek Coins Affair A fortune in stolen antiquities, a bag of loose diamonds, and two dead men. It’s bitter cold in February, 1918, when Pinkerton detective Sherwood Garth is assigned to team up with Major James Mallory. Their job is to ferret out the missing diamonds, but when the trail leads directly to a dead body in an abandoned barn, the two men join with the Cleveland Police Department to solve both the murder and the question of the gems. They discover no shortage of suspects. The dead man, Henry Spellman, seemed disliked by family and colleagues alike. Could the killer be one of the adventurer’s traveling companions? Or perhaps one of Spellman’s own sisters or a member of the household staff is behind his death? And then there’s Henry’s flapper girlfriend, who is maybe a little too chummy with other men. Nearly everyone, it seems, has a motive and most had the means to carry out the crime. The search takes the two detectives into the local jazz clubs, where Garth seems at home and Mallory sees a whole new world beyond his Army experience. It’s truly a by-the-book whodunit using the Pinkerton man’s keen skills of observation and the military officer’s pure brawn. When they put the clues together, the revelations come as a surprise to all. Perfect for fans of classic detective stories from Agatha Christie and Arthur Conan Doyle. |
Book 2: The Hilltop Ranch Affair
On the eve of his wedding, Major James Mallory receives an invitation to attend a reunion of his old Army comrades, to be held at the Wyoming ranch home of his former commander, Colonel Isaiah Johnston. James and Anneka decide the trip to Wyoming will suffice as a honeymoon, for now, until the couple relocates to their new home in California. Hilltop Ranch is remote and secluded and by the second day the dozen guests, their wives, and the household staff are snowbound. And that’s when the murders begin. With no other law enforcement at hand, Mallory, Garth, and Mallory search out the evidence and put together the clues in this devious and complex puzzle. |
Book 3: The Blue Sky Affair
When Major James Mallory and his bride Anneka relocate, along with their extended family and business partner Sherwood Garth, to Beverly Hills, it’s with the idea of enjoying the warm California sunshine. It doesn’t take long, however, before they are invited to a swanky dinner at the home of a neighbor, a Hollywood movie producer. A lot of the big names in the business are there, from Douglas Fairbanks and Mary Pickford, to Gladys Cooper and Charlie Chaplain. Jim and Anneka are more than a little bit wowed by the illustrious company. And when Hew Sizemore, the producer, offers them bit parts in his newest movie, well, the offer sounds like too much fun to pass up. Off they go to the Blue Sky Resort outside Apple Valley, to begin filming. However, before the first camera rolls, someone is taking shots of another sort. With their director gone, the production screeches to a halt and Sizemore doesn’t trust the small-town county deputies to adequately investigate. He hires the Mallorys and their MG&M Detective Agency to solve the murder. As they start asking questions it doesn’t take long to discover the gossip, infighting, and egos intrinsic in the film business. Bathtub gin, flappers, thugs, and a not-so-secret speakeasy at the resort provide the backdrop, and it’s not a sure thing whether Mallory, Garth, and Mallory will survive long enough to set their trap and catch the elusive killer. |
Book 4: The San Carlos Affair
Private investigators Mallory, Garth and Mallory are settling into their new California lifestyle, and Woodie Garth has a new girlfriend. The vivacious Victoria Davis is the epitome of the Jazz Age, living the flapper lifestyle in 1920, and for Garth, she might be the romantic interest of his life. But first, she challenges the MG&M detectives to solve a year-old murder case. Her father, Ashton Davis, was a successful jeweler on San Carlos Avenue and founder of the San Carlos Business Guild. The Guild is a group of businesses within the small picturesque neighborhood that help and refer business to each other. Each year, in September, they all get together for a weekend business meeting and a relaxing gathering at the huge Davis estate. Last year Ashton Davis died during the festivities when he fell down a flight of stairs and broke his neck. The police ruled it an accident. But Vicky doesn’t believe that was true, and at least one cop within the San Ricardo precinct agrees with her. The problem is, many of the police are crooked and the case is closed. Vicky enlists the help of Garth, and his MG&M Detective Agency to solve the case. They have the perfect cover to infiltrate the Guild—Anneka Mallory’s younger sisters are looking for a location in which to open their new Swedish restaurant, and a vacant building on San Carlos Avenue would be ideal. As they meet the new neighboring business owners, the Mallorys quietly gather clues in Davis’s death. They discover a host of possible suspects, and uncover a number of other crimes as they find that all is not beautiful among the lovely little shops and restaurants of the San Carlos Business Guild. Before the crime is solved, MG&M themselves are threatened and attacked. Will they survive to reveal the ugly goings-on and to reveal the killer’s identity? |
Book 5: The Forgotten Murder Affair
James and Anneka Mallory and their partner, Sherwood Garth, the partners of the MG&M Detective Agency, set out on the most unusual case of their lives when they meet a couple who say they live one hundred years in the future! And despite the outlandish claim, the pair present enough evidence to convince the partners. It all begins with an invitation from a long-time family friend. Wealthy shipping magnate Jerome Stroheim has called family and friends together at his mansion outside Riverside, California, for a weekend bash and a big announcement. But the future-travelers, Ollie and MJ Janson, have more disturbing news for James Mallory—Stroheim and his wife will be killed on Saturday night. It’s a historical fact, detailed in a book the 21st century couple has in their possession. Knowing this, the five of them search for ways to prevent the murders, and Jim Mallory has a special stake in the outcome, since this was his father’s dear friend. Figuring out in advance the killer’s identity proves no easy task, amidst the dozens of people staying in the huge home. And more than a few of them have motives. Will the MG&M team be able to safeguard Mallory’s old friend, or will it prove impossible to rewrite history? |
Book 7: The Amazing Esmeralda Affair
There have been two weddings in the Mallory-Rosenkranz family in recent months, and the house is awfully quiet since both girls moved away with their new husbands. So, the Mallorys decide to take a day to explore a nearby carnival, which promises interesting sideshows, exhilarating rides, and challenging games. But Jim notices one of the prime attractions, a fortune teller’s booth, is closed up tight, despite this being the busiest day of the fair. What’s going on with The Amazing Esmeralda—Seer of Royalty and Commoner Alike? They soon find out, when Esmeralda herself steps out and accosts them. “You are detectives,” she says, then she cries out for their help and bursts into tears. It seems she made the mistake of befriending a mob boss back east who has now hired goons to kidnap her son and, unless she can pick all ten winners in next weekend’s horse race, they plan to kill him. And since Esmeralda is no more psychic than anyone else, she’s in a panic. Can they find the boy before it’s too late? Meanwhile, a murder happens right before Jim’s eyes and he becomes the prime suspect. Investigating two crimes, while staying out of sight, is more than enough to keep the MG&M Detectives hopping. |
Book 8: The Amazing Esmeralda Affair
It’s the summer of 1921, and Woodie Garth and the Mallory family are enjoying a day out on Malibu Beach when the telegram arrives. A former colleague from Woodie’s Secret Service days is requesting that the MG&M detectives come to Texas to help solve an old case. Thirty-three years prior, there was a bloody shootout at a remote stagecoach stop. Three men were left dead, and fifteen-year-old Tommy Humphrey escaped with his life, but was suspected all along of having been the killer. Now the lone survivor has been brought into custody and he has an unbelievable story. Humphrey tells the tale of a stagecoach breakdown, a poker game at the depot, and a ruthless stranger who gunned down the other three men before vanishing in a cloud of dust. The thing is, Garth’s colleague, now a county sheriff in Midland, Texas, tends to believe in Tom Humphrey’s innocence. But he needs MG&M to investigate and dig out the facts. If Humphrey is to be believed, the ruthless killer was once hanged from a tree outside the old stage depot, and now the hanged man has come back for revenge. |
Book 9: The Missing Heiress Affair
Louise Hayes, the 23-year-old heiress to the Thornton-Hayes Leisure Cruise Line fortune was vacationing in Beverly Hills, California. When she catches a taxi ride from the Beverly Hills Hotel to Los Angeles it’s the last anyone sees of her. Lincoln Hayes, her rich and influential stepfather takes an express train cross-country to find Louise. The gruff, demanding Hayes refuses to use the local police for fear of unwanted publicity. Instead, he turns to the successful MG&M Detective Agency to find the girl and keep the press at bay. What’s the story behind her disappearance? Will Garth and the Mallorys locate her in time or will they get swept into the vortex of deceit that surrounds the missing heiress? |
Wait for it! Book 10: The Royal Heir Affair is coming Fall/Winter of 2022