What happens when a U.S. Army Signal Corps operator returns from serving in France during the Great War? She not only finds her hometown and family resort struggling, she comes across the dead body of a neighbor. Since the murder is the most serious in a string of crimes plaguing the area, she is eager to solve the crime. Convincing Constable Jackson Hastings to let her help proves to be difficult. Jax—her childhood buddy, her girlhood crush, and her brother’s best friend—harbors conflicting feelings about Bella's participation. With his own job on the line, he finds himself relying on her in more than one way.

College librarian Doro Banyon discovers the body of her nemesis, Professor Hemet Corlon, near the card catalogues when she arrives for work. Evidence points to under a terrible accident, but the new school security officer disagrees. Because Doro and Corlon have been at odds over the status of women at the formerly all-male school, she falls under suspicion—and she isn’t alone. Most professors and students supported women’s suffrage and welcomed coeducation, so they stand steadfast against the old-fashioned ideas of Corlon and his handful of powerful cronies. More than one person wanted to see an end to the professor and his ilk. But who made his departure permanent? In seeking answers, Doro joins forces with her best friend to solve the mystery of the catalogued corpse. Go back in time to 1920s small town Ohio and join amateur sleuth Doro Banyon, along with her team of intriguing individuals, to crack cases and bring justice.

Can Christmas dreams come true? Arabella Stewart thinks so until her sweetheart, Jax Hastings, is blackmailed and framed for murder. Then, Bella must overcome old doubts and powerful evidence to keep him out of the electric chair. As the holiday approaches, Bella feels more festive than she has since before the Great War. Not only is her family resort flourishing, she and Constable Jax Hastings are finally courting. The future looks bright until Celeste Bouchard, a former French nurse, comes to town claiming to be Jax’s wife. Armed with a fake marriage license and a photograph of their supposed child, she confronts him. When Celeste is murdered, Jax is arrested. But Bella, despite some qualms, is determined to prove his innocence and refute a treacherous accusation.

Even before its immense population surge, Arlington never dreamed small. In the 1930s, Arlington Downs attracted thousands to its state-of-the-art horse racing facility. Just three decades later, Six Flags Over Texas opened, cementing a reputation as an entertainment destination. The hubbub of the stadiums and shopping complexes that followed often obscured other parts of the community's rich heritage, including far-reaching contributions to the disability rights movement. The city suffered growing pains as well, such as the demise of college football and the deadly 1892 train depot shootout that ended the town's lawless period. Join Evelyn Barker, along with Davis McCown, Leslie Wagner and Trevor Engel, for the forgotten details of Arlington's dynamic past.

Who can forget Dorothy's quest for the great and powerful Oz as she tried to return to her beloved Kansas? She thought she needed a wizard's magic, only to discover that home—and the power to get there—had been with her all along. This engaging and provocative book proposes that Hollywood has created an imaginary cinematic geography filled with people and places we recognize and to which we are irresistibly drawn. Each viewing of a film stirs, in a very real and charismatic way, feelings of home, and the comfort of returning to films like familiar haunts is at the core of our nostalgic desire. Leading us on a journey through American film, Elisabeth Bronfen examines the different ways home is constructed in the development of cinematic narrative. Each chapter includes a close reading of such classic films as Fleming's The Wizard of Oz, Sirk's Imitation of Life, Burton's Batman Returns, Hitchcock's Rebecca, Ford's The Searchers, and Sayles's Lone Star.

A Precarious Homecoming (Book 1) What happens when an Army Corps Signal Corps operator returns home from the Great War determined to save her family resort and get her life back to normal? She finds the body of a neighbor and becomes involved in the murder investigation, much to the dismay of the town constable, her childhood friend and girlhood crush. But Jax Hasting’s job is on the line, so he needs all the help he can get. As Bella and Jax probe the case, they navigate a precarious homecoming. A Lingering Shadow (Book 2) After several months at home, Arabella Stewart remains set on saving her family’s resort. The first day of summer season day begins with excitement and hope but ends with a murdered guest. Bella soon finds herself immersed in the case. But lingering shadows fall on her, on Constable Jax Hastings, on the victim, and on the suspects. A Lethal Arrogance (Book 3) Arabella Stewart’s goal, saving her family’s resort, seems within reach as the summer season progresses. Problems arise when a guest—an arrogant cad—clashes with several people before turning up dead. Bella once again helps Constable Jax Hastings investigate. As they pursue answers, Bella and Jax find several suspects who wanted to make the victim suffer for his lethal arrogance, but they also find themselves still at odds over the past. A Baffling Absence (Book 4) What happens when a teacher from a nearby girls’ boarding school does not return from vacation? Arabella Stewart is asked to substitute, but she finds the position involves more than lesson planning. Her sleuthing skills are also needed, so Bella and her friend Ida Byington, a faculty member, start investigating. Soon, Constable Jax Hastings is also on the case, and the trio work against time to solve more than one baffling absence.

Travel back to small-town America during the Roaring Twenties and join Doro Banyon, college librarian and amateur sleuth, as she sets her sights on solving another murder and saving her hometown’s Christmas celebration. As the fall semester ends, Doro’s hands are full as a professor, librarian, and volunteer. She looks forward to planning and celebrating her hometown’s annual Christmas festivities, but her enthusiasm is tested when the chairwoman’s dictatorial ways create dissension among the committee members. Dissension soon turns to malice, and threats fly among the matron and several others. When she is found dead, unsettling questions arise—and so do longstanding grudges. Who caused the woman’s fatal fall from a ladder? After the chairwoman’s handyman disappears, anxiety escalates among townsfolk. Doro and her best friend, Aggie, along with two local lawmen, investigate. Can they catch the killer in time to save the holiday celebration? Or will others fall victim to the perpetrator?