Animal Mysteries

A pig that does math tricks. A parrot that seems to know what she's saying. A flying pig...um, pug. These animals know what it means to be in the spotlight. Meet Mudslinger the superstar pig, Einstein the parrot genius, and Otis the skydiving dog. Hear the stories of these three amazing animal superstars in Parrot Genius.

When friends Louise and Irina find a dead body in the local park whilst walking their dogs, they are soon drawn into the mystery of who murdered local entrepreneur Phil Creasey. Phil used to be a member of their dog walking community – nicknamed The Pack – until the death of his cockapoo, and The Pack feel they owe it to Phil to investigate his death. With Louise and Irina leading the charge, they soon come up against local drug dealers, stolen cars and a disturbing incident of poisoned dog biscuits.

Chet and Bernie are contacted by a terribly scared young woman who seems to want their help. Before she can even tell them her name, she flees in panic. But in that brief meeting Chet sniffs out an important secret about her, a secret at the heart of the mystery he and Bernie set out to solve. It's a case with no client and no crime and yet great danger, with the duo facing a powerful politician who has a lot to lose.

When millionaire magnate, Rex Hunter is found with his head bashed in on the eighth hole of his prestigious golf and country club in beautiful Chianti, it’s a clear case of murder. Hunter was rich and successful and the envy of many, so retired DCI Dan Armstrong thinks the case will be a hole in one to solve.But as Dan and his trusty sidekick Oscar begin to dig deeper into Hunter’s lifestyle, they discover a man despised by many. A renowned womaniser, ruthless boss and heartless family man, it seems no one is particularly sorry to see Hunter dead.

Theo Jennings is a young auctioneer at the Thoroughbred sales ring in Newmarket. The October yearling sales are where the big money exchanges hands in frenzied auctions. It's the greatest gamble in all of horseracing, and one that can end in ruin. Theo has just made the biggest sale of his life when he overhears a secret conversation between the two bidders – can they really have colluded to fix the price of his big sale? When that same horse is found dead the next morning, he has no choice but to investigate.

Beneath heaven is hell. Beneath hell is Furnace. Furnace Penitentiary. The world's most secure prison for young offenders, buried a mile beneath the earth's surface. One way in, no way out. Once you're here, you're here until you die, and for most of the inmates that doesn't take long - not with the sadistic guards and the bloodthirsty gangs. Convicted of a murder he didn't commit, sentenced to life without parole, 'new fish' Alex Sawyer knows he has two choices: find a way out, or resign himself to a death behind bars.

A grieving young widow, Charlene needed a new start - so she bought a historic mansion, sight unseen, and drove from Chicago to New England to start turning it into a bed-and-breakfast. On her first night in the house, she awakens to find a handsome man with startling blue eyes in her bedroom. Terror turns to utter disbelief when he politely introduces himself as Jack Strathmore - and explains that he used to live here - when he was alive. He firmly believes that someone pushed him down the stairs three years ago, and he won't be able to leave until someone figures out who.

When crime novelist Phoebe opens the post and receives an invitation to her own funeral, she’s horrified. Not least because the date of her death is marked as tomorrow. Deciding it’s nothing more than a prank from an enemy from her past, she determines to put it to the back of her mind. But the next morning, when her completely infuriating postman (who likes to think himself her no.1 literary critic) rings her doorbell, a parcel of poisoned pen-nibs explodes in his face. Forced to confront the fact her correspondence is more RIP than RSVP, Phoebe realises someone must want her dead.

My troublemaker cousin was trapped in Transratania! And before I could even squeak, my sister, Thea, dragged me along on her rescue mission. Little did we know that Transratania is the land of vampire bats! Holey cheese, bats give me goose bumps!

When a young environmentalist is found dead at Oceanview Cove's harbor, the police are quick to write it off as a tragic accident. But Jim Butterfield and his feline partner Ginger aren't convinced–the evidence just doesn't add up. As they dig deeper, they discover the victim had made enemies among the local fishing community, and a mysterious woman was seen near the crime scene that fateful night. With Sheriff Miller determined to close the case quickly, Jim and Ginger must work fast and follow their instincts to find the truth.

When a fellow partygoer is poisoned while bobbing for apples, Francie needs to get justice for her friend. But just days after the crime, she gets devastating news: the Jibbleson sisters’ fingerprints were found on the murder weapon. Even though most (okay, all) of their inventions explode, Francie knows they’d never commit murder. She promises to get them out of their jail cell and back to their workshop faster than you can sing the Monster Mash.

While Hannah speeds through a lengthy holiday checklist, drama in town grows like Santa’s waistline on Christmas Eve. Her sister, Andrea, wants to stave off the blues by helping out at The Cookie Jar, Michele’s love life is becoming complicated, Lisa needs Hannah’s advice, and Delores has a Christmas secret she’s not willing to share. But nothing dampens the holiday mood more than the chilling mystery surrounding the man found near death in an abandoned storefront two doors down from Hannah’s bakery. The befuddled John Doe can’t recall a thing about himself.

Sophie Winston is busy handling the first ever convention of the Association of Ghost Kitchens—restaurants that do delivery only—but she's taking a little time out for a lunch meeting organized by A Healthy Meal. The group is dedicated to providing meals for children in need, and as a bonus, it'll give Sophie the perfect opportunity to ogle the lavish Old Town home of socialite Geraldine Stansfield. Gerrie's dining room is impeccably furnished, the table laden with gleaming crystal and prized china. If it weren't for the dead man lying on the floor, everything would be perfect.

Tearoom sleuth Gemma Rose is looking forward to a holiday filled with delicious Yuletide treats, time with friends and family, and maybe even a "white Christmas" in Oxford. But when she's snowed in at a country manor, she finds herself stumbling on a puzzling murder, complete with a body in the library, a house full of suspects, and a trail of mysterious footprints!

Qui a dit que la Tamise, qui traverse la petite ville de Marlow à l'est de Londres, était un long fleuve tranquille ? Certainement pas ses habitants. Quand La Marlow Belle, un bateau de plaisance loué par le club de théâtre local rentre au port avec un convive de moins, la ville est en émoi. Le corps du disparu – l'irascible Oliver Beresford, fondateur du club – est bientôt retrouvé sans vie sur le rivage. God save Marlow ? Inutile : Judith, l'intrépide octogénaire, et ses amies n'en sont pas à leur premier meurtre. Enfin, résolution de meurtre !

Holly Miller is on her way home to Wagtail, Virginia when she spots something in the grass not far from her car. It turns out to be an adorable black Labrador in a cage with a note attached to his collar. My name is Squishy. I am a very good boy. Please take good care of me. Holly takes Squishy home to the Sugar Maple Inn, which she owns with her grandmother, who also happens to be the mayor of Wagtail. They decide to foster Squishy at the Inn.

Tricked-up pickup! Hank the Cowdog is about to go on the ride of his life! When the old pickup truck breaks down, Slim ends up with a brand-new model on loan while the old one gets fixed. But Hank is used to the simple life on the ranch and doesn't know what to do when faced with power windows and door locks.

Based on the hit feature in National Geographic Kids magazine, Amazing Animals, we bring you three heartwarming tales of animals with incredible talents, including the stories of Norman the bike-riding dog and Eddie the otter who shoots hoops! These action-packed stories will leave listeners thirsty for more.

Delaney Nichols, originally of Kansas but settling happily into her new life as a bookseller in Edinburgh, works at The Cracked Spine in the heart of town. She's recently befriended a few medical school students after they came into the shop to sell some antique medical tomes. But when one of the students' friends is found murdered outside in the alley, Delaney takes it upon herself to help bring the murderer to justice.

Four strangers and six weeks: this is all that separates Mara from one life-changing payday. She was surprised when reality TV producers came knocking at Primal Instinct—the survival school where she teaches rich clients not to die during a night outdoors—and even more shocked to be cast in their new show, Civilization. Now she just has to live off the land with her fellow survivors for long enough to get the prize money.