Nicoli Hunter Mysteries
About The Series: Nicoli “Nikki” Hunter is a private investigator who lives aboard her forty-six foot motorsailer in Redwood City, California, and rents a ground floor corner office in the marina where her boat is docked. In book 1 of the series, Murder On The Menu, Nicoli is 35 years old, and has been a licensed PI for two years. She’s five-foot-seven, and a hundred and thirty-three pounds, with long, curly, chestnut brown hair, dark blue eyes, and a curvy figure.
Nicoli suffers from a compulsion to see that justice is done and a need to protect the innocent, but being the independent type, she chose not to go into law enforcement.
Her father was born a Cossack, and her mother is a former nun. Not the easiest combination of parents to grow up with.
Nicoli specializes in covert restaurant and bar “mystery shopping,” however, when someone who needs to be rescued knocks on her door, she is hard-pressed to turn them away, and frequently becomes embroiled in other people’s drama, and murder …
Private Investigator Nicoli “Nikki” Hunter has lost enthusiasm for the bar and restaurant mystery shopping that pays the bills but no longer challenges her. When the brutal murder of socialite, (and stripper), Laura Howard lands on her desk, she finally encounters a case worthy of her talent.
Murder on the Menu is the first in a series of mysteries featuring Nikki Hunter. The only child of a Cossack and a former nun, Hunter is a smart, tenacious thirty-five-year-old, who lives aboard a sailboat in the San Francisco Bay Area. (read more)
Private Investigator Nicoli “Nikki” Hunter, has recovered from a near fatal encounter with a multiple murderer and is happy to get back to her regular bar and restaurant “mystery shopping” jobs. Unfortunately, the universe has other plans.
One evening, (as she’s acting as a decoy/victim to attract a bartender bent on sexual harassment), Jack “The Cat” McGuire pulls up an adjacent bar stool and tells her a story that will alter the course of her life. (read more)
After surviving two recent attempts on her life, Nikki decides to do something normal for a change and attend her high school reunion, where she becomes reacquainted with an old flame. Paul Marks, now an air traffic control supervisor, agrees to have lunch with her the next day. Over lunch Nikki becomes convinced that something is terribly wrong and, after a little persuading, Paul confides that three controllers reporting to him have died in the last two months, under suspicious circumstances. (read more)
In Murder Served Hot Nikki is hired by Brooke Evans, a woman who is considering a marriage proposal from her CPA, Stanley Godard, but is concerned about his recent behavior. While Nikki is watching Godard’s office the situation quickly evolves from a routine case involving background checks and surveillance, into a murder investigation. (read more)
In Murder A La Carte, an abused nine-year-old boy comes to Nikki’s office, and asks her to find out who killed his mom. Meanwhile, Nikki’s significant other, Detective Bill Anderson, is investigating the homicide of a registered sex offender. It doesn’t take long for Nikki to identify how these cases, and several other local murders, intersect. She’s in for a wild ride chasing down a vigilante with a mission to kill as many sexual predators as possible. (read more)
In A Side Order Of Murder Nikki is hired by a wealthy, if socially stunted, young man named Clifford Montgomery, who is convinced that someone is trying to drive him insane. Because he was referred by Nikki’s friend, Jack “The Cat” McGuire, she agrees to look into Cliff’s case. Nikki quickly discovers that his assumptions are correct. Someone is, indeed, tampering with his sanity. (read more)
Private Investigator Nicoli “Nikki” Hunter has just returned from a trip to Washington D.C., where she survived an attack of the deadly variety and, once again, saved the life of a client. Now, all she wants is for her life to return to normal. She’s determined to focus on her regular customers and is enjoying the familiar routine of restaurant and bar mystery shopping when Abetha Mimbo shows up at her office and insists that someone is planning to kill her son. (read more)
PI Nicoli Hunter is blindsided when someone close to her is murdered and dumped in an alley. Detective Bill Anderson catches the homicide and, knowing Nikki, doesn’t even attempt to discourage her from conducting her own investigation, which, in this case, takes a village. Nikki enlists the aid of her friends and the marina community to unravel the complicated web of events that led to murder, served cold. (read more)
In Murder Al Dente, PI Nicoli “Nikki” Hunter once again gets herself in hot water when she’s hired by a multimillionaire boat owner, (and sex toy manufacturer,) to find out who’s trying to kill him. Nikki has barely begun her investigation when he’s found dead aboard his mega yacht. The cause of death appears to be suicide, but Nikki knows better and believes it’s up to her to bring his killer to justice.
As she’s delving into her deceased client’s background, a woman calls asking for help. Her four-year-old daughter has been abducted and the police have no leads. Realizing that time may be running out for the little girl, Nikki agrees to take her case as well and embarks on what turns out to be a truly labyrinthine journey to save a child’s life.
Murder Al Dente is the 9th novel in award winning author, Nancy Skopin’s, Nikki Hunter mystery series.