Books to the Ceiling
Welcome to Books to the Ceiling! Enjoy the narration of audiobooks? This podcast includes a narrated excerpt of a new book (mostly mysteries) each week and is the author podcast of Teresa Trent. The podcast is generated from Teresa's blog at https://teresatrent.blog. #audiobooks #mysteries #fiction
Episodes
Oct 2, 2026
Oct 2, 2026
20 min
Today we're headed to the lovely Race Point Inn in Provincetown where a television crew is filming a program. Pretty glamorous until there is a murder to solve.
SYDNEY RILEY PROVINCETOWN MYSTERY SERIES
When a Boston TV crew comes to Provincetown to shoot a segment at the Race Point Inn, owner Sydney Riley takes it in stride… until one of the producers mysteriously disappears. The missing producer soon winds up murdered, miles away, the corpse gruesomely displayed in a Wampanoag graveyard. Worse, a bizarre note on the body implies Sydney is responsible!
Meanwhile, a beautiful young Wampanoag woman has also gone missing. Ali, Sydney’s husband and a DHS counter-trafficking agent, is assigned to look into her disappearance. And Sydney needs to investigate who killed the TV producer and left that horrifying note. Are the two cases connected? Has Sydney’s past come back to haunt her—and threaten the people she loves?
Book Links: Amazon | Kindle | Barnes & Noble | BookShop.org | Goodreads
Music Credits
Whereaboutshttps://uppbeat.io/music/tracks/greenhouse/whereabouts
License code: ISTYB3GCWVYGMNLF
Rising Sunhttps://uppbeat.io/music/tracks/greenhouse/rising-sun
License code: 5TIED3YWCT122E3T
Sep 18, 2026
Sep 18, 2026
17 min
THE INDIE RETIREMENT MYSTERY SERIES
Murder, mines, and missing millions—retirement just got interesting.
When a shady real estate developer is found murdered beneath Harriet Keaton’s family home—shot, stabbed, and surrounded by rare 1830s gold coins—her estranged twin brother Joey is the prime suspect. He insists he’s innocent...but won’t name the real culprit.
With Joey refusing to talk and millions missing from the retirement accounts, the future of the Independence Retirement Community is suddenly on the line. Now, whip-smart Harriet and her sleuthing partners—Craig Travail (savvy lawyer, reluctant romantic) and Yeager Alexander (conspiracy theorist, resident rabble-rouser)—must dig into the past to solve the crime.
Their best lead? A decades-old memoir from Harriet’s treasure-obsessed father and whispers of a long-lost gold hoard.
But treasure has a way of attracting trouble. As fortunes vanish and suspects multiply, the trio must untangle two decades of betrayal—before the killer strikes again.
Murder, mayhem, and the Carolina gold rush: welcome back to the Indie, where retirement is anything but quiet.
Book Links: Amazon | KindleUnlimited | Barnes & Noble | BookShop.org | Goodreads | BookBub
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Music Credits:
First Lighthttps://uppbeat.io/music/tracks/dan-snyder/first-light
License code: UVFQAIRFKZ6CGMN9
Silent Killerhttps://uppbeat.io/music/tracks/albert-behar/silent-killer
License code: MG9NUWNLOEXBOQTL
Sep 4, 2026
Sep 4, 2026
33 min
A forbidden secret...The Church’s fate in the balance…Will a pair of amateur sleuths expose a truth that could upend the Christian world?
Jesus’ resurrection is a cornerstone of Christian faith. But when a clue surfaces that hints at an alternate account, the ramifications stand to change Christianity forever.
Jesuit priest Michael Dominic’s assignment to the Vatican’s legendary Secret Archives results in his discovery of a hidden papyrus: the unpublished writings of Mary Magdalene — a lost record buried in Rome’s deepest recesses. The forgotten relic’s heretical revelation threatens the Vatican’s very legitimacy, and pits Michael against ruthless and powerful enemies.
Desperate, he reaches out to Hana Sinclair, an investigative reporter with a record of tackling contentious subjects. Together they defy the Church elite, and embark on a search through the shadows of history to unearth the truth. As the pressure builds to silence the pair, will the Vatican resort to the unthinkable in order to safeguard its wealth and power?
Based on historical facts, this international thriller takes readers on a white-knuckle race through the holy sites of Europe. Get your copy of this award-winning tale and discover why Gary McAvoy’s devoted fans say, “I didn’t want this book to end!”
Amazon
Kindle Unlimited
BN
BookShop.org
Goodreads -
BookBub
Music Credits:
The Gate of Hellhttps://uppbeat.io/t/giulio-fazio/the-gate-of-hellLicense code: MSMXK1PU7DPRRBM3World of Mergehttps://uppbeat.io/t/bosnow/world-of-mergeLicense code: 5SC03T0XGSSX7SC1Poppy Fieldhttps://uppbeat.io/t/avbe/poppy-fieldLicense code: ZEKGBHGBXVYWH2JFDerivativehttps://uppbeat.io/t/adrian-ehrlich/derivativeLicense code: IHO4PVNAAIETIRG1
Aug 21, 2026
Aug 21, 2026
14 min
A Sheriff Bet Rivers Mystery
A female sheriff races against time to solve a murder at a carnival that puts her whole town at risk. Thrilling, romantic, and full of suspense!
Sheriff Bet Rivers' inspection of the carnival grounds should have been routine. Murder is certainly the last thing on anyone's mind. Then comes the sound of a gunshot. And a dead body with no signs of trauma, no witnesses and no obvious motive for the killing.
But solving the unexplained death is only part of the challenge. Bet is still grappling with her on-off relationship with town owner Rob Collier, while dealing with her feelings about her late father, the beloved town sheriff she had to replace.
As Bet launches her homicide investigation, she soon discovers the carnival is a place of whispers, rumours, resentments and lie after lie. And as the stakes build, it quickly becomes clear that protecting a deadly secret is something that someone is willing to kill to keep.
Fans of Julia Keller and Sheena Kamal will love this riveting suspense.
Book Links:
Kindle | Barnes & Noble | BookShop.org | Goodreads | BookBub | Severn House
Music Credits:Replicahttps://uppbeat.io/t/all-ambient/replicasLicense code: 1WO5E2LQZCZKZUUW
The Final Girlhttps://uppbeat.io/t/weary-pines/the-final-girlLicense code: FRFHBJTJU0EX99S5
Aug 7, 2026
Aug 7, 2026
12 min
A CARIBBEAN ISLAND MYSTERY
This week we're cooking up a mystery with The Bush Tea Murder. Naomi Sinclair finds herself in a pressure-filled meeting where she has to prove her investigative journalism will solve the murder of Ursula Merchant.
Culinary journalist Naomi Sinclair is cooking up a maelstrom of trouble upon her return to the blue waters of her native Saint Thomas.
Food journalist Naomi Sinclair doesn’t expect a side of murder with her passion fruit juice. But when her return to Saint Thomas heralds a series of troubling cases, ranging from petty theft to cold-blooded murder, that threaten her tight-knit community, that is exactly the kind of unsavory treat she must sink her teeth into.
Luckily for her neighbors, Naomi is as adept at solving puzzles as rolling johnnycake dough—a good thing, since her island community, though small, keeps serving up plenty of trouble. With the help of her friends and her crush, Mateo, Naomi must navigate the tumultuous turquoise waters of life in the Caribbean, all as her beloved father battles an illness that keeps tugging her back to her island amid her rising career stateside.
Rich with mouthwatering recipes, lush landscapes, and a hefty dose of fun under the sun, The Bush Tea Murder has all the ingredients to make up the perfect beach read.
Music Credits
Mysterieshttps://uppbeat.io/t/all-ambient/mysteriesLicense code: TG9FGM5I526Y0OS3Bassa Island Game Loophttps://uppbeat.io/t/kevin-macleod/bassa-island-game-loopLicense code: OUQXWIRRNQKIGLFS
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Book Links: Amazon | Kindle | Barnes & Noble | BookShop.org | Goodreads | BookBub | Penguin Random House
Jul 24, 2026
Jul 24, 2026
14 min
This week we're back in Berry Springs with our favorite bar owner, Sally Witherspoon. We are guests at the town's Thanksgiving Dinner Celebration, and Sally is working the bar. Have another piece of pumpkin pie, but be careful, some of the guests are not surviving the yearly feast in the gritty cozy mystery, Death for Sale.
A Sally Witherspoon Mystery
It’s holiday time in Berry Springs, where many come together to enjoy good food, drink, and the company of friends. Unfortunately, death is among the mix as people get mysteriously ill at the town’s Thanksgiving dinner. Deaths follow, and Sally must race to discover the truth before more people die off.
Coupled with worry for her aging parents, she is overwhelmed with the pressure and emotions, but she’ll push through to solve the crimes and restore peace to the town.
Book Links: Amazon | Kindle | Barnes & Noble | BookShop.org | Goodreads
Music Credits
Happiness
https://uppbeat.io/t/brock-hewitt-stories-in-sound/happinessLicense code: V9TWYCE9B7B0IQAJ
Jul 10, 2026
Jul 10, 2026
23 min
This week we're headed to Italy to a world of priests, Vivaldi, priceless art, cryptic messages and danger. Find out more in The Vivaldi Caper by Gary McAvoy.
VATICAN SECRET ARCHIVE THRILLER SERIES
During the election of a new Pope in the mid-18th century, famed violinist Antonio Vivaldi learns of a ring of art forgers who are replacing the Vatican’s priceless treasures with expertly-painted fakes. Desperate, the composer hides a message in a special melody, hoping someone, someday, will take down the culprits . . .
Nearly three hundred years later, the confession of a dying Mafia Don alerts a Venetian priest to a wealth of forged paintings in the Vatican Museum, and the key to their identities lies hidden in a puzzling piece of music. Father Michael Dominic, prefect of the Secret Archives, investigates, and is mystified when he finds a cipher in an old composition from Vivaldi. Desperate to stop this centuries-long conspiracy, he calls on fellow sleuth Hana Sinclair and Dr. Livia Gallo, a music cryptologist, to help him crack the code and learn the truth.
But the Camorra, a centuries-old Italian Mafia clan, won’t stand by while some interfering priest ruins their most lucrative operation. Along with a French commando and two valiant Swiss Guards, Dominic explores the dark canals and grand palazzos of Venice to uncover the evidence he needs to stop the sinister plot. Can he unearth it in time, or will the Church’s most valuable artworks fall prey to this massive conspiracy?
Series: Vatican Secret Archive Thrillers, Book 1 | Learn More: Amazon | Goodreads Book Links: Amazon | Kindle | Barnes & Noble | BookShop.org | Goodreads | BookBub | Audible
Music Credits
L'attente'
https://uppbeat.io/t/domique-charpentier/lattente
License code: CR3FMAUFGHVYCJJT
A Willow's Story
https://uppbeat.io/t/sonder-house/a-willows-story-soetkin-milbouw
License code: VLP3D3ELLMQHT0YI
Jun 26, 2026
Jun 26, 2026
11 min
This week we ponder on the idea that maybe a person's backstory could be all wrong. Maybe a rescue was really a crime? Who knows? But lets find out in Have You Seen Him by Kimberly Lee.
Synopsis
What if everything you believed about yourself was totally wrong?
For David Byrdsong, life is a series of daily obligations. An attorney, he lacks both ambition and the ability to commit to a long-term relationship with his girlfriend, Gayle. Abandoned by his family at an airport when he was eleven, he learned to blunt his feelings, despite his subsequent adoption by a loving couple.
Until one day, when David discovers his own face in a missing child ad. Suddenly driven to uncover the truth about his past, he is forced to tap into his inner strength as he encounters corporate conspiracies, murdered bystanders, and distressing suspicions about the only family he’s ever really trusted. David enlists Gayle’s help—and the help of an unlikely stranger with secrets of his own—as he attempts to find his true family, whoever they are.
Have You Seen Him is a story of lost identity, dangerous secrets, and a deeply personal pursuit of the truth.
Book Links: Amazon | Kindle | Barnes & Noble | BookShop.org | Goodreads | BookBub | Powells
Jun 12, 2026
Jun 12, 2026
15 min
This week we are traveling back in time to the 1880's to Brooklyn Heights. Leona and her husband Gil are trying to create income after being stolen from, but what adventures await on their journey. Find out in The Last Fatal Hour.
Synopsis:
For Leona Gladney, former woman soldier of the Union Army, life goes on despite the echoes of the battlefield in her heart. Now a suffragist and budding socialite in Brooklyn Heights, she yearns for a literary life and family. But her husband’s business partner embezzles their money and disappears. The society matrons of Brooklyn Heights turn a gimlet eye on Leona after the suspicious death of a wealthy friend. Leona will do anything to find justice for her friend and clear her own name, but she finds only secrets, seances and murder.
Book Links: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | BookShop.org | Goodreads
Music Credits:
Libertas
https://upbeat.io/t/christopher-galavan/libertas
License Code: 50GSWJFLN6XKTX5H
Point Blank
https://upbeat.io/t/arend/point-blank
License Code: IXCYTMWFBPKBSYT2
Hindsight
https://upbeat.io/t/christopher-galavan/hindsight
License Code: YQPNJACTYOIYSV8G
Visit Teresa's blog at https://teresatrent.blog
May 22, 2026
May 22, 2026
20 min
A Babs Norman Hollywood Mystery
Against the backdrop of WWII, no one expected to find a murdered stagehand on a Warner Brothers sound stage. With so much at stake, Jack L. Warner hires Babs Norman and Guy Brandt, the two young private eyes who recently resolved his high-profile Maltese Falcon/Blackbird Killer Case. Social justice crusader Leon Lewis suspects local Nazi sympathizers are responsible. Lewis assigns a German stuntman, a veteran of the decadent subculture of Weimar Berlin nightlife and one of his newest operatives, to join forces with the private detectives.
According to Warner, the show must go on, but everything from bomb scares to the Japanese internment, to unruly parrots, forbidden love, and family crises conspires against solving the crime. “As Time Goes By,” actors Humphrey Bogart, Ingrid Bergman, and the rest of the Casablanca ensemble join the professional private eyes to round up the unusual suspects and capture the killer.
Love 1940s classic movies? Treat yourself to the award-winning Hounds of the Hollywood Baskervilles (Book 1) and Bye, Bye Blackbird (Book 2) of Elizabeth Crowens’ Babs Norman’s Golden Age of Hollywood mystery series by Level Best Books.
Book Links: Amazon | Kindle | Barnes & Noble | BookShop.org | Goodreads | BookBub
Music Credits
Happy Swingy Chef
https://uppbeat.io/t/giulio-fazio/happy-swingy-chef
License code: 0GXPZEL35M7PEV3L
The Usual Suspects
https://uppbeat.io/t/theo-gerard/the-usual-suspects
License code: JCGDDNZJ1LK1BCFZ
Anxiety
https://uppbeat.io/t/dada/anxiety
License code: QMYKEEZCD1EGSIYM
Books to the Ceiling is a part of Teresa Trent's Author Blog at https://teresatrent.blog






