Quest Investigations Series by E.J. Russell

Something’s definitely fishy about this case…. On my last stakeout for Quest Investigations, I nearly got clotheslined by a grove of angry dryads. I expected my bosses to reprimand me, but instead they handed me my first solo assignment. Me! Matt Steinitz, the only human on the Quest roster! Okay, so the mission isn’t exactly demanding. Obviously, the bosses wanted to give me something they think I can’t screw up... moreSomething’s definitely fishy about this case…. On my last stakeout for Quest Investigations, I nearly got clotheslined by a grove of angry dryads. I expected my bosses to reprimand me, but instead they handed me my first solo assignment. Me! Matt Steinitz, the only human on the Quest roster! Okay, so the mission isn’t exactly demanding. Obviously, the bosses wanted to give me something they think I can’t screw up. I’m determined to show them what I can do, however, so I dive right in with no complaints. At first glance, it looks as simple as baiting a hook: A selkie’s almost-ex-husband is vandalizing his boat with unwanted deliveries of deceased sea life. All I have to do is document the scene, tell the ex to cease and desist, and present the bill for property damages. Boom. Mission accomplished, another Quest success, and as a bonus, I get to keep my job. But then things get…complicated. Suspicious undercurrents muddy up my oh-so-easy case. Nothing is as clear as it should be. And the biggest complication? My inappropriate attraction to the client, who may not be as blameless as he claims. Turns out those dead herrings aren’t the only things that stink about this situation. Dammit. Five Dead Herrings is the first in the Quest Investigations M/M paranormal mystery series, a spinoff of E. J. Russell’s Mythmatched paranormal rom-com story world. It contains no on-page sex or violence, and although there is a romantic subplot, it is not a romance. less

This case is really going to the dogs…. After I try a little off-the-books interrogation to locate my selkie almost-boyfriend’s nearly-ex-husband (don’t ask, it’s complicated), I’m in the doghouse again with my bosses, who bust me back to surveillance. Ugh... moreThis case is really going to the dogs…. After I try a little off-the-books interrogation to locate my selkie almost-boyfriend’s nearly-ex-husband (don’t ask, it’s complicated), I’m in the doghouse again with my bosses, who bust me back to surveillance. Ugh. So when another human inexplicably storms into Quest Investigations—something our security spells ought to prevent since I’m supposed to be the only human admitted to our offices—I’m reduced to staking out local fast food restaurants to check out the guy’s alleged sighting of a giant, glowing-eyed, dumpster-diving spectral hound. Ridiculous, right? Humiliating, too, not to mention boring. But at least they didn’t fire me. Imagine my surprise when there actually is a giant, glowing-eyed, dumpster-diving spectral hound—one of the Cwn Annwn, Herne the Hunter’s traitor-tracking dog pack, to be exact. Jeez, who let this dog out? It’s my case, though, so it’s up to me—Matt Steinitz, aka Hugh Mann—to return him to Faerie. But while Herne’s normally hopping kennels are inexplicably unpopulated by pups, they’re playing host to one extremely dead body. Uh oh. Looks like someone’s bite was a lot worse than their bark. Guess my love life will have to take a back seat again while we nose out the truth. Dammit. The Hound of the Burgervilles is the second in the Quest Investigations M/M mystery series, a spinoff of E. J. Russell’s Mythmatched paranormal rom-com story world. It contains no on-page sex or violence, and although there is a romantic subplot, it is not a romance. The series is best read in order. less

This client is all wet. .. After receiving a hot tip on the whereabouts of my almost-boyfriend’s nearly-ex-husband (hey, I told you—it’s complicated! ), I thought my love life was finally coming up for air. But when we stake out the remote lake, it’s not the ex who surfaces. It’s the Faerie King’s long-missing mother (and I mean really long, as in double-digit centuries), and she wants to hire Quest Investigations... moreThis client is all wet. .. After receiving a hot tip on the whereabouts of my almost-boyfriend’s nearly-ex-husband (hey, I told you—it’s complicated! ), I thought my love life was finally coming up for air. But when we stake out the remote lake, it’s not the ex who surfaces. It’s the Faerie King’s long-missing mother (and I mean really long, as in double-digit centuries), and she wants to hire Quest Investigations. Since one of my bosses is the king’s brother, he has a tsunami of… feelings about her as a potential client, and refuses to take the case. Instead, he passes it to me. Yes! However… Should I be thrilled at the vote of confidence or suspicious that he’s tossing me in the deep end without a life preserver, the better to punish the woman who abandoned her kid all those years ago? You know what? It doesn’t matter. I may be Quest’s token human, but I’ve proven I can get the job done, so I dive right in. Then the lady explains what she wants me to find her missing child. Seriously? I expected more of a challenge. All I have to do is introduce her to the king and bingo, case closed. But when she says, "Not that one," this little family drama threatens to send ripples throughout the supernatural community—especially with my boss in over his head as the prime suspect in a fae kidnapping. As if things weren’t complicated enough… Remember that nearly-ex? When he shows up and muddies the waters, I’m faced with a I can solve this case or I can finally hook my almost-boyfriend. Dammit. The Lady Under the Lake is the third in the Quest Investigations M/M mystery series, a spinoff of E. J. Russell’s Mythmatched paranormal rom-com story world. It contains no on-page sex or violence, and although there is a romantic subplot, it is not a romance. The series is best read in order. less

DOA becomes BRB when this client goes MIA…. When I agreed to accompany my selkie boyfriend on a private boat trip, I didn’t realize the invitation included a swim. In the Pacific. In November. Naked. And I certainly didn’t expect to have our swim derailed the instant I got in the water—holy crap, that’s c-c-cold—by a literal boatload of selkie clan leaders. Climbing out of the water in front of them—did I mention naked? Yeah, way to make a brilliant first impression... moreDOA becomes BRB when this client goes MIA…. When I agreed to accompany my selkie boyfriend on a private boat trip, I didn’t realize the invitation included a swim. In the Pacific. In November. Naked. And I certainly didn’t expect to have our swim derailed the instant I got in the water—holy crap, that’s c-c-cold—by a literal boatload of selkie clan leaders. Climbing out of the water in front of them—did I mention naked? Yeah, way to make a brilliant first impression. Then things get worse: I get served. Not in the metaphorical sense, either. Nope, I’m being sued. By Death. Well, not Death precisely, but an Ankou—a Celtic psychopomp who escorts the departed to their final destinations. This guy is miffed that his workload has increased exponentially, which he blames on my actions in Sheol on an earlier case. I’m not about to take the heat when eons of shady demon shenanigans finally come home to roost, but here at Quest Investigations, we aid any and all supernatural folk in need—especially if they’ll drop their specious lawsuits against the agency’s lone human. When the Ankou skips out on us, though, all hell breaks loose. Because without anyone to lead them on, the dearly departed become nearly departed and stick around to party hearty. Now it’s not just the selkie leaders complicating my love life—it’s the ex-living as well. And when one of the ex-living decides not to remain ex? Things get really complicated, not to mention deadly. Dammit. Death on Denial is the fourth in the Quest Investigations M/M mystery series, a spinoff of E. J. Russell’s Mythmatched paranormal rom-com story world. It contains no on-page sex or violence, and although there is a romantic subplot, it is not a romance. The series is best read in order. less

It’s our first holiday together, and I’m determined to make it special for Lachlan. Only problem? I know zip about how selkies celebrate, so I don’t even know which winter holiday to pick. With Lachlan out on a fishing charter, I try to tease some suggestions from my friends, but they’re surprisingly unhelpful. And when we get a tip about a Disappeared sighting, my opportunity for more research evaporates. I guess I’ll just have to improvise. Again. Dammit... moreIt’s our first holiday together, and I’m determined to make it special for Lachlan. Only problem? I know zip about how selkies celebrate, so I don’t even know which winter holiday to pick. With Lachlan out on a fishing charter, I try to tease some suggestions from my friends, but they’re surprisingly unhelpful. And when we get a tip about a Disappeared sighting, my opportunity for more research evaporates. I guess I’ll just have to improvise. Again. Dammit. A Very Quest Solstice is a 12K-word holiday coda which builds on characters and situations from the first four Quest Investigations books. It takes place the month following Death on Denial and is not intended to stand alone. less