Christmas is Bailey King’s favorite time of year. For her first Yuletide in Harvest, Ohio, the former big-city chocolatier is recreating a cherished holiday treat: peppermint combined with molten white chocolate. But her sugar high plummets when her former boyfriend walks into the candy shop she now runs with her Amish grandmother. New York celebrity chef Eric Sharp and his TV crew have arrived to film an authentic Amish Christmas. Bailey’s not about to let her beloved town—and Swissmen Sweets—be turned into a sound bite. Unfortunately, she gets more publicity than she bargained for when Eric’s executive producer is found strangled to death—and Eric’s the prime suspect.
With Bailey’s sheriff deputy boyfriend out to prove Eric’s guilt, her bad-boy ex tries to sweet-talk her into helping him clear his name . . . and rekindle their romance to boost ratings for his show. Now, between a surplus of suspects and a victim who wasn’t who she seemed, Bailey’s edging dangerously close to a killer who isn’t looking to bring joy to the world—or to Bailey—this deadly Noel . . . (Goodreads)
Review:
Bailey has her hands full preparing the candy shop for the Yuletide celebration in Harvest, Ohio. She hardly has time to spend with her boyfriend, Aiden, who is a sheriff deputy. So when her ex, Eric, shows up from New York to film a Christmas special, she is not very happy. And when the producer of the special is murdered, and her ex is the prime suspect, she is furious. But she knows that Eric would never kill anyone, so she agrees to figure out the killer.
The characters are well rounded and well developed. I enjoy spending time with Bailey, her grandmother and her friends. I was very happy that Bailey’s friend, Cass, was once again able to help with some sleuthing. I enjoy getting to read about their antics and conversations, they always make me laugh. And who does not love Jethro, Aiden’s mom’s pig, who goes everywhere with his mom.
The author is very talented in her descriptive writing and I felt like I was right there in Harvest, smelling the aromas in the candy shop and seeing all of the decorations around the square. The writing style flows smoothly and allowed me to have a very good understanding of the characters through their actions and words. The mystery was carried on well throughout the entire book and had enough twists and turns to keep me guessing.
I would highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a well written cozy mystery. The author brings the Amish culture to life and that is a plus in my book. In my opinion, this is a must read book and series.
I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book provided by the publisher, Kensington Books, and NetGalley, which I greatly appreciate.
I’m so excited to be a stop on the blog tour for author Lori Roberts Herbst and her new book Graven Images. It is the sixth book in her A Rock Creek Village Mystery.I read it and it was very good.
Graven Images: A Rock Creek Village Cozy Mystery (Callie Cassidy Mysteries) by Lori Roberts Herbst
I definitely recommend Graven Images! The well-written characters, captivating mystery, and picturesque setting make this a cozy mystery you won’t want to miss! ~Christy’s Cozy Corners
A photo assignment at the cemetery leads Callie Cassidy to a corpse—this one above ground. Now, her search for the killer unearths some long-buried secrets…
Callie’s mother Maggie, a notorious hobby jumper, has embarked on a new pursuit—grave rubbing. When she recruits her daughter to photograph her first endeavor at the local cemetery, Callie brings golden retriever Woody and tabby cat Carl along for the outing. It’s a breathtaking autumn morning in Rock Creek Village, Colorado. Golden aspen leaves rustle in the cool breeze, and the air is filled with the scent of pine. What could go wrong on a day like this?
Then, a ghostly woman emerges from the trees, bleeding from a head wound and claiming to have no memory of how she arrived, or even who she is. Maggie quickly identifies her as a woman who disappeared from the village forty years ago—without a trace.
If that’s not enough intrigue, Woody disobeys her and sprints deeper into the cemetery. When Callie catches up to him, he is sitting sentinel at the tombstone of a recently deceased villager. And behind the stone, a man lies on the ground—with a pickaxe jutting from his neck.
Callie recognizes him as the low-level mobster who has been dating her best friend Tonya’s mother—and they’d been having problems. Did Tonya’s mother kill the man? Could it have been the mysterious woman? Or maybe someone with ties to his crime family?
Callie can’t resist investigating—and this time, Detective Raul Sanchez welcomes her assistance. Because if they can’t solve the crime soon, the town may be facing grave consequences…
Silver Falchion and CIBA Murder & Mayhem award-winning author Lori Roberts Herbst writes the Callie Cassidy Mystery series. A former journalism teacher and counselor, Lori serves as Board Secretary for Sisters in Crime. She is a member of the SinC Colorado chapter, the SinC North Dallas chapter, and the Guppy chapter, where she moderates the Cozy Gup group. Lori spent most of her life in Dallas, TX, and now lives in Colorado Springs.
The characters are well rounded and well developed. Callie’s mom has a new hobby–grave rubbing. Callie and her mom are in the cemetery so that her mom can get started. But when Callie’s dog goes further in the cemetery, he discovers two things:a woman who disappeared forty years ago and a dead body. The dead body belongs to Tonya’s mother, it is her boyfriend. Callie has her hands full trying to solve both mysteries.
The author is very talented in her descriptive writing and these descriptions pulled me into the story from the very beginning. The writing style flows smoothly and it defines the characters very clearly by their actions and words. The mystery is well plotted and there are plenty of suspects to consider and clues to sift through.
I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a well crafted cozy mystery. I have read all of her books and they are all excellent.
I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book and provided my honest review.
Get ready to pitch your tents and light the campfire for a wildly entertaining mystery with “Bonfires, Backpacks, & Brawls,” the latest page-turner in the A Camper & Criminals Cozy Mystery Series. When the peaceful plunk of fishing lures at Happy Trails Campground is replaced by the startling bang of gunshots, Mae West and the Laundry Club ladies gear up for their most adventurous case yet in the heart of Daniel Boone National Forest.
Imagine stumbling upon a body in the woods—only it’s not hunting season, and this isn’t a deer we’re talking about. This twist sends Mae and her gang on a trek through a forest thick with secrets, where every turn in the trail could be the clue they need or a dead end. The victim, a real outdoorsman with a complex web of connections to the wilderness, has left behind a trail as puzzling as a switchback path.
“Bonfires, Backpacks, & Brawls” isn’t just any cozy caper; it’s a romp through the great outdoors, complete with twists, turns, and Tonya Kappes’ signature dose of humor. Prepare to be hooked from the first gunshot to the last guffaw as Mae digs into a case that proves even the most scenic spots can hide dark secrets and dastardly deeds.
This book is the perfect campsite companion for mystery lovers looking for fun, frights, and friendship. With a backdrop as enchanting as Kentucky’s own wilderness and a story brimming with intrigue, betrayal, and, of course, a hefty helping of laughter, you won’t want to put it down. So, pack your sense of adventure (and maybe a flashlight) and join Mae and the gang as they navigate the wilds of human nature. “Bonfires, Backpacks, & Brawls” is more than a mystery; it’s an expedition into excitement, proving once and for all that where there’s smoke… there’s laughter, lies, and a darn good read. Catch your copy today and become a happy camper in the world of cozy mysteries! (Amazon)
Review:
The characters are well rounded and well developed. Mae and her friends hear a gunshot in the tranquil Daniel Boone Forest. It is not hunting season so they know the sound did not belong. Before too long they find out that someone has been murdered. Now the ladies will have to do some snooping to figure out who was killed and why.
The author is very talented in her descriptive writing and these descriptions pulled me into the story from the very beginning. Whether I was listening to Dottie talk about Henry or the Laundry Club Ladies pondering the current murder I was totally engaged in the story. The writing style flows smoothly and the book is an easy read. The mystery is well plotted and not easily solved
I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a well crafted cozy mystery. If you are looking for a great southern cozy with great characters and intrigue, look no further.
I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book and provided my honest review.
Don’t miss the EPIC conclusion to the Le Doux mystery series!
Wynona might have survived her last encounter with her father, but only just…now the clock is ticking and she knows time is short before she won’t be able to beat him once and for all.
With yet another murder taking her attention and her father slinking through the shadows, one truth becomes painfully clear…
It’s time to take the war to him.
Follow Wynona and her colorful band of misfits as they navigate a city of magic, mystery and danger in this light-hearted, feel good, cozy mystery series by International Bestselling author, Abigail Lynn Thornton.
** While each book contains a completed mystery, the series is best read in order.** (Amazon)
Editions Available: Kindle
A witty, feminist mystery set in the heart of nineteenth-century London, this daring adventure featuring an intrepid woman detective will thrill fans of Deanna Raybourn and Katharine Schellman.
London, 1894. Albertine Honeycombe never wanted a husband and certainly not the one with fifteen children that her cousin, Aubrey, is trying to marry her off to. She reinvents herself as Countess Von Dagga, a private detective aiding the upper echelons of women in society. As the Countess, she is a married woman, with a conveniently absent husband who doesn’t exist, which allows her far more freedom than being single.
When Lord Grendel, from whom she has recovered blackmail letters, is murdered, Albertine is suspect number one—having been the last person to see him. And when the Duke of Erleigh comes looking for her utterly fictitious husband, she realizes she has landed herself in hot water, without a tea bag. When Albertine also becomes the prime suspect in her fictional husband’s death, things are looking grim.
Unless Albertine can prove who murdered Lord Grendel and clear her name, her choices are stepmothering enough small children to start a school or hanging from the end of Her Majesty’s rope. (Amazon)
Editions Available: Kindle, Hardcover, Audiobook
While making the rounds to visit her fellow shopkeepers in Ominpodge Village Center, Pru Pendergast overhears an argument between her obnoxious landlord, Bart Cunard, and Sally Midge Cunard, Bart’s ex-wife, during which Sally Midge accuses Bart of being involved in shady real estate dealings with developer Larry Ludwick. Pru also hears jewelry shopkeeper Jake Yalley defend Sally Midge and threaten Bart.
When Pru visits Flo Florrest’s yarn shop, Bart comes in and gets into a shouting match with Flo. Pru next goes to Bea Potter’s bookstore and listens to Bea complain about Bart sexually harassing her. Then Pru has lunch with best friend Herb Hanover—of Herb’s Herbs—and he cries about Bart calling him hateful names while Herb is still sensitive over his partner’s death.
Pru returns to her shop, Driftwood Creatives, to find Bart dead, garroted with driftwood handles and brown Vicuna yarn. She also notices that Bart’s diamond ring is missing from his hand. Because his body is found in her shop, Detective James Moriarty immediately questions Pru and accuses her of murder, but she’s certainly not the only suspect. Pru must escape attacks on her own life and avoid being arrested until she can find the real killer and solve the crime, all while trying to catch the eye of her new sort of boyfriend. (Amazon)
Editions Available: Kindle, Hardcover, Paperback
R u ok hun?
When one of Invergryff’s most annoying pyramid scheme pushers turns up dead, everyone in the town could be a suspect. For the ladies of the Wronged Women’s Co-operative this case will test their friendships as secrets from the past emerge to haunt them. Estranged family members and relationship troubles might just be the least of their worries with a killer on the loose.
Follow Bernie, Mary and Liz as they investigate their most challenging mystery yet! (Amazon)
Editions Available: Kindle
A criminal mastermind. A daring team of sleuths. Can they outmaneuver a deadly adversary in paradise?
Cruising Hawaii’s lush islands, Adelle faces an assignment that challenges her like never before. The investigation leads to a notorious yacht, brimming with illicit activities and hidden agendas.
Realizing the gravity of the situation, Adelle rallies her friends to pool their talents. Together, they dance with danger, each bringing their unique skills to unravel a syndicate’s complex web. Will this battle of courage versus cunning lead to justice, or will the criminal behind the syndicate slip through their grasp?
Hijinks in Hawaii is the fifth book in the Ocean Cruise Cozies series. If you like travel cozy mysteries featuring fearless amateur sleuths, endearing friendships, and the spirit of teamwork, then you’ll love Cheryl Dougan’s newest adventure!
Dive into Hijinks in Hawaii today to join Adelle and her friends! (Amazon)
Editions Available: Kindle
Get ready to pitch your tents and light the campfire for a wildly entertaining mystery with “Bonfires, Backpacks, & Brawls,” the latest page-turner in the A Camper & Criminals Cozy Mystery Series. When the peaceful plunk of fishing lures at Happy Trails Campground is replaced by the startling bang of gunshots, Mae West and the Laundry Club ladies gear up for their most adventurous case yet in the heart of Daniel Boone National Forest.
Imagine stumbling upon a body in the woods—only it’s not hunting season, and this isn’t a deer we’re talking about. This twist sends Mae and her gang on a trek through a forest thick with secrets, where every turn in the trail could be the clue they need or a dead end. The victim, a real outdoorsman with a complex web of connections to the wilderness, has left behind a trail as puzzling as a switchback path.
“Bonfires, Backpacks, & Brawls” isn’t just any cozy caper; it’s a romp through the great outdoors, complete with twists, turns, and Tonya Kappes’ signature dose of humor. Prepare to be hooked from the first gunshot to the last guffaw as Mae digs into a case that proves even the most scenic spots can hide dark secrets and dastardly deeds.
This book is the perfect campsite companion for mystery lovers looking for fun, frights, and friendship. With a backdrop as enchanting as Kentucky’s own wilderness and a story brimming with intrigue, betrayal, and, of course, a hefty helping of laughter, you won’t want to put it down. So, pack your sense of adventure (and maybe a flashlight) and join Mae and the gang as they navigate the wilds of human nature. “Bonfires, Backpacks, & Brawls” is more than a mystery; it’s an expedition into excitement, proving once and for all that where there’s smoke… there’s laughter, lies, and a darn good read. Catch your copy today and become a happy camper in the world of cozy mysteries! (Amazon)
Editions Available: Kindle
If you stoke the fires of doubt… You might just get burned. Dogwood Donuts owner and amateur sleuth, Maggie Mission, has turned up the heat and is on top of her donut game. That is, until she has to head to a local clinic after burning her hand.
When she arrives, she witnesses a bit of drama among patients who are arguing over who should be seen first. One woman ends up just leaving to go to the ER.
Maggie finds out later that the woman died.
Considering the circumstances, she’s skeptical that the woman’s death was due to natural causes, and since she’s going to be out of work for a while, until her hand heals, she jumps into an investigation, determined to get to the truth.
Things take a wicked turn for the worst when it looks as though Maggie’s daughter-in-law, who is a nurse at the clinic, may have neglected her duties and contributed to the woman’s death.
When she starts digging further into the case, it becomes evident that there’s more going on than meets the eye.
Can she crack the case, single-handedly, and save her daughter-in-law’s reputation? Find out in this exciting Culinary Cozy Mystery! (Amazon)
Editions Available: Kindle, Paperback
Weather Advisory: 100% chance of mystery, mischievous grannies, and a chili cook-off . . .
Autumn accepted a part-time job as the local weather girl. It sounded like a fun weekend gig, but the cook-off contestants served more than chili this year.
When renowned food critic turned judge dropped dead, one of the grannies became suspect #1. Now, Autumn must batten down the hatches to save her innocent friend.
But can she navigate the storm front before the real culprit escapes?
This cozy mystery novella is a quick whodunit with twists, turns, and a touch of humor.This is book 4 in the series, but can be read as a stand-alone. (Amazon)
Someone is murdering pickleball players in Loon Lake and Sheriff Ferris is on the hunt for their killer in Victoria Houston’s third nail-biting Lew Ferris mystery, perfect for fans of Marc Cameron and Nevada Barr.
When a local pickleball player is shot in the head while practicing at an abandoned tennis court with his partner-slash-lover, Sheriff Lew Ferris suspects that the bullet was a stray shot from hunters in the area. It’s not until a second player–the first victim’s mistress and pickleball partner–is killed that Sheriff Ferris realizes this is no hunting accident. Someone is hunting people, and it’s up to her to find out who.
With the first victim’s crazed widow breathing down Lew’s neck, there’s no room to breathe, let alone to find time to appreciate the beautiful Loon Lake fall and go fishing. Adding to Sheriff Ferris’ difficulties are three pickleball players convinced someone has targeted them, someone who will do anything, even murder, to frighten them away from the courts where they play – but why?
Who is really at risk? The pickleball players, or Lew and the people close to her? (Amazon)
Editions Available: Kindle, Hardcover, Audiobook
Six years after their cousin vanished from their home while they were sleeping, two sisters set out to learn the truth behind what happened—even if it puts their own lives in danger—in this haunting thriller from the internationally bestselling author of What’s Done in Darkness.
“Beautifully written, unflinchingly told, and relentlessly suspenseful.”—Heather Gudenkauf, author of The Overnight Guest
In a town no one ever leaves, there are only so many places to hide.
As kids, Amelia and Kylee were found unharmed in their upstairs bedroom the night their teenage cousin Grace, who was babysitting them, vanished from the farmhouse in Beaumont, Missouri, leaving blood all over the kitchen. Scrappy and driven, Grace, the first in their family to go to college instead of getting married and working at the meatpacking plant, had been on the verge of escaping their dead-end town. Her disappearance is a warning to any local girl who dared hope for better.
Now, as their own high school graduation looms, Amelia and Kylee dream about fleeing Beaumont, but the likelihood of that happening seems as low as that of Grace being found. When human remains are discovered in town, the sisters think they finally know who took Grace—but as they dig deeper into her past, they unearth long-buried secrets and a growing list of suspects.
Amelia and Kylee vow to find Grace, dead or alive. But as they draw closer to the truth and slip further into danger, they question how far someone would go to put a woman in her place, or to cover up a crime. The answer is worse than they could have imagined, and in the end, it won’t just be Grace they’re trying to save—they’ll have to fight for their lives. (Amazon)
Editions Available: Kindle, Hardcover, Audiobook
During a heatwave in Tinker’s Cove, Maine, part-time reporter Lucy Stone becomes unseasonably entangled in handmade quilts—and a twisted case of murder . . .
When a community center opens in town, many embrace it as a space where locals of all ages can gather and create. Others view it as a waste of taxpayer dollars. The director, Darleen Busby-Platt, is no less controversial. Intense and showy, Darleen has huge plans for her new role. But Lucy believes the woman isn’t exactly as warm hearted—or qualified—as she seems. That hunch deepens when Darleen and a young employee vanish . . . and dismembered remains appear!
With lots of clues and few concrete answers, Lucy rushes to connect loose ends. First there’s the disappearance of Tim Stillings, a troubled twenty-something who endured harsh treatment on the job. Next there’s Darleen herself, who made fast enemies as the highest-paid resident in Tinker’s Cove. Finally, there’s Darleen’s rich ancestry and ties to heirlooms worth either a fortune or nothing at all.
The closer Lucy gets to the facts, the more she realizes that solving this murder depends on the lies. Because the truth rests somewhere between wild rumors, a trusted friend’s emotional new sewing project, and the authenticity of a mysterious three-hundred-year-old patchwork quilt. And Lucy must piece together the big picture—before she becomes part of crafty killer’s deadly design . . . (Amazon)
Editions Available: Kindle, Hardcover, Audiobook
In this twisting mystery in a New York Times bestselling series, pranks escalate into a deadly scheme that Private Investigator Sharon McCone must unravel—before they claim her life.
San Francisco is home to more than 200 privately owned streets. Most are alleyways, but a select few look torn straight from the pages of a magazine. Lined with mansions and elaborate gardens, the properties are luxurious and perfectly maintained; security guards patrol the grounds to keep the curious at bay. Few know of these exclusive enclaves, but those who do prowl for availability, ready to make a grab for the precious real estate if opportunity strikes.
When several such streets are targeted in a series of so-called pranks, Sharon is hired by a coalition of concerned owners to investigate. But as things escalate—an attempt on Sharon’s life, an explosion at a meth lab, and a shocking murder—Sharon realizes far more is at play than a few misdemeanors gone wrong.
The case takes a sudden turn when one of McCone & Ripinsky’s most trusted employees is implicated, and Sharon will have to dig deep to save her agency—and her life. (Amazon)
Eugeena Patterson-Jones is excited about planning her daughter Leesa Patterson’s wedding. With three months to go, there’s lots to do. They meet for lunch at the award-winning Smokin’ Ward barbecue food truck owned by Leesa’s wedding caterer.
Lately the Smokin’ Ward owners has been at odds with a local barbecue competitor. When the competitor’s body is found inside his food truck, Leesa’s friends become suspects.
Usually, Eugeena is the one who’s sticking her nose into situations, but Leesa is determined to find out who’s trying to destroy her friends’ business and frame them for murder. The mother and daughter team up to find the smoking gun. (Amazon)
Editions Available: Kindle, Paperback
Golf, intrigue, and dark secrets collide in “Death on the Back Nine”, the gripping sixth installment of the award-winning Myrtle Beach Mystery Series, set against the backdrop of the prestigious Swaying Palms Golf Course.
Clark Thomas, a bookstore owner haunted by his wife’s unsolved murder, returns and is joined by his brother for a round of golf. A leisurely game takes a dark turn when a player ahead of them is murdered on the 11th hole, thrusting Clark and Detective Moody into a baffling investigation filled with secrets and grudges.
As they delve deeper, they uncover motives that cast suspicion on the victim’s companions, but piecing together how any of them committed the crime proves formidable.
When Clark’s quest for answers about his wife’s death becomes intertwined with the current mystery, it leads to a shocking revelation that pushes Clark closer to resolving his wife’s death.
Amidst lush greens and Southern charm, Clark grapples with figuring out who he can and can’t trust in his quest for answers about Autumn’s death. The book weaves family ties, hidden secrets, and the pursuit of truth into a spellbinding tale.
If you’re a fan of cozy mysteries in the enchanting American South, this is a must-read. Join Clark as he unravels a web of deception with an ending that will leave you hungry for more. (Amazon)
Editions Available: Kindle, Hardcover, Paperback
The belief is that all animal lovers are good people, but sometimes, that’s just not true.
In preparation for her wedding day and to thank her loyal companions, Harvey Beckett has scheduled a spa day for her pups, Mayhem and Taco, at the brand new doggy daycare in town. But when the pups return from their escape bedraggled and anxious, Harvey gets curious, and we know what curiosity did to the cat.
Who knew pampering pooches could be so scary?
*Note, no animals are injured or harmed in this book. (Amazon)
Editions Available: Kindle, Paperback
Murder on Demand, the new book in the delightful Morning Show Murders series from bestselling author and TV news icon Al Roker, finds Billy Blessing investigating a suspicious boating accident in Long Island.
Ten years have passed since Billy Blessing’s adventure in Chicago, and a lot has changed. With the advances in television—the vanishing cable news and the flood of streaming channels entering the market—Billy found himself out of a job. Oh, and his restaurant had a fire (maybe suspicious? Billy does have enemies…), but the insurance won’t cover a rebuild.
So Billy is reinventing himself on the North Fork of Long Island, where on a clear day you can see the Hamptons across the bay. The pace of life is slower—and more affordable—and he’s been enjoying his new job as a chef in Greenport. That is, until a young woman walks into the restaurant talking about murder. Her father’s boat washed up down the coast, but the man himself is nowhere to be found. The police are calling it an accident, but she thinks it’s way more than that, and would Billy, maybe, look into it? Nice and quiet since, well, any other way might not be safe.
Billy is back in another hilarious, suspenseful, and delectable murder mystery perfect for new and old fans alike. (Amazon)
Editions Available: Kindle, Hardcover, Audiobook
From USA Today bestselling author Leslie Langtry comes an epic murder mystery, ten years in the making…
Welcome to the Museum of Murder!
Who knew that the town of Who’s There was the murder capital of Iowa? And its new Museum of Murder is a hit, though Ex-CIA spy turned Girl Scout leader, Merry Wrath is less than happy that she’s featured in the exhibits. Besides its quirky and somewhat disturbing charm (and a gift shop with questionable practices), everyone wants to know who’s behind Who’s There’s hottest attraction? Some speculate it’s hometown boy Sheldon McBride—a reclusive, ultra-wealthy inventor of ethanol-fueled cars, drones (and, rumor has it, a flock of robot turkeys).
Be careful, or you might become the next exhibit!
This weird new museum should be nothing but harmless fun… that is until a killer recreates copycat murders among the exhibits! As usual, chaos follows as Merry’s troop wants to hand out rotting shark snacks for their Thinking Day booth on Iceland, the dreaded annual cookie sales are coming up, Future Spy of America Betty has a boyfriend, and Merry becomes an aunt for the first time when her twin sisters-in-law finally have their baby boys. Unfortunately, the addition of the new infant citizens isn’t enough to save Who’s There from a population drop as the killer goes on a spree. Merry has no time to lose to catch a killer before she becomes an exhibit of her own…permanently!
What critics are saying about Leslie Langtry’s books:
“I laughed so hard I cried on multiple occasions! Girl Scouts, the CIA, and the Yakuza… what could possibly go wrong?” ~ Fresh Fiction
“Darkly funny and wildly over the top, this mystery answers the burning question, ‘Do assassin skills and Girl Scout merit badges mix…?'” ~ RT BOOKreviews
“Mixing a deadly sense of humor and plenty of sexy sizzle, Leslie Langtry creates a brilliantly original, laughter-rich mix of contemporary romance and suspense.” ~ Chicago Tribune
“Langtry gets the fun started from page one.” ~ Publisher’s Weekly (Amazon)
Editions Available: Kindle, Paperback
A cozy mystery from International Bestselling Author Susan Harper.
Silenced by the Sword is the fifth and final story in the Greta Carriger British Cozy Mystery series. If you like fast-paced mysteries with interesting characters, troublesome pets, and unexpected twists, you’re going to this adventure in jolly old England.
Order Silenced by the Sword today!
Always FREE on Kindle Unlimited (Amazon)
Editions Available: Kindle
Join Suzie, Mary, and Pilot, for a fun-filled road trip…that quickly turns into a sleuthing adventure!
When Suzie wins skydiving lessons in another town, she and Mary are excited to enjoy a mini vacation before busy season starts at Dune House. So, they hire an RV and take Pilot along for a road trip. They’re ready for fun, adventure, and some relaxation.
But their trip comes to a grinding halt when the skydiving instructor is found murdered. When the death is ruled accidental, Suzie and Mary believe something sinister is at play, and are determined to get to the truth. But that doesn’t prove to be an easy task as the locals are less than friendly and are hiding a long list of secrets.
Suzie and Mary try to untangle the web of lies and deceit and head toward a whole lot of danger. Will the truth be revealed and the murderer found before the friends end up plummeting to their deaths?
Join Suzie, Mary, and Pilot for a clean, heartwarming, fun, fast-paced cozy mystery by USA Today and Wall Street Journal Bestselling Author Cindy Bell that will keep you guessing until the end. (Amazon)
Editions Available: Kindle, Paperback
Witch Kalie Kennedy loves her enchanted life in Mystic, Arizona—running her magical shop and teasing the possibility that her destined familiar might be a skittish, fluffy orange tabby. But when a celebration dinner is cut short by the discovery of a famed chef’s body, it throws Kalie’s world into disarray. She finds herself at odds with Detective Nick Monroe, who, unlike before, seems keen on keeping her away from this investigation.
When Kalie decides to go it alone, she soon discovers the beloved chef might have had more enemies than friends. As she delves into the simmering secrets of Mystic’s culinary scene, she’s not just searching for a killer. She’s navigating the push and pull of fate and choice—between the heart’s whims and the harsh truths of reality, all while trying to dodge her friends’ attempts to play matchmaker. Yet, it’s the reluctant kitten, potentially her true familiar, who keeps her guessing the most.
Join Kalie Kennedy as she sifts through the mysteries of love, loyalty, and lethal recipes in Mystic Madness. Can she solve the case while deciphering her own heart and the true nature of those closest to her?
Mystic Madness is Book Two in the charming paranormal Mystic Village Cozy Mystery series. If you like a savvy heroine, a dashing yet skeptical hero, and just the right sprinkling of magic and humor, you’ll love these stories.
Grab your copy today!
Note: Does not contain gore or adult-situations. (Amazon)
Words turn deadly with an unlikely detective duo on the case of a murdered obituary writer in this literary mystery from the internationally bestselling author of the Ruth Galloway series. Perfect for fans of Richard Osman and the Thursday Murder Club.
Natalka and Edwin are perfect if improbable partners in a detective agency. At eighty-four, Edwin regularly claims that he’s the oldest detective in England. He is a master at surveillance, deploying his age as a cloak of invisibility. Natalka, Ukrainian-born and more than fifty years his junior, is a math whizz, who takes any cases concerning fraud or deception. Despite a steady stream of minor cases, Natalka is frustrated. She loves a murder, as she’s fond of saying, and none have come the agency’s way. That is until local writer Melody Chambers dies.
Melody’s daughters are convinced that their mother was murdered. Edwin thinks that Melody’s death is linked to that of an obituary writer who predeceased many of his subjects. Edwin and Benedict go undercover to investigate and are on a creative writing weekend at isolated Battle House when another murder occurs. Are the cases linked and what is the role of a distinctly sinister book group attended by many of writers involved? By the time Edwin has infiltrated the group, he is in serious danger…
Seeking professional help, the investigators turn to their friend, detective Harbinder Kaur, and find that they have stumbled on a plot that is stranger than fiction. (Amazon)
Editions Available: Kindle, Hardcover, Audiobook
A photo assignment at the cemetery leads Callie Cassidy to a corpse—this one above ground. Now, her search for the killer unearths some long-buried secrets…
Callie’s mother Maggie, a notorious hobby jumper, has embarked on a new pursuit—grave rubbing. When she recruits her daughter to photograph her first endeavor at the local cemetery, Callie brings golden retriever Woody and tabby cat Carl along for the outing. It’s a breathtaking autumn morning in Rock Creek Village, Colorado. Golden aspen leaves rustle in the cool breeze, and the air is filled with the scent of pine. What could go wrong on a day like this?
Then, a ghostly woman emerges from the trees, bleeding from a head wound and claiming to have no memory of how she arrived, or even who she is. Maggie quickly identifies her as a woman who disappeared from the village forty years ago—without a trace.
If that’s not enough intrigue, Woody disobeys her and sprints deeper into the cemetery. When Callie catches up to him, he is sitting sentinel at the tombstone of a recently deceased villager. And behind the stone, a man lies on the ground—with a pickaxe jutting from his neck.
Callie recognizes him as the low-level mobster who has been dating her best friend Tonya’s mother—and they’d been having problems. Did Tonya’s mother kill the man? Could it have been the mysterious woman? Or maybe someone with ties to his crime family?
Callie can’t resist investigating—and this time, Detective Raul Sanchez welcomes her assistance. Because if they can’t solve the crime soon, the town may be facing grave consequences…(Amazon)
Editions Available: Kindle
“Anne Hillerman is a star.”—J. A. Jance, New York Times bestselling author
From New York Times bestselling author Anne Hillerman, a thrilling and moving chapter in the Leaphorn, Chee & Manuelito series involving several emotionally complex cases that will test the detectives in different ways.
Joe Leaphorn may be long retired from the Navajo Tribal Police, but his detective skills are still sharp, honed by his work as a private detective. His experience will be essential to solve a compelling new case: finding the birth parents of a woman who was raised by a bilagáana family but believes she is Diné based on one solid clue, an old photograph with a classic Navajo child’s blanket. Leaphorn discovers that his client’s adoption was questionable, and her adoptive family not what they seem. His quest for answers takes him to an old trading post and leads him to a deadly cache of long-buried family secrets.
As that case grows more complicated, Leaphorn receives an unexpected call from a person he met decades earlier. Cecil Bowleg’s desperation is clear in his voice, but just as he begins to explain, the call is cut off by an explosion and Cecil disappears. True to his nature, Leaphorn is determined to find the truth even as the situation grows dangerous. Investigation of the explosion falls in part to Officer Bernadette Manuelito, who discovers an unexpected link to Cecil’s missing wife.
Bernie also is involved in a troubling investigation of her own: an elderly weaver whose prize-winning sheep have been ruthlessly killed by feral dogs.
Exploring the emotionally complex issues of adoption of Indigenous children by non-native parents, Anne Hillerman delivers another thought-provoking, gripping mystery that brings to life the vivid terrain of the American Southwest, its people, and the lore and traditions that make it distinct. (Amazon)
Kate Quinn’s The Rose Code meets Mr. and Mrs. Smith in this intrigue-filled debut, as two former spies who shared more than just missions during WWII reunite in 1948 Los Angeles. Can they let go of heartbreak long enough to team up for one last operation in this tightly-plotted, emotionally rich postwar mystery?
It’s 1942, and as far as her father knows, Evelyn Bishop, heiress to an aeronautics fortune, is working as a translator in London. In truth, Evelyn—daring, beautiful, and as adept with a rifle as she is in five languages—has joined the Office of Strategic Services as a spy. Her goal is personal: to find her brother, who is being held as a POW in a Nazi labor camp. Through one high-risk mission after another she is paired with the reckless and rebellious Nick Gallagher, growing ever close to him until the war’s end brings with it an act of deep betrayal.
Six years later, Evelyn is back home in Los Angeles, working as a private investigator. The war was supposed to change everything, yet Evelyn, contemplating marriage to her childhood sweetheart, feels stifled by convention. Then the suspected cheating husband she’s tailing is murdered, and suddenly Evelyn is back in Nick’s orbit again.
Teaming up for a final mission, Evelyn and Nick begin to uncover the true nature of her case— and realize that the war has followed them home. For beyond the public horrors waged by nations there are countless secret, desperate acts that still reverberate on both continents, and threaten everything Evelyn holds dear… (Amazon)
Editions Available: Kindle, Hardcover, Audiobook
A short boat ride from Busman’s Harbor, Maine, Morrow Island is a perfect spot for a wedding—and a Snowden Family Clambake. Julia Snowden is busy organizing both—until a mysterious wedding crasher drops dead amid the festivities . . .
Julia’s best friend and business partner, Zoey, is about to marry her policeman boyfriend. Of course, a gorgeous white wedding dress shouldn’t be within fifty yards of a plate of buttery lobster—so that treat is reserved for the rehearsal dinner. Julia is a little worried about the timing, though, as she works around a predicted storm.
When a guest falls to the floor dead, it turns out that no one seems to know who he is, despite the fact that he’s been actively mingling and handing out business cards. And when an injection mark is spotted on his neck, it’s clear this wasn’t caused by a shellfish allergy. Now, as the weather deteriorates and a small group is stranded on the island with the body—and the killer—Julia starts interrogating staff, family members, and Zoey’s artist friends to find out who turned the clambake into a crime scene . . .(Amazon)
Editions Available: Kindle, Paperback, Audiobook
With Extinction, #1 New York Times bestselling author Douglas Preston has written a page-turning thriller in the Michael Crichton mode that explores the possible and unintended dangers of the very real efforts to resurrect the woolly mammoth and other long-extinct animals.
Erebus Resort, occupying a magnificent, hundred-thousand acre valley deep in the Colorado Rockies, offers guests the experience of viewing woolly mammoths, Irish Elk, and giant ground sloths in their native habitat, brought back from extinction through the magic of genetic manipulation. When a billionaire’s son and his new wife are kidnapped and murdered in the Erebus back country by what is assumed to be a gang of eco-terrorists, Colorado Bureau of Investigation Agent Frances Cash partners with county sheriff James Colcord to track down the perpetrators.
As killings mount and the valley is evacuated, Cash and Colcord must confront an ancient, intelligent, and malevolent presence at Erebus, bent not on resurrection—but extinction.
At the Publisher’s request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied. (Amazon)
A hapless witch, a dead mermaid, and a beachside bar with money problems. What else could go wrong?
Jo Maelstrom’s avoidance problems hit an all-time high when, after weeks of dodging her grandmother’s calls, she got a text that “Big Jo” had died suddenly. Now back in Eldred’s Hollow, a supernatural haven on the Gulf Coast of Alabama, Jo is forced to reckon with her past – and the severe lack of magic that sent her running in the first place. Her grandmother’s bar and marina, Witch’s Cove, is in some dire financial straits, and there are more than a few people with ulterior motives itching to take it off her hands.
But when the leader of the local mermaid clan washes up dead on the shore, Jo finds herself embroiled in the question of who and why – and does it have anything to do with her own grandmother’s mysterious death?
A Mer-Murder at the Cove is the first book in the Witch’s Cove Paranormal Cozy Mystery series by award-winning author S. Usher Evans. (Amazon)
Editions Available: Kindle, Paperback
First in the Venus Bixby Mystery series from award-winning author Valerie Taylor.
Sea breezes and fireworks fill the air in cozy Chatham Crossing, the peaceful and historic whaling town situated between Providence and Cape Cod.
Venus Bixby, owner of the forever popular music store Oldies & Goodies, is counting on the festivities over the Fourth of July weekend to propel her to a position on the prestigious Town Committee.
After years of living in the shadow of her late husband, Venus will finally be the center of attention this holiday weekend: starting with her fiftieth birthday celebration and ending as the parade’s Grand Marshal.
Faster than a cookie crumbles, her dream collapses on the morning of her party when she trips over orange platform shoes in the gardens of the Sofia Silva Whaling Museum and breaks her thumb. When it’s discovered the shoes are attached to the body of the manager of the museum’s gift shop, Venus becomes both a suspect and a sleuth in Chatham Crossing’s first murder in decades.
Given this unexpected turn of events, will Venus ever sing and dance at her birthday party, or will her fractured thumb end up in handcuffs?
Includes cookie recipes and playlist!
If you’re a fan of Richard Osman, Katie Gayle, or Ellery Adams, give this cozy mystery a try. You just may find it a delightful diversion from some of the hair-raising, nightmare-inducing novels making headlines these days. Order A Whale of a Murder today! (Amazon)
Editions Available: Kindle, Paperback
The sixth in the delightful cozy mystery series from Diane Kelly set in Nashville, TN—where the real estate market is to die for.
Some properties are too hot to handle…
Carpenter Whitney Whitaker and her cousin Buck are hot for a historical property that has just come on the market—a fire station in Nashville’s Germantown neighborhood that was built nearly a century ago.
The cousins have just begun the interior demolition work at the fire station when Joanna Hartzell, who lives in a townhouse around the corner, comes by with a plea for help. Joanna owns the right half of her building, which she proudly maintains in perfect condition, while the left side falls into disrepair: the seven adult children who inherited it years ago refuse to lift a finger on repairs. Never one to turn down a challenge, Whitney and Buck manage to acquire the rundown townhouse—though it turns out Joanna is only one of the many neighbors interested in buying the property once they’ve worked their magic.
Then Joanna shows up at the fire station confused and rambling, then collapses, never to recover. Alarm bells go off for Whitney: she suspects something—and someone—evil could be the real cause. Can she and Collin put the clues together and smoke out a killer? (Amazon)
Editions Available: Kindle, Paperback, Audiobook
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The Honourable Cressida Fawcett is expecting the cathedral crypt to be full of dry old bones. But when she finds a body murdered just moments before, she’ll need divine inspiration to solve her most mysterious case yet…
Winchester, 1925. When heiress and amateur sleuth Cressida Fawcett is invited to her aunt’s mansion on Cloister Close, she is looking forward to a quiet stay in the historic town. The views of the cathedral are heavenly – and her aunt’s maid, Nancy, makes devilishly good ginger biscuits! But it seems Cressy and her pug Ruby won’t be allowed to rest in peace… On a tour of the crypt, they are shocked to stumble across the body of Anthony, the gentle, devoted verger. And a wild-eyed Nancy is standing over him, bloodied candlestick in hand…
Since Nancy was caught red-handed and the only other suspect is the Silent Friar, the legendary local ghost, Detective Andrewsof Scotland Yard thinks the case is closed. But Nancy swears she would never have killed Anthony; they were in love. And while Cressy may not believe in ghosts, she does believe Nancy. So, whose soul is full of murder most foul? And will they strike again?
As she digs through parishioner gossip, Cressy discovers that for a man of the cloth, the verger had a surprising number of enemies. Was a local antiques dealer driven to murder over an illegal trade in holy relics? Would the head bellringer kill to achieve his musical ambitions? Or is the saintly Dean, whose black-cloaked figure resembles the Silent Friar and whose wife recently drowned, hiding a deadly sin?
The cathedral conceals many secrets, and it seems Cressy will need a miracle to uncover the truth. But then Cressy finds a hidden passageway to the crypt. Is this how the murderer escaped? The sceptical police lack faith in her theories, but can she catch the killer and save Nancy from the hangman’s noose? Or will she be too late to prevent another funeral march?
A totally gripping and deliciously witty historical murder mystery with a gasp-out-loud reveal, perfect for fans of Agatha Christie, T.E. Kinsey and Lee Strauss.
What readers are saying about Fliss Chester:
‘Absolutely amazing… I devoured this… Wham the ending totally blindsides you. Wow, I absolutely did not see that coming… fantastic.’ Page Turners, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
‘Exhilarating… I am a huge fan… I whipped through it in a matter of hours. A delightful historical cozy that grips from the very beginning… Fabulous… Superb… Knocked it out of the park.’ Bookish Jottings, ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
‘I loved this! Found myself going to bed earlier and earlier so I could devour another few pages.’ Goodreads reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
‘I devoured it in one sitting… Absolutely fantastic… Will keep you turning the pages and guessing right up until the end!!’ Bookworm86, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
‘I was totally captivated from the very beginning… I was holding my breath… I can’t praise this book enough.’ Goodreads reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
‘So much fun. Think Wooster and Jeeves meets Downton Abbey doing a mystery. I was laughing out loud… Just super.’ Goodreads reviewer, ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
‘Absolutely gripping and utterly charming… Packed with wit, glamour and intrigue. The perfect whodunnit.’ Strange and Random Happenstance, ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
‘What a rip-roaring adventure!… A classic whodunnit… kept me hooked from start to finish.’ Goodreads reviewer, ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
‘Loved loved loved… Fantastic… Couldn’t put it down… Gripping!!’ NetGalley reviewer, ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
‘I absolutely loved it… Clever, funny, charming.’ T.E. Kinsey, best-selling mystery writer of the Lady Hardcastle series (Amazon)
Editions Available: Kindle, Paperback, Audiobook
Getting out of your comfort zone…Can be murder.What do you get when you put a city girl in the middle of the country? Mayhem, of course.Shea Beaumont had been a suburban mom and housewife for years. But when her world crumbled after a painful divorce, she vowed to start over.Looking for investment properties – maybe a cute little duplex, or an old-fashioned roadside motel – she stumbled upon a century-old farmhouse that would provide her with a life that was unlike anything she’d ever experienced.Complete with a working farm, a pop-up market, and a cantankerous rooster named Clarence, the remote Oklahoma property looked like just what Shea needed.Little did she know that starting over in a world that completely baffled her, would be the challenge of a lifetime.When a body is discovered in her cornfield, the locals, including a handsome sheriff with a bad attitude, view her with suspicion. Battered by loneliness and fearing for her safety, Shea wonders if she’s bitten off more than she can chew.Will she survive financially by making a living from her land? Can she clear her name and gain the trust of her new community? Or should she throw in the towel before the rooster crows?Find out in this farm fresh Cozy Mystery! (Amazon)
Editions Available: Kindle
Lottery winner and amateur sleuth, Claire Noble, is adjusting to life as a cookie-baking business owner just in time for the town’s annual Taste of Sandal Springs festival. The festivities kick off with Sunset Square abuzz with food stalls and hungry tourists. But when a weekend of fun in the sun takes a deadly turn and a body is discovered clutching one of Claire’s chocolate chip cookies, she finds herself framed for the crime. With secrets and suspects abound, uncovering the true killer proves more challenging than eating just one cookie! Can Claire piece together all the clues and solve this mystery before it’s too late? Or will her new life crumble like an unfortunate batch of cookies? (Amazon)
Editions Available: Kindle
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In the quaint town of Sweet Haven, newcomer Tillie is ready to turn over a new leaf with the grand opening of her charming bakery, Paw Paw’s. But just as the scent of freshly baked dog treats fills the air, disaster strikes when a lifeless body is discovered in the bakery’s backroom. Suddenly, Tillie finds herself at the center of a brewing storm as suspicion falls upon her, the outsider in town.
With whispers of accusation Tillie must unravel the tangled web of secrets lurking within Sweet Haven’s cozy streets. As fingers point and tensions rise, she dives headfirst into a thrilling journey to uncover the truth behind the sinister events unfolding in her bakery.
Can Tillie sift through the layers of deception and unearth the real culprit before her dreams crumble, and she finds herself locked away behind bars? Join Tillie in this heart-pounding mystery where every clue leads her closer to danger and the truth, she seeks may be the most dangerous discovery of all. (Amazon)
Editions Available: Kindle
He’s trying to forget all about crime. But now targeted as a suspect, can he keep from going down for murder?
England, 1964. Retired inspector Tom Ramsay wants to leave the past behind. Hoping to get on with his plans to hike the beauty spots of his homeland, a vacation to North Yorkshire strikes him as just the ticket. Yet while exploring the beach with his young border collie, he’s shocked to discover a decomposing body hidden in a cave.
Happy to put the case in the hands of local police, he’s relieved not to be involved in the ugly matter. But as the small-town rumor mill churns and a grudge-bearing investigator threatens Ramsay with jail, the alarmed retiree dives headfirst into an ocean of secrets, lies, and contraband.
Can this forthright ex-copper clear his name and dredge up the true culprit?
Ramsay and the Smuggling Ring is the captivating second book in the One Man and His Dog Cozy Mysteries series. If you like kind but dogged heroes, animal companions, and quirky supporting casts, then you’ll love P.C. James’s riveting read.
Buy Ramsay and the Smuggling Ring to expose the truth today! (Amazon)
The Happy Reaper, notorious for his chilling efficiency and “Results Guaranteed” calling card, escapes prison. Instead of killing Seamus McCree on sight, he offers a diabolical bargain with a heart-stopping proviso. To live, Seamus must help the Happy Reaper find and eliminate the upstart impostor who’s trashing the assassin’s reputation.
And Seamus must act quickly. Should the Happy Reaper’s bad heart give out or any harm come to him, the criminal underworld will wreak carnage on Seamus . . . and his loved ones.
Can Seamus outsmart the impostor and appease the Happy Reaper without staining his soul with blood? The only thing Seamus knows for sure is that time is running out for him and his family.
Download your copy now! (Amazon)
Editions Available: Kindle, Paperback
From Tony Hillerman Prize-winning author Samantha Jayne Allen comes Next of Kin, a mesmerizing novel set in a hardscrabble Texas town, where the past is never far away.
At a gathering for her cousin’s wedding party, newly-licensed PI Annie McIntyre gets asked an age-old question: what really makes us who we are, nature or nurture? Clint Marshall, an up-and-coming musician and an adoptee at a personal crossroads, wants to hire Annie to find his biological parents, and that question is on his mind. Annie accepts his case, not knowing then that she, too, must decide if she really believes what she tells him that night—in essence, that people are in charge of their destinies. That people can change.
When Annie discovers her client’s father is a bank robber who her granddad, Leroy, arrested back when he was sheriff, reverberations sound between the past and the present, igniting old flames and rivalries. When the brother of her client dies suddenly, his death ruled a suicide, Annie questions whether or not it was in fact homicide—and who in this family of outlaws would rather some secrets stay buried.
As Annie sets out to find who killed the brother—and stays out of sight lest she be next—she finds herself searching abandoned, overgrown fields, scouring pool halls and roadside motels, wondering if she will ever escape the sense that her world in Garnett, TX expands and contracts in off-kilter ways, growing smaller and yet still more confounding. Fearing that in a place where everyone knows everyone, your enemy is always closer than you think. (Amazon)
Editions Available: Kindle, Hardcover, Audiobook
Postwar Paris is surging back to life, and its citizens are seizing every opportunity to raise a glass or share a delicious meal. But as American ex-pat Tabitha Knight and chef-in-training Julia Child discover, celebrations can quickly go awry when someone has murder in mind . . .
The graceful domes of Sacré Coeur, the imposing cathedral of Notre Dame, the breathtaking Tour Eiffel . . . Paris is overflowing with stunning architecture. Yet for Tabitha Knight, the humble building that houses the Cordon Bleu cooking school, where her friend Julia studies, is just as notable. Tabitha is always happy to sample Julia’s latest creation and try to recreate dishes for her Grand-père and Oncle Rafe.
The legendary school also holds open demonstrations, where the public can see its master chefs at work. It’s a treat for any aspiring cook—until one of the chefs pours himself a glass of wine from a rare vintage bottle—and promptly drops dead in front of Julia, Tabitha, and other assembled guests. It’s the first in a frightening string of poisonings that turns grimly personal when cyanide-laced wine is sent to someone very close to Tabitha.
What kind of killer chooses such a means of murder, and why? Tabitha and Julia hope to find answers in order to save innocent lives—not to mention a few exquisite vintages—even as their investigation takes them through some of the darkest corners of France’s wartime past . . .(Amazon)
Editions Available: Kindle, Hardcover, Audiobook
Mending mischief and buried secrets. Can Alex unwind before trouble surfs in?
Alex Bailey’s soul is content as she mends the fabric of her recent troubles. The scenery of Madras is just the distraction she needs. But just when she thinks her sleuthing days are over, new mysteries are afoot. Hawk oversees repairs to her island home, strange occurrences happen while Alex hunts for a crustacean thief, and Kibbles is under the weather.
Exposing the patchwork of her new island life, Alex will need to stay sharp long enough to piece together the clues and bring the culprits to shore before the tide turns.
Mending Mischief is the animated sixth book in the series of Quilting Cozy Mysteries. This book will keep you stitched to your seat until the very last string. If you like gripping whodunits, then you’ll love Kathryn Mykel’s finely sewn tale.
Buy Mending Mischief to unlock a cunning crime today! (Amazon)
Editions Available: Kindle
When FBI Special Agent Frank Jankowski goes undercover at Isabelle Anderson’s Brownstone on E. 83rd, he thinks he’s the one calling the shots. Isabelle knows she is. As Isabelle’s butler, Ronnie Charles is privy to all her schemes—knowledge that will take her in a direction she never anticipated. (Amazon)
Editions Available: Kindle
Midwife Sarah Malloy and her private detective husband Frank discover that the cure is worse than the disease when they investigate the death of a promising young woman in this atmospheric, riveting mystery from the USA TODAY bestselling author of Murder on Bedford Street.
Sarah Malloy has just helped with the delivery of a bouncing baby girl at her women’s clinic, when she receives a visit from an engaging and determined young woman writing an article for New Century Magazine. Louisa Rodgers explains that she is researching the dangers of patent remedies. Sarah is only too happy to tell Louisa exactly what she thinks of the so-called medicines whose ingredients include heavy doses of alcohol and other addictive drugs, and hurt much more than they help.
A few days later, Sarah receives a visit from a bereft Bernard Rodgers, who explains that his daughter, Louisa, has been found strangled in the lobby of the building where New Century has its offices. The police have decided it was a random attack and have made no attempt to investigate, hinting that Louisa got what she deserved for sticking her nose where it didn’t belong. Sarah wants justice for the bright young woman but as she and Frank delve deeper into Louisa’s life, they find that nothing is quite as it seemed and Louisa is not who she claimed to be. The Malloys must first solve the mystery of Louisa’s life before they can figure out who wanted to see her dead… (Amazon)
Editions Available: Kindle, Hardcover, Audiobook
How can you hold an auction when the auctioneer is dead?
That’s the problem facing Jessica Braun after her scheme to clear out thrift shop inventory through a bidding war goes sideways. Before the truck is even unloaded, she and her friends discover a terrible crime.
With luck working against them and no one on their side, can Jess and her crew make find enough evidence to solve the murder and stop the killer before they get away? What will happen to Jess if her auction plans are killed, too? (Amazon)
Editions Available: Kindle
Spring has sprung in Holiday Cove, and the Easter Bunny is bringing murder and mayhem. Charlie Flynn and her friends are back in the last book of the Holiday Cove Mystery Series, and this will be their most hare raising adventure yet.
Charlie Flynn has never been good at change, and she’s doing her best to roll with the punches. But when her new assistant is found dead at the old abandoned high school she’s renovating, this might be the punch that knocks her out. Even though there is no sign of foul play, Charlie is convinced Nicole Marin’s death is a murder.
All the information Detective Riley Webb has to go on in is the witness of a young girl found at the scene. But she’s got secrets of her own. The girl’s story brings up painful memories from Charlie’s past that she’s forced to confront. To make matters worse, Andy Brock is back in town. Can Charlie trust him one more time, or will he break her heart for good?
This final book in the Holiday Cove Mystery Series takes Charlie and her friends on an adventure like no other. If you like your mysteries with a side of faith, friends, and four-legged companions; this is an egg-cellent story that you won’t want to miss! (Amazon)
Editions Available: Kindle
“What if Carol Burnett had starred in Murder, She Wrote? Jordan answers that question with a wink and a giggle in his debut mystery starring Polly Pepper. The dish on real-life Hollywood, past and present, enlivens the start of a promising series.” –PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Hollywood icon Polly Pepper receives the ultimate tribute when she inherits a rundown English castle from a devoted fan. But owning a castle is no fairy tale, especially when it comes with a resident ghost and a murder investigation. Polly’s dream of turning the castle into a lucrative tourist destination and up-scale wedding venue hits a snag when the loathsome housekeeper, Gwellyn Clogg, is found dead in the larder. The police write it off as a heart attack, but Polly’s convinced there’s something more sinister at play. With the help of her sassy maid Tiara, her adult but still-living-at-home son Tim, an arrogant cat named Mr. Boots, and a cast of curious characters from the village, Polly sets out on a heart-pounding and hilarious quest to uncover the truth and catch the killer … before she becomes the next victim. (Amazon)
Editions Available: Kindle, Paperback
All Tess wanted to do was play softball. Why do dead bodies have to keep showing up?
And what’s up with that vampire in the outfield?
When the annual Dead End, Florida, softball game ends up with three strikes, shapeshifting tiger Jack and not-quite-vanilla-human Tess, with the help of family and friends, have to be sure they’re not the ones who are out.
And when a very pregnant witch comes to town … the poisoned popcorn is the least of the town’s problems!
But never fear — Jack and Tess are on the case. Because sometimes it takes a tiger’s eye to see the truth. (Amazon)
Editions Available: Kindle
Cozy Mystery, Book 6
Some of the more eccentric residents from the Tucson Valley Retirement Community are headed to The Pickleball Palace in Mesa, Arizona, for a huge pickleball tournament. Rosi begrudgingly accepts her mom’s request to be her partner, though the duo’s expectations for excelling on the court are low. The tournament opens with shocking news with the discovery that a very important person in the world of professional pickleball has died. Rosi can’t stop the questions that swirl in her mind about the nature of the “accidental death”. From the annoyed neighbors of The Pickleball Palace to the disgruntled tennis pro to the competing sides in the narratives for the future of professional pickleball, there are just too many dubious people whose behaviors create unanswered questions that deserve attention. But will Rosi’s suspicions be right, or will she manage to ruin her mom’s fun weekend?
The books each contain a full, separate murder and can be read out of order, but the character arcs of the characters are more fully enjoyed if the books are read in order.
The Tucson Valley Retirement Community Cozy Mystery Series:
Dying to Go (Nothing to Gush About) Dying For Wine (Seeing Red) Dying For Dirt (All Soaped Up) Dying to Build (Nailed It) Dying to Dance (Cha-Cha-Ahhh) Dying to Dink (Your Fault)
Praise for Book 1, Dying to Go (Nothing to Gush About) in the Tucson Valley Retirement Community Cozy Mystery Series:
Susan Reads Cozies: Amazon Vine Voice, “The storyline was a good pace and it kept me guessing. I was laughing and smiling so much.”
Lindzanne1_bookworm: Amazon Vine Voice,“What a delightful cozy mystery. I loved it right from the start. It was so entertaining and had me laughing and smiling so much.”
Jaime_of-gryffindor: “What a delightful cozy mystery! This was a fast-paced mystery with a wonderful cast of characters.” (Amazon)
Editions Available: Kindle, Paperback
Ellie’s life has changed dramatically. From an orphan to part of a town who loves her—life just keeps getting better.
Until one of the people she loves is accused of a crime she didn’t commit.
At least, Ellie doesn’t think she did.
It’s up to Ellie to find out the truth, even if it’s not the truth she wants to hear.
Read the final book in the Magical Mane Series and get all your questions answered! (Amazon)
Editions Available: Kindle
Michigan’s sunset coast turns deadly when a group of vacationers encounter a dying author who sees the ghosts of children.
When Arnie refuses surgery for his bum knee, Laurel takes the family on a relaxing trip to the beautiful sunset coast on Lake Michigan to recuperate. Accompanying them are Arnie’s sixteen-year-old son, Sawyer, and things are made even better when their close friends Claire and Charles join them for a visit.
The area is known for sand dunes, white beaches, and swimming. An odd manifestation of bioluminescence—floating lights on the lake—creates an eerie prediction of things to come. One that Sawyer jokingly points out because anytime his parents and their friends get together, disaster strikes.
But this time it’s Sawyer’s girlfriend who proves to be the catalyst for trouble when she takes a job at Dune House as a live-in scribe for Maeve, a dying author who sees the ghosts of dead children. When Felicity mysteriously disappears, and then others follow, it’s apparent that Sawyer’s prediction has come true: trouble has come to Lake Michigan.
Following forensic botany clues, Arnie and the remaining group desperately search for the others and walk right into danger. Will Arnie find everyone in time? What mysteries does the Dune House hold? Find this out and more in Sugar Sands, Deb Davies’s latest Coast-to-Coast Michigan Mystery.
Rich in Michigan’s local flavor, beauty, and culture, Deb Davies brings that true “up north feeling” into her writing. (Amazon)
Carmel-by-the-Sea garden shop owner Courtney Kelly sees things others can’t—like fairies, and hidden motives for murder . . .
Courtney is delighted when her tiny friend Fiona returns from the fairy realm, appearing at the base of a Cypress tree. When her Ragdoll cat, Pixie, emerges from her own portal—aka the cat door—the three set off for a busy day. Busier than usual, since Courtney has rented a small plot of land at the Flower Farm, where she hopes to grow her own supplies for her fairy-garden business. Plus, the annual Summer Blooms Festival is coming up, and Courtney has booked a booth . . .
But the murder of Courtney’s friend, Genevieve, casts a pall over the festival. Ever since Genevieve sold her floral business, she’d been building a career as an influencer. She was perennially opinionated—but in her new role she’d become surprisingly vicious, dissing local entrepreneurs with nasty posts and unwarranted bad reviews. That’s landed a couple of Courtney’s other friends on the suspect list—including Flower Farm owner Daphne Flores. And when a second victim is discovered, seeds of doubt about Daphne’s innocence sprout in Courtney’s mind. With only a germ of a clue, Courtney will have to overturn every rock to get the dirt on the real killer . . .(Amazon)
Editions Available: Kindle, Paperback, Audiobook
Summer guests are eager to sink their teeth into tantalizing desserts at The Chocolate Moose, Jacobia “Jake” Tiptree and Ellie White’s bakeshop in the island village of Eastport, Maine. But attracting the wrong kind of attention can be deadly . . .
With the August heat strong enough to melt solid chocolate into syrup, Jake and Ellie crave a break from the bakery ovens, despite tourist season promising a sweet payday. But they never envisioned spending the last weeks of summer drifting around Passamaquoddy Bay searching for pirate’s treasure—and a dead body.
Sally Coates believes her husband was murdered off the coast, and begs Ellie, a trusted childhood friend, to locate his remains. It’s unusual that a skilled fisherman would vanish along with the gold doubloon he inherited from his grandfather. And Sally isn’t the only one coveting the valuable heirloom for her own.
As Jake and Ellie’s island-hop for answers, they find themselves caught between hungry sharks and hungrier suspects. Can the duo tempt fate and dodge danger before there’s blood in the water—or are they destined to fall into the jaws of a killer’s trap? (Amazon)
Next in the Chef-To-Go series from New York Times bestselling author Denise Swanson! The back-to-school season can be murder…
Have a killer craving for cozy mysteries? Check out this series:
Perfect for Fans of Joanne Fluke and Kate Carlisle
For readers of culinary cozy mysteries and college town cozy mysteries
It’s the beginning of the university’s fall semester and Dani can’t wait for the college students to return to Normalton, Illinois—after all, without them, there is no one to support her Lunch-to-Go service, which is a vital part of her Chef-to-Go business. As a personal chef and catering business owner, Dani has a lot on her plate! But Normalton University’s orientation week is marred by a mysterious murder, along with a series of car-jackings and sightings of a mysterious creature in a pond on campus. And with the whole town feeling unsettled, Dani finds herself dealing once again with the infuriatingly handsome Spencer Drake, the head of security at the university.
Although Dani vowed that her life would never again be boring and routine after she quit her stifling corporate job, she had no idea that she’d end up dealing with such strange happenings—not to mention murder. But as the trouble in Normalton draw worryingly close to home, Dani realizes that if the killer isn’t caught soon, she may be the next one who is found scone cold dead.
Praise for Denise Swanson’s Chef-to-Go mysteries:
“Fast-paced and fun… Tart of Darkness is utterly unputdownable.”—Julie Hyzy, New York Times bestselling author (Amazon)
Review:
The characters are well rounded and well developed. It is the beginning of the fall semester at the college and Dani has a lot going to drum up business for her Chef-To-Go business. But when there is a carjacking and then a murder Dani will have to find out who the culprit is.
The author is very talented in her descriptive writing and these descriptions pulled me onto the story from the very beginning. The writing style flows smoothly and the book is an easy read. The mystery is well plotted and I was surprised at who the murderer turned out to be.
I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a well crafted cozy mystery. I am sure that you will enjoy the book as much as I did.
Head back to snowy Michigan just in time for the annual cherry pit spitting contest. It’s all fun and games until the local drama professor chokes on more than just his pride.
Shiloh Bellamy can hardly believe it—for the first time in her family farm’s seventy-year history, she has managed to score a highly-coveted booth at the Cherry Farm Market in Traverse City, Michigan. It’s a huge win in her master plan to bring the rundown farm back to life… and the fact that her coup has sent her next-door neighbor and organic farming competitor into fits of jealousy doesn’t hurt, either. But the festive atmosphere at the farm market takes a dark turn when a man entered in the famous cherry pit-spitting competition chokes and dies right in front of Shiloh, who is standing near the sidelines as a spectator.
When the death turns out to be more suspicious than a cherry pit down the wrong pipe, Shiloh finds herself under local law enforcement’s microscope—she has developed something of a reputation for being unwittingly involved in local murders. And when they discover her cousin Stacey had been secretly dating the man in question—and that he was married to someone else—Shiloh begins to worry that everything she has worked so hard to accomplish with her family’s farm is about to be taken away. It will take all her investigative skills, a tenuous friendship (or is it something more?) with the local sheriff, and some help from Shiloh’s trusty pug, Huckleberry, to prove the cops are barking up the wrong cherry tree and put the real killer behind bars for good. (Amazon)
Review:
The characters are well rounded and well developed. Shiloh is working very hard to get her farm back to being a profitable farm, and she is very happy that she has a booth at the Cherry Farm Market. But when someone dies during the cherry pit-spitting contest, Shiloh will have to figure out who the killer is before her cousin is blamed because she was dating the victim.She will have her hands full figuring it out.
The author is very talented in her descriptive writing and these descriptions pulled me into the story from the very beginning. The writing style flows smoothly and it defines the characters very clearly by their actions and words. The mystery is well plotted and you will have to put on your detective hat to figure it out.
I would highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a well crafted cozy mystery. Grab a copy, a favorite beverage and enjoy the book. (Amazon)
For ghost hunter Verity Long, ‘helping out a friend’ can mean anything from passing the peas to solving a homicide. This time, it involves digging into a cold case that’s been on ice since poodle skirts twirled and Elvis’s hips shook the nation.
In 1956, Kitty Cunningham disappeared on the way to the Starlite Drive-In. Now the first real evidence of foul play is coming to light in the ghostly realm—and it links directly to a modern crime. Only a sleuth with one foot in the past can solve the mystery and make things right.
Armed with her wits and flanked by a wise-cracking gangster ghost, Verity explores the hidden side of 1950s Sugarland—from the haunting echoes of the abandoned drive-in to the dusty secrets of a long-forgotten mob vault. As she stirs spirits and secrets alike, she finds some corners of Sugarland’s history are darker and more dangerous than she ever imagined. Can Verity bring the truth to light, or will she be the next one to suffer death at the drive-in? (Amazon)
Review:
The characters are well rounded and well developed. I really like how the characters are growing and maturing throughout the books, even someone you would not expect. There is a lot going on in this book and much of it is not good for Frankie.
The author is very talented in her descriptive writing and these descriptions pulled me into the story from the very beginning. Whether I was watching Lucy run the obstacle course or Frankie and Verity arguing, I felt I was right there watching all the action taking place. The writing style flows smoothly and the book is an easy read.
I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a well written cozy mystery. Get this book and enjoy it.
I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book provided by the publisher, Author Collective 20, and NetGalley, which I greatly appreciate.
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