Review of Stamped Out

Stamped Out
A Mail Carrier Cozy Mystery, Book #1
Tonya Kappes
5 Stars

Synopsis:

Discover the southern life of Bernadette Butler, along with the eccentric and lovable citizens, along with all the fur babies, who live in Sugar Creek Gap in this NEW southern cozy mystery series by USA TODAY Bestselling Author Tonya Kappes.

Everyone in Sugar Creek Gap has tried to fix up widow and beloved mail carrier, Bernadette Davis on several dates. They say she has to be lonely.

What they don’t know is how Bernadette’s life is filled…filled with everyone’s hidden secrets and obsessions. After all, she does deliver their mail and hears all the dirty laundry southern folks love to sweep secrets under the rug.

While on her route, Bernadette finds out the beloved Sugar Creek Gap Country Club is being sold and turned into condos. The developer is Bernadette’s best friend, Mac Tabor and right now he’s not very popular.

The entire town is against the development and eager to vote it down, vowing they will do whatever needs to be done to stop the sell of the country club to Mac Tabor.

Chuck Shilling, majority owner of the country club, and Mac have a public fight because Chuck is rethinking of selling the club to Mac. When Chuck is found dead, Mac Tabor is the number one suspect.

Bernadette discovers she’s got a penchant for discovering clues that just might help STAMP OUT a killer who is on the loose while trying to save Mac Tabor from going to prison for a murder he didn’t commit. (Goodreads)

Review:

Stamped Out is the first book in a new series and it is a good one. It has everything that I look for in a cozy: great characters, an inviting setting and an engaging mystery.

The characters are well rounded and well developed. I enjoyed getting to meet Bernadette and her family and friends. I enjoyed the fact that she is a little older and has a family. That is a refreshing change from most of the cozies I read. The Front Porch Ladies were a hoot and added a lot to the story.

As is usual with this author, the setting was cozy southern and brought Sugar Creek Gap alive in my mind. The author is very talented in her descriptive writing and these descriptions pulled me into the story right from the very beginning.

I thought the mystery was well plotted and not easily solved. There were enough clues to sift through and suspects to consider. I was surprised to find out who the culprit was.

I would highly recommend this book (and all of the series written by this author) to anyone who enjoys a well crafted cozy mystery. I am looking forward to the next one in the series.

I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book and provided my honest review.

 

New Releases For The Week Of October 27th, 2019–Part 4

Here is a list of some of the new releases for the week of October 27th, 2019. I am going to divide the list into 4 days because there are so very many of them for the week. Today is the fourth and final day of my list for this week. Hope you find some selections for your weekly reading. Enjoy and happy reading.

 

 

Not every murder is by the book…

As Sugar Springs gears up for its all-class high school reunion, Mississippi bookstore owner Arlo Stanley prepares to launch her largest event: a book-signing with the town’s legendary alum and bestselling author, Wally Harrison. That’s when Wally is discovered dead outside of Arlo’s front door and her best friend is questioned for the crime.

When the elderly ladies of Arlo’s Friday Night Book Club start to investigate, Arlo has no choice but to follow behind to keep them out of trouble. Yet with Wally’s reputation, the suspect list only grows longer—his betrayed wife, his disgruntled assistant, even the local man who holds a grudge from a long-ago accident.

Between running interference with the book club and otherwise keeping it all together, Arlo anxiously works to get Chloe out of jail. And amidst it all, her one-time boyfriend-turned-private-eye returns to town, just another distraction while she digs to uncover the truth around Wally’s death and just what Sugar Springs secret could have led to his murder.  (Amazon)

Editions Available:  Kindle, Paperback

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ever been almost-beheaded by a snow-plow? Turned into an undead by a homeless vampire? Cheated and betrayed by your lying sack of s**t husband? Welcome to my life… or, more correctly, my crazy after-life.

To everyone behind the gates of our wealthy community in Charming, Mississippi, my husband and I were the Joneses everyone tried to keep up with. A beautiful house, the perfect gated community, two gorgeous kids, and a supposedly flawless marriage.

Until I came home and caught him rolling around in our bed, hip-deep in my best friend.

Which led to the aforementioned snow plow incident. I woke up with a fear of the sun and a propensity for drinking blood. Or in laymen’s terms, a vampire.

I thought vampires were supposed to be hot and irresistible. But my Maker smells like he just stepped out of a sewer and he has the appeal of a turd in a punch bowl.

But you know how life is as one of the Joneses…gotta keep up. Keep up appearances, that is.

I’ve swapped my Triple, Venti, Sugar-Free, Non-Fat Caramel Macchiato for a stainless steel rambler that keeps my O-Negative at the perfect room temperature. I can still manage the carpool lane, with the right sunglasses to hide my crazy eyes. But between daytime soccer games, a missing college student who might have been a vampire kill, trying not to drain my soon-to-be-ex-husband, and keeping my neighbors in the dark, I’m shaking in my Jimmy Choos. I’m not sure I can do this.

My name is Rachel Jones, and I’m the vampire housewife  (Amazon)

Editions Available:  Kindle

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Gathered in one volume for the very first time, here are three yuletide tales of mystery, murder, and romance, featuring your favorite sleuths . . .
 
THE TWELVE DESSERTS OF CHRISTMAS by JOANNE FLUKE
It’s the perfect mix of naughty and nice when two lovestruck boarding school teachers watch six kids over Christmas break. But when someone wants the cozy couple’s romance to burn out faster than a scorched fruitcake, it’s Hannah Swensen to the rescue, armed with her sleuthing
skills—and twelve deliciously festive recipes . . .

NIGHTMARE ON ELF STREET by LAURA LEVINE
Aside from the mortifying costume, how bad can a gig as a mall Santa’s elf be? Jaine Austen finds out when she’s teamed up with the Santa from Hell. But things go from bad to worse when he’s found murdered on the job—and Jaine is a suspect. Now all she wants for Christmas is to find the real killer . . .

THE CHRISTMAS THIEF by LESLIE MEIER
Elizabeth Stone is ready for a white Christmas in Tinker’s Cove, Maine—until a fancy Yule ball at the Florida hotel where she works dumps snow on her plans. The sponsor’s jewels have gone missing and the police are asking about her ties to a cute mystery guest. Good thing Elizabeth’s mother, Lucy Stone, flew down to surprise her. ‘Tis the season for a little investigating . . .

Includes Luscious Holiday Recipes!  (Amazon)

Editions Available:  Kindle, Paperback

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A PAGE-TURNING COSY MYSTERY SET IN THE PICTURESQUE CITY OF YORK. PERFECT FOR FANS OF BETTY ROWLANDS, LJ ROSS AND FAITH MARTIN.

It’s nearly Christmas in York, but it seems the season of goodwill hasn’t touched everyone…

When DS Charlotte Banks is suspended from the police on suspicion of assaulting a suspect in the burglary of a local bookshop, librarian Kitt Harley and her friend Evie Bowes refuse to believe she is guilty. But why is she being framed?

With Charlotte’s boss DI Malcolm Halloran unable to help, Evie decides to take matters into her own hands. Kitt takes little persuading to get involved too – after all, as well as Charlotte’s career to save, there are missing books to be found!

From the tightknit community of York’s booksellers, to the most gossipy bus route in the country, Kitt and Evie leave no stone unturned to get at the truth behind the burglary.

Then the discovery of a body raises the stakes even higher. For Evie, and now Kitt, this case is as personal as it gets. Can they catch the murderer in time to turn a bleak midwinter into something merry and bright?  (Amazon)

Editions Available:  Kindle, Hardcover, Paperback, Audiobook

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

When Catherine Cooper settles in the Hamptons on the heels of a nasty split from her long-time husband, the luxurious coastal community seems like the perfect place to get back on track in style. But as Cat soon discovers, starting fresh on the East End can be deadly . . .

Cat Cooper never imagined selling off her in-demand marketing firm would mean going from the pinnacle of success to a walking hot mess. Gouged from an unexpected divorce, Cat suddenly finds herself struggling through a new career as a business-savvy life coach for the hopelessly adrift in East Hampton and contending with Heather Holland—a spiteful neighbor who will do anything to bully her out of town. But her second act may very well continue behind bars when Heather’s dead body turns up next to a shattered punchbowl . . . and Cat’s pinned as the murderer.

But given Heather’s mean girl reputation, any one of the guests at her invite-only luncheon could have committed the crime before planting Cat’s punchbowl next to the body. Determined not to trade designer duds for an unflattering prison jumpsuit, Cat sides with her best friend Gilley to scour chic boutiques and oceanfront mansions in search of the criminal who framed her. With a stoic detective looking to get her in cuffs, it’s up to Cat to catch the real killer and land on her feet once again . . .  (Amazon)

Editions Available:  Kindle, Hardcover, Audiobook

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Black Sheep Knitters come to the aid of two sisters—one a victim and one a suspect . . .
 
Maggie Messina knows that knitting is not only enjoyable, it also calms both the mind and soul. She’s happy to visit two sisters, Holly and Rose Piper, and teach them some simple stitches, while the rest of the Black Sheep knitters tag along. Dana Haeger has known the young women since they were children and is the closest thing to family the Pipers now have. Dana is especially concerned about Rose, who has been easily overwhelmed ever since a car accident many years ago. She is at her best managing the houseful of hounds that she rescues and shelters, while Holly runs the family nursery and remains devoted to Rose’s care. The lesson goes well, but the knitters are troubled about the sisters living alone in such a remote corner of Plum Harbor.

Their worst fears are realized when Holly is attacked in her greenhouse and the building set ablaze. Rose is found unconscious nearby, her dogs running wild. When she wakes, her memory is blank. Holly is hospitalized and unable to offer even a clue. The Black Sheep suspect a mysterious drifter who had talked his way into a few days of wages, and just as quickly, disappeared. Or was it their estranged half-brother, Toby, full of family grievances and eager to make a claim on the estate? Or, heaven forbid . . . was it Rose? Hovering over all these questions like an ominous shadow is a dark secret from the sisters’ past.

While it seems everything is unraveling, the knitters will need to keep their wits as sharp as their needles to prove Rose’s innocence and stop a killer from striking again.  (Amazon)

Editions Available:  Kindle, Hardcover, Audiobook

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ten-year-old Hilda’s search for her missing friend has terrible consequences in this gripping psychological thriller.

When her friend Meda fails to turn up for dance class one evening, 10-year-old Hilda is convinced that something bad has happened to her, despite Meda’s family’s reassurances. Unable to shake off her concerns, Hilda turns to her mother, Molly, for help. Molly runs the Jolly Bonnet, a pub with links to the Whitechapel murders of a century before and a meeting place for an assortment of eccentrics drawn to its warm embrace. Among them is Lottie. Pathologist by day, vlogger by night, Lottie enlists the help of her army of online fans – and uncovers evidence that Meda isn’t the first young girl to go missing.

But Molly and Lottie’s investigations attract unwelcome attention. Two worlds are about to collide in a terrifying game of cat and mouse played out on the rain-lashed streets of London’s East End, a historic neighbourhood that has run red with the blood of innocents for centuries.  (Amazon)

Editions Available:  Kindle, Hardcover

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

What’s the scariest thing that can happen on Halloween? Murder.

Ruby Holmes is plenty excited to serve her cakes and goodies to the many trick-or-treaters in Carmel Springs, Maine. Halloween is here. Costumes range from fearsome to the funny, and when Ruby sees a clown jostling with a vampire to get to her cakes, she doesn’t think anything of it.

That is, until the corpse of the ‘vampire’ washes up on the beach, right in front of her food truck. Ruby’s not going to let this mystery go unsolved, even if it means annoying the local detective and the murderer themselves.

Can Ruby discover the identity of the killer clown? Or will he get the last laugh?  (Amazon)

Editions Available:  Kindle

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

When murder silences the Christmas cheer in charming Arborville, New Jersey, Pamela and her Knit and Nibble pals must unravel the most bone-chilling mystery this side of the North Pole . . .

Pamela has been in merry spirits since her artsy daughter Penny returned home from college for the holidays. But their mother-daughter bonding time gets cut short when a terrified Penny stumbles upon the dumped body of Millicent Farthingale, a wealthy craft shop owner who was popular for all the wrong reasons. From a scheming business partner to a seedy husband several years her junior, Millicent attracted scammers so in love with her assets, they’d toss her down a chimney to get their paws on them. Now, with only a hand-knit red scarf connecting the killer to the crime, Pamela and the Knit and Nibblers could use some extra creativity as they find out who’s really naughty or nice in Arborville—because going up against a looming culprit is DIY or die!

Knitting tips and delicious recipe included!  (Amazon)

Editions Available:  Kindle, Paperback, Audiobook

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cookies and corpses, not the picture-perfect Christmas Chris and Alicia Mallory had planned.

Recipe for a Christmas Murder

Take one gingerbread competition, one mayor looking for publicity, one egocentric celebrity chef and a killer with an axe to grind. Mix thoroughly for the perfect Christmas murder.

Well, almost perfect.

It’s one month until Christmas in Dunbarton and the town is buzzing with the news that a famous celebrity chef is coming to judge and televise the gingerbread competition at the new community centre. Confident that the event will attract hordes of food-loving visitors to town, the mayor has Dunbarton decked out in all its Christmas finery and directs Alicia and the deputy mayor to make sure everything runs smoothly.

All is going as planned until a body is found in the life-sized gingerbread house outside the community centre, with a gingerbread dove stuffed in the victim’s mouth. The distraught mayor once again calls on Alicia and Chris to solve the murder before it sounds a death-knell to the holiday festivities.

It’s not long before Alicia and Chris discover that it’s not all sugar and spice in the world of big-time baking and that one too many cookies can be the death of you.  (Amazon)

Editions Available:  Kindle, Paperback

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Haunted art is in the eye of the beholder . . .

Artist Celeste Cabot welcomes the chance to show her paintings at a craft fair in her hometown of Gatlinburg, Tennessee, where she and her Chihuahua, Van Gogh, can park her vintage Shasta trailer and sell her creations, too.

Unfortunately, her sales take a hit when a customer returns a painting, claiming it’s haunted. When a fellow vendor discovers images hidden in Celeste’s artwork—and a ghost pays her a late-night visit—she’s shocked to realize she has psychic abilities. After the grumpy manager of the craft fair is found with a knife in his neck, Celeste’s brushes with the paranormal may help fill in the picture—and make sure the wrong person doesn’t get framed . . .
 
Praise for Rose Pressey and the Haunted Vintage Mysteries

“Rose Pressey’s books are fun!”—Janet Evanovich
 
“Chock full of ghosts, cats possessed by spirits, a handsome police officer boyfriend, and tips on the afterlife and vintage shopping.” —Kirkus Reviews

“An appealing protagonist who is as sweet as a Southern accent.” —Library Journal
 
“A sheer delight.”
—Kate Carlisle  (Amazon)

Editions Available:  Kindle, Paperback

 

 

 

New Releases For The Week Of October 27th, 2019–Part 3

Here is a list of some of the new releases for the week of October 27th, 2019. I am going to divide the list into 4 days because there are so very many of them for the week. Today is the third day of my list for this week. Hope you find some selections for your weekly reading. Enjoy and happy reading.

 

Contractor Shannon Hammer is measuring murder motives in the latest Fixer-Upper Mystery from the New York Times bestselling author of A Wrench in the Works and Eaves of Destruction…

Shannon’s good friend and retired tech billionaire, Raphael Nash, is loving his new retired life but he can’t stay unoccupied for too long. He’s started the Marigold Foundation that helps fund small companies and individuals who do humanitarian work around the world. It’s an exciting time in Lighthouse Cove as Raphael hosts the first ever global conference inviting big thinkers from every area of industry to give presentations on eco-living.

Raphael’s old business partner arrives in town with a grudge and a plan to steal him away from his important new passion project. Shannon knows her friend has no intention of giving up Marigold and is proud of Raphael for sticking to his guns. But when his former associate winds up dead, all signs point to Raphael.

It’s up to Shannon to hammer out the details of the murder before her friend gets pinned for the crime…  (Amazon)

Editions Available:  Kindle, Paperback

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Moorestown General Hospital: Care so good some patients never leave. 

Meredith Brady and her team have three days to figure out if the old Moorestown General Hospital is haunted before the new owners tear it down. But this isn’t an ordinary eerie abode. Not only do tales of multiple spirits haunt these halls, but Meredith, Jess, and Russ also find evidence that someone may have tried to summon a demon. Someone who might have succeeded.

With time running out before the hospital’s secrets are lost forever, Meredith and her team venture back inside the hallowed halls because they might be the only ones who can find the truth about what happened, and what might still be happening, before it’s too late. Because once the hospital is destroyed, all Hell might, quite literally, break loose.  (Amazon)

Editions Available:  Kindle

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Saddle up for a trip to the Texas Hill Country…

Christie Taylor is ready for a break from work and life. She returns home to Comfort, Texas, only to be thrust into the middle of a land dispute and developers intent on gaining the Taylor Ranch property. When one of the developer’s employees dies on their property, Christie must extend her break to help her father. Christie sets out to find the killer before they strike again. But will the truth unravel everything?

If you love Texas, country life and pies, you’ll enjoy this humorous cozy mystery set in the beautiful hill country. Meet the characters who may remind you of your cantankerous grandpa or your quirky next-door neighbor. Pie Recipe included!
Buy Death Takes a Break and get roped in to a your new favorite cozy series.  (Amazon)

Editions Available:  Kindle

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In a taut, brilliantly twisted new thriller from bestselling author Lisa Black, forensics expert Maggie Gardiner and Cleveland detective Jack Renner investigate the bizarre murder of a senator with secrets to hide…
 
Three days before a key election, U.S. Senator Diane Cragin is electrocuted on her own doorstep—a shocking twist in an already brutal political race. Cragin’s chief of staff is quick to blame rival Joey Green, a city development director who’s had his hand in every till in town for over twenty years.

Maggie and Jack have their own theories, especially after discovering a fortune in cash in the senator’s safe. But as they follow the money through the treacherous landscape of Cleveland politics, they find many more millions in play—and more suspects.

As Jack says, “Anyone can be dangerous, when they have what they think is a good reason.” He should know. Now a Herald reporter is perilously close to discovering the truth about Jack’s penchant for acting as both detective and executioner. With each passing hour, the stresses of the impending election expose new fractures and corruption at the city’s highest levels. And as one murder leads to another, and another, Maggie and Jack’s only hope of stopping a killer is an alliance that’s growing ever more fragile.  (Amazon)

Editions Available:  Kindle, Hardcover, Paperback, Audiobook

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I’m Everly Dupree, and I help the dead find peace whether I want to or not.

This year, all I wanted for Christmas was a little peace and quiet, some time with family, and a glass of eggnog.

What I didn’t need was the ghost of my married past to rear its ugly head, or a ghost from the present to show up. If I’m going to have any future, I’ll need to lay all the ghosts to rest.

The Haunted Everly After series featuring the spunky Everly Dupree is a cozy mystery with a hint of the supernatural.  (Amazon)

Editions Available:  Kindle

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Previously published in the collection Egg Nog Murder.

‘Twas the week before Christmas, and Julia Snowden’s escape from New York has just hit a snag. Fresh off accidentally poisoning half her colleagues with her “Killer Eggnog,” Julia’s would-be subletter, Imogen Geinkes, is now jobless and homeless—leading Julia to invite the young woman home for the holidays in Maine. But when they unload the rental truck in Busman’s Harbor, they find something that wasn’t on anyone’s packing list: the body of Imogen’s former boyfriend.
 
Suddenly, the wordplay in Imogen’s name—“I’m a jinx”—isn’t so adorable. But for all the calamities that follow in Imogen’s wake, Julia’s certain she’s no killer. As Julia digs into the case, the appearance of the ex’s brother—his identical twin—doubles the confusion. Has Imogene been double-crossed by an evil twin? Was the eggnog “accident” no accident at all? If Julia doesn’t unwrap the murderer’s true identity soon, one of the twelve days of Christmas could be her last . . .

Praise for Steamed Open

“Sure to appeal to readers who treasure the Maine coast, Ross’s latest continues the lives and minor dramas of her fictionalized version of Boothbay Harbor with amiable characters.”
—Kirkus Reviews  (Amazon)

Editions Available:  Kindle

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Death, and Helen Lightholder, return to Brookminster with the murder of the village vicar. As Helen investigates the ghastly crime, she soon finds herself a suspect of the local police. To clear her name and protect her friends, Helen must discover the truth and outwit a devious killer.

But Helen’s personal life is not without its own mysteries and one of them continues to stalk her in the shadows…  (Amazon)

Editions Available:  Kindle

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Marie Jenner just wants things to stay the same

Life is finally starting to look up for Marie. Her brand-new business—moving on ghosts for actual money—is taking off. Her relationship with James Lavall is rock solid. All she has to do is find the last two poltergeists from the ball diamond and move them on to the next plane of existence and, as far as she’s concerned, everything will be perfect.

The problem is, life has a way of kicking Marie in the teeth. Patrick Whitecroft, professional psychic debunker, shows up at the Jimmy Lavall Detective agency. He’s out to prove that she’s a fake—live, on TV—and he doesn’t care who he hurts to do it. Even worse, he has over a hundred desperate spirits bound to him, and they want something completely different. They want to be saved.

As Marie tries to help the spirits and keep Patrick from dismantling her life, she finally finds the poltergeists. But they’re not interested in moving on. They want Patrick Whitecroft’s spirits for themselves. If Marie can’t figure out a way to move all the spirits on to the next plane of existence, the poltergeists will happily take them, so they can create an army bent on revenge.

Looks like Marie’s life is going to get interesting. Again.  (Amazon)

Editions Available:  Kindle, Paperback

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sisters Bernie and Libby Simmons are reunited with a distant relative who wants them to cater a New Year’s Eve event—and help find a guilty party . . .
 
It’s been years since Bernie and Libby’s parents became estranged from Ada Sinclair’s side of the family—though the reasons for the rift are lost to history. The sisters, however, are intrigued when Ada makes contact. She tells them about the long-ago deaths of her father and his business partner, which happened within hours of each other—and were both ruled accidental.

Ada thinks otherwise—and has a plan. On New Year’s Eve, she’ll gather a group of guests and read from a diary she’s found in her mother’s attic that she thinks will expose the culprit. The Simmons sisters agree to provide refreshments for the bash, and when the night arrives, Ada’s ready to count down to a confession. But as midnight approaches, a guest drops dead. It looks like the menu tonight includes champagne and cyanide . . .

In the tumult, the diary disappears. When Ada is arrested for murder, she’ll have to hope that Bernie and Libby can provide a resolution before the clock runs out.

Includes Original Recipes for You to Try!  (Amazon)

Editions Available:  Kindle, Hardcover, Audiobook

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A moment of unexpected brilliance in response to an age old question is a win in the relationship advice business, but when Hollywood comes calling because of it, Beatrice Montoya’s minor win opens the door to a string of baffling losses.

Huge offers, dozens of phone calls, and interviews with the media sound promising… until they’re not.

When Bea signs with a top Hollywood agent, she thinks the pressure will ease, but unfortunately, the new agent is more diva than dynamo. Within a matter of seconds, they butt heads. Soon, their behind-closed-doors debates turn into public spectacles.

Shortly after a caught-on-camera feud, the agent is dead and the real media frenzy begins.

With the who’s who of Hollywood elite and a chorus line of the agent’s high-maintenance clients desperate for answers, it’s all Bea can do to keep her head straight. She just may have to enlist help, but calling in the “witch squad” won’t guarantee a happy ending.

Can she find the real murderer and clear her name or is this one problem magic can’t solve?

This is the second book in the Beatrice Montoya Mystery Series about a family of out-of-practice witches with Hollywood connections and more enemies than they can count.  (Amazon)

Editions Available:  Kindle

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Discover the southern life of Bernadette Butler, along with the eccentric and lovable citizens, along with all the fur babies, who live in Sugar Creek Gap in this NEW southern cozy mystery series by USA TODAY Bestselling Author Tonya Kappes. Don’t miss out on the good RECIPES at the end of the book!

Everyone in Sugar Creek Gap has tried to fix up widow and beloved mail carrier, Bernadette Davis on several dates. They say she has to be lonely.

What they don’t know is how Bernadette’s life is filled…filled with everyone’s hidden secrets and obsessions. After all, she does deliver their mail and hears all the dirty laundry southern folks love to sweep secrets under the rug.

While on her route, Bernadette finds out the beloved Sugar Creek Gap Country Club is being sold and turned into condos. The developer is Bernadette’s best friend, Mac Tabor and right now he’s not very popular.

The entire town is against the development and eager to vote it down, vowing they will do whatever needs to be done to stop the sell of the country club to Mac Tabor.

Chuck Shilling, majority owner of the country club, and Mac have a public fight because Chuck is rethinking of selling the club to Mac. When Chuck is found dead, Mac Tabor is the number one suspect.

Bernadette discovers she’s got a penchant for discovering clues that just might help STAMP OUT a killer who is on the loose while trying to save Mac Tabor from going to prison for a murder he didn’t commit.  (Amazon)

Editions Available:  Kindle

 

Review of Dogs Don’t Lie

Dogs Don’t Lie
Lisa Shay
5 Stars

 

Synopsis:

 

On call at Crater Emergency Animal Hospital, I, Doctor Kallie Collins, receive a curious request from the sheriff’s department. I’m to meet with a detective at a small ranch outside of town.

You see, there’s this dog with a bone he’s not willing to part with.
On scene, the dog tells me the bone is human. Actually, he shows me the location of the body, complete with a human skull, through an animal-communication technique I learned a couple years ago. Now I have to explain how this works to the detective, convincing him I’m not the murderer.
Who knew a simple farm visit would put me in the middle of a murder investigation? Well, I did kinda jump into this mess. I had to. I know what happened. The two four-legged witnesses to the murder told me.
And I’m the only one listening. (Goodreads)

 

 

Review:

I am so glad that I read this book, I enjoyed it so much. The characters are great, the animals adorable and the mystery hard to solve. What more can you ask for?

The characters are well developed and well rounded. Kallie is a vet who happens to be able to talk with animals. What a great ability to have, especially in her line of work. I enjoyed meeting Kallie and her friends and the animals added so much. Sam, Grace and Kallie find themselves in plenty of hot water and made for some very funny moments.

The author is very talented in her descriptive writing and through much of the book I felt like I was right there, watching all the action taking place. The writing style flows smoothly and the book is a quick easy read. The mystery was well plotted and there were enough clues to sift through and red herrings thrown in and it was not easy to solve.

I highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a well crafted cozy mystery. I really hope this is the start of a series because I want to spend more time with Kallie and her friends and animals.

I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book provided by the publisher and NetGalley, which I greatly appreciate.

 

New Releases For The Week Of October 27th, 2019–Part 2

Here is a list of some of the new releases for the week of October 27th, 2019. I am going to divide the list into 4 days because there are so very many of them for the week. Today is the second day of my list for this week. Hope you find some selections for your weekly reading. Enjoy and happy reading.

 

Jill Gardner has left her book-and-coffee shop behind to spend Thanksgiving week in coastal Oregon with her cop boyfriend, her golden retriever Emma, and a crowd of friends and family. But before the feast can start, foul play interrupts their vacation . . .
 
The rented house was supposed to be a relaxing getaway. But Jill and her companions feel a sense of danger instead. First, they learn that their hosts’ son had a fiancée, but her disappearance remains unexplained—and then they meet some menacing members of a local trail-riding club. When one of Jill and Greg’s friends finds human remains amid the dunes—with a diamond ring around one mummified finger—things start heating up fast, and they’ll be thankful just to survive through the long weekend . . .

Praise for The Tourist Trap Mysteries

“Murder, dirty politics, pirate lore, and a hot police detective: Guidebook to Murder has it all! A cozy lover’s dream come true.”
—Susan McBride, author of The Debutante Dropout Mysteries

“Lynn Cahoon has created an absorbing, good fun mystery in Mission to Murder.”—Fresh Fiction  (Amazon)

Editions Available:  Kindle

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

London 1924. While investigating the theft of a priceless necklace, Lady Eleanor Bakewell spends an evening at the theatre, but her enjoyment is curtailed by the discovery of the body of Sir David Bristol, the play’s benefactor, in the box next to her own.

Determined not to get involved, Eleanor is reluctantly forced to look into the case following requests by the murdered man’s mistress and a major in Military Intelligence.

When she discovers a connection between the string of pearls and the murder, Eleanor is faced with her hardest case yet, and a gang of spies who will stop at nothing to silence her.  (Amazon)

Editions Available:  Kindle

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Are you ready for Amelia’s yearly Halloween spell?

Marina is back in town to demand the yearly Halloween spell from Amelia.
After Alder brews up a deal, Marina changes the spell request.
And that’s when it all starts.

Another fun witch cozy mystery!
Do you like witch cozy mysteries, psychics, and paranormal, supernatural mystery and suspense books? You will love this cozy series!  (Amazon)

Editions Available:  Kindle

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Marriage, Menace, and Murder!

Is it just coincidence that a body turns up in the park the same day as Maddie’s mom arrives in Maple Falls?

And who is the dark stranger wandering about on the streets of her home town?

Preparations for a surprise seventieth birthday celebration for Gran are jeopardized when Maddie’s absentee parent shows up unannounced. Devoted to her grandmother, Maddie won’t allow her mom to ruin things like she usually does.

With three generations at logger-heads, a murderer to find, and a party to organize, life is about to get crazy.

If you love your eclairs with a side of mystery, click the buy button today!

The Maple Lane Mysteries are light, cozy mysteries featuring a quirky cat-loving bakery owner who discovers she’s a talented amateur sleuth.
No swearing, gore or graphic scenes.

Book 1 Apple Pie and Arsenic

Book 2 Bagels and Blackmail

Book 3 Cookies and Chaos

Book 4 Doughnuts and Disaster

Book 5 Eclairs and Extortion

Cheryl is a USA Today bestselling author from beautiful Auckland, New Zealand with two alter egos: C.A. Phipps who writes cozy mysteries and Cheryl Phipps who writes contemporary romance.

She loves stories filled with feisty heroines, suave heroes, and wonderful small towns, and crafting her own heart-warming tales of strong family ties, mixed in with a little romance, humor, and delicious baking!  (Amazon)

Editions Available:  Kindle

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

When Cherringham’s Council debates selling the historic village hall for development as a luxury restaurant and hotel, all of Cherringham is up in arms; some seeing the sale as needed, others deeply opposed. For many, the centuries-old hall is the very heart of the community! But when the leader of the protestors is attacked after a raucous meeting and death threats are made, Jack and Sarah are asked to investigate. Can they find a possible killer before the crucial Council vote? And maybe stop a murder?

Set in the sleepy English village of Cherringham, the detective series brings together an unlikely sleuthing duo: English web designer Sarah and American ex-cop Jack. Thrilling and deadly – but with a spot of tea – it’s like Rosamunde Pilcher meets Inspector Barnaby. Each of the self-contained episodes is a quick read for the morning commute, while waiting for the doctor, or when curling up with a hot cuppa.

Co-authors Neil Richards (based in the UK) and Matthew Costello (based in the US), have been writing together since the mid 90’s, creating content and working on projects for the BBC, Disney Channel, Sony, ABC, Eidos, and Nintendo to name but a few. Their transatlantic collaboration has underpinned scores of TV drama scripts, computer games, radio shows, and the successful crime fiction series Cherringham.  (Amazon)

Editions Available:  Kindle

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

November 1925

Violet and Victor are called to London by the most unexpected of people–Lady Eleanor. She’s in trouble and when the chips are down, she turns for help to the stepdaughter she’d alienated and the stepson she barely tolerates.

Will they find it within themselves to help her? And if so, what will they do with what they find?

The Violet Carlyle Series
Murder & the Heir
Murder at Kennington House
Murder at the Folly
A Merry Little Murder
New Year’s Madness: A Short Story Anthology
Valentine’s Madness: A Short Story Anthology
Murder Among the Roses
Murder in the Shallows
Gin & Murder
Obsidian Murder
Murder at the Ladies Club
Weddings Vows & Murder
A Jazzy Little Murder
Murder by Chocolate
A Friendly Little Murder
Murder by the Sea
Murder On All Hallows
Murder in the Shadows
A Jolly Little Murder
Christmas Madness: A Short Story Anthology
Hijinks & Murder  (Amazon)

Editions Available:  Kindle

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A laugh-out-loud cozy paranormal romance.
​
Ellery Winther has always been as refreshing as a cool glass of southern sweet tea.
​
That’s why the dead like her so much–and she likes them right back–but they’re everywhere, and they won’t. Shut. Up.
​
Except for Carrow Holland–a family friend who disappeared without a trace–that witch ain’t talking.
​
To find her friend, Elle must accept help from an unlikely source–a witch from a rival coven.
​
Tyr Stone is handsome, powerful… and her enemy’s son.
​
Can these star-crossed lovers find the vanished souls of Whisper Grove, or will they join the ranks of the missing?  (Amazon)

Editions Available:  Kindle

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Christmas has come to Tinker’s Cove, Maine, and sleuthing skills are at the top of Lucy’s Stone’s wish list in these two beloved mysteries—now collected in one festive volume for the very first time! . . .
 
NEW YEAR’S EVE MURDER
 
After the annual parade of Christmas presents in Tinker’s Cove has ended, Lucy Stone and her daughter are ready to ring in the new year in style. Elizabeth has won mother/daughter winter makeovers in Manhattan from Jolie magazine! But the all-expenses-paid trip is bound to have some hidden costs—and one of them is murder. Soon it will be up to Lucy to dress down a killer before the ball drops in Times Square . . . 

CHRISTMAS CAROL MURDER

Lucy Stone is excited about acting in the town’s production of A Christmas Carol. But a real-life Scrooge has everyone feeling frosty. While Tinker’s Cove has fallen on hard times, Downeast Mortgage owners Jake Marlowe and Ben Scribner are raking in profits from misfortune. So when Marlowe is murdered, the suspects are many. But Scribner claims Marlowe’s ghost has come to warn him of his own impending demise—and he’s soon receiving death threats. Now Lucy will have to solve the case faster than she can say “Bah! Humbug!”. .  (Amazon)

Editions Available:  Kindle, Paperback

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

FROM THE INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLING AUTHOR OF THE DCI RYAN MYSTERIES

 

There’s a killer inside all of us…

 

After an elite criminal profiling unit is shut down amidst a storm of scandal and mismanagement, only one person emerges unscathed. Forensic psychologist Doctor Alexander Gregory has a reputation for being able to step inside the darkest minds to uncover whatever secrets lie hidden there and, soon enough, he finds himself drawn into the murky world of murder investigation.

 

In the beautiful hills of County Mayo, Ireland, a killer is on the loose. Panic has a stranglehold on its rural community and the Garda are running out of time. Gregory has sworn to follow a quiet life but, when the call comes, can he refuse to help their desperate search for justice?

 

Murder and mystery are peppered with dark humour in this fast-paced thriller set amidst the spectacular Irish landscape.

 

“LJ Ross keeps company with the best mystery writers” – The Times

 

“A literary phenomenon” – Evening Chronicle

 

“LJ Ross is the Queen of Kindle” – Sunday Telegraph  (Amazon)

Editions Available:  Kindle, Paperback, Audiobook

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Escape to Witch’s Forge, a magical town tucked deep in the heart of Tennessee’s Smoky Mountains. Only Witch’s Forge isn’t a supernatural paradise—here spells backfire, kudzu bites and magic is broken.

When Charming Calhoun matches a witch to three eligible bachelors, she doesn’t think much of it—until one of the matches turns out to be Thorne Blackwood, Witch’s Forge’s handsome police chief and resident vampire.

Charming hates to admit it, but she’s jealous. Even though she has blossoming feelings for Thorne, Charming has a job to do. As the official town matchmaker, she must ensure the eligible bachelorette has a chance to date the vampire.

Yet when Mayor Dixon decides to turn the matchmaking into a reality show spectacle, strange things start to happen.

First, the bachelorette receives a threatening letter, then someone throws a hair dryer into a hot tub. Is someone trying to kill the bachelorette? Or is it all coincidence?

Worse, will Thorne fall for her? Or will he and Charming finally get together?

Find out now!  (Amazon)

Editions Available:  Kindle

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In the lean years following World War I, brash American adventuress Beryl Helliwell and prim and proper Brit Edwina Davenport form a private inquiry agency to make ends meet, hoping that crime does indeed pay . . .
 
The latest occurrence to disturb the peace in the quaint English village of Walmsley Parva hits rather too close to home—in fact, the prime suspect has taken up residence in Edwina’s potting shed. Her elderly gardener Simpkins has been secretly sleeping there after a row with his disreputable brother-in-law and housemate, Hector Lomax.

When Hector is found murdered in the local churchyard, Constable Gibbs comes looking for Simpkins, who was last seen arguing with his kin in the pub the night before. Based on the sad state of her garden, Edwina has grave doubts that the shiftless Simpkins could muster the effort to murder anyone. The two sleuths throw themselves into weeding out suspects and rooting out the real killer.

But this is no garden variety murder. The discovery of a valuable ring, a surprise connection to Colonel Kimberly’s Condiment Company, and a second homicide all force Beryl and Edwina to play catch-up as they relish the chance to contain the culprit . . .  (Amazon)

Editions Available:  Kindle, Hardcover, Audiobook

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A funny and cozy paranormal mystery series set on the shore of friendly Cutter’s Cove.

The luxury cruise taken by Amanda and the gang didn’t go exactly as planned, but in the spirit of making lemonade from lemons, Amanda and Trevor decided to spend a few days touring the San Juan Islands. Unfortunately, before the gang even arrives back in Seattle, Amanda receives a call from Woody asking for help.

It seems that a local social worker was shot in her driveway after returning home from work. The woman is fighting for her life in the local hospital and Woody is desperately trying to figure out who shot her. Woody hopes that Amanda, who has the ability to talk to ghosts, will be able to expand that ability and speak to the woman who is clinging to life in a coma. Amanda doubts Woody’s plan will work but after everything Woody has done to help her she feels she needs to at least try, so she heads home.

Once she arrives home she begins having visions of another man being shot. When the man is shot and killed just as she’d imagined she begins to wonder if her powers haven’t involved to include premonitions.  (Amazon)

Editions Available:  Kindle, Paperback

New Releases For The Week Of October 27th, 2019–Part 1

Here is a list of some of the new releases for the week of October 27th, 2019. I am going to divide the list into 4 days because there are so very many of them for the week. Today is the first day of my list for this week. Hope you find some selections for your weekly reading. Enjoy and happy reading.

 

England, 1919. In Anna Lee Huber’s latest mystery, former Secret Service agent Verity Kent is finding that life after wartime offers its own share of danger . . .
 
The Great War may be over, but for many, there are still obstacles on the home front. Reconciling with her estranged husband makes Verity sympathetic to her friend Ada’s marital difficulties. Bourgeois-bred Ada, recently married to the Marquess of Rockham, is overwhelmed trying to navigate the ways of the aristocracy. And when Lord Rockham is discovered shot through the heart with a bullet from Ada’s revolver, Verity fears her friend has made a fatal blunder.

While striving to prove Ada’s innocence, Verity is called upon for another favor. The sister of a former Secret Service colleague has been killed in what authorities believe was a home invasion gone wrong. The victim’s war work—censoring letters sent by soldiers from the front—exposed her to sensitive, disturbing material. Verity begins to suspect these two unlikely cases may be linked. But as the connections deepen, the consequences—not just for Verity, but for Britain—grow more menacing than she could have imagined.
 
Praise for Anna Lee Huber’s Treacherous Is the Night
 
“A thrilling mystery that supplies its gutsy heroine with plenty of angst-ridden romance.”
—Kirkus Reviews
 
“A splendid sequel. . . . Huber combines intricate puzzles with affecting human drama.”
—Publishers Weekly
 
“Masterful. . . . Just when you think the plot will zig, it zags. . . . Deeply enjoyable.”
—Criminal Element  (Amazon)

Editions Available:  Kindle, Paperback, Audiobook

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A little sweet tea and a whole lot of spells won’t always put out the fire…

Welcome to Jewell, NC, a small strip of land on the Crystal Coast with no stop signs or traffic lights, but it’s got a whole lot of magic. Ruby Mae Jewell helps run the family business of selling antiques and refurbished goods. But with old objects, you never know when one of them possesses more than just dust and cobwebs.

With the help of her family, friends, and vampire boyfriend, Rue helps to keep those items out of human hands at whatever the cost. But when someone dies on her property, maybe the price is too high!

Will her fiery personality and powers be able to solve the mystery before anyone else gets hurt or will Ruby Mae’s efforts to solve the murder go up in smoke?

Find out in Flea Market Magic: Book 1 of Southern Relics Cozy Mysteries!  (Amazon)

Editions Available:  Kindle

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A handsome movie star in her kitchen, and a corpse in the swimming pool. Just your typical Monday morning.

—

Maggie McJasper is starting over in a little California beach town. She has a craft shop, a nice circle of friends, and a movie star who keeps flirting with her. Life would be pretty great if she could just stop stumbling over dead bodies….

Carita Cove romantic mysteries are fun and flirty reads, with no swearing or love scenes, and no gruesome violence to keep you up at night. Collect them all:

—

Books by Barbara Cool Lee

THE CARITA COVE MYSTERIES:

1. Maggie and the Black-Tie Affair
2. Maggie and the Inconvenient Corpse
3. Maggie and the Mourning Beads
4. Maggie and the Empty Noose
5. Maggie and the Huichol Homicide
6. Maggie and the Whiskered Witness

THE PAJARO BAY MYSTERIES:

1. Honeymoon Cottage
2. Boardwalk Cottage
3. Lighthouse Cottage
4. Little Fox Cottage
5. Rum Cake Cottage
6. Songbird Cottage
7. Sunshine Cottage  (Amazon)

Editions Available:  Kindle

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cream tea, a curious cat… and a rather mysterious murder?

It’s been a quiet few weeks on the crime front in Somerset and Sukey Reynolds is starting to wonder if all the villains have gone on holiday. Although Sukey loves solving crimes, she’s happy to have a bit of extra time to spend with the handsome journalist who lives just around the corner…

But when she is summoned to charming Sycamore House it seems that Sukey has tempted fate. Sitting amongst well-tended grounds bordered by trees, with a view of rolling hills in the distance, this stylish set of apartments is usually home to little more than spirited disagreements between members of the neighbourhood committee. Until the body of Fenella Tremaine, one of their residents, is discovered by the caretaker in the garden…

The police quickly close in on Marcus Ellerman, a neighbour and colleague of Fenella’s, with whom she often crossed swords, both in and out of the office. When his distinctive ornamental dagger is found to be the murder weapon, the case seems closed.

But Sukey has a hunch that the police are barking up the wrong tree and decides to dig deeper into Fenella’s past. Sukey’s investigations turn up an estranged daughter, Fenella’s secret affair with the owner of a local care home, and a neighbour’s cat with a sixth sense for danger. But who is the killer? Can Sukey unmask the true villain of Sycamore House, before any more lives are lost?

Can’t get enough of murder mysteries by Agatha Christie, P.D. James and Faith Martin? Then you’ll love this absolutely unputdownable whodunnit from the queen of cozy crime!

This book was previously published as Unnatural Wastage.

Readers love Death at Sycamore House!

‘I HIGHLY RECOMMEND THIS BOOK AND SERIES.’ Goodreads Reviewer ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

‘5 stars! Another superb Sukey Reynolds mystery to snuggle up with. I’ve really been enjoying this series… Readers will enjoy guessing who the killer is and following Sukey as she unravels the mystery. Highly recommend and can’t wait for the next book!’

‘A page-turner you will not want to put down. There is plenty of police procedure and duplicitous suspects. The final reveal is shocking. Another fine mystery in a series of fine mysteries… I love this series.’ Goodreads Reviewer ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

‘Love this series, I was drawn right in… Each time a new book in the series is released, I take a mini vacation from real life, curl up on my reading chair and enter Sukey Reynolds’s life her next investigation. This one has red herrings and twists and turns – highly entertaining already looking forward to the next.’ NetGalley Reviewer ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

‘Fantastic cozy mystery from Betty Rowlands… I love Sukey Reynolds… Lots of twists and turns and things are not always as they appear. Great book that kept had me reading well into the night to see how it ends.’ Goodreads Reviewer ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

‘Great story by an author I enjoy, in a series I cannot get enough of… Really enjoyed this one. Highly recommend if you like cozy murder mysteries.’ Goodreads Reviewer ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

‘Another brilliant read, worthy of more than 5 stars.’ Goodreads Reviewer ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

‘I thoroughly enjoyed this book… Would recommend it to anyone who enjoys a good cozy crime series with a reassuringly familiar cast and brilliant storylines.’ Goodreads Reviewer

‘Engaging… I was quite surprised by the reveal which I love. I wasn’t even close to guessing who did it. I enjoy this classic cozy mystery series and look forward to reading more in the future.’ Goodreads Reviewer

‘The ending completely surprised me… I would definitely recommend reading this.’ Goodreads Reviewer ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️  (Amazon)

Editions Available:  Kindle

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A gift that’s too good to be true. A murder she didn’t commit. A barista in a latte trouble…

Mitzy Moon believes she’s an orphan, so she’s dumbstruck when a special delivery to her low-rent apartment reveals a family. But her shock turns to awe when she discovers her grandmother left her a fortune and a bookshop of rare tomes brimming with magic.

No sooner does she set foot in the quirky village of Pin Cherry Harbor to claim her inheritance, than the handsome sheriff catches her standing over a corpse. Desperate to prove her innocence, she’s forced to accept help from her granny’s entitled cat and a spirit from beyond the grave.

Can Mitzy and her otherworldly helpers uncover the real killer before the long, sexy arm of the law hauls her to jail?

Fries and Alibis is the first book in the hilarious paranormal cozy mystery series, Mitzy Moon Mysteries. If you like amateur sleuths, small town intrigue, and a dash of the supernatural, then you’ll love Trixie Silvertale’s twisty whodunit.

Buy Fries and Alibis to serve up the guilty today!  (Amazon)

Editions Available:  Kindle, Paperback

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Food blogger Hope Early finds one item not on her scavenger hunt list—a dead husband . . .

Between developing her food blog, Hope at Home, and choosing low-cal recipes for a feature in Cooking Now! magazine, Hope has a full plate. Still, she’s never too busy to compete in a Jefferson, Connecticut, tradition—the town’s annual scavenger hunt.

But as she races with her team to check off the next item, Hope discovers a grisly surprise—the body of shady real estate developer Lionel Whitcomb, shot in a parking lot. His wife Elaine, who’s also in the hunt, gasps and nearly faints. But two other women on the scene cry out that their husband is dead.

It turns out this louse of a spouse was more than a little lax in legally divorcing his former wives. Did one of them put a bullet in the bigamist? Number one suspect and number three wife Elaine begs Hope to investigate. Now Hope is on a new kind of hunt—for a cold-hearted killer and triple widow-maker . . .

Includes Recipes from Hope’s Kitchen!  (Amazon)

Editions Available:  Kindle. Paperback

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ever wonder where fairytales are born? From divine reality, of course!

It’s Halloween, witch Destiny Maganti’s favorite holiday. Every year, she heads up the Enchanted Coast costume party, but this year, she’s been invited to the Angel’s Ball, a luxury affair that no mortal has ever attended. Though she’d much rather eat candy and hang out with Valkyries, faeries, mermaids, and selkies at her resort, she doesn’t have much choice. After all, it’s not every day that a real, honest-to-heaven angel breaks all the rules in your honor.

After agonizing over a costume and oohing and awwing over the grandeur of the angelic palace where the ball will be held, Destiny starts to notice some serious parallels between what she knows as fairytales and the real-life truth of one of the women she meets. The only problem is that, as usual, whoever spread the stories got them wickedly wrong. The evil stepsisters aren’t so bad after all, but that prince – he’s a real tool.

When her new friend falls victim to a curse, Destiny has until midnight on Halloween eve to break it or risk losing the beautiful angel princess to eternal slumber.

Dark angels, poisoned apples, and ancient curses? Pht. Those angels have obviously never stood between a witch and her candy corn. Look out deities – Destiny Maganti’s in the palace, and she’s about to show you what southern charm really means!  (Amazon)

Editions Available:  Kindle

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It’s all candy cane cupcakes and peppermint coffee until you find a dead elf on your doorstep.

Only the elf wasn’t a real elf, because elves don’t actually exist – not even at Christmas time. A college student dressed like an elf decided taking a nap in sub-zero winter temps was a good idea. It wasn’t. Anna, the pink-haired baker extraordinaire of Callie’s Cakes, is convinced the student’s death was not an accident. She drags Callie and Kristie along with her as she attempts to discover who killed the elf … um… student.

Will the gals of Callie’s Cakes find the killer before Christmas is ruined?

Cupcakes not included, although you’ll find recipes for all the delicious Christmas cupcakes Anna baked.  (Amazon)

Editions Available:  Kindle

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Just when Denver’s catering diva Candace Kane thought she had recovered from the trauma of losing both her parents in her youth, her sense of security is diced and flambéed when she gets a mysterious late-night call from the man who raised her. Rushing from her concerned business partner’s side at a culinary event, she reaches her uncle Dan too late. Candace finds him unconscious on the floor of his estate in a coma. But she soon suspects it was no accident.

As things heat up between Candace and her sous chef Anton, numerous suspects fall under scrutiny. Between catering events, an old flame and her friend’s knack for the dramatic, she attempts to find her uncle’s attacker. Will she ever discover how murder made it on the menu?

The table is set in this fast-paced, intrigue-filled story. Readers who enjoy Nancy Naigle’s romance and suspense will relish this cozy culinary mystery featuring an accidental female sleuth.  (Amazon)

Editions Available:  Kindle

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The first book in the Grace Pointe Cozy Mystery Series!

“Fiction is a waste of time.”

The heated comment made by a church library ministry team member shocks MacKenzie Baker, but it quickly becomes the least of her worries.

MacKenzie Baker is an impetuous, eavesdropping small-town librarian who lives in the apartment above the parsonage garage and refuses to be defined as the pastor’s single sister. She thought she was happy for years re-shelving books and helping patrons find their next great read, but as she turns forty, she suddenly struggles to figure out what more to do with her life. Solving murders in her small town of Grace Pointe wasn’t a part of her plan…until she and her brother find a local judge who had come to Pastor Baker for counseling murdered in his chambers, hit over the head with a massive volume of the Indiana Code.

Now, to clear the name of a family friend, she begins to work with the handsome criminal justice professor Ian Canter. Even though the detective with the chocolate brown eyes tells her to stick with making casseroles for the church pitch-in, she soon discovers the Judge’s scheming wife, his rebellious teen daughter, a network of lawyers in Grace Point who were disgruntled with the Judge, and even secrets that lurk among the library ministry team. But with the help of her new kitten Mr. Darcy, her best friend Callie, and her always-pastoring brother, MacKenzie debates the pros and cons of attending law school mid-life while she searches out a killer.

Welcome to Grace Pointe… where most of the people are friendly, the church is to die for, and the sleuthing is as strong as the coffee.

This cozy mystery is a clean read and does not contain foul language, sex, gore, or graphic scenes of any kind.

Read for FREE on Kindle Unlimited.  (Amazon)

Editions Available:  Kindle

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Josiah Reynolds and her girlfriend had just seen a movie and were going home when they discover a dead body. Why does this always happen to Josiah?
She learns the dead man was a reporter and a stranger to the Bluegrass. The police believe his death is due to a botched robbery, but Josiah thinks otherwise and begins snooping around.
When Detective Drake tells Josiah to back off, Josiah’s forensic psychiatrist boyfriend, Hunter, comes to the rescue and hires her to help investigate the case. Now Josiah has carte blanche to all the reports concerning the case, and they bear out her theory of what really happened to the dead reporter, but no one will listen.
Josiah makes it her mission to unearth evidence that will prove her theory. She begins the dangerous game of finding out the truth in a world that hides its secrets among antebellum mansions, oak-cured bourbon, and million dollar horses grazing in emerald pastures. This is the world of the Bluegrass—a world of wealth, privilege, and now murder!  (Amazon)

Editions Available:  Kindle

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A haunted mansion in a beautiful town… A chilling ghost awaiting for his next prey… Throw in a newbie witch realtor!

FREE on Kindle Unlimited!

Fio Valentine is starting to settle into her sometimes vexing job in the Haunted and Hexed Properties Management Department of Quest Realty, but when her friend Suze invites her on a weekend trip to Santa Barbara, she’s less than excited about visiting yet another haunted house.

Rumored to be hosting the ghost of a wealthy businessman, the mansion could hold a clue to the disappearance of Chris Adams, the older brother of her foxy boss Jack, and since Jack has decided his current assignment is too dangerous for her, Fio takes Suze up her offer, her spirit animal Champ in tow.

Can Fio solve the mystery of the ghost in the garden and earn some points with Jack at same time? Find out in Book Three of the Witches Guide to Haunted Properties.  (Amazon)

Editions Available:  Kindle

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Apples are at the core of the family business run by Winona Mae Montgomery and her Granny Smythe. But this year’s crop is unseasonably ripe with murder . . .

ONE ROTTEN APPLE
 
Blossom Valley, West Virginia, is home to Smythe Orchards, Winnie and her Granny’s beloved twenty-five-acre farm and family business. But any way you slice it, it’s struggling. That’s why they’re trying to drum up business with the “First Annual Christmas at the Orchard,” a good old-fashioned holiday festival with enough delicious draw to satisfy apple-picking locals and cider-loving tourists alike—until the whole endeavor takes a sour turn when the body of Nadine Cooper, Granny’s long-time, grudge-holding nemesis, is found lodged in the apple press. Now, with Granny the number one suspect, Winnie is hard-pressed to prove her innocence before the real killer delivers another murder . . .

“The characters are delightful . . . Plenty of action and suspense.”
—RT Book Reviews on Murder in Real Time

Includes Recipes!  (Amazon)

Editions Available:  Kindle, Paperback, Audiobook

 

Review of The Catnap Before Christmas

The Catnap Before Christmas
Whales and Tails, Book #19
Kathi Daley
5 Stars

 

Synopsis:

Madrona Island – Where cats are king and mystery meets magic.

It’s two weeks before Christmas on magical Madrona Island, and as they have for the past few years, Cait and Cody are busy getting the kids from Saint Pat’s ready for the Christmas Pageant and planning a huge Christmas Eve blowout at Mr. Parsons mansion. Things are busy but going well for the happy couple until a Grinch comes to town and begins vandalizing Christmas decorations. What seemed on the surface to be nothing more than a nuisance, becomes serious business when Santa is killed during the explosion that causes the Santa House in the park to burn to the ground.

Cait, Cody, and the rest of the gang, set their sights on tracking down the killer with the help of Jingles, the new cat in town. As they delve into the mystery they find that when it comes to Christmas and the emotions the holiday can conjure, anything is possible.

Meanwhile, Cait and Cody are babysitting Cody’s nephew until his father returns from an overseas deployment, Maggie and Michael are in town, and Cait is forced to say goodbye to the cabin she has lived in for the past decade after the remodel on the new home she is to share with Cody has come to completion. (Goodreads)

 

Review:

The writing style flows smoothly and it defines the characters very clearly through their actions and words. The author is very talented in her descriptive writing and through much of the book I felt like I was right there, watching all of the action taking place on Madrona Island. The mystery was well plotted and not easily solved.

The characters are well rounded and well developed. It is always great to spend time with Cait and her family and friends. They are like one big happy family. I could understand Cait’s mixed feelings about all of the changes in her life, I do not like change either. I love the magical elements in this book, not just the cat, Jingles, and a very special young man. I thought this added a whole new level to the book.

I would recommend this book, and series, to anyone who enjoys a well crafted cozy. I am looking forward to the next release.

 

Great Escapes Virtual Book Tours–Better Watch Out

 

 

I’m so excited to be a stop on the blog tour for author Christina Freeburn and her new book Better Watch Out.  This is the second book in her A Merry & Bright Handcrafted Mystery series.  I have read both book in the series and I thought they were great.

 

Better Watch Out (A Merry & Bright Handcrafted Mystery)
Cozy Mystery
2nd in Series
Henery Press (October 15, 2019)
Hardcover: 252 pages
ISBN-10: 1635115108
ISBN-13: 978-1635115109
Paperback: 252 pages
ISBN-10: 1635115078
ISBN-13: 978-1635115079
Digital ASIN: B07VQST5YT

 

Purchase Links – Amazon – B&N – Kobo

 

 

Better Watch Out (A Merry & Bright Handcrafted Mystery)
by Christina Freeburn

Christina Freeburn has written a wonderful tale of festivities, family, fun ….. and murder!
~A Wytch’s Book Review Blog

For me, the Christmas setting was the strongest element of the entire book. Imagine finding a body in the midst of a Christmas parade with all the trimmings. That should give you a taste of the story…one of the most delightful Christmas cozy mysteries I’ve read in recent times.
~My Devotional Thoughts

The story was fast-paced and a good cozy mystery. I enjoyed Merry and her friends the townsfolk. The characters are entertaining.
~My Reading Journeys

Better Watch Out by Christina Freeburn is a sweet mystery, that shows that there are multiple sides to every town.
~Baroness’ Book Trove

 

 

 

Making a list. Merry’s life is Christmas chaos. Her divorce is still in question. She’s behind on crafting orders. Ebenezer is an escape artist. And with one day left, she hasn’t completed the line-up for the annual Christmas parade, thanks to one grinch. Once Merry knows the Christmas secret, she realizes Santa isn’t what’s coming to town.

Checking it twice. Santa’s naughty list, courtesy of Jenna Wilcox, will roll down Main Street with names of residents who deserve a lump of coal in their stocking. Saving the parade won’t be easy, but Merry is up to task. Or so she thinks until she discovers Jenna’s body stashed in Santa’s sack.

Going to find out. As facts are unwrapped, Merry finds the line blurred between who’s naughty and nice. As threats are aimed at her and those she loves, Merry dashes for the truth before the murderer puts her on the naughty list and crosses her off for good.

 

 

 

 

The characters are well developed and well rounded.  I really like that Merry is a little older and has grown children  This is different than many of the cozies I read. This made her seem more realistic to me and I could relate with her better.  I felt that the relationship between her and her mom was heartwarming.  Her mother is having memory problems and Merry has to learn to deal with this.  Many readers can relate to this and I felt like it made the book more realistic. 

The author is very talented in her descriptive writing and these descriptions pulled me in from the beginning.  The writing style flows smoothly and the book is an easy read. The mystery was well plotted and carried on well throughout the entire book.  There were enough twists and turns and red herrings thrown in and it was not easily solved, which is how I like my mysteries.

I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a well crafted cozy mystery.  And if you are a fan of Christmas, you will want to give this book a try.  

I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book provided by the publisher, Henery Press, and Edelweiss, which I greatly appreciate.

 

 

 

 

 

Christina Freeburn has always loved books. There was nothing better than picking up a story and being transported to another place. The love of reading evolved into the love of writing and she’s been writing since her teenage years. Her first novel was a 2003 Library of Virginia Literary Award nominee. Her mysteries series, Faith Hunter Scrap This Mystery and Merry & Bright Handcrafted Mysteries, are a mix of crafty and crime and feature heroines whose crafting time is interrupted by crime solving.

Christina served in the US Army and has also worked as a paralegal, librarian, church secretary, and golf shop pro. She lives in West Virginia with her husband, dog, and a rarely seen cat except by those who are afraid and allergic to felines.

Author Links

Webpage: www.christinafreeburn.com

Blog: www.theselfrescueprincess.wordpress.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ChristinaFreeburnCraftyandCrimeAuthor/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/ChristinaFreeb1

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/ChristinaFreeburn

 

 

 

To enter the Giveaway, please leave a comment on my blog.  Be sure to leave your email address so i can notify you if you win.

Prize:  Print Copy

 

TOUR PARTICIPANTS

October 15 – A Wytch’s Book Review Blog – REVIEW

October 15 – Literary Gold – AUTHOR INTERVIEW, GIVEAWAY

October 16 – Celticlady’s Reviews – SPOTLIGHT

October 16 – The Pulp and Mystery Shelf – AUTHOR INTERVIEW

October 16 – My Devotional Thoughts – REVIEW

October 17 – FUONLYKNEW – SPOTLIGHT, GIVEAWAY

October 17 – Diane Reviews Books – GUEST POST

October 18 – Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book – SPOTLIGHT

October 18 – My Reading Journeys – REVIEW*, GIVEAWAY

October 19 – Reading Is My SuperPower – SPOTLIGHT

October 19 – Readeropolis – SPOTLIGHT

October 20 – Baroness’ Book Trove – REVIEW

October 21 – Cozy Up With Kathy – REVIEW – Coming Soon. 

October 22 – A Blue Million Books – AUTHOR INTERVIEW

October 22 – eBook Addicts – SPOTLIGHT

October 23 – Island Confidential – SPOTLIGHT

October 23 – Hearts & Scribbles – SPOTLIGHT

October 24 – Brooke Blogs – GUEST POST

October 24 – I Read What You Write – REVIEW*

October 25 – Melina’s Book Blog – REVIEW*

October 25 – Laura’s Interests – SPOTLIGHT

October 25 – MJB Reviewers – REVIEW, GIVEAWAY

 

 

 

 

Halloween Spooktacular

 

Today I’m hosting Kathi Daley’s Halloween Spooktacular on Facebook.  Hope you stop by and spend time with the authors, getting to know them and enjoying the fun!!!

 

My line-up is as follows:

11:00 Meghan Muldoon

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

12:00 Tonya Kappes

 

 

 

1:00 Annette Dashoffy

 

 

 

2:00 Susan Bernhardt

 

 

 

3:00 Nicole Asselin

 

 

 

 

4:00 Sharon Pape

 

 

 

5:00 Marilyn Levinson

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

New Releases For The Week Of October 20th, 2019–Part 4

Here is a list of some of the new releases for the week of October 20th, 2019. I am going to divide the list into 4 days because there are so very many of them for the week. Today is the fourth and final day of my list for this week. Hope you find some selections for your weekly reading. Enjoy and happy reading.

 

 

For Susan Henshaw, the trick is that somebody has been murdered. The treat would be finding out who did it. And all the clues point to his “grieving” widow.

At first Susan Henshaw thought the body in the library was a Halloween trick – but then she saw the blood and heard the man’s dying gasp.

Then a second body, celebrity morning talk-show host Jason Armstrong, was found stabbed on his front porch. Now, as Susan begins to investigate the deaths, she uncovers secrets that a killer would go to any lengths to keep hidden…

All Hallows Evil is another gripping and gruesome instalment in the Susan Henshaw mystery series.

Praise for Valerie Wolzien:

‘A nice writing style and considerable wit’ – Chicago Tribune

‘Engaging’ – People Magazine

Valerie Wolzien is the author of the Susan Henshaw suburban mysteries and the Josie Pigeon seashore mysteries. Valerie lives in an old house overlooking the Hudson River.  (Amazon)

Editions Available:  Kindle, Paperback

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Her unique power is secret…

… but her new boyfriend might be a killer.

Can Summer use her psychic gift to find the true killer in time?

In the sweet little Southern town of Wonder Springs, everyone smiles, but old feuds run deep. Land is scarce, and when the stubborn owner of a huge orchard is found dead, almost anyone might have had a motive to kill her.

But the prime suspect is Summer’s new boyfriend, Cade.

Because the victim was Cade’s boss. And she might have left him land worth a fortune.

Summer knows Cade can’t possibly be the killer… can he? He’s the sweetest guy she’s ever known. But she’s only known him for a couple months.

Who can Summer trust?

Because behind the smiles, people hide secret powers…

You’ll love this quirky cozy, because it has a huge fun family with surprising paranormal powers, plus a roller-coaster plot with a climax you’ll never see coming.

Get it now.   (Amazon)

Editions Available:  Kindle

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

THE COURSE OF TRUE LOVE NEVER RUNS SMOOTH
It’s 1987, and Soho is in the grip of another hot summer. While working part-time in The Red Lion, Joe finds himself agreeing to help a notorious gangster search for her missing girlfriend.
Antonia The Gecko Lagorio is daughter to the ruthless but ageing gang boss, Tony The Lizard Lagorio. When her girlfriend, Charlotte Fenwick, goes missing, Antonia turns to Joe for help, believing her to have been kidnapped by a rival gang.
Charlotte Fenwick is daughter to multi-millionaire, Charles Fenwick—who also happens to be one of Freddie Gillespie’s bigger clients. Keen to keep any hint of a scandal out of the public eye, Charles Fenwick had already asked Freddie to recruit Russell and Joe to help him find his daughter discreetly.
With both of them on the case, Joe and Russell find themselves trying to stop a turf war between the two rival gangs while uncovering all manner of dark secrets about the missing heiress and her troubled life.
Meanwhile Freddie Gillespie has a run in with an old foe that could see him lose both his job and his relationship with Russell.  (Amazon)

Editions Available:  Kindle

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Maggie Phillips is more fun than a barrel of wet monkeys and her first four Misadventures are available now in one big box set!
The Misadventures of the Laundry Hag:
Book 1: Skeletons in the Closet
Murder, mayhem, meet your match!

Maggie Phillips hasn’t had it easy. As the wife of retired Navy SEAL, and the adoptive mother of two little hellions, Maggie is constantly looking for ways to improve her family’s financial situation. She accepts a cleaning position for her new neighbors (who redefine the term ‘eccentric’), never imagining she will end up as the sole alibi for a man with a fascination for medieval torture devices when he is brought up on murder charges.

While Maggie struggles to prove the man’s innocence, her deadbeat brother arrives, determined to sell Maggie and Neil on his next great scheme and to mooch with a vengeance. If that isn’t bad enough, her in-laws, (the cut-throat corporate attorneys) descend on the house, armed with disapproval and condemnation, for the family’s annual Thanksgiving celebration.

As the police investigation intensifies, Maggie searches for the killer among the upper echelon of Hudson, Massachusetts in the only way she can– by scrubbing their thrones.

Of the porcelain variety, that is…

Book 2: Swept Under the Rug
Crime and grime are everywhere, at least in Maggie Phillips’ opinion. Deep in the throes of a New England winter, Maggie’s still adjusting to her new role as confidential informant for the Hudson Police Department. When a suspicious fax is sent to one of her new clients, Maggie is sure she’s unearthed a conspiracy. With no crime to investigate, however, the Hudson P.D. can do nothing–that is until a wealthy trophy wife disappears and the FBI is called in to the hunt.

On the home front, her twelve-year-old son is growing up way too fast, while her brother is back with a few surprises destined to wreak havoc on the household. To frost the whole crappy cake, her best friend’s marriage is falling apart, which leaves Maggie worrying over her own. All of the family drama is put into perspective, however, when Maggie is arrested for kidnapping and blackmail.

Between economic woes and a now tarnished reputation, Maggie is in way over her head. Yet out of the ashes of frustration and failure, something great might emerge. If she survives the birthing process that is….

Book 3: All Washed Up
When Maggie’s mother-in-law asks her to assist with renovations to their project house in upstate New York, she smells a rat. Matters become murkier when Laura casually tells the former laundry hag to “see to that pesky ghost,” like the phantom is ring around the bathtub. But both Neil and Sylvia are eager to undertake the zany task and really, what else does she have to do?

How about solve a two decade old murder, find a few long lost relatives, fix her mental hang-ups and reconnect with the husband she’s pushed away. And if she has any time to spare, maybe she can even survive a pissed-off apparition and keep it from finishing the job the last two killers started Third time’s the charm…right?

Book 4: Hung Out to Dry
After a year in Hudson, Maggie Phillips–A.K.A the laundry hag–is sure she’s seen all the small Massachusetts town has to offer. Of course that’s until her newest client turns out to be psychic who’s inherited a massive estate from her recently deceased grandfather, much to the displeasure of the rest of the family. Maggie soon suspects that what everyone believed was death by natural causes might’ve been a well-planned murder. Never fear, Maggie, her sexy Navy SEAL and the rest of the cleaning crew are on the case. Are the relations responsible for terrorizing the timid soothsayer and how far will they go to reclaim one percenter status? One thing’s for sure, the laundry hag never saw this kerfuffle coming….  (Amazon)

Editions Available:  Kindle

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Strangers at the Gate is one of her best.” – New York Times bestselling author Ann Cleeves

From Catriona McPherson, Agatha Award-winning author of Quiet Neighbors, comes Strangers at the Gate: a twisty, fascinating mystery that asks the question: who do you turn to when everyone’s a stranger and you’ve stopped believing your own eyes?

Finnie Doyle and Paddy Lamb are leaving city life in Edinburgh behind them and moving to the little town of Simmerton. Paddy’s been made partner at the law firm in town, and Finnie has snagged a job as a church deacon. Their rented cottage is quaint; their new colleagues are charming, and they can’t believe their luck.

But only days after moving into the gate house, Finnie begins to have doubts. She keeps hearing strange sounds, and the thicket of trees make her feel claustrophobic rather than safe. When they witness the bloody aftermath of a brutal murder, it changes everything. They’ve each been keeping secrets about their pasts. And they both know their precious new start won’t survive a scandal. Together, for the best of reasons, they make the worst decision of their lives.

And that’s only the beginning. The deep, deep valley where Simmerton sits is unlike anywhere Finnie and Paddy have been before. They are not the only ones hiding in its shadow and very soon they’ve lost control of the game they decided to play…  (Amazon)

Editions Available:  Kindle, Hardcover, Audiobook

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

From USA Today bestselling author Leslie Langtry comes a former CIA agent turned Girl Scout troop leader and a laugh-out-loud mystery!

Merry Wrath’s summer plans didn’t originally include an unexpected visit from her old friend, Hilly—a quirky CIA assassin who’s been forced by HR to take her first vacation in…forever. The fact that Hilly chose a small town in Iowa for vacation doesn’t bother Merry or her scout troop (especially since Hilly’s teaching them how to kill a man with one punch), but her former handler, Riley, believes something sinister is afoot.

After all Lana, Merry’s arch-nemesis, is sighted all over town, and when a Chinese operative ends up murdered in her backyard, Merry starts to wonder if Riley is right and Hilly is secretly on the job. It doesn’t help that a group of cosplaying teenage druids have targeted Merry for a misguided ritual sacrifice, or that Medea Jones, cub reporter, constantly harasses Merry, seeing the former spy as her Pulitzer Prize winning vehicle out of Who’s There, Iowa.

Merry wonders if her strange friend really is on vacation, or if she’s after another target? Is it Lana? Was it the Chinese operative? Or is it Merry Wrath?

Merry Wrath Mysteries:
Merit Badge Murder – book #1
Mint Cookie Murder – book #2
Scout Camp Mystery – short story in the “Killer Beach Reads” collection
Marshmallow S’More Murder – book #3
Movie Night Murder – book #4
Mud Run Murder – book #5
Fishing Badge Murder – short story in the “Pushing Up Daisies” collection
Motto for Murder – book #6
Map Skills Murder – book #7
Mean Girl Murder – book #8
Marriage Vow Murder – book #9
Mystery Night Murder – book #10
Meerkats and Murder– book #11
Make Believe Murder – book #12
Maltese Vulture Murder – Book #13

What critics are saying about Leslie Langtry’s books:

“I laughed so hard I cried on multiple occasions while reading MARSHMALLOW S’MORE MURDER! 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 with a myriad of clever details.”
~ Publisher’s Weekly  (Amazon)

Editions Available:  Kindle, Paperback

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Book 4 of the Plainwood Lake Cozy Mystery series. Hit the “Pre-order with 1-Click” button to join Kelly and Carlie on their next crimefighting adventure.  (Amazon)

Editions Available:  Kindle

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Complete Spell Maven Trilogy for one low price!

Buckle in and follow Gwen Brady, a former witch detective with an explosive secret…

Spell Maven From Spell Haven – Book One

A witch’s work is never done.

Gwendolyn Brady thought escaping to the Human Realm would solve everything. With a baby in her arms, she traded in her exciting life of solving mysteries and magic for one full of diapers and a tiny house in the Georgia mountains. The best part? No magic required. The worst part? No magic allowed.

Fast-forward fourteen years, and all Gwen has to worry about is a sassy teenager, burning dinner (again), and keeping the peace between the cat and dog. Except for the part where she’s terrified her daughter will learn the truth about Gwen being a witch from another realm. Of course when her Aunt Bedelia appears in their living room out of thin air, Gwen knows that her magical past has finally caught up with her. And with her aunt comes some dire news.

With her younger brother missing and suspected of murdering a vampire leader, it’s up to the former witch investigator to track him down before anyone else can. It doesn’t help that her uncle is the head of the witch investigators looking for her brother —the very same group that Gwen used to be a part of, in fact.

Taking her wand out of retirement, Gwen has to face the truth. It’s time to pull her daughter into the world she’s determined to protect her from.

Snitch Witch – Book Two

A library full of secrets—and it’s missing the most powerful spell book in the Realm…

Gwen Brady was ready for her desperately needed stay-cation, with nothing on her mind but doing plenty of relaxing… and maybe drooling over her hot neighbor across the street. After all, spending most of the summer going back and forth between two different worlds tends to wear a witch out!

But as Gwen has come to realize, nothing ever stays peaceful for long. With her daughter back in school and everything seemingly back to normal, all it takes is one more quick visit to Spell Haven for Gwen to get pulled into a murder investigation.

As head of the Athenaeum of the Unseen—Spell Haven’s magical library full of relics and books meant to be safeguarded at all times—Rourke is the town’s last defense in keeping these powerful things out of the wrong hands. Found dead, he leaves the mysterious library unprotected, and now the most hallowed spell book in the Realm has gone missing. Gwen is determined to find her old mentor’s killer, the missing spell book, and to figure out why traces of magic are showing up in the most non-magical place of all—the Human Realm.

It looks like Gwen might need to take a vacation from this vacation!

Tragic Magick – Book Three

A magical town in chaos—and a deadly ritual that could doom them all…

Gwen Brady is proud to announce that she finally has her life together again, especially with the addition of her cute boyfriend, Sully. With the winter holidays here and plenty of fresh-fallen snow on the ground, Gwen and her daughter head to Spell Haven to spend time with the rest of their magical family.

Winter in beautiful Spell Haven never disappoints, except this time, it comes with a deadly price. Gwen finds the body of a dead dwarf, the Dark Market’s top boss is on the run, and the witches in town have lost their magic. The timing couldn’t be any worse for the Brady family.

But Gwen has to roll with the punches, especially if she wants to Spell Haven to return to its magical glory. And of course, her prime suspect is the one person who conveniently happens to be missing. Could this dark witch be the one pulling the strings? Or are Gwen’s detective skills a little rusty?

And what happens when her human boyfriend gets involved?  (Amazon)

Editions Available:  Kindle

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

When quirky Eunice Toadvine is found dead in a desolate Central California oil town, a young autistic man is suspected of the spinster’s murder. Mary Carol Satterlee, who is home from college, doesn’t believe the accusation for a minute. Everybody in Roughneck, California knew that Eunice had been flirting with danger for years. Just weeks before her death, she’d placed an advertisement in the local newspaper for a witch to cast spells. Sergeant Rodney Gullett isn’t of a mind to listen to Mary Carol’s arguments in defense of the accused young man. The officer just wants a quick and dirty trial. After all, there are so many young ladies to chase in Roughneck. Including Mary Carol.

Each of the books in the Mystic California Cozies series can be read as a standalone, however, readers will find the stories more enjoyable if read in order.  (Amazon)

Editions Available:  Kindle, Paperback

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Halloween is only fun when the dead are just pretending…

Paislee Grimes’s quaint Connecticut town doesn’t mess around when it comes to holidays—and her family takes Halloween even more seriously than most.

But this year, something is very wrong on their once-quiet streets. Bodies are piling up, and Paislee is desperate to piece together clues that point to a killer with a connection to a recent not-quite-solved murder—and a connection to Paislee herself.

Time is running out as the killer drags more Pine Grove residents into a twisted game, and the cryptic pieces of this dark puzzle seem to be circling closer and closer to Paislee and her friends.

But no one threatens the town Paislee loves and gets away with it—and she and her friends won’t rest until the corpses are purely decorative.

This time, it’s personal.  (Amazon)

Editions Available:  Kindle, Paperback

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Book #2 in the new mystery series by USA TODAY bestselling author Ritter Ames!

Lissa Eller’s entire hometown is primed for Games in the Park, an event planned as a weekend of friendly competition and fundraising. All proceeds from the event are earmarked to pay to repair historical buildings and structures battered by the spring’s tornadic winds and rainstorms. Lots of activities are on tap, donated prizes and awards ready, food trucks on standby, and entertainment scheduled to keep the non-players’ toes tapping and hands clapping. All while contestants battle each other in favorite board game playoffs.

Until Lissa’s early morning walk in the park with her Labrador retriever turns up a dead body.

This is the second murder Lissa has stumbled onto in the past few months—as everyone reminds her. So, besides worrying she’s become a crime scene magnet, she again finds herself under the thundering gaze of her high school nemesis, Det. Brian Baker, who hasn’t mellowed much in the years since graduation. This time, he isn’t trying to pin the murder on her, thank goodness, but he won’t listen when she says the police’s prime suspect is innocent. Which means no matter how many times she’s told to stay out of the active investigation, she must play along while doing her own behind-the-scenes sleuthing.

And stay a step ahead of the real murderer who has set sights on Lissa…

Frugal Lissa Digs Up a Body is the second title in the new cozy Frugal Lissa Mysteries series.
BONUS: Along with solving the crime, Lissa finds ways to save money and shares those methods with readers. Terrific family-friendly recipes are also included.
This is a NEW cozy mystery series:
Book 1: Frugal Lissa Finds a Body (available now)
Book 2: Frugal Lissa Digs Up a Body (available in preorder)
Book 3: Frugal Lissa Hunts for a Body (coming soon)
And more to follow!  (Amazon)

Editions Available:  Kindle