Here is a list of some of the new releases for the week of May 31st, 2020. 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.
Nothing is a dead-cert in a race against a cold-blooded killer …
1931. Frances Palmer is overjoyed when her brother Rob
returns to Adelaide as a racecourse veterinarian. But all is not
well on the turf, and when a man is murdered, there is only one
suspect – Rob.
Frances and her boyfriend, charming night club owner Jack Sullivan, along with ex-vaudevillian Uncle
Sal and their friends have only one chance to unmask
the real murderer, by infiltrating the racecourse. The odds are against them, but luckily putting on a
dazzling show where everything depends on sleight of hand is what they do best.
But with time running out for Rob, the race Is on. (Amazon)
Editions Available: Kindle, Paperback
A curse stole one witch’s powers, but gave her the ability to speak with animals. Now she helps a hunky police officer and his sassy, lie-detecting canine solve paranormal mysteries. When a bride’s murdered on her wedding day, can this team catch the killer?
When former lawyer turned pet psychic, Jolene Hartgrave, is called in to consult on the case of a wedding day tragedy, she’s shocked to recognize the murdered bride as someone from her childhood. Jolene vows to tie the knot on the case and to mend her rocky relationship with hunky cop Peter, even as she struggles to confess to him one final secret–her connection to the underground shifter mob boss.
As Peter and Jolene investigate how a girl from the seedy Night Market district came to be killed at her own wedding to the magical island’s elite, they uncover political scandals, jealous rivals and country club clashes.
Will Jolene engage justice for a fellow shifter and prove to Peter she’s trustworthy? Or will she let a killer roam free and lose the man she’s crushing on?
Breaking Bat is the sixth novel in the hilarious and enchanting Magic Market paranormal cozy mystery series. If you like talking animal sidekicks, delicious riddles, and cheeky female leads, then you’ll love Erin Johnson’s enchanting tale.
Buy Breaking Bat to dive into a charming mystery today, or read for free with Kindle Unlimited. (Amazon)
Editions Available: Kindle
Pineapple Port Mysteries by Wall Street Journal and USA Today bestselling author Amy Vansant, is a funny, clean and gore-free small-town, female amateur sleuth series, but with all the pulse-pounding excitement of a detective thriller.
When a Pineapple Port resident is found dead during an approaching hurricane, Charlotte fears someone’s trying to disguise murders as storm-related accidents. The first two victims have more than the storm in common – both were hoarding valuable storm supplies like toilet paper and water.
Hm. Maybe the killer is karma!
Bringing together the area’s community leaders to spread a warning could lead to even more trouble. Last time the Five Families got together, someone ended up dead. But things could be much deadlier if Declan’s crazy ex is right and the Puzzle Killer’s broken out of prison…
And did that lamppost just explode, or is someone trying to kill Charlotte and Declan?
Charlotte vows to solve the crime before the storm hits. Mariska and Darla vow to find some toilet paper for sale, even if they have to call in help from their old neighbor, the revenge-genius, Gloria.
Buckle down for a blustery ride as the storm hits!
Quips get flung and puns get slung, making for a hilarious read, but even better, Pineapple Port’s just a place you want to hang out. The dialog crackles—you’ll hear the voices of your own nutty friends and relatives in every conversation.
Throughout the series, you find serial killers, crazy ex-girlfriends, loving dogs, romance, government operatives, FBI agents, danger… and a cast of characters almost as funny as they are loving, supportive and brave. The series appeals to men and women.
If Janet Evanovich’s Stephanie Plum and the Golden Girls had a baby, it would be the Pineapple Port series!
If you like Jana Deleon, Angie Fox, Leslie Langtry, Susan M. Boyer, Gina-LaManna, Julie Smith or any funny, action-packed mystery, you’re about to find your next favorite series.
“Amy is one of my favorite authors. I highly recommend all of her books. No matter what genre she writes in, she manages to create books that demand that the pages be immediately turned to find out what happened, because you really care about the characters.” ~ Dianne Harman, USA Today and Amazon Chart #1 Bestselling Author (Amazon)
Editions Available: Kindle, Paperback
The witch was dead.
But, so was the princess, which meant nothing short of a catastrophe.
Grace is a reluctant Fairy Godmother in a world dependent on keeping Magic contained. In order to do this, Grace and her fellow Fairy Godparents enact strong spells in the guise of Fairy Tales. These spells work to calm and control Magic and keep it from reverting to the Chaos it originated as.
It’s a tough job. Fairy Godparents are looked at as heroes. It is the career all young fairies dream of.
Except for Grace. She has been dragged unwillingly back into the career that her parents and ancestors have made famous. A descendant of the original Godmother, she has high expectation riding on her– and she has done everything within her power to avoid the whole mess. Now middle-aged, she has been dragged from her failed attempts at other careers, right back into the world she had tried to avoid for two centuries.
Now, here on Grace’s first case alone as a Godmother, everything has fallen to pieces. The Sleeping Princess has been found dead and… stinking. And Magic is already beginning to act strangely.
Grace should have stuck to baking. (Amazon)
Editions Available: Kindle, Paperback
A brand new thriller by USA TODAY Bestselling Author Gina LaManna
For fans of Janet Evanovich, Lee Goldberg, and Kendra Elliot…
When a well-known mobster turns up dead—gunned down in the refrigerator at her favorite local restaurant—Detective Rosetti has no choice but to get involved. Unfortunately, it’s not long before a familiar name emerges as a suspect, making the case her most personal one yet. The infamous Angelo Rosetti, Kate’s father, is back.
Along with her new case, Kate is forced to balance a cozy weekend with her (almost) boyfriend as she dives deep into the Rosetti family history. However, when romantic dinners turn into stakeouts, her burgeoning relationship stumbles onto shaky ground. If Kate can’t find a way to lock up the hitman who has turned his sights on her, it’s not only her love life that’s on the line… (Amazon)
Editions Available: Kindle
San Francisco book-restoration expert Brooklyn Wainwright was hoping for a fun, relaxing weekend at a local book fair, but a murderer made other plans in the latest in this New York Times bestselling series.
Brooklyn and her new hunky husband, Derek, are excited to be guests at Dharma’s first annual Book Festival. The entire town is involved and Brooklyn’s mom Rebecca is taking charge. In addition to all of her other event related duties, she’s got Brooklyn doing rare book appraisals and is also staging Little Women, the musical to delight the festival goers. If that wasn’t enough, she and Meg—Derek’s mom—will have a booth where they read palms and tarot cards.
Brooklyn couldn’t be prouder of her mom’s do-it-all attitude so when a greedy local businessman who seems intent on destroying Dharma starts harassing Rebecca, Brooklyn is ready to take him down. Rebecca is able to hold her own with the nasty jerk until one of her fellow festival committee members is brutally murdered and the money for the festival seems to have vanished into thin air.
Things get even more personal when one of Brooklyn’s nearest and dearest is nearly run down in cold blood. Brooklyn and Derek go into attack mode and the pressure is on to catch a spineless killer before they find themselves skipping the festival for a funeral. (Amazon)
Editions Available: Kindle, Hardcover, Audiobook
It’s time for the Provincetown International Film Festival, and wedding planner Sydney Riley has scored a coup: her inn is hosting the wedding of the year. Movie star Brett Falcone is to marry screenwriter Justin Braden, and even Sydney’s eternally critical mother is excited. The town is overflowing with filmmakers, film reviewers, film buffs, and it’s all the inn can do to keep up with the influx of glamorous celebrities and host their star-studded events.But when Sydney opens a forbidden door in the mysterious Whaler’s Wharf, she discovers the body of a producer—and a legion of unanswered questions. Who strangled the innocuous Caroline Cooper? What dark force followed Brett and Justin from LA? Why is her boss Mike tense and double-checking every room at the inn? And is Mirela really leaving P’town forever? Sydney and her boyfriend Ali need to find the answers fast before another victim takes a final bow. (Amazon)
Editions Available: Kindle, Paperback
A bookish police detective and his roller derby star partner investigate a quirky mystery involving superintelligent animals, military conspiracy … and murder. When a body is found in the River Arts District of Asheville, North Carolina, the man on the case is police lieutenant Ira Segal, recently returned to semi-active status after being shot in the line of duty. Segal, who carries Elmore Leonard paperbacks as security blankets, isn’t sure he’s up to investigating a murder, and neither is his partner, military veteran and local roller derby star Sgt. Dinah “Dinosaur” Rudisill. Segal discovers that the victim worked for the mysterious start-up company Creatures 2.0, which trains animals to acquire uncanny capabilities. Creature 2.0’s eccentric founder, Francis Elah, has gone missing, and no one can find him, not even Elah’s top client, the Office of Naval Intelligence. As Segal and Rudisill investigate the murder and Elah’s disappearance, they meet the bizarre animals Elah trained, including a raccoon who rolls cigarettes, pigeons who follow a priest to church, and a superintelligent crow who keeps bringing evidence to the detectives’ attention. When the trail leads to a shadowy military contractor, more murders, and a threat to national security, Segal and Rudisill don’t know who to trust and face a dangerous confrontation. Witty, engaging and fast-paced, As the Crow Dies is a mystery that veers from the norm in unexpectedly delightful ways. (Amazon)
Editions Available: Kindle, Paperback
July 1926
Violet and Jack have determined upon an adventure. In a moment of sheer madness, they and their friends find a steamship leaving the country with room for them and board without even being certain of where they’re going.
One would think that would be the oddest thing about their trip. Only at the disembarking party, a couple enters the room and then stumbles down the stairs of the ballroom. It seems that they’ve both been poisoned. Only whoever has poisoned them chose a different poison for each. Who is this mad poisoner and when will they strike again?
Book TWENTY-TWO in the Violet Carlyle Mysteries. Are you ready for the roaring twenties? You’ll love Vi, her patient husband Jack, her indulgent twin Vic, and their friends. For fans of Carola Dunn, Jacqueline Winspear, Georgette Heyer, and Lee Strauss. A light, cozy mystery with a fun peek into life in the life of a bright young thing. No swearing, graphic scenes, or cliffhangers.
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
Love & Murder
A Zestful Little Murder
Murder Most Odd
Nearly A Murder
A Treasured Little Murder (coming soon) (Amazon)
Editions Available: Kindle
***Who’s Killing the Exotic Dancers?***
The Big Easy Gentleman’s Club has a flock of beauties who dance to the wee hours, but several have ended up dead. Not only that, they were drained of blood. Helga knows that New Orleans is rumored to have these blood suckers of the night, but is it true? She’s a witch, so why not?
Or could the culprit be someone who likes to use the blood of young beautiful women to keep herself youthful? And what is up with Helga’s old school chum? In school he was considered a weasel, but now that he’s coming to the club, he’s changed into something more sinister. Has he been turned or is there something more mundane going on?
Gwen and Penelope are ready to help or hinder as usual. And of course Helga’s familiar, Andromeda, is his usual chill self. Nothing rattles that cool cat.
***Find out what happens in the next Witches Be Crazy Cozy Witch Mystery Series*** (Amazon)
Editions Available: Kindle, Paperback
FROM A NINE-TIMES USA TODAY BESTSELLING AUTHOR COMES A LIVELY AND FUN 1920s COZY MYSTERY WITH A BRAND-NEW DETECTIVE DUO.
Nora elbowed her way up to the railing and looked down. The paddle wheel was making its last turn, dredging up a mass of turquoise chiffon made almost transparent by the water. A hand, its red lacquered fingernails a contrast to the pale white skin, stuck up from a bejeweled cuff…
A relaxing cruise down the Mississippi on the Miss Delta Belle steamboat turns to tragedy when celebrity Delilah Dove falls from the deck and is swallowed by the river faster than you can say ‘man overboard!’
It’s touted as a tragic accident, but guests Miss Nora Marsh and her wily great-aunt Julia know a murder when they see one. Can they get justice for Delilah and crack the case without alerting the murderer to their suspicions?
As Nora and Julia hunt for clues it emerges that nearly everyone had a reason to want Delilah dead. And that’s bad news for the two sleuths—who want to solve the case pronto, before Mississippi police chief and Aunt Julia’s nemesis Artemis Leonard comes on board at the next port to launch the official investigation. She’s not letting him get the credit if she can help it.
With multiple suspects and a series of mysterious thefts onboard—not to mention the distractingly handsome Max Lawton turning Nora’s head—this is shaping up to be one tough case to crack. What started as a gentle river voyage is far from plain sailing.
A gripping and witty 1920s murder mystery from bestselling author Leighann Dobbs, perfect for fans of T E Kinsey and Lee Strauss.
Readers are loving Murder on a Mississippi Steamboat:
“A great cozy mystery read. Loved it, had a hard time putting it down… This book kept me turning the page. It had it all, mystery, humor, few twists and turns, and great characters.” 5 stars, Goodreads reviewer
“Wonderful… I really loved this book… The mystery is well written and perfectly paced. A few great twists with multiple suspects that made for a fantastic read.” 5 stars, Miss W Book Reviews
“You can’t go wrong with a Leighann Dobbs book… I loved trying to piece the puzzle together. This is a great book for fans of the 1920’s.” 5 stars, Goodreads reviewer
“Loved, loved and loved this book! Cleverly written with such affable and charming characters… Reading this… was the best part of my day. I recommend this read to all.” Goodreads reviewer
“Mystery, intrigue, plenty of suspects to wonder about… fun and entertaining.” 5 stars, Goodreads reviewer
“There’s nothing quite like a cozy mystery to put a smile on your face. Murder on a Mississippi Steamboat… is just such a novel. The main heroines were an absolute delight. The story flowed perfectly and the ending was very satisfying… A quick but really fun read and one I highly recommend to all those that like old fashion mysteries.” Jen’s Reading Corner
“This is the kind of book you want to curl up with beside the fire with a glass of wine… entertaining and light, and a nice reprieve from some heavier reading.” Goodreads reviewer
“Compelling… I was constantly curious… Ideal for fans who like a lighter whodunnit style murder mystery read.” Vonnibee Blog
“Nice, quick, and engaging read. I recommend it to anyone looking for a light-hearted mystery.” Goodreads reviewer (Amazon)
Editions Available: Kindle, Paperback
China Bohannon, 1890s bookkeeper turned sleuth, is branching out…
Although still working with her uncle’s detective agency, Doyle & Howe Investigations, she’s almost given up on becoming a partner and is turning to providing security services, something her uncle, Montgomery Howe, and his partner, Gratton Doyle, aren’t interested in. Suitable applicants are hard to find, but she settles on a trustworthy old acquaintance, a somewhat iffy person who likes his booze, and a handsome stranger. When an important job comes up, she has to go with the available crew.
China is an excellent investigator. The who, what, and why, of this vendetta becomes clear and, as is China’s experience so far, she discovers a woman directly behind the crime. (Amazon)
Editions Available: Kindle
Mina doesn’t believe in myths, but she does believe in murder.
Mina Park, a river guide/ski instructor/part-time deputy/whatever-pays-the-bills-this-month, stumbles upon the remains of a human body in the snow at the local ski resort. Something had ripped it into pieces, leaving behind only one track, a bare footprint. A footprint twice the size of a normal man’s.
Before the authorities can label the death an animal attack or murder, a bunch of Bigfoot crazies descend on the town in hopes of finally spotting the elusive beast. One man in particular, Ryan Lehman, has experienced something like this before and was branded a fanatic and a liar for claiming Bigfoot committed the crime. He’s been chasing the myth and personal vindication ever since.
And when there’s another death, much closer to home, Mina and Ryan must team up despite their differences, to face down the beast—or the beast in the man—before someone else dies. (Amazon)
Editions Available: Kindle, Paperback
Audra Clemmings loves Halloween. At least until she sees the display of voodoo dolls in the shop next door that resembles nearly everyone in Sugarwood, Ontario—including her.
Then there’s the matter of the dead cowboy on the bench in front of her shop Stitch’n’Time… (Amazon)
Editions Available: Kindle, Paperback
A car chase ending with the murder of a senior living centre employee draws Detective Sarah Burke into a chilling case where her career – and her life – are soon at risk.
Detective Sarah Burke and new cop Zivko ‘Bogey’ Boganicevic are sent to an incident at Fairweather Farms senior living center in Tucson. The center’s van has suddenly been chased at reckless speed by a carload of bandits firing high-powered rifles, and crashed into its own garage. Arriving at the scene, Sarah makes a grisly discovery: the driver, Enrique Lopez, was shot in the head during the chase. Why was a kindly man, dedicated to looking after the elderly, targeted and killed so dramatically by a team of hoodlums?
As Sarah works through her list of questions, she soon finds herself drawn into the high-stakes world of drugs, deception and mistaken identity where nothing is as it first appears, and she is forced to risk her career – and her life – in her search for answers. (Amazon)
Editions Available: Kindle, Hardcover
A hauntingly beautiful seaside mansion has been abandoned for decades… and for good reason.
When Abby stumbles on the crumbling estate, she’s uncommonly drawn to it. Not even the chilling sight on the back porch or the two million dollar price tag can keep her from wondering… what if it were hers?
A cozy mystery and on-again, off-again romance that will have your toes curling in delight. This series starter promises to have pages turning and hearts warming, and will leave you anxiously awaiting your next trip to The Inn at Poppyridge Cove. (Amazon)
Editions Available: Kindle, Paperback
One glass of cheap California chardonnay cost Emory Gosser Martinez her husband, her job, and her best friend. Unfortunately, that was only the beginning of her troubles.
Distraught after discovering the betrayal by her husband and best friend, Tori, cupcake caterer Emory Martinez allows her temper to flare. Several people witness her very public altercation with her ex-friend. To make matters worse, Tori exacts her revenge by posting a fake photo of Emory in a compromising situation, which goes viral on social media. When Tori is found murdered, all signs point to Emory being the prime suspect.
With the police investigation focused on gathering evidence to convict her, Emory must prove her innocence while whipping up batches of cupcakes and buttercream. Delving into the past of her murdered ex-friend, she finds other people had reasons to want Tori dead, including Emory’s own husband. Can she find the killer, or will the clues sprinkled around the investigation point the police back to her?
Includes recipes! (Amazon)
Editions Available: Kindle