New Releases For The Week Of November 29th, 2020–Part 2

In this third and final novella, Julie Sinclair once more puts her investigative skills to the test to halt potential housing development in the sleepy village of Yetts Bank. Will time run out while she trawls through documents and ancient maps, or will she succeed in preventing unwanted expansion of her village?

However, a more serious investigation looms for our inquisitive writer when she discovers a letter which, if followed up, could seriously impact on her quiet life. Should she ignore its contents, or will curiosity and badgering from her friends coerce her into even more investigation?

A Letter for Julie should re-engage readers of A Case for Julie and A Break for Julie with close friends, Liz and Maggie, and the incorrigible postmistress, Jessica Morris. (Amazon)

Editions Available: Kindle

Do YOU love a good old-fashioned MURDER … but with a rather unhealthy dose of MEDICINE?

When one of Dr Cathy Moreland’s patients attends the surgery with a disturbing story of marital tension, accompanied by a suggestive bruise on her upper arm, the doctor is understandably concerned. The young woman confides that she is afraid of her husband, a local farmhand, but refuses to allow the doctor to help any further.

The following week, Dr Moreland, both overworked and strained, is horrified to hear of a fatal shooting on the local farm estate, and even more so when she realises that the woman and her husband are at the very centre of the tragedy. Was the shooting an accident, or is something more sinister taking place in the sleepy Scottish countryside?

Dr Moreland must draw on all of her courage to uncover the truth, even if it means risking, not only her own mental health but her life.

SHOOTING PAINS is a thrilling murder mystery that will keep the reader guessing, and re-guessing, right up to the end. If you enjoy British Classic Crime, with an unhealthy dose of medicine, then you’ll relish Mairi Chong’s third novel in the Dr Cathy Moreland Mystery series. (Amazon)

Editions Available: Kindle, Paperback

Martha Parker runs a small private detective agency in Glasgow with her two sisters, Helen and Geri. They specialise in catching cheating partners and those playing away from home. 
The Parkers are hired by the reclusive wife of a wealthy banker she suspects is breaking their vows, but when he shows up murdered, it’s up to Martha, Helen and Geri to prove the wife’s innocence in their most dangerous case yet.

“A sparkling slice of crime fiction from Whitelaw – Goodies, baddies and laughs aplenty” — Marion Todd

“A brilliant, sharply funny read, so refreshing to read a crime novel that also makes you laugh” — Lisa Hall (Amazon)

Editions Available: Kindle, Paperback

A peaceful village. A buried secret. A gripping new crime novel for 2020.

“Beyond brilliant as usual from the inimitable Ms Brookes. Highly highly recommended.” Anne, Goodreads.

When private investigator Carlos Jacobi arrives in the Peak District to spend Christmas with his sister, he doesn’t anticipate his ex-police dog unearthing a body in the local woods. Why would someone murder a seemingly harmless old man?
The dead man’s wife hires Carlos to investigate the murder after the police had fobbed her off when she reported him missing. Carlos soon discovers fractured relationships, family secrets and villagers with something to hide.

To top it all, the man in charge of the investigation is someone Carlos had hoped never to meet again. Memories of their time in Afghanistan still haunt him. Bad blood between the two men threatens to cloud the investigation as neither can bury the past. DCI Terry Masters is livid when Carlos is hired, and takes it personally. He orders his sergeant to make sure the private investigator is kept out of the loop or face consequences, not knowing that Carlos and DS Fiona Cook are old friends.

Meanwhile, Carlos unravels lies and motives among the seemingly innocuous village population. When his dog, Lady makes another grisly discovery, the suspense heightens.
Carlos teams up with his old friend to get to the bottom of this frustrating case.

Fans of Faith Martin, Joy Ellis, LJ Ross, Damien Boyd, Frances Evesham and David Blake will love this new series.

What readers say:
“This is a story that had me on the edge of my seat wondering what was going to happen next. It has twists and turns that I didn’t see coming.”
“I could not put this one down. I loved the characters and found this a fast paced book with lots of twists.”
Murder and lies in the Peak District.
Bestselling author, Dawn Brookes does it again. The book is packed with rich characters, a deep and engaging plot that keeps you turning the pages.
A classic crime masterpiece from a gifted author.
Brilliant insight into coercive control. (Amazon)

Editions Available: Kindle, Hardcover, Paperback

A missing teenager, a mysterious cult and a case of mistaken identity – just another day’s work for Epiphany Bloom.

Epiphany ‘Pip’ Bloom is down on her luck. She can barely afford cat food, and just because Most has three legs doesn’t mean he eats any less. So she absolutely can’t afford to mess up her latest temp job. But when she walks through the door of the private investigation firm, her new boss mistakes her for a missing persons expert. He then charges her with finding Matty Price – the teenage son of two A-list celebrities – who has mysteriously disappeared from his home in Kensington.

It ought to be a disaster, but Pip reckons it’s actually an opportunity. She’s always been curious (nosy, her mother calls it) and has an uncanny knack for being at the wrong place at the right time (she doesn’t want to know what her mother thinks of that). After years of trying to find something she’s good at, has Pip managed to walk straight into the job she was born to do?

She owes it to herself and poor missing Matty to find out.

But searching for Matty takes Pip into the strange, intimidating world of the rich and famous. And it soon becomes clear that some of these people’s love for themselves doesn’t extend to their fellow humans.

As Pip investigates further, she realises the question isn’t whether Matty ran away – it’s whether Pip will find him alive and make it home safely herself…

An absolutely brilliant, light-hearted cozy mystery for fans of M.C. Beaton, T E Kinsey, Lauren Elliott and Joanne Fluke, featuring an irresistible new heroine.

Readers are loving The Kensington Kidnap

‘Epiphany Bloom is my new favourite female sleuth!… What a wonderful character… I am looking forward to more from this author!’ Netgalley reviewer ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘It’s a giggle a minute joining Pip in her adventures… addictive and amusing… I just loved Epiphany Bloom. She’s a fabulously funny, frivolous character who can make the sun shine even on the most gloomy of days… Fans of cozy mysteries should find this book a sheer delight!’ Goodreads reviewer ⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘Refreshing when you discover a new series where you can’t decide which character you adore more’ Books ’n Whatnot ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘What a great read… [Pip] really grew on me and by the end I was a complete fan. The storyline is totally unbelievable but brilliant all the same…. The writing style was funny and assured and the storyline moved at a great pace. I can’t wait to read more books by them.’ Goodreads reviewer ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘I really loved this book, and super excited to know it’s book one of a series! Pip is such a likeable character, she is such an accident prone woman but her heart is in the right place… Such a quirky story that keeps you gripped, making you want more and more. I can’t wait for book two! Highly highly recommended.’ Goodreads reviewer ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘I had a great time reading this book. Pip is such a quirky character, and her antics made me laugh out loud… I’m looking forward to reading more in this delightful series.’ Goodreads reviewer ⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘Epiphany “Pip” Bloom is quite a quirky heroine who seems to have a history of poor choices when it comes to jobs and men. Her inner dialogue often made me laugh… A smoothly paced plot kept me turning the pages.’ Goodreads reviewer ⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘I love British mysteries, they truly take you away for a while and always seem to have quirky characters, like Pip herself. I’m looking forward to the next entry in this series as only Pip can get herself into these kinds of messes and come out smelling like a rose.’ Goodreads reviewer ⭐⭐⭐⭐ (Amazon)

Editions Available: Kindle, Paperback, Audiobook

“Mel had explained to me the whole concept of organic gardening, all about nature and balance and natural enemies. So if the Japanese could send us their beetles, why couldn’t they send us a Mothra to eat them? Import quotas?“

After decades of marriage, motherhood, and grandmotherhood, Cat Caliban has become Cincinnati’s newest, oldest, funniest detective-in-training. Death does a land office business in Millins County, Tennessee. Everybody knows why, but talking about it can get you killed, too. When a whistleblower is killed on his way to tell what he knows, Cat comes to town to dig up buried secrets at a toxic waste disposal site. Meanwhile, while Cat fights killers in Tennessee, the organic garden behind the Catatonia Arms is fighting its own losing battle with cats, dog, weeds, and insects, and none of the villains is committed to a fair fight. (Amazon)

Editions Available: Kindle, Paperback

“When you thought about it, I’d pulled off a miracle getting Franny to attend Fred’s funeral in tears rather than picketing it in Birkies.“

After decades of marriage, motherhood, and grandmotherhood, Cat Caliban has become Cincinnati’s newest, oldest, funniest detective-in-training. During the sixties, Cat was too distracted by the war on the home front between her activist daughter and her husband to pay attention to the antiwar movement. But doves, like pigeons, come home to roost, and Franny’s visit to her mother coincides with the murder of a former antiwar activist during a new round of demonstrations. When Cat discovers secrets from the past, someone tries to force her underground – permanently. (Amazon)

Editions Available: Paperback

“Me, I want it on the record now that I do not want to die hot and sweaty on a gym floor, surrounded by the smell of gym socks and sneakers.”

After decades of marriage, motherhood, and grandmotherhood, Cat Caliban has become Cincinnati’s newest, oldest, funniest detective-in-training. Since no case is too insignificant, Cat takes on a lost kitten challenge for the neighborhood’s preeminent teen entrepreneur. But that leads to a more prominent case: who murdered local high school basketball hero Julius “Juky” Kay, star forward of the Oscar Robertson Rattlesnakes? Soon Cat is crutch-deep in corruption, having sustained her first sports injury while investigating Juky’s death. (Amazon)

Editions Available: Paperback

“Suspicion is second nature to any woman who’s raised three kids.”

Meet Cincinnati’s newest, oldest, funniest detective-in-training. After decades of marriage, motherhood, and grandmotherhood, Cat Caliban is looking for a new career. Detective work seems a logical choice. So, she sells her suburban house, buys an apartment building in a “transitional” neighborhood, and begins her training, only to discover a dead body in an upstairs apartment. What’s the connection between a murdered homeless woman and the Golden Age of Hollywood silent movies? Cat must discover it before the killer can strike again.

In this first book of the popular Cat Caliban series, Cat assembles her colorful cast of helpers and neighborhood hangers-on. This senior sleuth challenges stereotypical portrayals of older women generally and older women detectives in particular. This book is rated PG-13 for language. (Amazon)

Editions Available: Kindle, Paperback

A summer festival ends in disaster for chef sleuth Nell Drury in this gripping historical mystery full of dark secrets, disturbing discoveries and page-turning twists.

1926, Kent. Chef Nell Drury is busy with preparations for Lady Ansley’s luncheon to welcome Wychbourne Court’s new neighbours, Sir Gilbert and Lady Saddler. The couple’s arrival has led to much rumour and intrigue swirling around the village, particularly with regards to the mysterious Lady Saddler.

Sir Gilbert belongs to a new artistic movement, the Artistes de Cler, and is organizing a summer festival in the grounds of Spitalfrith Manor, where the Clerries will gather to reveal their Africa-inspired paintings. The whole village is invited and buzzing with excitement. But at the festival itself, Nell witnesses some strange and disturbing events, and when a terrible discovery is made the following day, she is horrified to learn that Lord Ansley’s valet has been arrested. Can Nell clear his name while also confronting a face from the past? (Amazon)

Editions Available: Kindle, Hardcover

FROM THE #1 INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLING AUTHOR OF HOLY ISLAND AND IMPOSTOR

A SECRET KEPT FOR A THOUSAND YEARS…

After the dramatic theft of a priceless artefact from Durham Cathedral, the rest of the world believes that DCI Ryan and his team were able to recover and return St. Cuthbert’s cross to its rightful home. But Ryan knows the cross he recovered was a fake—far from being over, their problems are only just beginning…

Just as Ryan and his team begin to unravel the truth behind the spate of mysterious thefts, something even more priceless is stolen—something that can never be replaced.

As the nationwide manhunt continues without success, Ryan is thrust into despair—until he realises the answer lies not in modern policing but in an age-old secret known only to a chosen few. To recover what’s been lost, he must first crack ‘Cuthbert’s Code’, following the trail of a long-dead saint across the wild, unpredictable hills and valleys of the borderlands.

Can Ryan find what he’s looking for, before it’s too late?

He’s going to need a miracle…

Murder and mystery are peppered with romance and humour in this fast-paced crime whodunit set amidst the spectacular Northumbrian 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

Christmastime in Little Leaf Creek is a time for the Christmas fair, festive decorations and another dead body….

Cassie Alberta is settling into her new life in Little Leaf Creek. She is making some good friends and is loving spending time with her next-door neighbor’s cheeky dog and mischievous goats. The small town is abuzz with excitement, not only is Christmas just around the corner but a television show is filming an episode in town. But then a crew member is found murdered.

Cassie joins forces with her grouchy ex-cop next-door neighbor and they decide to do a little investigating of their own. But Cassie is distracted from the task at hand when her new love interest starts acting very suspiciously.

Can Cassie help catch the killer so Christmas can go off without a hitch? Is her new romantic relationship over as fast as it began?

Recipe included: Gingerbread Cookies

Action in Little Leaf Creek is the fast-paced fourth book in the Little Leaf Creek Cozy Mystery Series. If you like unexpected twists and turns, lively personalities, and a never-ending list of suspicious characters, then you’ll love Cindy Bell’s heartwarming whodunnit.

Buy Action in Little Leaf Creek to start solving the murder today! (Amazon)

Editions Available: Kindle, Paperback

If you can’t beat them, join them.

Octogenarian Myrtle Clover is so annoyed by the infighting at tiny Bradley, North Carolina’s town council meetings that she decides on a radical course of action: she’ll run for the open seat on the council. After all, she taught most of the elected officials—she should be able to enact some order.

But order apparently isn’t in the works. This becomes clear when a fellow candidate is found . . . murdered.

Myrtle and her senior sidekick Miles must uncover the killer before someone else becomes a lame duck. (Amazon)

Editions Available: Kindle, Paperback

Charlie Rhodes has spent her entire life wondering who her birth parents were, why they abandoned her, and where the magic she’s been learning to hone came from.
She’s finally going to get some answers.
With proof that the new member of the Legacy Foundation is really her brother, Charlie sets off to visit Salem with him and her boyfriend Jack Hanson. She’s never been to the city before and finds that the history swirling is only one of the things that has her excited.
Not long after landing, a body is strung up in Salem Common, and witnesses say it was ghosts doing the dirty work. Jack is intrigued enough to call in the rest of the team. Since Charlie’s parents are supposedly taking refuge within the city limits, the investigation makes for a nice cover.
It’s not long before Charlie realizes that there’s more going on in Salem than witches and white magic. Something dark is festering under the surface, and whatever it is seems to be taking aim at her.
Charlie wants answers. She’s also afraid to get them. During the search for what she’s lost, though, she becomes more determined than ever to hold onto what she has.
There’s evil afoot, and a woman who looks like an older version of Charlie is stalking the group. Could the two things be connected? Charlie won’t leave until she knows for certain.
Salem’s history might be coming back to haunt those who venture into the city and it’s up to the Legacy Foundation to figure out why … that is if they survive long enough to uncover the answers.
Hold onto your broomsticks, because it’s going to be a witchy ride. (Amazon)

Editions Available: Kindle, Audiobook

It’s Christmastime in Shady Corners, and Aurora “Rory” Aspen is ready to sleigh the season with her fabulous holiday parties.

Rory has known she was a witch since toddlerhood. And it’s been all good—she has a knack for enhancing the natural magic surrounding holidays and uses that to its full advantage to spruce up her parties. She has a great life, with a supportive dad and a sweet but zany best friend.

But then the small-town sheriff keels over into the Christmas tree at one of her events. Rory’s ex-boyfriend, Cam, whom she absolutely has not been pining over . . . much . . . is accused of the murder. Unable to resist his pleas for help, Rory branches out to find the real killer and get Cam released.

As if that wasn’t enough to do, Rory’s absent mom pops up like the ghost of Christmas past. And she’s got news that could change Rory’s life forever. Add to that a strangely knowledgeable Santa with a sack full of dubious advice, a missing corgi, and a sweet but trouble-making German shorthaired pointer, and it looks like Rory’s in a jolly big pile of trouble!

Can Rory keep it together long enough to figure out who’s really on the naughty list? Or will she get run over by a reindeer and left for dead herself?

Claus for Concern is the first book in the delightful and funny new Aurora Aspen Magical Holiday Mysteries series. If you like clean, cozy, small-town holiday murder mysteries with magic and heart, this series is for you. (Amazon)

Editions Available: Kindle, Paperback

Brandy just wasn’t sure…

…if the wedding would ever happen.

Would this murder ruin it again?

Ava had known Brandy since they were kids. She had a gift for knowing when people lied to her. Brandy never did. When her FBI trained friend transferred back from New York to the New Orleans office, her first call was to her old friend. The ad for the apartment looked promising, so off they went.

It wasn’t the best neighborhood.

They could tell by the two gun shots.

And just like that, there was a murder to solve.

Dante has made Captain of Homicide, but he still can’t seem to keep his old neighbor and childhood sweetheart from meddling in cases. Who killed Carlos and Nina, and more importantly, why was Brandy going to marry Jiff?

The clues, lies, antics, and a Giant Schnauzer, will keep you guessing, because Brandy and Ava can’t be fooled.

Get it now. (Amazon)

Editions Available: Kindle, Paperback

New Releases For The Week Of November 29th, 2020–Part 1

Contractor Shannon Hammer gets tangled up in murder at a spooky old asylum in the latest Fixer-Upper Mystery from New York Times bestselling author Kate Carlisle. . . .

Shannon Hammer is about to embark on one of the biggest projects of her career. Her best friend Jane Hennessey has purchased one wing of the Gables, formerly the old state insane asylum, located on a bucolic hillside two miles northeast of Lighthouse Cove. Jane plans to turn her section into a small luxury hotel complete with twenty ocean-view rooms, a spa, and a restaurant.

Shannon is raring to get started on the enormous project and is shocked when a group of unruly protesters shows up at the groundbreaking ceremony and wreaks havoc. She’s even more freaked-out when someone pushes her into a pit of bricks in a closed-off room of the asylum. Despite her close call, Shannon wants nothing more than to get back to work . . . until she finds a body not far from where she was pushed. Now Shannon is determined to get to the bottom of the goings-on at the Gables even if it kills her. . . . (Amazon)

Editions Available: Kindle, Paperback

It’s promising to be a picture-purrfect Christmas at New England’s favorite cat cafe . . . but instead of jolly old St. Nick, residents are being visited by murder. The fourth in a mystery series from author Cate Conte, A Whisker of a Doubt is filled with felines and crime.

The holiday season on Daybreak Island is a mixed bag for Maddie James. On the one hand, her Christmas spirit is in the doghouse after a break-up. On the other, she’s busy enough that she doesn’t have to pretend to be merry. Business at her cat café is booming, and Maddie’s care-taking of a feral cat colony in one of the area’s wealthiest communities only helps her bottom line.

But tensions between the homeowners and animal activists are escalating to catastrophic levels. . .and before long a body is found dead in a snowbank. To prove that her accused friend is innocent of the crime, Maddie will have to prowl the island for clues to the real killer before everyone on the island goes completely hiss-terical―and more than nine lives are lost. (Amazon)

Editions Available: Kindle, Paperback, Audiobook

August 1911. Emily Hardcastle and her inimitable lady’s maid Florence Armstrong are enjoying a fine summer until Harry, Lady H’s brother, turns up out of the blue with a mystery for them to solve.

A routine parachute test at a local aeroplane factory has gone horribly wrong—with pilot Dickie Dupree plummeting to his death. Harry is certain there is more to this ‘tragic accident’ than meets the eye, having discovered that someone at the airfield is leaking top secret intelligence to foreign rivals.

In between strolls to the Dog & Duck and planning for the annual village show, the daring duo dust off the Crime Board and go undercover at Bristol Aviation. With international powers investing heavily in aeronautics, the stakes are high—sky high—and the suspects soon mount up.

Can Lady Hardcastle find the culprit before someone else falls down dead? (Amazon)

Editions Available: Kindle. Paperback, Audiobook

A snowbound country mansion, a missing butler, and a Christmas case . . .

Olive and Jasper have never been closer—except in one area. Jasper is still reticent about his frequent disappearances from polite society. With the holidays approaching and no paying client on the books, Olive decides to shadow Jasper when he’s unexpectedly called away. Her search brings her to Holly Hill Lodge where an eclectic group has gathered to celebrate an old-fashioned English Christmas.

The guest list includes a celebrated lawn tennis champion, a fussy scientist studying snowflakes, a persuasive luggage salesman, a famous lady explorer, and the family’s eccentric aunt who has a fondness for the newfangled drinks called cocktails.

When the butler goes missing, Olive and Jasper must work together to solve the Christmas crime—as well as the secret Jasper hides. Murder on a Midnight Clear is the latest installment in USA Today bestselling author Sara Rosett’s popular High Society Lady Detective series.

Unwrap this 1920s Christmas mystery with all the trimmings—carols, a Yule log, plum pudding . . . and murder. (Amazon)

Editions Available: Kindle, Hardcover, Paperback

“The Amish Miss Marple strikes again…exciting.”
—Kirkus Reviews

“Refreshing…Flower combines quirky characters, close-knit community, and first-class sleuthing to great effect. Fans of Amish mysteries will love this.”
—Publishers Weekly

“There is nothing cozier than the second ‘Amish Matchmaker Mystery.’”
—Library Journal

Between minding a pair of rambunctious goats, meetings with her quilting circle, and matchmaking, Millie Fisher has plenty to keep her busy through her golden years. But the witty widow always makes time to solve the odd murder . . .
 
Some Amish men don’t know what’s good for them. That’s what Millie Fisher told herself when young Ben Baughman set his heart on marrying Tess Lieb. With Tess’s father refusing to give his blessing and Tess’s ex-boyfriend being a wet blanket, the hapless couple was bound to butt heads more than Millie’s Boer goats. But when Ben tragically dies in a mysterious fire, Millie wonders if someone in her hometown of Harvest, Ohio, wanted Ben out of the wedding picture altogether . . .
 
With the help of her quilting buddies, and her outspoken Englischer friend Lois, Millie is determined to patch together all the clues without even dropping a stitch. She only hopes it won’t be the death of her . . .

Praise for Amanda Flower and her Amish cozies

“As it turns out, Amanda Flower may have just written the first Amish rom com.”
—USA Today

“Flower has hit it out of the ballpark . . . and continues to amaze with her knowledge of the Amish way of life.”
—RT Book Reviews

“At turns playful and engaging . . . a satisfyingly complex cozy.”
—Library Journal (Amazon)

Editions Available: Kindle, Paperback

“You’ll love this character so much, you’ll want her as your best friend.”—Alyssa Maxwell, author of the Gilded Newport Mysteries and a Lady and Lady’s Maid Mysteries

Poppy Redfern is back on the case when two female fighter pilots take a fatal dive in an all-new Woman of World War II Mystery by Tessa Arlen.

It is the late autumn of 1942. Our indomitable heroine Poppy Redfern is thoroughly immersed in her new job as a scriptwriter at the London Crown Film Unit, which produces short films featuring British civilians who perform acts of valor and heroism in wartime. After weeks of typing copy and sharpening pencils, Poppy is thrilled to receive her first solo script project: a fifteen-minute film about the Air Transport Auxiliary, known as Attagirls, a group of female civilians who have been trained to pilot planes from factories to military airfields all over Britain.

Poppy could not be more excited to spend time with these amazing ladies, but she never expects to see one of the best pilots die in what is being labeled an accident. When another Attagirl meets a similar fate, Poppy and her American fighter-pilot boyfriend, Griff, believe foul play may be at work. They soon realize that a murderer with a desire for revenge is dead set on grounding the Attagirls for good. . . . (Amazon)

Editions Available: Kindle, Paperback, Audiobook

The New York Times bestselling author of the Flower Shop Mystery series returns with the second installment in her new Goddess of Greene St. Mystery series starring single mom Athena Spencer, who returns to Michigan to work at her family’s garden center, raise a pet raccoon, and dig up the dirt on suspects when a wedding rehearsal ends up with the murder of a groom…

The entire family has been put to work when a big fat Greek wedding rehearsal is booked at the Parthenon. All hands are needed for rolling grape leaves, layering moussaka, and keeping the bride calm. But then the groom goes M.I.A. and there’s far more to worry about than just whether Yiayia’s lemon rice soup has gone cold.

No matter how tangy the tzatziki, everyone’s appetite is ruined when the groom is found dead, a pair of scissors planted in his back. When the bride accuses Athena’s sister Selene, a hairstylist, of seducing and stabbing her fiancé, it’s all-out war–and it’s up to Athena to dig up the dirt on the suspects and nip these suspicions in the bud… (Amazon)

Editions Available: Kindle, Paperback

The new novel in the acclaimed Highland Bookshop mystery series finds a true-crime author murdered in the charming seacoast town of Inversgail—can the women of Yon Bonnie Books discover the killer’s identity before he or she strikes again?

True crime writer Heather Kilbride arrives in the seacoast town of Inversgail, Scotland, to research a recent murder for her new book. But if that’s true, why does she seem more interested in William Clark, a shadowy lawyer with no connection to the murder? Her nosy questions arouse the suspicions of Constable Hobbs, the members of a local writers’ group, and Janet Marsh and her crew of amateur sleuths at Yon Bonnie Books.

Heather’s unconventional research methods prove deadly when Janet discovers her lifeless body. Except the “body” turns out to be a dummy dressed-up to look like Heather. Meanwhile, Heather is sitting at a safe distance observing Janet’s reactions.

Then Heather is found dead—again—sprawled at the base of an ancient standing stone; and this time it’s for real. Clutched in her hand is a valuable miniature book last seen at Yon Bonnie Books, and now the police want to know how Heather, the miniature book, and Janet are all connected. But Janet and her group of sleuths have two questions of their own: Who else is interested in knowing that connection—and is that person a cold-blooded killer? (Amazon)

Editions Available: Kindle, Hardcover, Audiobook

It’s vintage Poppy McAllister when the gluten-free baker and B&B owner tries to solve a murder at a Cape May winery . . .
 
When Poppy and Aunt Ginny agreed to host a Wine and Cheese Happy Hour for a tour group at their Butterfly House Bed and Breakfast on the Jersey Shore, they never anticipated such a sour bunch. Grumpy guest Vince Baker should be in a better mood—he’s filthy rich and on his honeymoon with his much younger wife Sunny, who seems to dote on him almost as much as her high-spirited teacup Pomeranian, Tammy Faye Baker.
 
But the honeymoon is over when Vince drops dead the next day touring the Laughing Gull Winery. Turns out he’s been poisoned, and it seems like everybody on the tour is hiding something. Now Poppy has to put her gluten-free baking on the back burner and bottle up her feelings for the two men in her life while she charges after a bitter killer with a lethal case of sour grapes . . . 
 
Includes Seven Recipes from Poppy’s Kitchen!
 
“Fans of Chopped will have fun juggling the complicated set of suspects and following a romantic triangle that has yet to be resolved.”
—Kirkus Reviews on Restaurant Weeks  (Amazon)

Editions Available: Kindle, Paperback

Determined to make the First Edition Library a success, Hayley Burke wasn’t expecting to have to solve an old friend’s murder in this all-new mystery from USA Today bestselling author Marty Wingate.

Hayley Burke, curator of Lady Fowling’s collection of first edition mysteries, is settling into her position at the First Edition Library in Middlebank House. She’s even made progress with Lady Fowling’s former secretary, the ornery Miss Woolgar. The women are busily preparing for an exhibition that will showcase Lady Fowling’s life and letters. Hayley knows the exhibition is a huge undertaking and decides, against her better judgement, to hire Oona Atherton, her former boss from the Jane Austen Centre to help with the planning.
 
     Oona is known for being difficult, but all seems to be going swimmingly until she and Hayley uncover a one-page letter that alludes to a priceless edition of MURDER MUST ADVERTISE signed by several Golden Age of Mystery authors. Oona feels this book could be the focal point of the exhibition and becomes obsessed with finding it.
 
     When they find clues that appear to point to the book being somewhere in the First Edition Library, Oona is certain she’s unraveled the mystery and texts Hayley the good news, but upon arriving back at Middlebank, Hayley finds her old boss dead at the bottom of the stairs. Did her discovery of the rare book get her killed or was it some angry shadow from her past? Hayley must read between the lines to catch a malicious murderer. (Amazon)

Editions Available: Kindle, Hardcover, Audiobook

Acclaimed and internationally bestselling crime novelist Caz Frear returns with her third superb novel featuring Cat Kinsella, a cop “on par with Susie Steiner’s and Tana French’s female detectives” (Kirkus Reviews).

Four victims. Killer caught. Case closed . . .  or is it? 

Growing up in a London family with ties to organized crime, Detective Constable Cat Kinsella knows the criminal world better than most cops do. As a member of the city’s Metropolitan Police, she’s made efforts to distinguish herself from her relatives. But leading an upstanding life isn’t always easy, and Cat has come close to crossing the line, a fact she keeps well hidden from her superiors.

Working their latest case, Cat and her partner Luigi Parnell discover a connection to a notorious criminal: serial killer Christopher Masters, who abducted and killed several women in 2012. Though the cops eventually apprehended him, his final victim, Holly Kemp, was never found and he never confessed to her murder, despite the solid eyewitness testimony against him. Now, six years later, the discovery of Holly’s remains near Cambridge seems to be the definitive proof needed to close the case.

Still, a few key items of evidence don’t quite line up. As Cat and Parnell look closer, they find discrepancies that raise troubling questions. But someone will do anything to keep past secrets hidden—and as they inch closer to the truth, they may be putting themselves in jeopardy . . .  (Amazon)

Editions Available: Kindle, Hardcover, Audiobook

Alberta Scaglione thinks her cooking is better than anyone’s in Tranquility, New Jersey—but she doesn’t mind an occasional visit to Veronica’s Diner. Too bad today’s special is murder . . .

During the breakfast rush, waitress Teri Jo seems stressed out. Not surprising on a busy morning, though Alberta, her sister Helen, and her granddaughter Jinx find it odd when Teri Jo asks them to deliver a package for her “just in case.”
 
Minutes later, Teri Jo rushes back to their table—not with a check in her hand but with a knife in her back. Veronica is upset but says she knows virtually nothing about her employee’s past, and the ladies aren’t sure whether to view her with sympathy or suspicion. Then they find an unusual figurine on the ground while snooping in the vicinity, and it becomes clear that this is a case for the Ferrara Family. With such a crowd at the crime scene, there are plenty of potential murderers on the menu, and the Ferraras will travel everywhere to figure out exactly where that figurine fits in . . .
 
Includes Italian recipes from Alberta’s kitchen!

Praise for Murder at Tranquility Park

“Imagine the Golden Girls starting a detective agency and you’ll get the general idea of J.D. Griffo’s charming Ferrara Family mystery series.”
—Criminal Element (Amazon)

Editions Available: Kindle, Paperback

Hosting a friendly competition reality cooking show could be the perfect career boost for Chef Courtney Archer–but when her co-host is found murdered, Courtney must work through layers of deception to find the real culprit.

Despite a few early hiccups, Courtney is thrilled with her starring role on The American Baking Battle, filmed at a grand resort in the Pocono Mountains. The icing on the cake? The new season has a wedding theme–complete with formalwear. But the first day on set, the producer seems to care more about profits than pastry–and the topper comes when her cohost Skylar falls ill. Little does she know things are about to end in tiers…

When a barely coherent, blood-covered Skylar is discovered at the doorway of his room, Courtney is horrified to walk inside and find a towering wedding cake–thoroughly smashed by the body of a woman in a bridal gown. Now suspicion is filling the studio and falling on Skylar, and Courtney has to look at coworkers and contestants, working through layers of deception to find the real culprit… (Amazon)

Editions Available: Kindle, Paperback, Audiobook

“First in a new series…this lively cozy has glamour, intrigue, and romance.”
—Booklist

Fans of Agatha Christie won’t want to miss this delightful new mystery set in the charming village of Edgemead in Surrey, England, where you’ll find the latest styles, the juiciest gossip—and the most tantalizing murder clues…

No one would ever accuse famous opera star Dame Serena Levanté of lacking a flare for the dramatic. Unfortunately, it’s curtains down on the dysfunctional diva when she’s found dead at the bottom of a staircase in her elegant home. Solving an opera singer’s murder may not be the typical hairdresser’s aria of expertise. But Dame Serena was the mother of Daisy’s best friend Floria, so Daisy must do-or-dye her best to get to the roots of the case.

When a priceless Modigliani painting in the house is reported missing, the mystery gets even more tangled. Even though the gruff but handsome Detective Inspector Paul McGuinness tells the stylist to stay out of his hair, Daisy is determined to make sure the killer faces a stern makeover—behind bars.

“A promising debut with scads of interesting characters, a spirited heroine, and a hint of romance.”
—Kirkus Reviews

“Enjoyable…will appeal to readers of Elizabeth J. Duncan’s ‘Penny Brannigan’ mysteries.”
—Library Journal

“Death at a Country Mansion has more twists than a French braid.”
—Sherry Harris

“If you enjoy British manor houses, a touch of budding romance, and a good mystery (like I do), I highly recommend Death at a Country Mansion.”
—Vikki Walton

“A little romance, a little art history, and a gorgeous mansion . . . a page-turner that is fun and intriguing.”
—ACF Bookens (Amazon)

Editions Available: Kindle, Paperback

Nobody talks to the cops. Everybody talks to the bartender.
And Avalon Nash is a hell of a bartender.
On a cool June night at the Battened Hatch, Avalon is the last to see an Olympic medalist before his mysterious demise. Her superpower is collecting people’s stories, and she soon discovers that the medalist’s death connects to an unsolved kidnap/murder of a teenager 20 years before—and the perp is looking to silence anyone getting close to the truth.
As Avalon settles into her new home in the Olympic village of Tranquility, New York, can she solve the devastating murders, figure out who is worth trusting, and start to be vulnerable again—while tracking and outwitting a murderer?
The second book in the Bartender’s Guide to Murder series offers scares, humor, and 30 more of the best drink recipes ever imbibed. (Amazon)

Editions Available: Kindle, Paperback

“I want you to find out who is responsible for ruining his life and I want them to pay for it.”
This is the desire of Latricia Jones as she hires Goff Langdon to investigate her son’s arrest for burglary, vandalism, and possibly hate crimes.
Langdon is a laid back, slacker detective, happy with his work, friends, and way of life in the town of Brunswick, Maine. To complement his income in Brunswick’s scarce private detective market, Langdon also owns and operates a mystery bookstore named after his trusted companion, Coffee Dog.
He was on the fast track to success. And then something happened.
Jamal Jones is an eighteen-year-old rising star attending a post-grad prep school in central Maine to bring his grades up so he can play college basketball at the D1 level. Then he is arrested for crimes that his mother knows he committed, but not why. She’s sure someone has put him up to it, the behavior so unlike him as to be unthinkable, especially since Jamal was on the verge of beginning a better life. Latricia wants Langdon to track down those responsible for her son’s sudden turn from grace, and she wants them to pay. (Amazon)

Editions Available: Kindle, Paperback

Great Escapes Virtual Book Tours–On Deadly Tides

On Deadly Tides: A Penny Brannigan Mystery
Cozy Mystery
11th in Series
Publisher: Crooked Lane Books (November 10, 2020)
237 pages
ISBN-10: 1643854682
ISBN-13: 978-1643854687
Kindle ASIN: B084V85BT8

I’m so excited to be a stop on the blog tour for author  Elizabeth J Duncan and her new book  On Deadly Tides.  This is the eleventh book in her A Penny Brannigan Cozy Mystery Series.

Purchase Links

Amazon    B&N    Kobo

On Deadly Tides: A Penny Brannigan Mystery
by Elizabeth J. Duncan

. . . a great trip to the British world of history mixed with interesting characters that will keep you hooked as the mystery unfolds. Truly a delightful adventure with a heartwarming ending. Sure to delight fans of cozy mysteries.
~Books a Plenty Book Reviews

With a picturesque black and white lighthouse, pebble beaches and stunning views of sea and mountains, the island of Anglesey off the coast of North Wales is the perfect place for an idyllic mid-summer painting holiday.

And watercolour artist, businesswoman, and amateur sleuth Penny Brannigan is enjoying the retreat enormously – until she discovers the body of a New Zealand journalist on a secluded beach just as the tide is going out, threatening to take the body with it.

The post mortem reveals the victim died from injuries “consistent with a fall from a great height,” and the death is ruled accidental. But Penny thinks there’s more to the story. Curious how the victim came to such an untimely end at this most inhospitable spot, she uncovers a link to a mysterious disappearance several years earlier.

And as her holiday romance with a wildlife photographer turns to love, she learns some truths about herself, too, that surprise her.

As the winds of change blow through Penny’s own life, she sets sail on a friendly tide for a future she never dreamed possible, in a beautiful place she never imagined.

A two-time winner of the Bloody Words (Bony Blithe) Award for Canada’s best light mystery, Elizabeth J. Duncan is the author of two series: the Penny Brannigan mysteries set in North Wales and Shakespeare in the Catskills featuring costume designer Charlotte Fairfax. A former journalist, public relations practioner, and college professor, Elizabeth is a faculty member of the Humber School for Writers. She divides her time between Toronto, Canada and Llandudno, North Wales.

Author Links

Website: www.elizabethjduncan.com

Facebook: www.facebook.com/elizabethjduncan

Twitter: @elizabethduncan

To enter the Rafflecopter Giveaway, please click on the link below:

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/028877921133/?widget_template=56d5f80dbc544fb30fda66f0

TOUR PARTICIPANTS

November 27 – I’m All About Books – SPOTLIGHT

November 27 – Books a Plenty Book Reviews – REVIEW

November 28 – I Read What You Write – CHARACTER GUEST POST

November 28 – MJB Reviewers – SPOTLIGHT

November 29 – Author Elena Taylor’s Blog – AUTHOR INTERVIEW

November 29 – Christa Reads and Writes – REVIEW

November 30 – eBook Addicts – SPOTLIGHT

November 30 – My Reading Journeys – REVIEW

December 1 – Ruff Drafts – GUEST POST

December 1 – Mystery Thrillers and Romantic Suspense Reviews – SPOTLIGHT

December 2 – The Book’s the Thing – REVIEW

December 2 – Thoughts in Progress – SPOTLIGHT

December 2 – Island Confidential – SPOTLIGHT

December 2 – Reading, Writing & Stitch-Metic – SPOTLIGHT

December 3 – Ascroft, eh? – CHARACTER INTERVIEW

December 3 – Baroness’ Book Trove – REVIEW

December 3 – The Pulp and Mystery Shelf – SPOTLIGHT

December 4 – Christy’s Cozy Corners – GUEST POST

December 4 – Sapphyria’s Book Reviews – SPOTLIGHT

December 5 – Literary Gold – CHARACTER GUEST POST

December 5 – StoreyBook Reviews – SPOTLIGHT

December 6 – Celticlady’s Reviews – SPOTLIGHT

December 6 – Brooke Blogs – SPOTLIGHT

Review of Courting Can Be Killer

Courting Can Be Killer
An Amish Matchmaker Mystery, Book #2
Amanda Flower
5 Stars

Synopsis:

In the second Amish Matchmaker Mystery by USA Today bestselling author Amanda Flower, Millie Fisher has plenty to keep her busy through her golden years, whether it’s minding a pair of rambunctious goats, meetings with her quilting circle, and matchmaking. But the witty widow always makes time to solve the odd murder…

Some Amish men don’t know what’s good for them. That’s what Millie Fisher told herself when young Ben Baughman set his heart on marrying Tess Lieb. With Tess’s father refusing to give his blessing and Tess’s ex-boyfriend being a wet blanket, the hapless couple was bound to butt heads more than Millie’s Boer goats. But when Ben tragically dies in a mysterious fire, Millie wonders if someone in her hometown of Harvest, Ohio, wanted Ben out of the wedding picture altogether…

With the help of her quilting buddies, and her outspoken Englischer friend Lois, Millie is determined to patch together all the clues without even dropping a stitch. She only hopes it won’t be the death of her… (Goodreads)

Review:

The characters are well rounded and well developed. I love the relationship between Millie and Lois. They are so different but they get along great and care about each other a lot. They spend a lot of time together, especially when they are sleuthing, which they seem to do a lot. When an Amish man is killed in a fire, the circumstances are suspicious. Millie and Lois decide to do some sleuthing to try to help law enforcement solve the case. I really enjoyed seeing some of the characters from the Amish Candy Shop Mystery series, that was a lot of fun.

The author is very talented in her descriptive writing and it added to my enjoyment. I felt like I was right there with Millie and her goats, seeing what mischief they would get into. The mystery was well plotted and there were enough clues to sift through and suspects to consider.

I would highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a well crafted cozy mystery. When I have a book to read by this author, I know I am in for a real treat.

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

New Releases For the Week Of November 22, 2020–Part 4

The Dreamtime and a Deadly Kiss

She’s a widowed, city-slicker businesswoman. He’s an enigmatic Aboriginal elder. Will they find the killer in the Outback before another murder is committed or will they be too late?

Traveling to the timeless Australian outback has long been on Diana Daniels’ bucket list. With her husband’s death now two years behind her, she heads off on a well-earned vacation to the ancient Kimberley region in northern Western Australia. Accompanied by Mimi, her zany, artistic sister-in-law, Diana plans to trek the imposing gorges, relax in her luxury cliffside retreat, and experience the enchantment of the Aboriginal Dreamtime.

But her plans are soon shattered when a young Aboriginal girl goes missing under suspicious circumstances. As if by design, Diana is commissioned by the girl’s grandfather, Tommy George to solve the mystery under the skeptical watch of the local police headed by Senior Constable Mitchell. Against the lavish backdrop of an international art festival and surrounded by a group of secretive guests, Diana finds herself running out of time. She knows a killer lurks among them, and it’s up to her to solve the mystery before more guests are murdered.

Killer in the Outback is the second installment in the Diana Daniels Mysteries. If you are a fan of Agatha Christie-style ‘whodunnits’ and page-turning plots, then you’ll love this clever, cocktail mystery by award winning author, Diane Demetre

PUBLISHER NOTE: A Cozy Murder Mystery of 75,500 words. (Amazon)

Editions Available: Kindle

Would Sadie Hayes and her family ever be safe?
After Carter’s latest betrayal and their breakup, Sadie feels ready to break herself. But she can’t. She’s a single mother and has a business to run.
When the crime leader Xavier Gallagher shows up at her salon, she realizes how great a danger she faces. People who oppose him die or disappear. How can she refuse to help him when his offer includes a blatant threat against those she loves?
After she ended their engagement, she doesn’t trust Carter to protect her and her family. She’s also afraid that anyone she asks for help will be targeted by Gallagher.
Her only hope is to gather evidence against Gallagher and pray she can do it before she becomes his next victim.
With the news that her friend Donetta eloped, she feels alone and on her own, but soon discovers she has true friends who will never desert her, including one who helps her from beyond the grave. (Amazon)

Editions Available: Kindle, Paperback

Fixated on researching ways to break her curse once and for all, jinxed witch and do-gooder Dahlia Poplar doesn’t know how well she’ll do in the upcoming Euchre Tournament, the Luna Lane Spooky Games Club’s first sponsored event. With visiting professor Cable Woodward due to depart to spend more of his sabbatical on the road, Dahlia can’t admit that he may be the reason she’s so determined to finally leave behind the cozy comforts of home.

Unfortunately, her efforts stir up unwanted attention from the one who cursed Dahlia to begin with, the evil witch whose shadow has loomed over all of the dreadful events in Luna Lane. When the tournament ends prematurely, there’s a body charred to ashes, and Dahlia takes it upon herself to figure out if the wicked witch is behind the disaster. Somehow, she needs to brew the right potion to break her curse while solving the paranormal message encoded in the club’s playing cards, all while keeping her loved ones safe.

Her very life may be the ante she risks to get to the bottom of everything that’s been plaguing her since birth—and if she can’t bluff her way to winning, Dahlia Poplar may prove to be the dead card that’s no longer in play. (Amazon)

Editions Available: Kindle, Paperback

After the damage done by a hurricane, the vendors of Magic Row are cleaning up. With the worry of a warlock in the wind some of them are considering clearing out of Urbana for good. The highest ranking witches and wizards have come to the city to catch the criminal warlock, O’Crowly, whose secret plans have the community speculating about end of the world prophecies. The Seer is nowhere in sight to set the record straight, so when a wizard in witness protection goes missing and a witch is found dead, the vexed vendors demand the council choose a new leader – someone who will ensure O’Crowly is caught.
For the first time since she discovered the magical community, Alice Adelcraft believes she has powers of her own to help her new friends. But Alice is showing no signs of talent in her lessons with the handsome wizard Sebastian Delvaux, and her genie, Naveed, is no longer there to protect her. Naveed has ventured off with his newfound sister to find his missing family members. He’s no longer answering Alice’s wishes, which makes things all the worse when she discovers O’Crowly is after her and the last of her family’s magic. Will Alice Adelcraft unleash her inner witch in time to save her magical friends from the warlock’s evil plans? Or will it truly be the end of the world –at least as Alice knows it? (Amazon)

Editions Available: Kindle

Black Cats, Magic Lamps, Witches, and Thrift Shops: What more could you want in a cozy?
Book 1: Mysterious Merchandise
When Alice Adelcraft follows a black cat down an alley, she finds a street that wasn’t there yesterday. The sign reads “Magic Row,” and the stores have names like “Spellbinders” and “A Witch’s Thrift Shop.” Most intriguing of all is the dead body Alice finds behind a dumpster. She’s seen enough of the world to know that if she doesn’t stand up for the teen wizard orphan accused of the murder, no one will help prove his innocence. But, stepping into the Magic Row means posing as a witch, and being found out means facing a terrifying hex. Will Alice’s choice become the biggest mistake of her life or the best discovery of her lifetime?
Book 2: Bewitching Bargains
Alice Adelcraft is pretending to be a witch on Magic Row, a street full of shops for those with magic. She has befriended the owner of A Witch’s Thrift Shop, where a saleswoman has quit without notice. While the open position is good news for the teen witch, Hazel, whom Alice has recommended for the job, Alice can’t help but wonder what happened to the employee, Mara Blest. Hazel and her twin brother, Zade, are sure Mara is missing. When Hazel and Zade’s mother gets a hazy vision of a kidnapping and odd incidences begin to occur at the thrift shop, Alice worries she’s placed Hazel in a dangerous position. Can she keep the twins safe? Or will uncovering the truth to Mara’s disappearance unveil other secrets in Magic Row – including Alice’s identity as an impostor?
Book 3: Wicked Wishlists
When ordinary Alice Adelcraft met wizard Sebastian (Baz) Delvaux, he nearly hexed her for wandering into Magic Row. But, now that she’s pretending to be a witch, Alice has gotten to know him and the rest of the magical community. She’s even starting to like Baz, maybe more than she should considering he’s engaged to a witch from a prominent magical family. Rich and powerful wizards like Baz live in their own social circles, but he’s shown himself to be different. That’s why she can’t believe it when he is accused of murdering his uncle for his fortune. Can she prove his innocence without exposing her lack of magic? Or will she discover that on Magic Row, secrets are everywhere?
Book 4: Spellbinding Sales
While the witches and wizards of Magic Row are preparing for a storm, Alice Adelcraft is searching for a warlock threatening her city. When a witness to the warlock’s crimes turns up dead, Alice believes Urbana is about to be hit by more than a hurricane. Her worst fears are realized when she is receives a warning: Surrender your magic or die.
Alice has come to love the magical community, especially a certain wizard who hasn’t yet shown signs of returning the feeling, but she has no magic of her own. If only Alice’s genie could turn her into a witch, then she might be able to protect the community. What’s more, Alice might understand why a seer says she is the key to saving Urbana—or destroying it.
Book 5: Vexed Vendors
After a hurricane, the vendors of Magic Row are cleaning up. But with a warlock in the wind, some of them are considering clearing out of Urbana for good. The elite witches and wizards have come to catch the criminal warlock, O’Crowly, whose secret plans have the community gossiping about end of the world prophecies.
For the first time since she entered Magic Row, Alice Adelcraft believes she has magic of her own to help her new friends. But Alice is showing no signs of talent in her lessons with the wizard Sebastian Delvaux, and her genie, Naveed, is no longer around. He’s ventured off with his newfound sister to find his missing family members. Naveed is no longer answering Alice’s wishes, which makes things all the worse when she discovers O’Crowly is after her family’s magic. Will Alice unleash her inner witch in time to save her magical friends from the warlock’s evil plans? (Amazon)

Editions Available: Kindle

The United States is falling further under Predator’s control with every passing day, and time is running out to stop them. Separated and forced to trust those that have betrayed them, Lee and Winfield must find a way to fight back. But when the enemy is everywhere and knows everything, there is nowhere you can hide. With Winfield hunted by Predator and the Secret Service, Lee remains imprisoned by Lever, who has plans for him and pushes him to the edge of breaking. Loyalties will be broken, secrets learned, and beliefs tested. And in the end, Lee’s mind may hold the key to Predator’s destruction, though to do so might cost him everything.Join Lee, Winfield, and many other familiar faces in the sixth and final installment in the AKA Simon Lee series. (Amazon)

Editions Available: Kindle

Award-winning author Cheryl Denise Bannerman delivers another helping of tasty Italian dishes, adorable cats, and a side of murder.

In book three of this cozy culinary series, mystery author and part-time meddler, Anna Romano, opens her home to her detective boyfriend’s troubled brother, Scott. But the happy family reunion was over before it began when a body is found in her home, and Scott subsequently disappears.

Was Scott somehow involved in the murder? While her boyfriend, John, and his partner investigate, Anna is mysteriously snatched. No one knows how or why Anna is kidnapped, except that it must have something to do with Scott.

Will the detectives reach Anna in time or will John’s brother have to make the ultimate sacrifice to save her?  (Amazon)

Editions Available: Kindle, Paperback

A broody hen. A dead body. The ultimate test of a relationship.

Pet psychic Frankie Chandler finally (and reluctantly) agrees to meet Detective Martin Bower’s family. All she has to do is impress the pack of sisters who raised him. Not difficult, right? The only thing at stake is her relationship with the man she loves.

The weekend at his eldest sibling’s farm surpasses her worst nightmares. His former guardians excel at finding her faults. Even the chickens have it in for her. Then her first moment alone with Bowers on a romantic stroll ends with the discovery of a murdered farmhand.

Now the marshal is fixed on Bowers’ sister Dymphna as the chief suspect. On a homestead overrun with animals, there must be a witness. The broody hen? The carrot-obsessed horses? The suspect’s self-involved dog? As she wrangles information from animals both furry and feathered, the case against Dymphna worsens. Should Frankie’s loyalty be to the truth? Or to Bowers’ family?

Join Frankie and Bowers on their most personal case yet. (Amazon)

Editions Available: Kindle

The murder of a glamorous DC socialite becomes Alex Cross’s deadliest case since Along Came a Spider.
Kay Willingham led a life as glamorous as it was public-she was a gorgeous Georgetown socialite, philanthropist, and the ex-wife of the vice president. So why was she parked in a Bentley convertible idling behind a DC private school, in the middle of the night, with the man who was the head of that school? Who shot them both, point blank, and why? The shocking double homicide is blazed across the internet, TV, newspapers — and across Alex Cross’s mind. Kay had been his patient once. And maybe more.

While John Sampson of DC Metro Police investigates the last movements of Christopher Randall, the educator killed along with Kay Willingham, detective Alex Cross and FBI special agent Ned Mahoney find unanswered questions from Willingham’s past, before she arrived in DC and became known in DC society as someone who could make things happen. They travel to Alabama to investigate Kay’s early years. There they find a world of trouble, corruption, and secrets, all of them closed to outsiders like Cross and Mahoney.

Kay had many enemies, but all of them seemed to need her alive. The harder the investigators push, the more resistance they find when they leave behind the polite law offices and doctors’ quarters of the state capital. Alex Cross will need to use all his skills as a doctor, a detective, and a family man to prevent that resistance from turning lethal…again. (Amazon)

Editions Available: Kindle, Hardcover. Paperback, Audiobook

A riveting debut thriller by Andrea J. Johnson, and the first in the VICTORIA JUSTICE series. Twenty-five year old Victoria Justice has never really gotten over a near drowning at the hands of a high school bully, but has attempted to build her confidence and career as a court stenographer under the mentorship of The Honorable Frederica Scott Wannamaker, the county’s first African-American Superior Court judge. But when her old nemesis appears on the court docket, Victoria’s carefully crafted world implodes―evidence goes missing, a potential mistrial abounds, and the judge winds up drowned in the courthouse bathroom. Victoria realizes her transcript of the proceedings unlocks everyone’s secrets…including the murderer’s. Plagued with guilt for failing to protect her mentor, Victoria teams up with Ashton North, the handsome state trooper accused of mishandling trial evidence, and starts to untangle the conspiracy surrounding the case. Meanwhile, the deputy attorney general hangs himself during the Post-Election Festival. Everyone is quick to accept his suicide note as a sign of guilt, but Victoria is convinced the truth behind her mentor’s death lies in the trial transcript. Can she suppress her fears long enough to crack the code, find her voice, and avoid the crosshairs of the killer? (Amazon)

Editions Available: Hardcover

Review of Gooseberry Christmas

Gooseberry Christmas
Cottage On Gooseberry Bay, Book #3
Kathi Daley
5 Stars

Synopsis:

USA Today Bestselling author Kathi Daley brings you a heartwarming mystery series about finding answers and fostering hope while building friendships and embracing the magic of life by the sea and small town holidays.

Ainsley Holloway had come to Gooseberry Bay to find answers about her past. She’d come to find an explanation for the dreams that haunted her after the death of the cop who’d both rescued and raised her. And she’d come to identify the family she couldn’t remember but knew in her heart she’d once belonged to.

Ainsley hoped that by finding these answers, she’d also find healing. She hoped that once she’d resurrected the memories buried deep in her mind, she’d find peace.

The Cottage at Gooseberry Bay is a series about, not only finding answers, but finding hope.
It’s a series about family and friendship.
It’s a series about shared holidays, festivals, and celebrations.
It’s a series about shared heartbreak and hardship.
And it’s a series about the bond that can be forged amongst strangers when tragedy binds two or more individuals with a common goal.

In book 3 in the series, Ainsley decides to set aside her search for answers to her past and enjoy her first Gooseberry Christmas by volunteering along with the rest of the gang for the Christmas Festival on the boardwalk. Normally Ainsley didn’t bother much with Christmas and all its trappings but this year she is excited to join in as most of the locals are prone to do. Of course it does put a bit of a damper on the festivities when a body is found in the tree lot where the gang had offered to help out, but that doesn’t stop Ainsley from making the most of the season in spite of the crazy investigation she can’t help but get pulled into. (Goodreads)

Review:

The characters are well developed and well rounded. Ainsley, Parker, Jemma and Josie are smart independent women who know how to get things done. When a body is discovered in the Christmas tree lot, they know they have to try to help solve the mystery. And Ainsley has not given up on her journey to figure out who she is and why she was found in a burning building when she was a young child. She gets help with that from Adam, who is willing to do some searching on his own. There might be a romance brewing with Ainsley and Adam, we will have to wait and see.

The author is very talented in her descriptive writing, and these descriptions pulled me into the story from the beginning. The mystery of the dead body was intriguing and held my interest throughout the entire book.

I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a well crafted cozy mystery. I cannot wait to find out what the next book will bring.

New Releases for the Week Of November 22, 2020–Part 3

“Good for what ails you,” this quick, feel-good mystery is sure to chase away the gloom and doom of 2020 and challenge your ‘whodunit’ skills.

ER Nurse Laurel Benson and Police Detective Cade Resnick have a sure cure for boredom. There’s never a dull moment in the lively college town of College Station, Texas. Book 2 is no exception, especially with a bonus appearance by Granny Bert from The Sisters, Texas Mystery Series.

On the last home Game Day of Aggie football, a patient is admitted to the ER, and he’s not just any patient. Laurel recognizes the sixty-something-year-old in the Captain Courageous costume (no, it’s not Halloween) as the CEO of Texas General Hospital’s most vocal competitor, Brazos Valley Methodist. He’s also married to Cade’s superior, College Station Assistant Chief of Police Corinda-Addison Fisk. His first visit of the day is of a ‘personal’ nature; the second leaves him fighting for his life.

One of Laurel’s superpowers is that she interprets Mumbo-Jumbo, those indecipherable mutterings of patients’ in the direst of situations.
Before he’s rushed to surgery, Dr. Fisk tells Laurel something that is sure to put her at odds with the handsome detective and make their elusive first date even less likely to happen.

When the doctor dies, Cade has a murder on his hands and Laurel must tell him what she knows. Never mind that the cowboy detective makes her heart jingle as surely as his spurs; their careers seem determined to pull them apart, one patient and one murder at a time.

From the best-selling author of The Sisters, Texas Mystery Series, Mirrors Don’t Lie Series, and The Spirits of Texas Cozy Mysteries, enjoy this new line of quick, feel-good cozies.
Book 2 of Texas General Cozy Cases of Mystery! (Amazon)

Editions Available: Kindle

Your favourite sleuths are back in this festive-themed latest instalment of the bestselling Kat and Mouse series.

The lead up to Christmas sees the Connection private investigation team planning their festive season. Until a new case arrives…

Catapulted into their biggest mystery yet, they are tasked with finding a killer who has been released on parole, and subsequently disappeared. Has he returned to finish the murder he tried to commit before his capture nineteen years earlier?

As he targets his intended victim, his attention is also focused on the private investigators and their police colleagues with devastating effect.

With families torn apart, Doris must seek assistance from a colleague from her past to give Connection the best chance of bringing a psychopath to justice.

How will it end? Is this the last we will see of Kat, Mouse, Doris and Luke? And can Connection continue?

Also available in the bestselling Kat and Mouse Murder mystery series:

Murder Undeniable

Murder Unexpected

Murder Unearthed

Murder Untimely

Anita Waller is the bestselling author of multiple thrillers including 34 Days, Malignant and Captor. Murder Unjoyful is a gripping cozy mystery which can be read as part of the bestselling Kat and Mouse series or as an unmissable stand-alone. It will appeal to fans of authors like Faith Martin, Agatha Christie, LJ Ross and Betty Rowlands. (Amazon)

Editions Available: Kindle, Paperback

The big day is on the way, and Holly’s got the jitters.

She also has a house full of royal vampires out for blood.

When Lacey Vaughn comes back to Beechwood Harbor, she sure knows how to throw one heck of a welcome back party.

Catch up with Holly and her gang of paranormal pals in Men Love Witches, the eleventh book in the Beechwood Harbor Magic Mysteries series by Danielle Garrett.

Welcome back to Beechwood Harbor, the small town where witches, vampires, shifters, and werewolves all work, play—and mostly—get along! (Amazon)

Editions Available: Kindle

When their best friend Merilee lands in jail, Janet and Molly naturally rush to her aid. But when the two girls find out that Merilee has been accused of murdering her own mother, they realize that the only way to help her is to find the real killer! The mystery takes the three friends back and forth from their artsy neighborhood in Dallas, to the Old West town of Shotgun City, to a ranch so big you could get lost in it. When the threesome find a map of nearby Packsaddle Mountain, they realize they’ve found a clue to a legendary outlaw’s treasure—a treasure worth killing for. Before all is said and done, the three friends will have to face a lot of danger and team up with some unlikely allies to discover the hidden loot and bring a murderer to justice. Written by twenty-four different authors, this is one cozy mystery you won’t want to miss! (Amazon)

Editions Available: Kindle

Eligible bachelors turning into frogs.
A woman making herself at home with a family of dwarves.
A bride-to-be who has fallen into a deep slumber.
And a guy who won’t quit asking everyone to try on a shoe.

The citizens of Mystic Key have always been strange, but something is really off this time. It doesn’t take long for the Witches of Shadow Lane to figure it out, but removing the strong curse plaguing most of the town won’t be that easy.
If they have any hope of freeing everyone, they’ll have to hurry before the curse makes it way to Shadow Lane and picks them off one-by-one…
Well, that is if the knockoff villians don’t get there first.

Witches of Shadow Lane series:
Witchy Business, Book 1
Witchy Orders, Book 2
Witchy Secrets, Book, 3
Witchy Warnings, Book 4
Witchy Omens, Book 5 (Amazon)

Editions Available: Kindle

It’s the season of joy, happiness, and everything! This Christmas, treat yourself with fun adventures set not just in Manhattan but a whole new dimension!

This set features five Christmas paranormal cozy mysteries including:

Wicked of the Christmas Past

Wicked as a Christmas Fruitcake

I’m Dreaming of a Wicked Christmas

All I Want for Christmas is Wicked

Merry, Bright, and Spirited Away

Enjoy four Christmas stories featuring Mandy, her ghostly pal Jackie, and the super-hot FBI agent turned into the COO of the world’s leading security company Rick Rowling!

And…

Meet Peridot “Riddy” Valentino, a budding curator ready to take the world of fine art.

While enjoying a nice soak in the hot tub at the stunning Montana vacation villa on Christmas Eve, a vortex materializes, sucking her into the bottom of the hot tub… and, into a mysterious world where the sword and magic are the norm.

And the next thing she knows, she’s on a demon slaying trip as a valet and bodyguard. Here’s the catch; declining this assignment could result in Riddy’s painful death. Can an art major with no experience in magic, sword fighting, and not even martial art survive in this adventure?

Find out in this supermaz combo of holiday stories! (Amazon)

Editions Available: Kindle

“Very entertaining. I highly recommend this book to the permanent library of any reader that appreciates a very well written mystery, with some twists and an intelligent plot. You will not be disappointed. Excellent way to spend a cold weekend!”
–Books and Movie Reviews, Roberto Mattos (regarding Murder in the Manor)

BEACHFRONT BAKERY: A KILLER CUPCAKE is the debut novel in a charming and hilarious new cozy mystery series by #1 bestselling author Fiona Grace, whose bestselling Murder in the Manor (A Lacey Doyle Cozy Mystery) has nearly 200 five star reviews.

Allison Sweet, 34, a sous chef in Los Angeles, has had it up to here with demeaning customers, her demanding boss, and her failed love life. After a shocking incident, she realizes the time has come to start life fresh and follow her lifelong dream of moving to a small town and opening a bakery of her own.

When Allison spots a charming, vacant storefront on the boardwalk near Venice, she wonders if she could really start life anew. Feeling like it’s a sign, and a time to take a chance in life, she goes for it.

Yet Allison did not anticipate the wild ride ahead of her: the boardwalk, filled with fun and outrageous characters, is pulsing with life, from the Italian pizzeria owners on either side of her who vie for her affection, to the fortune tellers and scheming rival bakery owner nearby. Allison yearns to just focus on her delicious new pastry recipes and keep her struggling bakery afloat—but when a murder occurs right near her shop, everything changes.

Implicated, her entire future at stake, Allison has no choice but to investigate to clear her name. As an orphaned dog wanders into her life, a devoted new sidekick with a knack for solving mysteries, she starts her search.

Will they find the killer? And can her struggling bakery survive?

A hilarious cozy mystery series, packed with twists, turns, romance, travel, food and unexpected adventure, the BEACHFRONT BAKERY series will keep you laughing and turning pages late into the night as you fall in love with an endearing new character who will capture your heart.

Books #2 (A MURDEROUS MACAROON), #3 (A PERILOUS CAKE POP), #4 (A DEADLY DANISH), #5 (A TREACHEROUS TART), and book #6 (A CALAMITOUS COOKIE) are also available! (Amazon)

Editions Available: Kindle

Christmas is a time of giving but one person wants to take it all away…

Christmas is almost here and Charlotte has every intention of making it the best one ever for the residents and shops of Kingfisher Falls. After the success last year of the bookshop’s ‘Giving Box’, she’s roped eleven other traders into joining her ‘Giving Tree’ project.

But somebody wants the project to fail. And they are quick to blame a recently returned, down-on-their-luck local when some of the gift cards go missing.

Meanwhile, Trev has a new constable to train and can’t seem to find the right moment to propose to the woman he loves.

As the thefts devastate the town and shoppers avoid Kingfisher Falls, Charlotte faces a big decision when news about her past casts doubt on her future.

With days before Christmas, can Charlotte solve the mystery of the missing cards and exonerate the accused local, or will the person behind all the crime in town finally take their revenge on her?

The Charlotte Dean Mysteries is a new series of mysteries from the author of The Stationmaster’s Cottage. Set amongst Victoria’s beautiful Macedon Ranges featuring a quirky cast of characters and a dash of danger, it’s small town mystery with a unique Australian twist.

Reading order:
The Christmas Tree Thief
Deadly Falls
Deadly Secrets
Deadly Past
The Giving Tree

The Charlotte Dean Mysteries are linked to the River’s End series by Charlotte. She first appeared in Jasmine Sea, stayed for The Secrets of Palmerston House, then moved to Kingfisher Falls. It is not necessary to read these first, but will add to her backstory. All of Phillipa’s books are on her Amazon page. (Amazon)

Editions Available: Kindle

The antiquarian bookshop at 200 Charing Cross Road is rumoured to have a ghost. Despite the scares and supposed sightings, Sally Merton is happy to go about her job as normal.

Rather than ghosts, her real concern is the ghoulish Mr Butcher. Rude and rough, Butcher has made more enemies than friends while working at the Heldar family’s shop.

But one evening, things become a little too suspicious for Sally’s liking. With no one else in the upstairs rooms, a spectre is spotted — the next morning, Butcher is found dead at his desk.

While Scotland Yard is called in to handle the case, Sally undertakes her own investigation with the help of Johnny Heldar.

Can the pair solve the mystery? Or will the supernatural overcome their sleuthing?

The Two Hundred Ghost was first published in 1956 and is part of Agora Books’ Uncrowned Queens of Crime series. (Amazon)

Editions Available: Kindle

It’s time to deck the halls! The holidays have arrived in Friendship Harbor, Maine and pub owner Sophie LaFleur is eager for the extra tourism money to save her struggling business. With her pet llama the star of the school Christmas pageant, Fleece Navidad, and a pub holiday party in the works, it’s going to be a holiday to remember.

Especially when the out-of-town choral vocalist staying in Sophie’s guesthouse is found dead. She’s hit her last high note, and now it’s up to Sophie to solve her murder while ensuring everyone in town is having a holly jolly good time. (Amazon)

Editions Available: Kindle

The next book in the BESTSELLING Sunshine Cove Cozy Mystery Series!

What happens when a very expensive piece of artwork is stolen at a private event?

And someone close to the owner of the artwork is found dead.

Are the two misfortunes linked or coincidental?

Celia Dube, Sunshine Cove’s resident beauty consultant and part-time amateur sleuth, was one of the guests at the event. She’s determined to find out who did it, even if she gets on the nerves of the local law enforcement personnel and attracts the attention of people linked to both misfortunes.

If you want to enjoy a light-hearted read, with an amateur female sleuth and a gripping murder mystery with a touch of romance, then you’ll love Celia Dube and all the friendly and not-so-friendly characters in Sunny Cove.

No cliffhanger, swearing or graphic scenes! (Amazon)

Editions Available: Kindle

She was once a superhero, but these days Molly Martin is more concerned with the kind of masks worn by the neighborhood trick or treaters. Then a new hero, The Aerialist, appears in the little hamlet of Capetown, and Molly knows her past in the cowl is likely to come back to haunt her.

When a corrupt politician arrives in Capetown on the campaign trail, he’s brutally murdered during a debate. The Aerialist is a suspect, but not the only one. Several of Molly’s super-powered friends might also be responsible.

Roped into helping the police by her boyfriend, Sean, Molly is forced to put her detective skills to the test. When the body count starts to rise, so do Molly’s suspicions. There’s more going on with this murder than she first thought. If Molly isn’t careful, the next victims may be the people she loves most. (Amazon)

Editions Available: Amazon, Paperback

Jane Delight is looking for a fresh start, and believes her new home will dough the trick. But as a batter of fact, her mischievous cat, Mr. Crumbles, has found a body beneath the floorboards in the bread of night!

Jane’s eccentric housemates, octogenarians Matilda and Eleanor, are all done and crusted with mayhem, but will stop at nothing to help Jane. Joining the trio is dishy detective Damon McCloud, who is determined to see that the murderer gets his just desserts before he can make a bake for it.

Book 5 in this delightful USA Today Bestselling cozy mystery series. (Amazon)

Editions Available: Kindle, Paperback

Missy Kingston loves dogs.As the manager of Angels on Earth Animal Rescue Shelter, Missy works to train and rehome dogs, and if that business is threatened, she doesn’t hold back.

When a nearby dogfighting ring is busted and a wannabe local politician tries to get a pit bull ban approved, Missy comes out swinging.

She wants to help those poor abused dogs, and she’s not going to let some town newbie get in her way.

The tension heats up, and dogs in town start to go missing. When one of her rescue owners winds up dead, Missy knows a dogfighting ring’s come to her neck of the woods, and she sets out to stop it and find a killer.

Will she succeed, or wind up the next victim?

If you love dogs, and you love small town mysteries, you’ll love Missy Kingston and the Pooch Party Cozy Mystery Series! (Amazon)

Editions Available: Kindle, Paperback

Could the end be about to begin?

Government officials are going missing.

The vice president has resigned.

And the White House intelligence has been hacked.

It is absolute chaos and it could be the beginning of the END of the world.

Now with the president seemingly poisoned Ivy Hart and Vince Benton must find a cure for the comatose president before it’s too late…

The hunter becomes the hunted in this masterpiece of a psychological thriller that readers of Willow Rose and AJ Rivers will love! Scroll back up and ONE CLICK to download your copy right now! (Amazon)

Editions Available: Kindle

First, there’s a crime scene, but no body. Next, there’s a body, but no crime scene. Police start to suspect the two overly-curious women who discovered the scenes are serial killers, but they can’t prove it.

Travel nurses are disappearing at an alarming rate from Oak Island Hospital along the coast of North Carolina, but no one knows why. These two super-sleuth nurses are determined to find out.

They aren’t experts. They’ve never solved a crime. They just know they can’t sit on the sidelines while other nurses are being killed. They’re going to help whether the police like it or not. They’re nurses. They can handle just about anything. Except for the impending hurricane pressing up the coast that will wash away any evidence before the case is solved.

Follow Piper Quinn and Jeannie Hatcher with their quirky, unconventional style and have a look into the fascinating lives of travel nurses as they take their work contracts across the USA and solve mysteries one assignment at a time. (Amazon)

Editions Available: Kindle, Paperback

Review of Fruit Baskets and Holiday Caskets

Fruit Baskets and Holiday Caskets
Down South Cafe, Book #5
Gayle Leeson
5 Stars

Synopsis:

Amy Flowers thinks her biggest problem is going to be creating an enormous cake dummy to mount atop her car for Winter Garden’s upcoming Christmas parade. But when one of Roger’s employees is murdered, making the float is the least of Amy’s worries. Her childhood friend is a prime suspect, Aunt Bess is making a new Pinterest board: Things That’ll Probably Kill Me, and her boyfriend’s mother is insisting on helping Amy make three-hundred-seventy-five sugar cookies to hand out along the parade route.

When Amy starts trying to clear Roger of the murder, she unexpectedly finds herself involved in international intrigue. How will our favorite café owner outwit sophisticated criminals who want to deck the halls with her head? (Goodreads)

Review:
The characters are well rounded, well developed and three dimensional. Amy and her gang of family and friends all get along very well and I wish I was a member of that special group. When one of her friends is a prime suspect in a murder, they do what they do best: SNOOP! They also have to spend time creating a float for the Christmas parade. With all they have going on, they will be busy.

The writing style flows smoothly and it helped bring the story to life in my mind’s eye. The author is very talented in her descriptive writing and through much of the book, I felt like was right there, working on the float or conversing with Homer in the restaurant. The mystery was well plotted and it was not easily solved.

I would highly recommend this book, and series, to anyone who enjoys a well plotted cozy mystery. I did not feel like I was reading a book. I felt like I was sitting with friends, being involved in their lives.

New Releases For The Week Of November 22nd, 2020–Part 2

Meet Fen Churche, as she steps off the night train with the sun rising over Paris. Cat whisperer, crossword puzzler… accidental detective?

Autumn, 1945. Fen cannot wait to see her beloved godmother Rose, who has invited Fen to stay with her in the city of lights. As she arrives, Fen is dreaming of strolls by the Seine, taking tea at the Eiffel Tower and above all French feasts with Rose where they can trade stories of how they survived the terrifying war years.

But Fen has barely made friends with Rose’s bad-tempered poodle when she returns to the apartment to find her godmother murdered, a paintbrush stuck in her neck. Suddenly Fen is thrown into the middle of a truly puzzling mystery. Who on earth would want to murder Rose, a gentle artist and generous friend?

A blackmail letter convinces Fen that the police have got everything wrong and Fen knows she has to solve the case just like one of her crosswords, one clue at a time. As she meets her godmother’s friends, she makes a surprising discovery: Rose was part of the Resistance during the war…

When a second body turns up, another of Rose’s wartime contacts, Fen must act fast. But as the killer turns their sights on Fen, does she have what it takes to solve this mysterious murder and get justice for her darling godmother?

You won’t be able to put down this utterly addictive historical cozy mystery! The absolutely perfect treat if you love Agatha Christie, Rhys Bowen and Jacqueline Winspear.

Readers are totally addicted to Fliss Chester!

‘I was totally captivated from the very beginning… I was holding my breath… I can’t praise this book enough.’ Goodreads Reviewer ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

‘Nail-biting suspense and powerful emotion… A marvellous treat for historical mystery fans… A compulsively readable thriller that has me waiting with bated breath for the next.’ Bookish Jottings ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

‘A wonderful historical mystery and a fantastic start to a new series.’ Goodreads Reviewer ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

‘The plot is intriguing and filled with mystery, spies, lies, romance, murder and more!!!… Kept me guessing throughout.’ Goodreads Reviewer

‘A perfect historical mystery! What a beginning!… I could not put this book down and look forward to more from Ms. Chester.’ Goodreads Reviewer

‘A brilliantly entertaining murder mystery… Full of lies, spies, murder, romance, mystery and so much more. Bursting at the seams!’ Sharon Beyond the Books

‘I read raptly to the end, unaware that a summer storm poured outside. Can’t wait ’til book two!’ Goodreads Reviewer ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

‘I needed to know who the killer was, I just kept reading. House chores? No time for that!’ NetGalley Reviewer (Amazon)

Editions Available: Kindle, Paperback, Audiobook

Dancing Queen, A Connor Maxwell Mystery Book 3

Lakewood Police Department has assigned Detective Connor Maxwell; one of the most baffling investigations of his career: an unsolved abduction and missing person, leaving a cold trail and scattered clues to follow across the country. (Amazon)

Editions Available: Kindle, Paperback

After PI Lexi Graves is approached to investigate an accident which has left the homeowner, Sophie Takahashi, in a coma, she quickly realizes the case isn’t quite as clear cut as first appears. For one thing, Sophie’s injuries are inconsistent with her supposed accident. Secondly, her husband is suspicious she might not be who she says she is. Who really is the woman in the hospital bed? And why would someone want to hurt her?

As Lexi ponders the merits of the case, she’s caught up in a bank robbery. The heist crew are clearly professional, yet not a penny is stolen. With the police and FBI sniffing around, the nervous bank manager needs their help. There’s only one small problem: he won’t tell them what’s missing.

Tracking down a mystery attacker, confirming an identity, and solving a bank robbery? Just a regular week for Montgomery’s most peppy PI! (Amazon)

Editions Available: Kindle

It seemed pretty simple.
Cater an event on the island of Kauai
For wealthy businessmen
And then spend some time surfing and sunbathing.
Wrong!
When the beautiful Asian talk show hostess,
The wife of their client,
Is targeted for murder,
There goes the Hawaiian vacation!

When Dani and Arthur agree to cater a special dinner party in Kauai, they plan on doing nothing afterward but show Anna, Dani’s ten-year-old niece, how to surf and snorkel. It didn’t quite work out that way.

They’re thrust into the investigation of the attempted murder of their host’s high-profile wife. His resort compound, where he and his wife live, is impenetrable, so who would have had access to her bedroom and her pillbox?

Sit back and take an armchair trip to Hawaii while Dani and Arthur search for a motive – and the person who wanted to kill the host’s beautiful wife! (Amazon)

Editions Available: Kindle

A must read holiday Cozy Mystery collection from Summer Prescott Books authors, past and present!

Patti Benning
Christmas Past

Sophia Palmer’s father vanished five months ago, the same night that her cousin was found murdered. When he returns just a few days before Christmas, confused and babbling about crimes long past, Sophia has to decide whether she believes his claims of innocence. If he’s telling the truth, the entire family could be in danger. Is truth more deadly than fiction?

Thea Cambert
Christmas at Pumpkin Hill

It’s Christmastime, and The Inn on Pumpkin Hill is booked solid. It’s sure to be a busy season for Eloise Murphy and her mother, with all of the local festivities that are planned for the holidays.
Eloise does her best to juggle innkeeping duties alongside her job as a reporter, and secret advice columnist, at the local newspaper. When a body turns up, she joins forces with a friend, to solve the mystery in time for Christmas.

Donna Walo Clancy
Murder on Christmas Mountain

Five friends, attending a reunion at the Christmas Mountain Resort, look forward to a relaxing, three-day weekend spent making their annual Christmas wreaths. Shortly after they arrive, a body is found, and the identity of the victim hits too close to home for one of the guests.
Liz, a guest, and wedding planner extraordinaire, has a keen eye for details and an analytical mind. Now, it’s up to her to prove her friend’s innocence, and find the killer in just one weekend.

Karoline Barrett
Eight Maids a Murder
The holly jolly mood flees from mystery author Kate Camlen’s annual holiday reunion, when a body is discovered. Police quickly rule out foul play, but Kate isn’t convinced. It turns out there are a few people who might have an interest in the victim’s death, and Kate is determined to find out whodunit. Removing her Santa hat, to don her detective hat, she sets out to find the truth.

Melinda Craig
Magic on Christmas

Melissa Sneedle, bookstore owner and late blooming witch, is looking forward to yummy food and a quiet Christmas with Joe and his family. When she shows up for dinner, however, odd things happen.
An antique star breaks, then Melissa loses a shoe, and the power goes out. Joe’s mom begins acting strangely, and Melissa accepts the fact that she’s going to have to use magic to save the holiday. Can she get Christmas dinner back on track, or will the evening become the worst holiday gathering in witch history?

Allyssa Mirry
A Deadly Gift of Fruitcake

Who would have thought regifting could lead to murder?
Though Janet’s next-door neighbor is a cranky old woman who likes to hurl things at carolers, Janet grudgingly gives in to the Christmas spirit and re-gifts her a fruitcake. Unfortunately, the fruitcake is chock full of poison. Feeling guilty that her gift led to murder, and worried that someone might want her dead, Janet investigates. How many times did the dreaded fruitcake change hands? Who was the intended victim? Who is the killer? Can Janet figure it out before Christmas?

Summer Prescott
Mewy Christmas

When an elderly woman wanders through Elsa Garner’s yard, searching for a lost cat, Elsa is concerned. The woman isn’t dressed warmly enough for the weather, and seems lost and confused. When her cat shows up on Elsa’s doorstep later in the day, Elsa looks at the tag on the cat’s collar and immediately drives her home.
What she finds when she gets there is chilling, and plunges her headfirst into investigating a murder. Will she find out what happened to the cat’s owner? Or will trouble find her first?

Gretchen Allen
Hidden Snow-Away

Renting a house in Blizzard Bay seems like just the right way to reunite the Vaughn Family…all five of them. Gathering there for the holidays had been a tradition in years past, but the siblings haven’t exactly seen eye-to-eye for a few years, so Mom and Dad step in to rebuild the shaky relationships. (Amazon)

Editions Available: Kindle

December 1926

Violet and Jack take the train to Scotland with their friends for the holidays only to arrive and realize that the village has been exposed to scarlet fever. Given the delicate babies in their family, they determine to insulate themselves at the lodge they’d taken.

Nearly desperate for some peace and holiday cheer, they intend nothing but lolling by the fire, diving into cupfuls of eggnog, and feasting.

Only, once again, they discover a body. The worst of it is that they were alone at the lodge when the crime was committed. Is it possible that one of them is the killer? Join Vi and friends as they determine their loyalties and hunt a murderer.

Book TWENTY-SEVEN 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.

Up next: Murder at Midnight (coming soon) (Amazon)

Editions Available: Kindle

The mediums of Beach Drive don’t take rumors of a witches’ coven seriously—not until it threatens one of their own.

Meanwhile, Officer Brian Henderson can no longer ignore the secrets of Marlow House. Can he handle the truth? (Amazon)

Editions Available: Kindle, Paperback

For fans of Sophie Kinsella and Janet Evanovich…

Jenna McGovern is back… under the Hollywood lights. The newest resident of Blueberry Lake is finding it hard to escape her past as it follows her home. When a movie production begins filming on Main Street, Jenna is more than a little disgruntled to find her ex-boyfriend is the producer behind it. But she’s even more disgruntled to find he’s the primary suspect in an attempted murder case.

Jenna’s got a host of other problems to worry about, like making her first trip to the Mall of America and getting her grandmother’s derelict greenhouse up and running, but when her ex-boyfriend begs her for help, she can’t seem to stay away from the case. After all, there’s a murderer running loose in Blueberry Lake, and if Jenna doesn’t call cut fast enough, she could be next. (Amazon)

Editions Available: Kindle, Paperback

The name’s Good, Guy Good. And yes, I’ve heard all the jokes. Unfortunately, choosing names for boys has never mattered much to my family, because we were all born without magic.

Now as a single father to a four-year-old princess in training, I’m trying to do better.

That’s not always easy, thanks to my nosy, no-good neighbor who is always causing trouble for us. Then she goes and does the worst thing yet—she gets murdered. And leaves me as the primary suspect.

Now I’ve got a witchy cop and her black cat familiar hot on my trail as I dig into this small town’s magical secrets to find out who really did the deed. But how can a simple, non-magical son of a witch like me, single out just one suspect when it seems that everyone had a motive to whack this witch?

If you love page-turning whodunits with feline sidekicks and a sprinkle of magic, you’ll love F.M. Storm’s newest twist on the genre. (Amazon)

Editions Available: Kindle

Newbie witch-turned-private investigator Ella has three things on her wish list:
_That the remodel to her loft can give her a bit of privacy
_That she can finish one more case so she can take a vacation
_That an official investigation doesn’t discover she is the person hiding a forbidden dragon
While working a pet store robbery case, Ella is questioned by investigators who suspect she’s hiding a dragon. The smart thing to do is get out of town immediately, dragon in tow, but as soon as she arrives in Vegas for some easy money on a simple case, there’s more going on than meets the eye. She discovers an interesting connection that uncovers a major multi-city heist in the works, but solving the crime while dodging the black hat mages’ investigation of her illicit roommate is a challenge—and her job is on the line. (Amazon)

Editions Available: Kindle

A caroling donkey arrives in Clover Grove before Christmas with tidings of a new murder.

Stray rescue animals are business as usual for hobby farmer Ivy, and her sheepdog, Keats. Misfits blend seamlessly into the menagerie and the more the merrier.

When a mouthy, grieving donkey demands room at the inn right before Christmas, however, Ivy bites off more than she can chew. He’s got a message that’s far from festive and he won’t stop singing the blues till she figures out his secret.

Someone in town won’t live to see another Christmas, and Ivy, Keats and the crime-solving crew will need to work fast if there’s any hope of making their first country yuletide bright. Or even making it out alive. 

Can they show this sad donkey the true meaning of Christmas while taking down a killer?

The next book in the Bought-the-Farm series will make you laugh out loud and keep you up all night reading. Perfect for lovers of cozy mysteries, amateur sleuths and clever animals. (Amazon)

Editions Available: Kindle, Paperback

Everything has come full circle for the amateur sleuths aboard the Caribbean Honey cruise ship. Will they finally figure out what’s really been going on or will there be more tragedy?

A cozy mystery from International Bestselling Author Susan Harper

Hope Harper has traveled the world aboard the Caribbean Honey cruise ship. Along the way, she has been faced with murder, intrigue, and even love. As the cruise ship makes one final voyage for the year, she will get a chance to put all the pieces together. Can she find out what’s really been going on or will the cruise season end with more questions than answers?

The Final Piece is the last story in the Caribbean Cruise Cozy Mystery series. If you like fast-paced mysteries with interesting characters, exotic locations, and unexpected twists, you’re going to love the Caribbean Cruise Cozy Mystery series.

Download The Final Piece and see how this cruise ship cozy mystery series comes to an end!

Always FREE on Kindle Unlimited (Amazon)

Editions Available: Kindle

Welcome to Marshmallow Hollow, Maine, a holiday mystery, where it’s all Christmas all the time and murder is hung by the chimney with care…

Halliday Valentine here! It’s a week before Christmas, and my quaint holiday town, Marshmallow Hollow, is chock-a-block with seasonal activities. Some less fun than others…like the ice sculpting competition my bestie, Stiles, has talked me into. Let’s just say, as a pair, Michelangelo we ain’t. I’m secretly relieved when our epically awful ice display gets damaged. It gives me a chance to watch my new beau, Hobbs, compete in the sled race.

But not five seconds in, and Hobbs’s sled-loving dog, Stephen King, escapes my grip to get in on the action—and boy, does he. He even manages to find himself a sled to ride. Too bad it’s already occupied. With the corpse of a renowned ice sculpting judge.

True-crime lovers that we are, Hobbs and I jump right into the investigation. It’s not nosiness, I swear. A little kitten’s fate is on the line, after all (long story)!

Only problem? A bajillion suspects. The victim was nothing if not an equal-opportunity jerk, universally hated by everyone he’d ever met. And every suspect has an air-tight alibi. Not to mention, the murder weapon is a giant mystery the police can’t solve.

All this sleuthing would be a heck of a lot easier if I could just use my magic. But can I trust Hobbs with that reveal? Or more accurately, is he ready for that reveal? (Amazon)

Editions Available: Kindle, Paperback

An innkeeper who reads minds. An ornery detective. And a trail of bodies. Cider Cove is the premiere destination for murder.

Each book in the series can be read individually so dive on in! ***Includes RECIPE***

My name is Bizzy Baker, and I can read minds—not every mind, not every time but most of the time and believe me when I say it’s not all it’s cracked up to be.

The holidays have arrived in Cider Cove and so has the owner of the Country Cottage Inn. He’s instructed me to throw a holiday gala to remember in hopes to wow his fancy friends but the festivities come to an abrupt end when a killer joins the party. Christmas is afoot and so is murder.

Bizzy Baker runs the Country Cottage Inn, has the ability to pry into the darkest recesses of both the human and animal mind, and has just stumbled upon a body. With the help of her kitten, Fish, a mutt named Sherlock Bones and an ornery yet dangerously good looking homicide detective, Bizzy is determined to find the killer.

The Country Cottage Inn is known for its hospitality. Leaving can be murder.

A laugh out loud cozy mystery by New York Times Bestseller Addison Moore and her partner in cozy crime, USA TODAY Bestseller Bellamy Bloom.
— Cosmopolitan Magazinecalls Addison’s books, “…easy, frothy fun!”

Cider Cove, Maine is the premiere destination for fun and relaxation. But when a body turns up, it’s the premiere destination for murder. (Amazon)

Editions Available: Kindle, Paperback

“Very entertaining. I highly recommend this book to the permanent library of any reader that appreciates a very well written mystery, with some twists and an intelligent plot. You will not be disappointed. Excellent way to spend a cold weekend!”
–Books and Movie Reviews, Roberto Mattos (regarding Murder in the Manor)

AGED FOR SEDUCTION (A TUSCAN VINEYARD COZY MYSTERY) is book #4 in a charming new cozy mystery series by #1 bestselling author Fiona Grace, author of Murder in the Manor (Book #1), a #1 Bestseller with over 100 five-star reviews—and a free download!

Olivia Glass, 34, turns her back on her life as a high-powered executive in Chicago and relocates to Tuscany, determined to start a new, simpler life—and to grow her own vineyard.

When a bachelorette party comes to the winery, Olivia is hard at work to accommodate the wedding party—when a shocking murder leaves the wedding in shambles—and Olivia in the spotlight. Will she find the murderer and clear her name?

Hilarious, packed with travel, food, wine, twists and turns, romance and her newfound animal friend—and centering around a baffling small-town murder that Olivia must solve—the TUSCAN VINEYARD is an un-putdownable mystery series that will keep you laughing late into the night.

Book #5–AGED FOR VENGEANCE–is now available for pre-order! (Amazon)

Editions Available: Kindle

This is book 4 in the Tipperary Carriage Company cozy mystery series by USA TODAY Bestselling Author J.A. Whiting and Nell McCarthy.
It is December and Mae’s friend, Ross, surprises her with an early Christmas present. She is delighted and excited by the new addition to her carriage company, but soon after the new purchase arrives, strange things begin to happen and Mae and Ross become worried for the safety of the horses.
When incident after incident moves them closer to danger, will Mae, Ross, and her sons discover who is terrorizing them before it is too late? (Amazon)

Editions Available: Kindle