New Releases For The Week Of November 29, 2020–Part 3

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It’s hard keeping secrets in small towns.

At first, librarian Ann Beckett is delighted her director hired another full-time staff member. The Whitby Library is a busy place and another librarian should make life much easier there.

Instead, she soon discovers that the new hire, Ellie, seems to be bent on creating issues instead of solving them. When she’s found dead at the library, no one is as shocked as they might have been.

With time running out and a desperate killer on the loose, Ann starts uncovering all the secrets Ellie was trying to keep hush-hush. (Amazon)

Editions Available: Kindle, Paperback

It was the most fashionable place to stay in London, until murder made a reservation. Solve the puzzle in this new cozy historical mystery from USA Today bestselling author of the Glass and Steele series.

December 1899. After the death of her beloved grandmother, Cleopatra Fox moves into the luxury hotel owned by her estranged uncle in the hopes of putting hardship and loneliness behind her. But the poisoning of a guest throws her new life, and the hotel, into chaos.

Cleo quickly realizes no one can be trusted, not Scotland Yard and especially not the hotel’s charming assistant manager. With the New Year’s Eve ball approaching fast and the hotel’s reputation hanging by a thread, Cleo must find the killer before the ball, and the hotel itself, are ruined. But catching a murderer proves just as difficult as navigating the hotel’s hierarchy and the peculiarities of her family.

Can Cleo find the killer before the new century begins? Or will someone get away with murder? (Amazon)

Editions Available: Kindle, Paperback

Ofelia Archer has faced demons, evil witches, and freaky zombies, but nothing could prepare her for the horror of meeting her boyfriend’s mother, Madeline Sully. She thinks she’s ready and able, but she’s really not.
For his part, Zacharias “Zach” Sully isn’t any more thrilled by his mother’s visit than his girlfriend. He’s simply better at dealing with Madeline’s brand of madness.
After one meal, a magical barrage of fire rains down on the group as they’re walking down Bourbon Street. When the flames clear, a young woman is left for dead, and the only thing they know about her is that she was part of a multi-level marketing scheme called Hexential Oils.
Before they realize what’s happening, Sully and Ofelia find themselves knee-deep in an odd world that neither of them really understand … and it leads straight to trouble, as usual. It seems New Orleans is teeming with suspects, and they have no idea which one to focus on.
Ofelia and Sully have a bond that can’t be broken. That won’t stop outsiders from trying. When the hierarchy of Hexential Oils leads to long-forgotten magic and a creature of mythical proportions, they realize they’re in over their heads.
They’ll die to protect one another … and someone desperately wants to make that a reality. It will take both of them working together to make sure that doesn’t happen. (Amazon)

Editions Available: Kindle, Audiobook

Read for FREE on Kindle Unlimited!

Book 4 in the BESTSELLING Claire’s Candles Cozy Mystery Series!

All Claire’s best friend Damon wants for his birthday is to celebrate with his far-flung friends. At a convention for science-fiction fans. With cosplay. But when Damon’s once close-knit group of online friends splinters in the week before the event, threatening to ruin Damon’s birthday and the plans he’s been looking forward to for months, it’s Captain Claire to the rescue – or it will be, just as soon as her mother puts the finishing touches on her costume.

Of course, what Claire doesn’t know (aside from pretty much anything to do with sci-fi) is that amid the hubbub of meet-and-greets, merchandise, and video game tournaments, it’s all fun and games . . . until someone gets stabbed.

Thrown headfirst into a murderous friend group filled with lies and deception, can Claire solve the case before the bodies pile up?

Other books in the series:
1. Vanilla Bean Vengeance
2. Black Cherry Betrayal
3. Coconut Milk Casualty
4. Rose Petal Revenge

Book 4 in the Claire’s Candles Cozy Mystery series! Can be read as a standalone but will be enjoyed better as part of the series. A light, cozy mystery with a candle-loving British amateur female sleuth, in a small village setting with quirky characters. Written in British English. No cliffhanger, swearing, gore or graphic scenes! Contains mild peril. (Amazon)

Editions Available: Kindle

Forced to stay at a local hotel while their home undergoes repairs, Iris and Lily Dickinson find themselves uncomfortably close to a violent crime. Risking a potential stain upon their reputations, the sisters delve into the deadly secrets of the hotel’s inhabitants.

With the guilty party determined to evade capture, will the Dickinson sisters uncover the truth – or be buried with it? (Amazon)

Editions Available: Kindle

Widow and empty nester, Ava Harper, never dreamed of turning forty without the love of her life. Nor did she know she would bury her favorite aunt, who raised her after the death of her mother, a few years later. Then again, she doesn’t have the power of foresight. No, her powers are much darker. Powers she has kept behind lock and key.

With her only son off to college and her life savings depleted, Ava returns home to Shipton Harbor, Maine. She’s only there to clean out, fix up, and sell the family home. But like everything in her life in the last five years, things change. Plans get canceled.

Arriving in Shipton Harbor is like stepping into another world. Her high school rival is married to her best friend and is set on making up for every devious thing she did when they were teens. The magic in the house reawakens, making it impossible to sell. It doesn’t want new owners, apparently. And to top it all, the sheriff looks like he belongs on the cover of a romance novel.

When an old friend of the family turns up dead, Ava must delve deep into the powers she’s repressed all her adult life to find the killer. Only a necromancer could’ve killed her friend.

Now she must open up to her own wells of dark magic to find the murderer while working with the hottie sheriff she’s sure has his own secrets. (Amazon)

Editions Available: Kindle

Welcome to Candy Cane Hollow, where every day feels like Christmas!

Holly Wood (yes, that’s her real name) is driving home for Christmas and not feeling too happy about the empty house waiting for her. 

When her car skids into a snow bank, she’s rescued by a sweet old lady who promises her name is Mrs Claus. 

Holly is taken to Candy Cane Hollow to recover, and finds herself in a genuine winter wonderland. 

As Christmas Day approaches, the grouchy medical receptionist appears to have been poisoned by a mince pie.

And to Holly’s surprise, Mrs Claus is the prime suspect. 

With Mrs Claus under suspicion, Holly vows to return the woman’s generosity by clearing her name.

Maybe it will impress Mrs Claus’ dimpled dish of a son, too? 

Christmas Corpse is a festive cozy mystery and first in an exciting new series by popular author Mona Marple. This book is a clean read, free from swearing, on-page violence or sexual content.  (Amazon)

Editions Available: Kindle

The Knitorious Murder Mystery Collection Books 4 – 6 contains books 4, 5, & 6 in the Knitorious Murder Mystery Series.

If you like your cozy mysteries with a bit of humour, small town Canadian life, a hint of romance, a close circle of quirky, lovable characters that you wish you knew in real life, dogs and cats, and free knitting patterns, there’s something in this series for you.

Clean read: no graphic violence, sex, or strong language.

Each ebook includes a link to a free knitting pattern at the end of the book.

Included stories: Twisted Stitches, Son of a Stitch, and Crime Skein

Download The Knitorious Murder Mystery Books 4- 6 and start unravelling the mysteries today!

Read FREE on Kindle Unlimited (Amazon)

Editions Available: Kindle

‘Tis the season for murder.

With winter settling into stay and a traveling carnival bringing an extra dose of festivity to the quiet town of Blackwood Cove, Jasmine and her faithful dog Luffy are looking forward to a picturesque winter holiday with sparkling snow and twinkling Christmas lights.

But when rumors of a terrible crime sweep through the town, the carnival’s magic and wonder quickly begin to sour. As the carnival organizers scramble to maintain their joyful façade, Jasmine and Luffy are called on to put the rumors to rest – but this time, as official private detectives.

Struggling for leads in an environment where every snowflake and performer’s smile is meticulously arranged, the pair of sleuths must get to the bottom of the case without upsetting the guests or causing more wild rumors to fly. Can Jasmine and Luffy solve the mystery and save Christmas before the situation spirals out of control? Or will their very first case as official private detectives fall flat?

If you adore the magic of Christmas-themed cozy mysteries with a puzzling case which will keep you guessing to the very end, then you won’t want to miss Jasmine and Luffy’s next adventure in Winter Murderland. Settle down by the Christmas tree and start reading, because murder doesn’t take a holiday. (Amazon)

Editions Available: Kindle

Welcome to Spellbound, where paranormal is the new normal.

Life is good for Emma Hart. She’s married to the love of her life, raising an amazing daughter, surrounded by close friends, and working at a job that makes a difference. When some of her more cantankerous friends start exhibiting signs of sweetness and light against their normal natures, it seems that Emma’s influence has finally taken hold—except their behavior seems off in a way that Emma can’t quite identify.

In the meantime, Spellbound receives a visit from Ember Rose, Starry Hollow’s intrepid reporter who’s in town with her daughter and raccoon familiar seeking information from an unlikely source about her ancestor, the One True Witch. Emma offers to help in any way she can, despite the growing tide of unease in connection with certain residents’ excessive virtue.

Will Emma get to the bottom of the change before the whole town becomes a zombie horde of Stepford paranormals or will her voice of reason be drowned out by a tsunami of sweetness?
Halo Effect is the 8th book in the Spellbound Ever After paranormal cozy mystery series.

Books in the Spellbound Ever After series include:
Crazy For Brew, Book 1
Lost That Coven Feeling, Book 2
Wands Upon A Time, Book 3
Charmed Offensive, Book 4
Poetry in Potion, Book 5
Cloaks and Daggers, Book 6
Ghoul’s Paradise, Book 7
Halo Effect, Book 8

Books in the Spellbound series include:
Curse the Day, Book 1
Doom and Broom, Book 2
Spell’s Bells, Book 3
Lucky Charm, Book 4
Better Than Hex, Book 5
Cast Away, Book 6
A Touch of Magic, Book 7
A Drop in the Potion, Book 8
Hemlocked and Loaded, Book 9
All Spell Breaks Loose, Book 10 (Amazon)

Editions Available: Kindle, Paperback

A Mystical Farmer’s Market, a Charming Witch and a Beagle Familiar

Elle Owens has a booth in the town’s Farmer’s Market where she sells charms, some mundane and others magical, especially if she thinks the buyer needs a lift in their day. Her Beagle familiar Gus teleports and talks, that is, only to those in the supernatural persuasion. Her best buds Percy, the local news reporter and gossip can hear whispers from yards away, and Millie, the local alpaca owner, makes all sorts of clothing from her enchanted animal’s wool. Of course the garments give the buyer the warmth, peace and comfort they need.

While things have been pleasant since the seasonal opening of the Farmer’s Market, a scream breaks through the crowd. A murder of one of their own vendors has occurred. Elle and Gus take matters into their own hands and paws, much to the annoyance of the hot detective Jason, panther-shifter.

Also on hand are some of the regular Farmer’s market vendors with their bevy of delightful goods. Join the community and see what happens in the first Farmer’s Market Witch Mystery Series book. (Amazon)

Editions Available: Kindle, Paperback

“Very entertaining. Highly recommended for the permanent library of any reader who appreciates a well-written mystery with twists and an intelligent plot. You will not be disappointed. Excellent way to spend a cold weekend!”
–Books and Movie Reviews (regarding Murder in the Manor)

A VILLA IN SICILY: OLIVE OIL AND MURDER is the debut novel in a charming new cozy mystery series by bestselling author Fiona Grace, author of Murder in the Manor, a #1 Bestseller with over 100 five-star reviews (and a free download)!

Audrey Smart, 34, is a brilliant vet—yet fed up by her demanding clients who think they know more than her and who don’t care about their animals. Burnt-out with the endless hours, she wonders if the time has come for a new direction. And when her 15th year high school reunion (and her hopes for re-sparking on old flame) end in disaster, Audrey knows the time has come to make a change.

When Audrey sees an ad for a $1 home in Sicily, it captivates her. The only catch is that the house requires renovation, something she knows little about. She wonders if it could be real—and if she may really be crazy enough to go for it.

Can Audrey create a life and career—and the home of her dreams—in a beautiful Sicilian village? And perhaps even find love while she’s there?

Or will an unexpected death—one that only she can solve—put an end to all of her plans?

Are some dreams too good to be true?

A laugh-out-loud cozy packed with mystery, intrigue, renovation, animals, food, wine—and of course, love—A VILLA IN SICILY will capture your heart and keep you glued to the very last page.

“The book had heart and the entire story worked together seamlessly that didn’t sacrifice either intrigue or personality. I loved the characters – so many great characters! I can’t wait to read whatever Fiona Grace writes next!”
–Amazon reviewer (regarding Murder in the Manor)

“Wow, this book takes off & never stops! I couldn’t put it down! Highly recommended for those who love a great mystery with twists, turns, romance, and a long lost family member! I am reading the next book right now!”
–Amazon reviewer (regarding Murder in the Manor) (Amazon)

Editions Available: Kindle, Audiobook

News flash! It’s the holiday season and Rocco is dashing through the snow on the trail of a Santa-killer.
Zora Flynn, the 50-something publisher of a local newspaper, and Rocco, her pampered prince of a poodle are frantic to solve the crime. Young reporter, Brady Kozak, has received a shocking piece of good news. But in the eyes of the police, it makes him their number one murder suspect.
Everyone knows that Brady is honest, law-abiding, and big-hearted. Zora refuses to believe he has a motive for killing the Williamsport Santa.
It turns out that the late Santa is not who he seems, and Zora and company have to delve into his startling past to try to track down the real killer and exonerate Brady. Between an ice storm, Christmas decorating, the big Santa Claus parade, a surprise discovery, and a very romantic evening at home, Zora is running out of time.
(It probably goes without saying, but the Poodle Versus… series is good, clean fun, except for the occasional suspicious death. No graphic violence, sex or swearing.) (Amazon)

Editions Available: Kindle

Cate knew she had seen those jewels before.

As her eyes scanned the newspaper article from 1925, she is shocked to read about the theft of two priceless necklaces from her family’s home. When Cate recognizes one of the stolen necklaces from when she traveled back in time to the year 1856 to solve a murder mystery, Cate knows there’s only one thing left for her to do. Despite the hectic holiday season approaching, complete with two grand holiday events, Cate must travel to 1925 and unravel the mystery surrounding the jewelry theft.

However, things take an unexpected turn when she arrives. As Cate discovers more unanswered questions, she starts to wonder if there’s a piece to the puzzle she has yet to uncover.

While Cate and estate manager, Jack, try to unravel the puzzle in the past, another mystery brews in the present for Cate. Strange and eerie nightmares centered around a bookcase in Dunhaven Castle’s library disrupt Cate’s sleep, rattling her mind even during her waking hours. She wonders if these are connected to the jewelry theft or if something darker lurks in Dunhaven’s halls.

Can Cate solve the mysterious theft of her family’s jewelry? Will the bookcase hold the secrets to the past? If it does, will Cate be able to decipher the clues on its shelves? Or is there something more sinister at work in Dunhaven Castle?

Can Cate solve the mysterious theft of her family’s jewelry? Will the bookcase hold the secrets to the past? If it does, will Cate be able to decipher the clues on its shelves? Or is there something more sinister at work in Dunhaven Castle?

Find out if Cate has what it takes to solve the newest mysteries at Dunhaven Castle in Holiday Heist at Dunhaven Castle, book three of the riveting cozy mystery series Cate Kensie Mysteries. (Amazon)

Editions Available: Kindle, Paperback

Giants and fairies and murder, oh, my!

Life on the Enchanted Coast just got a whole lot more interesting. With expansions to the resort that include a wing for larger species – giants, to be exact – and a forest complete with fairy pools and cottages to attract woodland species, witch Destiny Maganti is facing a whole new influx of paranormal guests.

When a mysterious woman is murdered during the official grand opening and a fairy loved by all is accused, she has her hands full. For the first time ever, the resort is divided, and it’s all she can do to hold it together.

On top of solving a murder, she’s also tasked with finding a replacement manager for the tiki. From stuffy professor types to lackadaisical surfers, her applicant pool is as frustrating as it entertaining, but something’s gotta give. After all, she’s a witch, not a superhero.

Join Destiny, Tempest, Colin, and the rest of the Enchanted Coast crew on yet another magical, fast-paced adventure full of humor, fruity drinks, and homicide. (Amazon)

Editions Available: Kindle

In the latest mystery from S. J. Rozan, Bill Smith and Lydia Chin must track down a serial killer stalking women in New York’s contemporary art scene.

Former client Sam Tabor, just out of Greenhaven after a five-year homicide stint, comes to Bill Smith with a strange request. A colossally talented painter whose parole was orchestrated by art world movers and shakers, Sam’s convinced that since he’s been out he’s killed two women. He doesn’t remember the killings but he wants Smith, one of the few people he trusts, to investigate and prove him either innocent or guilty.

NYPD detective Angela Grimaldi thinks Sam’s “a weirdo.” Smith has no argument with that: diagnosed with a number of mental disorders over the years, Sam self-medicates with alcohol, loses focus (except when he’s painting), and has few friends. But Smith doesn’t think that adds up to serial killer. He enlists Lydia Chin to help prove it.

Smith and Chin delve into the world surrounding Sam Tabor, including his brother, two NYPD detectives, and various other artists, dealers, collectors, curators, and art connoisseurs. No answers appear. Evidence is found and lost again. And more bodies turn up.

Sam Tabor might be just a crazy artist. But someone is killing people in his orbit. If not Sam, who? Why? And who will be next? (Amazon)

Editions Available: Kindle, Hardcover, Audiobook