New Releases For The Week Of February 28th, 2021–Part 1

Tea maven Theodosia Browning brews up trouble in the latest Tea Shop Mystery from New York Times bestselling author Laura Childs.

It is the week before Halloween and Theodosia Browning, proprietor of the Indigo Tea Shop, and her tea sommelier, Drayton, are ghosting through the dusk of a cool Charleston evening on their way to the old Bouchard Mansion. Known as the Gray Ghost, this dilapidated place was recently bequeathed to the Heritage Society, and tonight heralds the grand opening of their literary and historical themed haunted house.

Though Timothy Neville, the patriarch of the Heritage Society, is not thrilled with the fund-raising idea, it is the perfect venue for his grandniece, Willow French, to sign copies of her new book, Carolina Crimes & Creepers.

But amid a parade of characters dressed as Edgar Allan Poe, Lady Macbeth, and the Headless Horseman, Willow’s body is suddenly tossed from the third-floor tower room and left to dangle at the end of a rope. Police come screaming in and Theodosia’s boyfriend, Detective Pete Riley, is sent to Willow’s apartment to investigate. But minutes later, he is shot and wounded by a shadowy intruder.

Timothy begs Theodosia to investigate, and shaken by Riley’s assault, she readily agrees. Now, she questions members of the Heritage Society and a man who claims the mansion is rightfully his, as well as Willow’s book publisher and her fiancé, all while hosting a Sherlock Holmes tea and catering several others.

But the Gray Ghost holds many secrets, as do several other key suspects, while this murder mystery plays out on the eve of Halloween.

INCLUDES DELICIOUS RECIPES AND TEA TIME TIPS! (Amazon)

Editions Available: Kindle, Hardcover, Audiobook

Murder leaps off the page when crime novelists begin to turn up dead in this intricate new novel by internationally best-selling author Elly Griffiths, a literary mystery perfect for fans of Anthony Horowitz and Agatha Christie.

The death of a ninety-year-old woman with a heart condition should not be suspicious. Detective Sergeant Harbinder Kaur certainly sees nothing out of the ordinary when Peggy’s caretaker, Natalka, begins to recount Peggy Smith’s passing.

But Natalka had a reason to be at the police station: while clearing out Peggy’s flat, she noticed an unusual number of crime novels, all dedicated to Peggy. And each psychological thriller included a mysterious postscript: PS: for PS. When a gunman breaks into the flat to steal a book and its author is found dead shortly thereafter—Detective Kaur begins to think that perhaps there is no such thing as an unsuspicious death after all.

And then things escalate: from an Aberdeen literary festival to the streets of Edinburgh, writers are being targeted. DS Kaur embarks on a road trip across Europe and reckons with how exactly authors can think up such realistic crimes . . . (Amazon)

Editions Available: Kindle, Hardcover, Paperback, Audiobook

The Devil is in the details . . .

Cletus Byron Winston wishes to marry Jennifer Anne Donner-Sylvester (aka The Banana Cake Queen) posthaste! He’s spent the last year wanting nothing more than for the celebrations to be brief, libations flowing, and BYOB (bring your own blueberries). His future mother-in-law has other plans, plans his intended has been willing to indulge, much to Cletus’s chagrin. Therefore, so must he. To a point. But truth be told, he wouldn’t mind if the meddlesome matriarch disappeared, at least until the nuptials are over.

On the night of Cletus and Jenn’s long-awaited engagement party, just when the surly schemer is of a mind to take matters into his own hands, a shocking event upends everyone’s best laid plans and sends the small hamlet of Green Valley into complete disarray. The final months leading up to Cletus and Jenn’s matrimonial bliss are plagued with chaos and uncertainty. Will Cletus and Jenn finally make it to the altar? Or will murder and mayhem derail their happily-ever-after?
And most importantly, who done it?

‘Marriage and Murder’ is the second book in the cozy mystery series Solving for Pie: Cletus and Jenn Mysteries. It is best read after Winston Brothers #3, ‘Beard Science’ (which can be read as a standalone) and Solving for Pie: Cletus and Jenn Mysteries #1, ‘Engagement and Espionage.’ (Amazon)

Editions Available: Kindle, Paperback

Missing diamonds. Mysterious deaths. And all that jazz.

London, 1925. With their band the Dizzy Heights, jazz musicians Ivor ‘Skins’ Maloney and Bartholomew ‘Barty’ Dunn are used to improvising as they play the Charleston for flappers and toffs, but things are about to take a surprising turn.

Superintendent Sunderland has had word that a deserter who stole a fortune in diamonds as he fled the war is a member of the Aristippus private members’ club in Mayfair—where the Dizzy Heights have a residency. And the thief is planning to steal a hoard of jewels hidden there under the cover of a dance contest.

As mutual pal Lady Hardcastle has suggested, Skins and Dunn are perfectly placed to be Sunderland’s eyes and ears—and Skins’s wife Ellie soon lends a hand with a bit of light snooping. But the stakes change dramatically when a mysterious death at the club brings a sinister note to the investigation.

With the dance contest fast approaching, the trio must solve the mystery of the missing diamonds, unmask the murderer, and prevent more deadly crimes—all without missing a beat. (Amazon)

Editions Available: Kindle, Paperback, Audiobook

In this charming mystery series set in an ice cream shop, no case is too cold to crack!

Bronwyn Crewse is delighted that Crewse Creamery, the ice cream shop her family has owned for decades, is restored to its former glory and serving sweet frozen treats to happy customers in the picturesque small town of Chagrin Falls, Ohio. But when a big city developer comes to town intent on building a mall, a killer with a frozen heart takes him out.

 After literally stumbling across the body, one of Win’s closest friends becomes the prime suspect, and to make things worse, Win’s aunt has come to town with the intention of taking command of Crewse Creamery. Even though Win has a rocky road ahead to help her friend and keep her ice cream shop, it’ll take more than a sprinkle of murder to stop her from solving the crime and saving the day. (Amazon)

Editions Available: Kindle, Paperback, Audiobook

In addition to her house-flipping talents, Jazzi Zanders is breaking ground as a sleuth. But she’s going to need every tool at her disposal to solve two crimes . . .
 
In their hair salon, Jazzi’s sister Olivia and mother are savvy businesswomen whose creativity brings fashion and flair to the folks of Rivers Bluff, Indiana. So when their newest hairstylist Misty is caught scamming clients’ debit cards and selling beauty products during off hours to pocket the profits, Olivia fires her. But Misty retaliates by hitting back with a defamation lawsuit—which she is more than happy to drop if Olivia pays her ten grand.
 
But neither blackmail nor courtroom fees are accrued after Misty’s body is discovered in the salon with Olivia’s scissors stuck in her chest. Olivia may be the number one suspect, but her murdered employee had a reputation for making enemies.
 
Then Jazzi’s ex Chad appears, asking for help with his marital strife. This already awkward situation worsens when Chad’s wife vanishes and the police investigate him. Now, it’s up to Jazzi to clear both her sister’s and ex’s names while the killer—or killers—could be a mere hair breadth’s away . . . (Amazon)

Editions Available: Kindle, Paperback

“Welcome to the Punkhorns gives the old forest adage of “Leave No Trace” a whole new meaning!”

“A twisty thriller! I was hooked from start to finish.”

When three people vanish from the same patch of forest, it looks unlike any case that Detective Delaney Shepard has ever seen in the sleepy beachside village of Brewster, Massachusetts. As she investigates, she soon learns that the scene of their disappearance has been the source of urban legends for centuries. After all, whether they’re true or not, the whole town fears The Punkhorns.

When the case stalls, the town hires Casper Kelly, an out-of-town private investigator, to bring some order to the chaos that has erupted in the town. Delaney reluctantly teams up with the outsider and prays that he’ll wrap this up quickly. But even Casper has no explanation for this puzzling case.

As they work together to unravel the cryptic evidence left behind, the case takes a sudden twist. Then another. Soon, Casper and Delaney suspect that the truth may be far more sinister than any urban legend… (Amazon)

Editions Available: Kindle, Paperback

‘A wildly entertaining read for lovers of cosy mystery and romance alike’ Fiona Leitch, author of ‘The Nosey Parker mysteries’

Love can be the death of you …

American Eve Holdsworth is living her quintessential English dream in a picturesque village in the countryside. Meeting an attractive stranger adds to the appeal.

But Ben Dryden is a pariah in Eve’s new neighbourhood, since his wife was murdered five
years ago, and he was the only suspect. Eve, who is absolutely sure someone as charming as Ben could never be a killer, is determined to solve the case and clear Ben’s name, even if it’s against his will.

Soon enough Eve finds herself in deep waters, and with her life at stake, she can only pray that her romantic notions won’t be the end of her … (Amazon)

Editions Available: Kindle, Paperback

Who wouldn’t want to make a living from her favorite pastime?

Although sometimes self-doubt creeps in along the way, artist Amanda Trent has been striving to do just that, ever since her ex-husband dumped her for a younger woman and she moved to Lonesome Valley, Arizona, to start a new life. So when her friends from the Roadrunner Gallery urge her to join them and world-renown artist Ulysses Durand in a plein air paint-out, she hesitates, fearing that she might not be able to complete a painting in the four-hour time limit.

But everything goes smoothly at the public open-air event—until Ulysses’s wife goes missing and he asks Amanda for her help. Has his past come back to haunt the famous artist? With a little help from her nemesis, cranky Lieutenant Belmont, the support of her friends, and the companionship of her furry feline Mona Lisa and her lovable golden retriever Laddie, Amanda tracks a killer who’s determined to strike again unless Amanda can save the day. (Amazon)

Editions Available: Kindle, Hardcover, Paperback

One artist. One student. One deadly mystery.

When Regionalist painter Thomas Hart Benton’s corpse is discovered behind the easels of Manhattan’s famed art school, whispers in the art community say he had it coming. As Benton’s list of enemies lengthens to include League instructors, Vietnam War protesters, and members of Andy Warhol’s entourage, one art student is ultimately pinned for the crime. The only problem: the suspect has vanished.

Why would an art student murder Benton? And if he were innocent, why would he run?

When TJ Fitzgerald, son of Detective Juanita Diaz and Captain Brian Fitzgerald of the NYPD, discovers his classmate is the prime suspect, he uses his investigative skills to try and clear his name. But as TJ and his girlfriend work to unravel the clues, he begins to wonder if the police got it wrong and one secret may be the key to it all… (Amazon)

Editions Available: Kindle, Paperback, Audiobook

It all began when a dying man with an arrow in his chest grabs her ankle.
During a heat wave at a Santa Fe resort, Julienne has the resort owner pressuring her to solve the murder. The victim is a high profile business man who made enemies rather than friends, leaving Julienne with a roster of suspects. She was supposed to be training the staff and spending quality time with Mason rather than investigating a murder. The heat turns up when an old girlfriend of Mason’s checks in and is determined to get back together.
Arrowed is the fourth book in Avery Daniel’s Resort to Murder series and is an exciting contemporary cozy mystery. If you like Cleo Coyle, Maddy Hunter, Duffy Brown, Lynn Cahoon, and Annette Dashofy, then you’ll love this series with a strong intelligent sleuth, lavish settings, and tantalizing mysteries.
Buy this spunky clean cozy mystery and start enjoying Julienne’s adventures today! (Amazon)

Editions Available: Kindle, Paperback

Spring is just around the corner, and Madis is back with more business than she might be able to handle. But she’s hired a couple of new faces to add to her small crew, and it seems like it’ll be a productive start to the season of landscaping. Properly staffed and rested after the winter break, it should be all systems go.

Not quite. Before her employees can really get busy, Madis encounters a dead man lying in a bed of ivy and tulip sprouts. Her entire crew is questioned since they’ve visited the scene, but they’re not the only ones under suspicion. The victim had enemies aplenty, from an angry former lover, a nosy neighbor, and a competitive rival.

While there’s no such thing as bad publicity, finding a corpse at a jobsite isn’t ideal. Can she figure out who the killer is before things get muddier? (Amazon)

Editions Available: Kindle, Paperback

Scout Randall has lived her life in the shadows, always wondering who abandoned her when she was a child and where the magic she boasts came from. Finally, she is about to get some answers.
It won’t be easy, though.
After a wild fight that saw shifters and vampires joining together to battle under an eclipse, things in Hawthorne Hollow are relatively quiet. Scout’s newly-found sister is locked in a cell, her grandfather is laying low, and the enemy appears to be regrouping.
That allows Scout and her boyfriend Gunner to make a trip to her childhood home. Upon their return, a shifter attacks and throws their world into a tailspin. He’s easily dispatched but appears to be suffering from a magical infection that has his body wasting and his mind collapsing.
It’s up to Spell’s Angels to figure out what’s going on, and because nothing is ever easy for Scout, the investigation is going to be harder than she imagined.
It seems there’s a new top vampire in town, and his powers are extensive for a creature who wasn’t born into his legacy. On top of that, he’s crossed paths with Scout before and knows exactly how to push her buttons.
Scout is a fighter but the world is closing in on her. She’s going to need her new co-workers and the family she doesn’t know to help her out on this one … and even then nothing is a given.
The road before her is winding but answers are finally here. Scout will finally know what she is. Whether she survives long enough to benefit from the knowledge is completely up in the air. (Amazon)

Editions Available: Kindle, Audiobook

A peaceful kayak trip through the marsh suddenly turns terrifying for Chris Landrum and his friend, Charles Fowler, when a single-engine airplane plummets toward their watercraft. After coming inches from certain death, the kayakers’ heroic efforts save two of the plane’s occupants but failed to save the other two passengers. Learning the pilot had been poisoned and three of the plane’s passengers live on Folly Beach, site of Chris and Charles’s retirement homes, Charles, the self-proclaimed private detective, decides it’s up to the two retirees to catch the killer. While no simple task, it’s made more difficult when they realize they don’t know the identity of the intended victim or victims. Further complicating their undertaking, Chris is detracted when he learns another of his friends comes face-to-face with a life-altering secret going back a half-century.

Once again, Chris and his cast of quirky characters are challenged to solve a crime the police are unable to unravel before lives are lost, possibly their own.  (Amazon)

Editions Available: Kindle

It’s Brother Hermitage, it’s new and it’s nearly a thousand years old.

From Best Selling Howard of Warwick comes yet more mysterious nonsense…

In what should be a straightforward investigation, Bishop Geoffrey of Coutances, (look him up), sends Hermitage, Wat and Cwen to find out who murdered one Brother Egeus.

Or does he?

It quickly becomes apparent that the bishop has more ulterior motives than a conclave of liars.

If they can find out who killed Egeus that would be nice, but there are far more important matters to resolve. Matters that virtually everyone seems to have a hand in.

And the more they find out about Brother Egeus, the more surprised they are that he stayed alive as long as he did. There isn’t enough woodwork in the world for all his trouble to come out of.

There are big Normans and little Normans, abbots, monks, butchers and bakers but no candlestick makers. And they all have an interest in what Egeus was up to and might have wanted him dead.

If Hermitage can work his way through this mess, he’ll be very surprised. Perhaps just hoping something occurs to him at the last moment is the only way to go with this one…

Comment on Howard of Warwick continues unabated:

5* Laugh a minute
5* Howard of Warwick writes incredibly funny stories of Brother Hermitage
5* This, like all the rest, is a great laugh and laughter is incredibly valuable at present
5* Oh joy, oh rapture! (Amazon)

Editions Available: Kindle

 

Great Escapes Virtual Book Tours–Deadly Darkness

Deadly Darkness: A World War II Mystery (Deadly Series)
Historical Cozy Mystery
6th in Series
Publisher: JDP Press (February 26, 2021)
310 Pages
Digital ASIN: B08P58VKPY

I’m so excited to be a stop on the blog tour for author Kate Parker and her new book Deadly Darkness. It is the sixth book in her A World War II Mystery Series.

Purchase Links – Amazon – B&N – Kobo –

As Britain prepares for an imminent invasion, the murder of a celebrated Arctic explorer leads to the discovery of a web of Nazi spies on the south coast.

July, 1939. Newlywed Olivia Denis Redmond plans to spend a peaceful honeymoon in the country before war rips her soldier husband away. But when she finds a dead body in the midst of a blackout, Olivia is drawn into the investigation.

Since the police inspector isn’t interested in clues pointing to espionage and blackmail, Olivia must unlock secrets hidden for years in this idyllic village and face the wrath of an unseen enemy.

As danger stalks her, can Olivia expose a cunning killer before she becomes the next victim?

Deadly Darkness, the sixth book in the Deadly Series, is for fans of World War II era spy thrillers and classic cozy mysteries, of intrepid lady sleuths with spunk and smarts. No explicit cursing, sex, or violence.

Start exploring this journey or mystery and intrigue today as Britain and Germany draw dangerously close to war.

Kate Parker caught the reading bug early, and the writing bug soon followed. She’s always lived in a house surrounded by books and dust bunnies. After spending a dozen years in North Carolina, she moved to Colorado. The Rocky Mountains are beautiful, but she’d developed a love of wide rivers, warmer and wetter weather, and fast-growing greenery that sent her hurrying back to North Carolina.

Deadly Travel is the fifth book in the Deadly Series, and Kate’s plan is to follow it quickly with Deadly Darkness, both set in 1939 in the days leading up to war. There are at least three more of the Deadly Series coming that will bring the beginning of the war to Olivia’s doorstep. Kate reports that she is having fun creating new stories to entertain readers and chaos to challenge her characters.

Author Links

Website – www.KateParkerbooks.com
Facebook – www.Facebook.com/Author.Kate.Parker/
Twitter – https://www.bookbub.com/authors/kate-parker
GoodReads – www.goodreads.com/author/show/7123001.Kate_Parker

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

 http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/028877921167/?widget_template=56d5f80dbc544fb30fda66f0

TOUR PARTICIPANTS

February 25 – I’m All About Books – SPOTLIGHT

February 25 – Cozy Up With Kathy – REVIEW

February 25 – #BRVL Book Review Virginia Lee Blog – SPOTLIGHT

February 26 – Baroness’ Book Trove – SPOTLIGHT

February 26 – Elizabeth McKenna – Author Blog – SPOTLIGHT

February 27 – MJB Reviewers – SPOTLIGHT

February 27 – Sapphyria’s Book Reviews – SPOTLIGHT

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

February 28 – Maureen’s Musings – SPOTLIGHT

March 1 – Novels Alive – REVIEW

March 1 – The Pulp and Mystery Shelf – SPOTLIGHT

March 2 – Christy’s Cozy Corners – REVIEW, GUEST POST

March 2 – Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book – SPOTLIGHT

March 3 – Novels Alive – GUEST POST

March 3 – Ascroft, eh? – AUTHOR INTERVIEW

March 4 – Reading, Writing & Stitch-Metic – CHARACTER GUEST POST

March 4 – Laura’s Interests – REVIEW

March 5 – Diane Reviews Books – GUEST POST

March 5 – View from the Birdhouse – SPOTLIGHT

March 6 – Literary Gold – SPOTLIGHT

March 6 – Books a Plenty Book Reviews – REVIEW, CHARACTER INTERVIEW

Review of Farm To Trouble

Farm To Trouble

Farm To Table Mysteries, Book #1

Amanda Flower

5 Stars

Synopsis:

First in a new series!

Shiloh Bellamy cashed in her big city job and 401K to return home to Michigan to save the family farm, but turning Bellamy Farms into a sustainable, organic operation is no small feat. Especially when her new investor is found dead at the farmers market not long after the contract is signed, a contract that the whole town knows her father was wholeheartedly against.

Now, Shiloh must clear her family’s name and track down the real killer before her farm dreams wilt before her very eyes. But with her father trying to stop any progress on his land, her cousin belittling her every effort, and the whole town believing her family at fault, Shiloh has to carry the investigation on her shoulders or risk all her dreams drying up before they begin.

Review:  

Shilo has a big challenge ahead of her, turning her failing family farm into a successful organic operation.  She also has to get her father on board with her plan, which will not be easy.  And when her investor is found dead, the task seems insurmountable.  She has her work cut out for her if she is ever going to get the farm up and running.  She will need the help of her father, her cousin and her neighbors to find the killer.

The writing style flows smoothly and it defines the characters very clearly by their actions and words.  The author is very talented in her descriptive writing and these descriptions pulled me into the story from the very beginning.  I felt like I was right there on the farm, watching all of the action taking place.  The mystery was well plotted and not easily solved.  There were enough suspects to consider and clues to sift through.  

I would highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a well crafted cozy mystery.  You know when you pick up a book to read by this author, you are in for a real treat.

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

Great Escapes Virtual Book Tours–Smothered

Smothered: A Whipped and Sipped Mystery
Cozy Mystery
2nd in Series
Publisher: D. X. Varos, Ltd. (February 16, 2021)
Paperback: 258 pages
ISBN-10: 1941072879
ISBN-13: 978-1941072875
Digital ASIN: B08HX7TWNH

I’m so excited to be a stop on the blog tour for author G. P. Gottlieb and her new book Smothered. It is the second book in her A Whipped and Sipped Mystery Series.

Purchase Links – Amazon – B&N 

Smothered: A Whipped and Sipped Mystery
by G. P. Gottlieb

I think my favorite character might be Cal, Alene’s father. He is suffering from a debilitating disease but has such a great outlook on life and what he is going through.
~Storeybook Reviews

The list of characters at the front makes it easy to keep track of who is who which brings the story to life. Add in the cute town and you feel like you are there with her. Thanks to plenty of the little clues along with the multiple suspects will keep the reader guessing until the final reveal.
~Books a Plenty Book Reviews

The way the story is written, I had already concluded in my head how it was going to end, so this ending seemed to come out of nowhere for me. The book is full of surprises that way.
~Literary Gold

Alene Baron doesn’t go looking for mysteries, they find her. When the highly disliked owner of a business neighboring the Whipped and Sipped Cafe turns up dead, the list of potential suspects is pretty long, including all of the members of his quarrelsome family. Missing wills, convenient accidents, and enough red herring to feed the lunch crowd spice up this tantalizing tale. As always, while pondering the evidence, Alene also comes up with creative vegan dishes to serve her customers and share with you.

G.P. Gottlieb has worked as a musician, a teacher, and an administrator, but she’s happiest when writing recipe-laced murder mysteries. Battered: A Whipped and Sipped Mystery and Smothered: A Whipped and Sipped Mystery take place in the spring and summer of 2019 and a third book in the series will center on a murder that occurs during the city of Chicago’s lockdown in May 2020. G.P. Gottlieb has always experimented in the kitchen and created her delicious vegan cookies and cakes in direct opposition to what she learned in courses at Chicago’s French Pastry School. She is host for New Books in Literature, a podcast channel on the New Books Network, the mother of three grown children, and lives with her husband in a Chicago high-rise that is strikingly similar to the building portrayed in the Whipped and Sipped Mystery series.

 Author Links

Webpage: https://gpgottlieb.com

Facebook Author Page https://www.facebook.com/authorgottlieb

Facebook Personal Page https://www.facebook.com/gp.gottlieb/

Twitter https://twitter.com/GottliebGp

Instagram  https://www.instagram.com/whippedsipped/

GoodReads  https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/19306694.G_P_Gottlieb

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

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/028877921166/?widget_template=56d5f80dbc544fb30fda66f0

TOUR PARTICIPANTS

February 15 – StoreyBook Reviews – REVIEW

February 15 – I’m All About Books – SPOTLIGHT

February 16 – A Blue Million Books – AUTHOR INTERVIEW

February 16 – ebook addicts – SPOTLIGHT

February 17 – Novels Alive – GUEST POST

February 18 – I Read What You Write – SPOTLIGHT, RECIPE

February 19 – #BRVL Book Review Virginia Lee Blog – SPOTLIGHT

February 20 – Celticlady’s Reviews – SPOTLIGHT

February 20 – Books a Plenty Book Reviews – REVIEW

February 21 – Maureen’s Musings – SPOTLIGHT

February 21 – Literary Gold – REVIEW

February 22 – Socrates Book Reviews – SPOTLIGHT

February 23 – Mysteries with Character – AUTHOR INTERVIEW

February 24 – Baroness’ Book Trove – SPOTLIGHT

February 25 – MJB Reviewers – SPOTLIGHT

February 26 – Ascroft, eh? – AUTHOR INTERVIEW

February 26 – Sapphyria’s Book Reviews – REVIEW

February 27 – Ruff Drafts – SPOTLIGHT, RECIPE

February 27 – Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book – SPOTLIGHT

February 28 – Cozy Up With Kathy – AUTHOR INTERVIEW

New Releases For The Week Of February 21st, 2021–Part 5

Known as the Gateway to Hell, natives once threw children into Masaya’s throat to appease the goddess living inside.

Geologist Kea Wright is leading an expedition into Masaya to discover the volcano’s secrets. Despite careful planning, Masaya devours a member of their team. As the rest scramble to escape, they can’t shake the feeling that they’re being hunted. Meanwhile, across Nicaragua, revolution starts to spread…

For Kea, life will never be the same. (Amazon)

Editions Available: Kindle, Paperback

Released criminals. A gun. Real or a toy?

Josh is smitten with his new scatty girlfriend. But her best friend is scared by a threatening unexplained incident. He discovers no criminal activity. Asking questions to satisfy himself, the answers are superficial. Secrets abound. Another dubious incident takes place and Josh cannot shake the scared face from his mind. Signs of duplicity arise as he asks more questions. Are the events leading to a serious crime? A prisoners’ charity has arranged a masked ball. Many who attend will have tainted backgrounds. (Amazon)

Editions Available: Kindle

Two powerful families united, then split apart.

Josh is despondent. The allocation of a rubbish case, involving a perpetual criminal, does not lift his spirits. The defending solicitor, an intriguing and beautiful woman, captures his attention in her desire for unusual meetings. On the edge of losing her licence to practice law, she needs help. But involvement with her stretches good police practice and he is heavily criticised. On the surface, it appears an open and shut case. But after an unexpected incident, Josh suspects the solicitor is lying. But why? (Amazon)

Editions Available: Kindle, Paperback

He didn’t deserve promotion. He didn’t want to return to Blackford. Bad memories and lies.

Josh is apprehensive as he plans to start his newly promoted role of Detective Sergeant on return to his home town, the scene of his delinquent youth. His new boss will be harsh with him. An overbearing and precise man, his approach is anathema to Josh’s style. His tension escalates as an incident in Blackford shopping centre involves his beloved sister. Never has crime touched his family. The crime escalates to murder and closes on his family. Thrown into a new and difficult police environment, he struggles to cope with the pressure as criticism of him mounts. He is hoping for a breakthrough, but the clues do not join together. (Amazon)

Editions Available: Kindle

A blind detective rises to the occasion following the suspicious death of a blind financier in this mystery by the author of Odor of Violets.

Following the loss of his sight in World War I, ex–intelligence officer Capt. Duncan Maclain honed his other senses and became one of the most successful and well-known private investigators in New York City . . .

The Miners Title and Trust is typically dead quiet, having gone bankrupt. Then, late one evening, the bank’s blind president, Blake Hadfield, plummets eight stories to his death in the building’s lobby. The only witnesses are the security guard and Blake’s estranged wife, who were both on the first floor. Blake’s son, Seth, is found drunk and dazed on the eighth floor, making him the prime suspect in what the police believe to be murder.

That’s when Harold Lawson and Sybella Ford call upon Captain Maclain for help. Maclain doesn’t think the banker’s death was a suicide or an accident. He believes someone else was in the building. Now, with the help of his two German Shepherds, Maclain must begin investigating the complicated life of the senior Hadfield. But if the sightless sleuth isn’t careful, he could meet a similar end . . .

Baynard Kendrick was the first American to enlist in the Canadian Army during World War I. While in London, he met a blind English soldier whose observational skills inspired the character of Capt. Duncan Maclain. Kendrick was also a founding member of the Mystery Writers of America and winner of the organization’s Grand Master Award. (Amazon)

Editions Available: Kindle

A blind detective separates fact from fiction to save an innocent writer in this mystery by the author of Blind Man’s Bluff.

Following the loss of his sight in World War I, ex–intelligence officer Capt. Duncan Maclain honed his other senses and became one of the most successful and well-known private investigators in New York City . . .

Acclaimed novelist Larmar Jordan and his wife, Lucia, are throwing a cocktail party in their luxury Fifth Avenue apartment. Among the guests are their friend Sybella Ford and her fiancé, Duncan Maclain. Everyone is in high spirits until the arrival of Larmar’s mistress, Troy Singleton. Maclain may be unable to see, but even he can tell that certain partygoers are far from pleased by her presence.

However, the real drama unfolds when Troy returns the following day—only to wind up dead on the terrace. The police are certain Larmar pulled the trigger. He was the only person home at the time, and the murder weapon came from his extensive gun collection—but he didn’t do it. At Lucia’s request, Maclain takes the case. Now, the sightless sleuth must quickly unravel this twisted tale of murder, before the judge throws the book at Larmar . . .Baynard Kendrick was the first American to enlist in the Canadian Army during World War I. While in London, he met a blind English soldier whose observational skills inspired the character of Capt. Duncan Maclain. Kendrick was also a founding member of the Mystery Writers of America and winner of the organization’s Grand Master Award. (Amazon)

Editions Available: Kindle,Hardcover, Paperback

Murder disrupts a blind PI’s honeymoon in this mix of detective novel and psychological thriller from the author of Death Knell.

The wife of a wealthy Tennessee mining tycoon, Marcia Fillmore has worked hard to get to where she is in life. She’s also a woman with a dark past, one she’s put behind her . . . until a man walks into the Black Pigeon in Gatlinburg and takes a seat beside her at the bar. Marcia doesn’t take kindly to him threatening her with blackmail, following her home—or seeing her kiss a man who isn’t her husband. Everything could fall apart. No, something must be done . . .

A former intelligence officer in the army, Capt. Duncan Maclain lost his sight in World War I. Since then, he’s honed his other senses and become a successful private detective whose unique skills are sought after frequently. So it’s no surprise when he arrives in the Smoky Mountains with his new bride and the sheriff asks him for help investigating a suspicious car wreck. With evidence that points to foul play, the sheriff and Maclain know they’ve got a killer to catch—but she’s not going to go down without a fight . . .

“Ingenious.” —Kirkus Reviews

“The most completely evil and yet interesting woman you’ve read about in a long time . . . Superlative!” —Chicago Daily News Baynard Kendrick was the first American to enlist in the Canadian Army during World War I. While in London, he met a blind English soldier whose observational skills inspired the character of Capt. Duncan Maclain. Kendrick was also a founding member of the Mystery Writers of America and winner of the organization’s Grand Master Award. (Amazon)

Editions Available” Kindle, Hardcover, Paperback

A shooting outside a Manhattan bar leads a blind detective to a health spa with a dark secret in this mystery by the author of Make Mine Maclain.

Late one summer night, Tubby Severn is enjoying a drink at the bar of the Broadway Palace Hotel when a bullet sails past his head—only six inches away. Lots of people might want Tubby dead, but he’s not sure why the cops have arrested his best friend, Ted Yates, a blind army veteran. It seems the gun involved in the shooting was Ted’s service pistol, which was also used in a murder two years ago—and then vanished. Now, with Ted sporting a straitjacket in Bellevue, Tubby turns to Duncan Maclain for help.

Maclain agrees to take the case but soon discovers he’s dealing with more than one suspicious death and a peculiar place called Hardesty’s Health Farm, where they help clients shed pounds. As Maclain begins making connections in this twisted puzzle, he and his partner, Spud Savage, must quickly nab the killer before someone else is dropped like dead weight . . .

“Suspense! . . . Corking climax!” —Omaha World-Herald

“Novel murder device, unique fabric of alibis, deeply knotted puzzle, and engaging detection technique.” —Chicago TribuneBaynard Kendrick was the first American to enlist in the Canadian Army during World War I. While in London, he met a blind English soldier whose observational skills inspired the character of Capt. Duncan Maclain. Kendrick was also a founding member of the Mystery Writers of America and winner of the organization’s Grand Master Award. (Amazon)

Editions Available: Kindle, Paperback

A blind detective may be walking into a trap—but he’s not the one who should be scared—in this mystery by the author of You Die Today!

Following the loss of his sight in World War I, ex–intelligence officer Capt. Duncan Maclain honed his other senses and became one of the most successful and well-known private investigators in New York City . . .

A party in celebration of Maclain’s seventh wedding anniversary is in full swing at his Manhattan penthouse when a wealthy potential client stops by. The president and treasurer of Markham Oil, Claude Markham offers Maclain a hefty sum to help him collect some papers from a safe in his father’s office. The numbers on the combination dial are in braille, and Markham’s late mother was the only person who could read them.

The sightless sleuth can sense something is off about this mysterious tycoon, but his curiosity won’t let him say no. Even though Markham may not be who he says he is, Maclain accepts the job. With his trusty two German Shepherds at his side, Captain Maclain heads to the Markham mansion—and that’s when the real fun begins . . .Baynard Kendrick was the first American to enlist in the Canadian Army during World War I. While in London, he met a blind English soldier whose observational skills inspired the character of Capt. Duncan Maclain. Kendrick was also a founding member of the Mystery Writers of America and winner of the organization’s Grand Master Award. (Amazon)

Editions Available: Kindle

A blind detective helps authorities nab a killer no one’s ever seen in this explosive mystery by the author of Blind Allies.

Following the loss of his sight in World War I, ex–intelligence officer Capt. Duncan Maclain honed his other senses and became one of the most successful and well-known private investigators in New York City . . .

Captain Maclain is playing a card game when he receives a phone call from Los Angeles. It’s his old army buddy Belden Clark. The head of Clark Precision Tool Company is coming to town the next day for a quick business trip and would like to speak to the blind detective about a tycoon named Hugo Breitmeyer he’d like him to investigate. The captain is happy to make time for his friend, but Clark’s plane fails to reach its destination thanks to a bomb tucked away in its cargo hold.

Clark wasn’t the only person interested in Breitmeyer. The FBI would like to get their hands on him as well. Although no one knows what the man looks like, the Feds have a series of wiretap recordings that could lead them to the dangerous millionaire if the right person is listening. Enter Maclain and his talented senses. But identifying a criminal who lives in the shadows can be hazardous to a PI’s health . . .Baynard Kendrick was the first American to enlist in the Canadian Army during World War I. While in London, he met a blind English soldier whose observational skills inspired the character of Capt. Duncan Maclain. Kendrick was also a founding member of the Mystery Writers of America and winner of the organization’s Grand Master Award. (Amazon)

Editions Available: Kindle, Paperback

When a party is spoiled by murder, a blind detective must sniff out a killer, in this mystery by the author of The Aluminum Turtle.

Following the loss of his sight in World War I, ex–intelligence officer Capt. Duncan Maclain honed his other senses and became one of the most successful and well-known private investigators in New York City . . .

There’s a swinging cocktail party at the Upper West Side apartment of brothers Herb and Andy Bolin. The two accountants have invited plenty of guests, including their dear friend Captain Maclain. But not everyone is in good spirits when the detective arrives. Herb is in a financial jam and has been using alcohol and sleeping pills to cope. He picks a fight and is carried to his bedroom to sleep it off—only to never wake again . . .

Herb’s doctor declares it was the pills and booze that did him in. But Maclain’s powerful nose knows better: he smells cyanide. Certain of foul play, Maclain must attempt to solve the case. The trouble is Herb has a long list of enemies, and picking up the killer’s scent won’t be easy . . .Baynard Kendrick was the first American to enlist in the Canadian Army during World War I. While in London, he met a blind English soldier whose observational skills inspired the character of Capt. Duncan Maclain. Kendrick was also a founding member of the Mystery Writers of America and winner of the organization’s Grand Master Award (Amazon)

Editions Available: Kindle, Hardcover

A blind detective deals with murder, drugs, and buried treasure in sunny Florida in this mystery by the author of Clear and Present Danger.

Following the loss of his sight in World War I, ex–intelligence officer Capt. Duncan Maclain honed his other senses and became one of the most successful and well-known private investigators in New York City . . .

Maclain used to visit his godson, Ronald Dayland Sr., and his family in Tampa every winter—until Ronald’s murder. The local police never had any luck finding the culprit. But seven years later, Maclain is finally able to tackle the case himself. Unfortunately, another Dayland needs Maclain’s help as well.

Ronald Jr. is nineteen and should feel as though he has his entire life ahead of him, but he has a secret. While on a fishing excursion with Maclain, Ronnie wants to confess everything, but then he makes a surprising discovery in the water—one that could mean a lot of money in his future. But a spear gun prevents Ronnie from ever seeing that future.

Now, with the help of his partner, Spud, and his two German Shepherds, Captain Maclain must uncover clues for two murders—and he better hurry. Maclain may be blind, but even he can tell when he’s being watched . . .

Baynard Kendrick was the first American to enlist in the Canadian Army during World War I. While in London, he met a blind English soldier whose observational skills inspired the character of Capt. Duncan Maclain. Kendrick was also a founding member of the Mystery Writers of America and winner of the organization’s Grand Master Award. (Amazon)

Editions Available: Kindle, Hardcover, Paperback

Review of Frothy Foul Play

Frothy Foul Play

Killer Coffee, Book #9

Tonya Kappes

5 Stars

Synopsis:

Welcome to the Bean Hive Coffeehouse where the coffee is as hot as the gossip!

“Fabulous fun and fantastic fried food! Kappes nails small town mystery with another must-read hit. Don’t miss this one!”

– Darynda Jones, New York Times Bestselling Author of Eighth Grave After Dark

Welcome to Honey Springs where the gossip flows as freely as the coffee. and The Bean Hive Coffee shop was usually the magnet to where it all occurred.

Honey Springs, Kentucky is abuzz with the opening of a new holistic health spa. There are all sorts of outsiders in town to visit and participate in the opening. A reviewer from a famous magazine is there, but he has the bad habit of writing scathing reviews of everywhere he visits.

Could this be trouble for the grand opening?

Add to the mix Loretta Bebe (the town socialite) wants her granddaughter, Birdie, to work for Roxy, so what if she has a bad reputation that’s a mile long?

Things get a little frothy after the famous magazine reviewer turns up dead and the weapon is found on Birdie.

Do you think Loretta is going to let anyone but Roxy Bloom use her lawyering skills to solve the murder?

You’re darn-tootin’ she aint!

Grab your coffee and hold on to your hat, this southern mystery is full of red-herrings with all sorts of snorts that’ll having you wanting to stay for bit longer at the Bean Hive! (Goodreads)

Review:

The characters are well developed and well rounded.  Roxy is a hard worker and she wants her coffee shop, the Bean Hive, to succeed.  She has friends and family that are very willing to help her with that goal.  When someone is killed and her new employee is a person of interest, she knows she has to find the killer.  Hopefully, she will succeed.  

The writing style flows smoothly and the book is an easy read.  The author is very talented in her descriptive writing and it took me for a ride in Honey Spring, Kentucky.  If it was a real place to visit I would be going there on vacation.  

The mystery was well plotted and not easily solved.  There were enough clues to sift through, suspects to consider and twists and turns to navigate through.  You will need to be on top of your game to solve this one.

I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a well crafted cozy mystery.  You can never go wrong reading a book by this author.

New Releases For The Week Of February 21st, 2021–Part 4

Ellery Page, aspiring screenwriter, reigning Scrabble champion, and occasionally clueless owner of the village’s only mystery bookstore, the Crow’s Nest, is both flattered and bemused when he’s invited to the annual Marauder’s Masquerade, the best and biggest social event of the season in the quaint seaside village of Pirate’s Cove, Rhode Island. The event is hosted by the wealthy Marguerite Bloodworth-Ainsley—a descendant of the famed pirate Tom Blood.

Ellery doesn’t even know Mrs. Bloodworth-Ainsley—nor, it turns out—does Mrs. Bloodworth-Ainsley know him. But Marguerite’s son, Julian wants to know Ellery. Julian, handsome, rich and engaging, is a huge mystery buff. In fact, he’s bought quite a few books at the Crow’s Nest bookstore, but never quite worked up the nerve to ask Ellery out.

As his relationship with Police Chief Carson seems to be dead in the water, Ellery is grateful for a little flattering attention from the village’s most eligible bachelor, but any hopes of romance hit the shoals when Julian is accused of murdering his mother’s unlikable second husband during the Masquerade’s annual ghost hunt in the family’s spooky cemetery (Amazon)

Editions Available: Kindle

Delicious chocolates and mysterious gifts are leaving quite a deathly impression in the next installment of the Paramour Bay Mysteries by USA Today Bestselling Author Kennedy Layne…

Someone seems to want the local librarian—who just happens to be the town’s friendly neighborhood werewolf—erased from Paramour Bay’s history!

After some strange turn of events, it’s concluded that regifting a box of heart-shaped chocolates might not have been such a great idea. The recipient ends up dead and a puzzling whodunit ensues, while Raven and the gang must band together to protect one of their own.

You’ll want to brew up your own cup of tea before reading this quirky murder mystery…just to be safe! (Amazon)

Editions Available: Kindle, Hardcover, Paperback

To solve a case so strange, this witch could use a stronger cup of tea.

Fifth Wind witch Ruby True has spent seventeen years wrangling stubborn spirits in the magical town of Eastwind. Now in her mid-forties, she’s starting to feel like she’s seen it all.

But that’s about to change.

When a simple case of a missing werebear takes an unexpected turn, Eastwind’s angel sheriff enlists Ruby’s psychic gifts to help find the culprit. But a string of suspicious attacks and rumblings of an old sinister legend lead Ruby True and Sheriff Bloom into uncharted territory.

Will they find the one responsible for the carnage before it finds them?

Werebear Scare: An Eastwind Witches Paranormal Cozy Mystery is the first book of the Ruby True Magical Mystery series that takes place 30 years before the Eastwind Witches Cozy Mysteries. If you like strong female friendships, gossipy quaint towns, and lighthearted humor, you will love Nova Nelson’s delightful tale!

Buy Werebear Scare to solve the mystery today!

Note: This is a second edition and was previously published under the series True & Bloom. (Amazon)

Editions Available: Kindle

Reviewers are giving this new mystery series five stars! Perfect for fans of Christy Barritt and Molly Fitz.

A heated religious argument. A murder that’s not as obvious as it seems. A first date gone very, very wrong.

Mallory Beck didn’t expect to start dating her detective friend and childhood crush, Alex Martinez. At the very least, after her husband’s recent death, she didn’t expect to date someone she really likes so soon. But this isn’t a real date anyway. It’s a Bible study, and she has some questions about God, not to mention the pressing need to escape her recently freeloading father for an evening. Besides, how heated could things get at a Bible study?

The heat, it turns out, burns between two other attendees with opposing opinions on alcohol. When one storms out of the meeting early and then later turns up dead, Alex and Mallory find themselves at the heart of another murder investigation.

Can they uncover the secrets simmering through their cozy community town to get to the truth? Download this new mystery now to find out! (Amazon)

Editions Available: Kindle, Paperback

Death is on the horizon…

When recently divorced Chloe Canton is gifted her grandmother’s house in Bermuda in her will, it seems a perfect time for a fresh start.

Her chance at paradise comes with a rundown business, a neighbour who is putting pressure on her to sell up for development, and another who quickly makes herself comfortable in Chloe’s house.

If that wasn’t enough, Chloe discovers a dead body on the local riding trail soon after she arrives and finds herself dragged into a murder investigation.

With tensions rising and island gossip to contend with, as well as a murder in their midst, has Chloe bitten off more than she can chew?

Will Chloe stick it out and help solve the case or will paradise turn out to be too hot to handle?

Murder on the Island is the first book in the gripping Chloe Canton Mystery Series.

Set on beautiful Bermuda, Murder On The Island is perfect escapism. It will appeal to readers of Richard Osman’s The Thursday Murder Club as well as fans of authors like LJ Ross and Faith Martin. (Amazon)

Editions Available: Kindle, Paperback

More puzzling apparitions mystify Mina Scarletti in her next investigation! Perfect for fans of Sherlock Holmes, Agatha Christie and Antonia Hodgson…

Someone from Mina’s past has returned to plague her…

Brighton, 1872

.

Mina Scarletti is helping prepare for her brother Edward’s imminent wedding when she finds out Mr Beckler – a man who previously courted her under false pretences – is once more on the scene.

Mr Beckler claims to be able to capture spirits when taking photographs, and with her brother Richard now working for him, Mina is curious to see his pictures for herself.

She is shocked when the ghost of her father does indeed seem to appear in a photo taken of her family, yet certain it must be a fraud.

Mina soon realises that Beckler is targeting the families of the deceased whose spirits appear in his photographs, many of whom have died in mysterious circumstances.

And before long, Beckler’s claims attract her worst enemy back to Brighton…

Is Mr Beckler genuine in his claims to be able to photograph the dead? What connects the families he is targeting?

And is he determined once again to try and ruin Mina’s reputation…?

THE CYANIDE GHOST is the sixth cosy mystery in Linda Stratmann’s intriguing historical series, the Mina Scarletti investigations, a traditional British detective series with a feisty woman sleuth set in Victorian Brighton.

‘Linda Stratmann has provided an indomitable heroine in Mina Scarletti’ – Promoting Crime Blog

‘Linda Stratmann is happily feeding the unquenchable thirst for Victorian crime fiction’ – Crime Fiction Lover

THE MINA SCARLETTI MYSTERY SERIES:
Book One: Mr Scarletti’s Ghost
Book Two: The Royal Ghost
Book Three: An Unquiet Ghost
Book Four: The Ghost of Hollow House
Book Five: His Father’s Ghost
Book Six: The Cyanide Ghost (Amazon)

Editions Available: Kindle

Maggie’s friend Nora is charged with trying to murder her younger boy toy husband, and Maggie is sure it’s a bum rap. But to clear her friend’s name, she’s going to have to break a few laws herself….

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

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

1. Maggie and the Black-Tie Affair
2. Maggie and the Inconvenient Corpse
3. Maggie and the Mourning Beads
4. Maggie and the Empty Noose
5. Maggie and the Hidden Homicide
6. Maggie and the Whiskered Witness
7. Maggie and the Serpentine Script
8. Maggie and the Rattled Rake (Amazon)

Editions Available: Kindle

It’s autumn and to Jasmine Mai that means happiness.

No more scorching hot days, or sweltering nights. It’s the time for comfort food and hot drinks and sitting on her patio watching the leaves turn the landscape into glorious shades of red, yellow and orange.

It’s undoubtedly her favourite time of the year.

That is, until Jasmine finds an unwanted guest on her precious pumpkin patch.

An unwanted, un-moving, un-breathing, un-alive guest.

Her least favourite kind.

Now with a pumpkin patch covered in shattered pumpkins and a town of shattered pumpkin growers’ hearts turning to her for answers, Jasmine finds herself looking around at the people she’s known her whole life wondering who could be the culprit of such a callous act.

Now if only she could focus on finding the killer instead of having to field the questions about what will happen to the inaugural Pinot and Pumpkins festival.

Join Jasmine in Pinot and Pumpkins, the third book in the Barossa Valley Cozy Mystery series. It’s a rollicking good time on the rolling hills of the beautiful Barossa Valley with the usual band of big-heart, big-mouthed inhabitants of South Australia’s premier wine country. That is, if you don’t mind the appearance of a corpse or two. (Amazon)

Editions Available: Kindle

What seems like an unfortunate fall turns out to be far more disturbing, as a blind detective discovers, in this mystery from the author of The Last Express.

Following the loss of his sight in World War I, ex–intelligence officer Capt. Duncan Maclain honed his other senses and became one of the most successful and well-known private investigators in New York City . . .

Wealthy businessman Dryden Winslow spent over twenty years self-exiled in Australia, but he’s recently returned to the United States. He’s staying at Doncaster House, a luxury hotel in Manhattan, where he’s rented out six suites for himself and his estranged family. Given Winslow’s weakened heart has him on the verge of death, the hotel staff are on high alert, knowing he could drop at any moment. Of course, no one expects him to drop from his balcony . . .

Captain Maclain is playing chess with the hotel manager when a startled housekeeper reports her account of Winslow’s accident, claiming she heard whistling before the fall. Stranger yet, when Maclain examines the body, he declares Winslow was hanged. Now, with his seeing eye dog at his side and a hotel full of secrets, Maclain sets out to prove his case. It’s a lofty goal and, with a lunatic killer still roaming the hotel, a dangerous one too.Baynard Kendrick was the first American to enlist in the Canadian Army during World War I. While in London, he met a blind English soldier whose observational skills inspired the character of Capt. Duncan Maclain. Kendrick was also a founding member of the Mystery Writers of America and winner of the organization’s Grand Master Award. (Amazon)

Editions Available: Kindle

When opera singer André Bernardi arrives in the tiny mountainside town of Idyllwild, California, as yet the Wild West of 1912, mysterious accidents follow him. Can Loveda Brown prevent his murder while dealing with the advances of a passionate artist, and will a zealous paleontologist dig up more than he expected? A shocking package on the stagecoach might hold all the answers. (Amazon)\

Editions Available: Kindle

Pepper Boucher is a witch running for her life.

Haunted by dreams of murder and witch burnings, Pepper wants nothing more than a normal life but everything changes when she meets Leon. Will he kill her or save her from a fate worse than death.

The murders of the Graves Parish witches are just the beginning. Someone wants pepper dead and they will stop at nothing to see it happen. Her only chance is a rogue vampire and a long-dead witch. (Amazon)

Editions Available: Kindle

Three mystery novelettes featuring a blind detective and his two trusty German Shepherds by the author of Out of Control.

Following the loss of his sight in World War I, ex–intelligence officer Capt. Duncan Maclain honed his other senses and became one of the most successful and well-known private investigators in New York City. These are some of his adventures . . .

In “The Silent Whistle,” the captain heads west to California with his seeing eye dog Schnucke to advise on a television series about a blind man, but things go south when he discovers the studio head’s secretary with a knife in his back . . .

In “Melody in Death,” the captain is visiting a friend at the Knickerbocker Opera Company with Schnucke when he finds the body of a wealthy benefactor backstage . . .

In “The Murderer Who Wanted More,” a young artist is on edge after she’s attacked in her Manhattan apartment building and almost shot near her aunt’s Staten Island mansion. Fortunately, she has one friend whose unique powers of detection come in handy in times like these: Captain Maclain!Baynard Kendrick was the first American to enlist in the Canadian Army during World War I. While in London, he met a blind English soldier whose observational skills inspired the character of Capt. Duncan Maclain. Kendrick was also a founding member of the Mystery Writers of America and winner of the organization’s Grand Master Award. (Amazon)

Editions Available: Kindle

A blind PI’s latest case involves two impostors, one uranium mine, and murder in this mystery by the author of Reservations for Death.

Following the loss of his sight in World War I, ex–intelligence officer Capt. Duncan Maclain honed his other senses and became one of the most successful and well-known private investigators in New York City . . .

The man following Captain Maclain home from the Marshall Chess Club is only the beginning of the detective’s troubles. Later that day, Maclain has an appointment with Pat Ashley and Henry Wilkins, the two operators of New York state’s only uranium mine, but the wintery weather causes a car crash that sends Ashley to an early grave and Wilkins to the emergency room. Hoping to speak with Wilkins the moment he comes to, Maclain rushes to his bedside, but a clever assassin prevents Wilkins from ever uttering another word.

The next morning, the FBI takes Maclain across town for a rude awakening: the two dead men were not Ashley and Wilkins—and Maclain needs to stay away from this case. Unfortunately, that’s easier said than done, considering who’s waiting for him back home . . .Baynard Kendrick was the first American to enlist in the Canadian Army during World War I. While in London, he met a blind English soldier whose observational skills inspired the character of Capt. Duncan Maclain. Kendrick was also a founding member of the Mystery Writers of America and winner of the organization’s Grand Master Award (Amazon)

Editions Available: Kindle

Carmen Bleu and Hester Razzlebaum have been best friends since preschool. When tragedy strikes the Bleu Pop Shop, Hester invites Carmen to set up her soda shop in a small corner of Razzlebaums, a wildly popular 1950’s style diner. Trouble follows Carmen, though, and before long Hester finds her own business in jeopardy. Through Hester’s uncanny ability to speak with the dead, she discovers that there’s something more than carbonic acid and high fructose corn syrup behind Carmen’s signature BleuRazz soda pop.

Hester must figure out Carmen’s secret before Razzlebaums fizzles out, and they both end up bankrupt, maybe even dead…or worse. (Amazon)

Editions Available: Kindle, Paperback

It’s just a little wooden angel…

… or is it?

Kris is sure it’s the key to a murder.

Thrilled by her new journalist gig, Kris’s first story blows up when a source turns up dead. Now she’s after the big scoop, even when her boss says to drop it. Aided by the most eligible bartender in town and a sidekick who talks to ghosts, she follows a trail that leads to the past.

Is someone killing today…

… to hide a decades-old secret?

There’s a murderer on the streets of Silver City, and Kris is in way over her head. But if she doesn’t stop them, nobody will.

A horrific message makes one thing clear…

… Kris is next on the list.

You’ll love this cozy mystery because the past won’t stay buried, and enthusiastic reporters get into so much trouble.

Get it now. (Amazon)

Editions Available: Kindle

An antique marketplace is coming to Harmony! Everyone in the village is excited about the big event, whether wanting their antiques appraised or finding some to buy. Also eager for this weekend event are those who operate at the fringe of the antique world. Con artists offering questionable wares. Scammers claiming knowledge they don’t possess. Grifters working in teams to trick the unwary. When a body is discovered and a local antique dealer falls under suspicion as the murderer, Jackie agrees to help prove his innocence. But is she defending a guilty man?
An Appraisal to Die For is fourth in the Parker Photography Cozy Mystery Series. Enjoy this fun cozy mystery set in the village of Harmony on the banks of the Wisconsin River. (Amazon)

Editions Available: Kindle

New Releases For The Week Of February 21, 2021–Part 3

Brand New 1950s Cozy Mystery series by USA TODAY bestselling author Lee Strauss!

Murder is a wreck!

Rosa Reed attends a charity stock car race in Santa Bonita and expects to have an exhilarating time shared with family and friends. That ends when a driver inexplicably crashes into a guard rail and dies. When local assistant medical examiner, Dr. Larry Rayburn determines the death is suspicious, Rosa once again finds herself working with the handsome Detective Miguel Belmonte in an awkward and uncomfortable alliance to solve the murder. 

If you love early rock & roll, poodle skirts, clever who-dun-its, a charming cat and an even more charming detective, you’re going to love this new series!

★★★★★

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

A brand new 1950s series!

THE ROSA REED MYSTERY SERIES

Murder at High Tide (Book 1)

Murder on the Boardwalk (Book 2)

Murder at the Bomb Shelter (Book 3)

Murder on Location (Book 4)

Murder and Rock ‘n Roll (Book 5)

Murder at the Races (Book 6)

Hop aboard the 1920s!

THE GINGER GOLD MYSTERY SERIES

Murder on the SS Rosa (Book 1)

Murder at Hartigan House (Book 2)

Murder at Bray Manor (Book 3)

Murder at Feathers & Flair (Book 4)

Murder at the Mortuary (Book 5)

Murder at Kensington Gardens (Book 6)

Murder at st. George’s Church (Book 7)

The Wedding of Ginger & Basil (Book 7.5)

Murder Aboard the Flying Scotsman (Book 8)

Murder at the Boat Club (Book 9)

Murder on Eaton Square (Book 10)

Murder by Plum Pudding (Book 11)

Murder on Fleet Street (Book 12)

Murder at Brighton Beach (Book 13)

Murder at Hyde Park (Book 14)

Murder at Royal Albert Hall (Book 15)

~more on the way!

Don’t miss LADY GOLD INVESTIGATES, the short story companion series!

Genre: cat cozy mystery series / historical mystery / women amateur sleuths / female detectives (Amazon)

Editions Available: Kindle, Paperback

Readers are loving this cozy mystery series with its two indomitable dog sleuths. Zack, Jillian, and the corgis, Sherlock and Watson, are at it again in this delightful series that pulls you right in.

A mysterious package appears on Zack Anderson’s doorstep. When he opens the crate, there’s an elaborate silver chest, obviously quite old, with Celtic markings and no apparent way to open it. Zack is almost content to accept the artifact as a decorative item … until people start coming after it. The only conclusion is that the box contains something of great value. Zack, Jillian, Sherlock, and Watson are on the case, tracking down the unusual item, learning tidbits about the box’s history, and discovering that it dates back to an unsolved theft in Ireland more than a hundred years ago.

Can Zack, Jillian, and the corgis piece together the clues and find out what’s inside the little chest before it gets snatched from their hands forever?

Praise for Jeffrey Poole and the Corgi Case files:

“Mr. Poole is pure genius at tying together a great murder mystery – with plenty of drama, suspense, and even a few laughs thrown in.” – 5 stars, online review

“… the [books] are like Potato chips – you can’t just eat one! So pick this one up and delve into the world of mystery, fun and intrigue…you won’t be sorry!” – C. Nantze, 5 stars on Amazon

“I can’t wait for the next book. I love mysteries and animals, so these books are perfect reading for me. Sherlock is a small furry Jessica Fletcher.” – H. Dudley, 5 stars online review

“The best thing–this guy loves the corgis, as I do, and he describes their behavior very well. Looking forward to future stories.” – 5 stars, Amazon

“An intriguing story with a wonderful cast of characters. The plot was excellent and filled with twists and turns it kept my interest to the very end!” – 5 stars on Amazon

“I absolutely love this series. If you like a good story, great characters and seriously smart and lovable canines, you’ll love this book. Start with the first book and work your way through the Corgi Case Files. They just keep getting better.” – K. Underwood, 5 stars online review (Amazon)

Editions Available: Kindle, Paperback

Salvaging from historic buildings isn’t supposed to require reporting a murder.​

When salvage expert and historian Paisley Sutton crawls into an abandoned store with a house attached, she certainly isn’t expecting to find a body on site. But soon, her discovery sends Paisley on an expedition through history that links this murder to the one that led the previous owners to abandon the building in the first place. And someone doesn’t want her to salvage this story from the wreckage.

Can Paisley preserve herself and her young son while also uncovering the stories that matter most? (Amazon)

Editions Available: Kindle, Paperback

***A Demon Residing in a Doll and Electrocution by Toy Train***

When the owner of an antique toy store is killed, several suspects come to mind for Elle and Gus to investigate. Mike was known around town as a ladies man, however, he didn’t mind if some of those ladies were married, much to the ire of several husbands in town.

Mike also liked his drugs and if you didn’t pay on time, you might find yourself in a world of hurt. Krazy K was a supplier and not known to take no for an answer when it came time to pay up.

And there’s a thin line between love and hate, especially when friends are involved in a business deal. When things go sour, someone might be angry enough to kill.

Could Mike unknowingly own a doll possessed by an evil spirit who now wants vengeance? Tabitha might know a little something about that.

***Find out what happens when Elle and Gus go up against dark forces.*** (Amazon)

Editions Available: Kindle

Pru’s boyfriend just won’t stay dead.

Every morning, like clockwork, he joins her at the breakfast table for a cup of tea and a chat about the job interview he has later that day. It’s… nice. Comforting. Perhaps that’s why she’s let it continue for fifteen years.

But when her ghost companion wakes up on the wrong side of the bed, Pru calls upon me – Desdemona Milchtrap – to help her exorcise the suddenly malevolent spirit. I’m helped by my investigative partner Patrick and my ex-boyfriend Jared, though considering how those two are bickering, perhaps helped isn’t the right word.

As old grievances and new poltergeists raise their ugly heads, I must ensure everyone buckles down and concentrates if we’re to dispatch the new evil lurking in our community. The meddling ghosts will continue to run wild if I don’t step up and Witch Like a Boss. (Amazon)

Editions Available: Kindle

Life sure did get interesting for Sadie Alden once she moved to Hallow Haven. She now lives in a world of magic, ghosts and endless possibilities, what more could a girl want?

When the local radio contest announces a Battle of the Bands competition, the islands are a buzz with activity. With her friend, Kate, as the organizer of the event, Sadie is soon dragged along as a judge. It’s all anyone is talking about, and soon she realizes that people are willing to do anything to win, even kill.

With her duties as the resident peacekeeper, Sadie is requested to travel to one of the outer islands to investigate a disappearance. Who’s missing? Oh, just everybody. At least the main house there isn’t filled with ominous letters… just kidding.

As if things couldn’t get more complicated, Sadie seems to be stuck in a love triangle, her shapeshifting cat familiar keeps talking about the werewolf on the island and a book of dark magic has found its way into the wrong hands.

Can Sadie restore order to Hallow Haven before anyone else gets hurt?

Ghost Writer is the second book in the Hallow Haven Witch Mysteries series. (Amazon)

Editions Available: Kindle

A Mapleton Mystery Pine Hills police crossover, a blend of cozy and police procedural from Award Winning Author Terry Odell.

Are Gordon’s Days in Mapleton Numbered?

All Mapleton Police Chief Gordon Hepler wants is to enjoy a rare quiet moment and have a peaceful lunch. Before he can finish his sandwich, Angie, his wife, calls to say her business partner is going to be arrested at a wedding reception they’re catering. Seems her partner stumbled upon the body of one of the guests—the mother of the groom. Was it a natural death? Suicide? Homicide?

A death at an event could mean the end of Angie’s catering business. What will happen to their plans to move out of Angie’s cramped apartment and into a house they can call their own?

Gordon and his officers deal with questioning guests, including a self-centered bride and her new husband who doesn’t seem upset that his mother has died unexpectedly. Or was it unexpected? They’re eager to get off on their honeymoon.
So much for quiet. On top of a homicide investigation, the mayor’s making demands again. The crime lull is over. Angie and Gordon’s house-hunting brings an unpleasant surprise. Then there’s the matter of an unexpected letter from the mayor of Pine Hills, Oregon.

Is it time for Gordon to rethink his career? (Amazon)

Editions Available: Kindle, Paperback

Why Be Normal When You Can Be Paranormal?

Murder Ghost Foul is the complete Mystic Springs box set, including all 7 full length titles:

• The Ghosts of Mystic Springs

• The Curse of Mystic Springs

• The Secrets of Mystic Springs

• The Santa Claus of Mystic Springs

• The Circus of Mystic Springs

• The Witches of Mystic Springs

• New Year in Mystic Springs

This box set also includes an exclusive novella that is a cross-over between the Mystic Springs and Waterfell Tweed cozy mystery series’. 

Mystic Springs is a paranormal cozy mystery series that is spooky, not scary. Free from swearing, sex, and on-page violence, you can trust Mona Marple to provide a fun, clean read. (Amazon)

Editions Available: Kindle

Welcome to Enchanted Enclave, where coffee, chaos and cauldrons are a way of life.

Eliza is looking forward to things getting back to normal on her return from the paranormal world, but she doesn’t expect “normal” to include another dead body showing up in the coffee shop.

When Aunt Lucy is revealed to be the prime suspect, Eliza, Kaillie and Leanne expect her to throw a fit, but instead she seemingly refuses to do anything to clear her name. Eliza and her cousins set out to do it for her, but that’s not the only strange occurrence in Enchanted Enclave.

As she gets closer to solving the case, Eliza finds herself in more danger than she’s ever experienced. Will she be able to clear her aunt’s name and find out what’s going on in town before she becomes the killer’s next victim?

Deja Brew is the fifth book in this fun new witch cozy mystery series from Samantha Silver (Amazon)

Editions Available: Kindle

A vacation gone wrong. A magical game show. A ghost with a plan.

When Marley and her friend Annie

accept tickets to a game show in the Spirit Realm,

a murder catches them off guard.

The show, “Twin Flames”, is all about true love…

so why was an important staff member

killed with such vengeance?

Marley and Annie just want to have a fun, relaxing vacation —

but when the stakes are raised,

they have no choice but to help track down the killer.

This is the sixth and final book in the Marley the Witch Cozy Mystery series. A light, clean, heart-warming witch cozy with a leading female sleuth. (Amazon)

Editions Available: Kindle

“When you think that life cannot get better, Blake Pierce comes up with another masterpiece of thriller and mystery! This book is full of twists, and the end brings a surprising revelation. Strongly recommended for the permanent library of any reader who enjoys a very well-written thriller.”
–Books and Movie Reviews (re Almost Gone)

CRIME (AND LAGER) is book three in a charming new cozy mystery series by #1 bestselling author Blake Pierce, whose Once Gone has over 1,500 five-star reviews. The series begins with MURDER (AND BAKLAVA)—BOOK #1.

When London Rose, 33, is proposed to by her long-time boyfriend, she realizes she is facing a stable, predictable, pre-determined (and passionless) life. She freaks out and runs the other way—accepting instead a job across the Atlantic, as a tour-guide on a high-end European cruise line that travels through a country a day. London is searching for a more romantic, unscripted and exciting life that she feels sure exists out there somewhere.

London is elated: the European river towns are small, historic and charming. She gets to see a new port every night, gets to sample an endless array of new cuisine and meet a stream of interesting people. It is a traveler’s dream, and it is anything but predictable.

In Book 3, CRIME (AND LAGER), the cruise takes them into Germany, into its historic towns and fabled beer festivals. But when a festival goer—a loud, arrogant local—turns up dead from drinking too much beer, suspicion falls on the touring passengers. The death is quickly ruled a murder, and London realizes her future—and that of the ship—hinges on her solving the crime.

Laugh-out-loud funny, romantic, endearing, rife with new sights, culture and food, CRIME (AND LAGER) offers a fun and suspenseful trip through the heart of Europe, anchored in an intriguing mystery that will keep you on the edge of your seat and guessing until the very last page. (Amazon)

Editions Available: Kindle, Audiobook

It’s a new year in Winterspell … and a new mystery.

I’ve always wanted to meet a mermaid, but when I finally get my chance on New Year’s Eve, the circumstances are far darker than I’d imagined. One of the mermaids isn’t what she appears to be, and if I don’t find a way to break the spell, she will never be herself again.

With strange magic in the air and a dangerous force lurking in the shadows, I have to find the truth and keep myself from being the next one to wind up caught in the sorcerer’s web. (Amazon)

Editions Available: Kindle, Audiobook

If you love sweet mysteries and even sweeter French Bulldog puppies, you will love this amazing value collection of all 20 books in the Bakers and Bulldog Mystery Series.
FREE with Kindle Unlimited.

Meet Smudge, the cutest French Bulldog and her baker assistant.
Melody is the best baker in Port Warren. Little does she know that her quiet life is about to change. Murder is coming to town and with it a little lost French Bulldog puppy.

Can Melody solve the crime and save the puppy?

What happens now?

Murder, mystery, and all sorts of dastardly deeds seem to find the playful pup. With her trusty sidekick, she will sniff out the clues as well as the occasional cookie.

If you love sweet mysteries you can share with all the family grab this bargain set for hours of fun-filled reading.
Included:
Strawberry’s and Sweet Lies
Brides and Blades
The Murder and the Masterpiece
The Poison in the Pie
Silent Night Deadly Flight
The Beating After the Ball
The murder in the Dressing Room
The Bashing in the Bakery
The Stabbing at the Inn
The Cat and the Killer
Death at the Pageant
The Wedding Cake Murder
Kidnapped at the Casino
Murder and the Magician
Wedding Dresses and Deadly Messes
Dying to Retire
The Stylist and the Deadly Cut
Murder in the Motel
The Pushing in the Pond
A Body a Blade and an Early Baby

Find out how Smudge, the Frenchie, becomes the sweetest little crime fighter to ever work for a cookie. (Amazon)

Editions Available: Kindle

From USA Today bestselling author Leslie Langtry comes a boxed set of three laugh-out-loud Merry Wrath Mysteries! This boxed set includes three, full-length novels featuring the CIA assassin turned Girls Scout troop leader, including:

Mystery Night Murder – book #10
What was supposed to be a fun weekend of pretend murder for Girl Scout Troop leader Merry Wrath, becomes something much more sinister when she finds herself on a secluded island in the middle of a Lake…where the guest are being killed off one by one! Is it Mrs. Gable in the Conservatory with a noose? Mr. Blunt in the Ballroom with a lead pipe? Merry must uncover the truth before she’s next!

Meerkats and Murder– book #11
When a masked gunman breaks into agent turned Girl Scout Troop leader, Merry Wrath’s home, things aren’t looking good. But they look even worse when that same gunman later turns up murdered! From a cosplaying teenaged zookeeper to a possible plot by the Russians, Merry struggles to keep her troop together and catch a killer…before the killer catches Merry first!

Make Believe Murder – book #12
Merry Wrath is surprised when her old friend, Hilly—a quirky CIA assassin—shows up at her door for a “vacation” in Iowa. But things get even stranger when Merry’s arch-nemesis, Lana, is sighted and a Chinese operative ends up murdered in her backyard! Merry wonders if her friend really is on vacation, or if she’s after another target? Is it Lana? Was it the Chinese operative? Or is it Merry Wrath?

Merry Wrath Mysteries:
Merit Badge Murder – book #1
Mint Cookie Murder – book #2
Scout Camp Mystery – short story in the “Killer Beach Reads” collection
Marshmallow S’More Murder – book #3
Movie Night Murder – book #4
Mud Run Murder – book #5
Fishing Badge Murder – short story in the “Pushing Up Daisies” collection
Motto for Murder – book #6
Map Skills Murder – book #7
Mean Girl Murder – book #8
Marriage Vow Murder – book #9
Mystery Night Murder – book #10
Meerkats and Murder– book #11
Make Believe Murder – book #12
Maltese Vulture Murder – book #13
Musket Ball Murder – book #14
Macho Man Murder – book #15
Mad Money Murder – book #16
Mind-Bending Murder – book #17

“Langtry gets the fun started from page one!”
~ Publisher’s Weekly (Amazon)

Editions Available: Kindle

Don’t let the oven fire go out… Or ELSE.

Running a bakery in Denali isn’t all it’s cracked up to be—especially when your wood fire oven happens to be the gateway to hell.

With the passing of their estranged mother, fire witches Willa and Samantha Craven must leave their lives behind and move back to their hometown, a remote tourist destination in Alaska full of supernatural hijinks and paranormal mysteries. 

Willa Craven is totally up for the challenge. She’s a pro at vanquishing vampires and taming werewolves, and there’s nothing she loves more than solving a good paranormal murder mystery.

If only she didn’t have to work with the rugged, arrogant sheriff who is also her old high school boyfriend. One look from him still makes her go all gooey inside, and Willa Craven is not the gooey type. 

No, really, she’s not.

Career-focused Samantha Craven has spent her whole life running from her magical destiny and pretending to be normal. When news of her mother’s death reaches her, she packs up her designer shoe collection and travels to the middle of nowhere to assume her role as the most powerful witch in the Craven family bloodline. As her natural magical abilities return, she grows more and more afraid of what could happen if she loses control…

Will these two mismatched sisters be able to play nice and keep the world spinning?

They only have two options: Bake or Die. 

If you love small-town settings, sassy female amateur sleuths, dreamy vampires, mysterious shifters, sweet romance, and lots of laugh out loud humor, you’ll love the first book in January Daphne’s paranormal cozy mystery series, Bake or Die. (Amazon)

Editions Available: Kindle

Work at a funeral home can be mundane. Until you accidentally start bringing the dead back to life.

“…a clever, hilarious romp through a new magical universe” –Sarah Angleton, author of Gentleman of Misfortune

Cassie Black works at a funeral home. She’s used to all manner of dead bodies. What she’s not used to is them waking up. Which they seem to be doing on a disturbingly regular basis lately.

Just when Cassie believes she has the problem under control, the recently-deceased Busby Tenpenny insists he’s been murdered and claims Cassie might be responsible thanks to a wicked brand of magic she’s been exposed to. The only way for Cassie to get her life back to normal is to tame her magic and uncover Mr. Tenpenny’s true killer.

Simple right? Of course not. Because while Cassie works on getting her newly-acquired magic sorted, she’s blowing up kitchens, angering an entire magical community, and discovering her past is more closely tied to Busby Tenpenny than she could have ever imagined.

If you like contemporary fantasy with snarky humor, unforgettable characters, and paranormal mystery such as Ben Aaronovitch’s Rivers of London series, you’ll find it hard to pry yourself away from this first book of the Cassie Black Trilogy.

Selected as one of Apple’s Most Anticipated Books of 2021
Winner of the Novel Excerpt Prize from the League of American PEN Women
Finalist in the Yeah You Write Novel Contest (Amazon)

Editions Available: Kindle, Paperback

New Releases For The Week Of February 21st, 2021–Part 2

She wanted to visit an old friend. The “friend” is in jail for murder. Can Samantha find new evidence to clear a convicted killer?

Fashionista Samantha Kidd’s new role as style columnist for the local paper encourages her to attend events and discover new trends. But when an out-of-the-blue invitation to visit an acquaintance arrives, standing out is the last thing she wants. The acquaintance is the heiress to a pretzel fortune—or she would be if she were free. Instead, she’s quietly serving a double life sentence after being convicted of killing her media mogul husband.

When new evidence surfaces, the heiress is ready to break her silence. But while the press lines up to get the scoop (and the ratings!), Samantha can’t help wondering who the victim is in this scenario. And after hearing the heiress’s story firsthand, Sam suspects the wrong person was locked up. If she’s right, a killer’s on the loose and will stop at nothing to silence Samantha too.

Can Samantha infiltrate the high life to expose a down and dirty crime?

Tough Luxe is the eleventh fashionable cozy mystery in the Style in a Small Town series. If you like manipulative characters, stylish crimes, and Orange-Is-the-New-Black drama, then you’ll love Diane Vallere’s high-stakes cozy.

Order Tough Luxe for a humorous mystery with a twist! (Amazon)

Editions Available: Kindle, Paperback

Welcome to Valentine’s Day in Banford, where snow is drifting, love is in the air, and murder is rediscovered…

Cassie Bridgestone isn’t ready for Valentine’s Day – not with a recent breakup stinging her heart, and the alluring Daniel tempting her to move on.

So, when Cassie and Daniel stumble across the skeleton of a woman murdered in the sixties, Cassie can’t resist diving into the mystery to discover where love went wrong all those years ago. What better way to keep her mind off love in the present?

But things prove difficult as Cassie deals with a haunted house, faded memories, and suspects who are no longer alive.

Yet, someone is determined to keep the past buried and forgotten. Can Cassie bring the truth into the open before she suffers the same fate?

Revisit the cozy village of Banford with the fourth book in the Faith and Foils Cozy Mystery Series by Wendy Heuvel. (Amazon)

Editions Available: Kindle, Hardcover, Paperback

A cease-fire in flames. A dragon on the loose. And wouldn’t you know it? Guy trouble.

Getting drafted into a paranormal MASH unit during a war between the gods was life-changing to say the least. And it hasn’t left me with much of a personal life. Case in point: deciding what to buy Medusa for her baby shower should have been my only “me time” task for the week. But when my hot-as-Hades ex-boyfriend storms back into my life dragging a wounded, half-mad dragon shifter, things get complicated.

The dragon may be the key to ending the war-if I can heal her and keep her hidden. To do it, I’ll need the help of both my current guy and my ex-because nothing says love like a covert operation. But I can’t just let her die or fall into enemy hands. Even if keeping a lid on her secret might force me to reveal mine.

Either way, there’s no going back. This time, I have no choice but to change the world-or die trying.

Warning: This book contains Medusa’s baby shower, a dragon out of uniform, exploding showers, oracles gone wild, romance, adventure, and a well-deserved happy ending-in a MASH camp where everybody knows your business.

*The core of this book was originally called Immortally Ever After, published by St. Martin’s Press in 2013. The author has rewritten it into the way she always envisioned the story to be, which means it is now a romantic comedy instead of an angsty book. There’s also more community, more fun, and more Medusa. Pro tip: do not ignore Medusa… (Amazon)

Editions Available: Paperback

When former rescue cat Aubrey moves to the picturesque village of Fallowfield with his owners and their foster son Carlos, he is keen to explore the delights of the English countryside.

However, all is not as it seems among the villagers. The idyllic peace is shattered when a gruesome murder takes place at the village fete.

Tensions run high as spectres from the past begin to emerge, and Aubrey is particularly upset when suspicion falls on Morris, who may be almost permanently drunk, but is also a good friend to the local cat population…

Can Aubrey restore the peace in the village and help clear Morris’s name? (Amazon)

Editions Available: Kindle, Paperback

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

FROM THE SHADOWS INTO THE LIGHT…

When a fishing boat is wrecked off the treacherous North Sea coast and the body of a young woman washes up on the beach beside the iconic ‘Marsden Rock’, DCI Ryan cannot ignore the call to duty.

With one already dead and more human cargo missing from the wreckage, Ryan and his team race to find the remaining souls — before it’s too late, and their investigation turns to murder. As they uncover the seedy underbelly of Tyneside, cold and calculated opportunism clashes with the rock-hard arm of the Law, but there’s one thing that proves stronger than stone…

The human spirit.

Murder and mystery are peppered with romance and humour in this fast-paced crime whodunnit set amidst the spectacular North Eastern 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

Under the Tuscan sun, ice-creams melt and dark secrets unravel…

March, 1925

Pregnant, bored, and longing for an adventure, Posie Parker accepts a rather last-minute Wedding Invitation from an old friend who is getting married out in the gorgeous town of San Gimignano, Tuscany.

But what Posie -and her husband, Richard Lovelace- arrive into is not a blissfully happy wedding party at all. It’s a chaotic mix of mistrust, unfaithful fiancées, bizarre Death Threats, uninvited wedding guests and a big dollop of very real unease.

As the wedding pre-dinner party unfolds, a murderer strikes again and again.

Secrets from beyond the grave are revealed, shadows of the past loom over the present, and disguises are uncovered in what has become a deadly, dangerous game of obsession.

Can Posie and Richard uncover the murderer before others die? Or will the truth come at a terrible price?

Murder in Tuscany is set against the beautiful back-drop of a sun-drenched Tuscan hill-top town, and is full of intrigue and red herrings, and is the completely unputdownable eleventh book in the delightfully classic and glamorously entertaining Posie Parker Mystery Series, although it can be enjoyed as a stand-alone story in its own right. This is a clean read, with no graphic violence, sex, swearing or strong language. This is a classic murder mystery which will appeal to fans of Agatha Christie and Downton Abbey.

˃˃˃ THE POSIE PARKER MYSTERY SERIES available exclusively on Amazon:

‘Murder Offstage’ (Book #1)

‘The Tomb of the Honey Bee’ (Book #2)

‘Murder at Maypole Manor’ (Book #3)

‘The Vanishing of Dr Winter’ (Book #4)

‘Murder of a Movie Star’ (Book #5)

‘Murder in Venice’ (Book #6)

‘The Saltwater Murder’ (Book #7)

‘Murder on the White Cliffs’ (Book #8)

‘Marriage is Murder?’ (Book #9)

‘Murder in the London Lights’ (Book #10)

~more on the way!

To be the first to hear about L.B. Hathaway’s new releases sign up for the newsletter. (Amazon)

Editions Available: Kindle

What the hex is going on?

Life at Cardinal Woolsey’s knitting and yarn shop is about as smooth as shop owner Lucy’s knitting. In other words, lumpy, tangled and prone to disaster. Much like her spell-casting. But things get worse when her cousin and shop assistant Violet shows alarming symptoms of a hex. Who would do such a thing? Was it the guy from Witch Date she blew off? Or is Lucy the real target?

Meanwhile, Lucy’s dating a much older man. Like five hundred years older. The gorgeous vampire Rafe wants to marry her, but there’s more keeping them apart than an age gap. Can they make a May-medieval marriage work? Or will they say goodbye forever.

When someone dies, either the hex is to blame or there’s a murderer on the loose in Oxford.

Don’t miss the fun in this 12th novel in the best-selling Vampire Knitting Club series from a USA Today Bestselling author. There’s no gore, sex or swearing, just romance, humor—and murder. Come join the Vampire Knitting Club for the fun of it. Knitting skills not required.

“Reading this series is like visiting with beloved friends!” (Amazon)

Editions Available: Kindle

Maggie Lee may be an inept hitwoman, but she pays her debts.

When Maggie told her friend Mia that she’d help her out of any mess she found herself in, she meant it. Of course they’d both been fifteen at the time.

Maggie hasn’t seen Mia in forever, until she suddenly shows up, intent on holding Maggie to her promise. Mia’s husband has disappeared, taking their money with him and she desperately needs it.

While Maggie has other things to worry about, namely protecting her father from whoever is trying to kill him, Mia makes it impossible for her to not reciprocate the favor.

Bound by a pinky swear, Maggie tracks down Mia’s soon-to-be-ex but doing so puts her at odds with the guys who have her back: Patrick, Zeke and Gino.

If Maggie’s not careful, her long-ago promise could have deadly consequences…especially since her psychic friend has predicted she’s going to die. (Amazon)

Editions Available: Kindle

Spring is in the air, and Ellison Russell has places to go, people to see, bodies to find. Strike that. For once, Ellison doesn’t discover the body.

When Detective Anarchy Jones investigates a friend’s husband’s murder, Ellison can’t help but get involved.

Now she’s waist-deep in toxic gossip, struggling with the soaring heights and nocuous lows of her teenager’s mood swings, fending off the advances of her first love, planning a wedding, and (of course) tripping over fresh corpses.

With her life a whirlwind of conflict, can Ellison unmask a devious killer, or will death poison her future? (Amazon)

Editions Available: Kindle, Paperback

As Britain prepares for an imminent invasion, the murder of a celebrated Arctic explorer leads to the discovery of a web of Nazi spies on the south coast.

July, 1939. Newlywed Olivia Denis Redmond plans to spend a peaceful honeymoon in the country before war rips her soldier husband away. But when she finds a dead body in the midst of a blackout, Olivia is drawn into the investigation.

Since the police inspector isn’t interested in clues pointing to espionage and blackmail, Olivia must unlock secrets hidden for years in this idyllic village and face the wrath of an unseen enemy.

As danger stalks her, can Olivia expose a cunning killer before she becomes the next victim?

Deadly Darkness, the sixth book in the Deadly Series, is for fans of World War II era spy thrillers and classic cozy mysteries, of intrepid lady sleuths with spunk and smarts. No explicit cursing, sex, or violence.

Start exploring this journey or mystery and intrigue today as Britain and Germany draw dangerously close to war. (Amazon)

Editions Available: Kindle

Are Joyce and Brenda on a wild goose chase? Has the murderer already been caught?

Joyce and Brenda love running Donuts on the Move and business is thriving. They have recently started giving some of the leftover donuts to some homeless people that have set up camp in the woods. Including the eccentric Juniper who Joyce has become friendly with.

But then the owner of a local pizza place is found murdered. When Juniper is found with the murder weapon in his hand, the case seems cut and dried. But Joyce believes he is innocent and convinces Brenda to join her to try and find the real murderer.

Joyce and Brenda are on a mission to find out the truth and land up in a whole lot of trouble! Will they be able to stay alive long enough to catch the killer?

Recipe Included: Cinnamon Sugar Donut Holes

Join Joyce and Brenda for a heartwarming cozy mystery with enduring friendships, delicious donuts and a little romance by USA Today and Wall Street Journal Bestselling Author Cindy Bell.

Buy Donut Holes and Homicide and start solving the mystery today. (Amazon)

Editions Available: Kindle

*** FROM USA TODAY & MILLION COPY BESTSELLING AUTHOR J. ROBERT KENNEDY ***

IT IS ONE OF THE KINGDOM’S GREATEST SHAMES.
BUT CAN ONE LONE TEMPLAR KNIGHT BRING IT TO AN END?

A desperate husband and father commits a heinous crime to protect his family’s future, then compounds it with an even more atrocious act to preserve his secret, forever condemning his soul to fiery damnation.

But the secret he thinks he has successfully protected is known to others, innocent and guilty alike.

And they are determined to take advantage, one to bring justice, the others to profit.

When someone from Thomas Durant’s past knocks on his door, he is shocked at the story he is told, as are his guests, Templar Knight Sir Marcus de Rancourt, and his trusted companion, Sergeant Simon Chastain.

Together, they vow to seek the truth, and bring justice to those involved in the King’s Court, and the slums of Paris.

From award winning USA Today and million copy bestselling author J. Robert Kennedy comes another thrilling mystery in the hit Templar Detective series, packed with action, intrigue, heartache, and humor, guaranteed to keep fans of historical thrillers finding an excuse to read just one more chapter before turning out the lights.

Get your copy today, and discover the terrible secret kept by the Kingdom of France’s noble families… (Amazon)

Editions Available: Kindle

A country girl, a big city, and a miniature goat. It’s no mystery that there’s gonna be trouble. Especially for the criminals.

A cozy mystery from International Bestselling Author Susan Harper

Bonnie Boone is headed to the big city to live with her childhood best friend, Katie Lou. . . and her goat. Some of the neighbors are less than thrilled to be sharing the apartment building with a goat. When one of those neighbors falls to his death, the girls find themselves at the top of the suspect list. Can the girls solve the murder mystery, clear their names, and keep Sylvester the goat out of trouble?

Murder in the City is the first story in the Country Girl in the Big City Cozy Mystery series. If you like fast-paced mysteries with interesting characters, troublesome pets, and unexpected twists, you’re going to love the Country Girl in the Big City Cozy Mystery series.

Download Murder in the City and see how a couple country girls, and a goat, get by in the big city!

Always FREE on Kindle Unlimited (Amazon)

Editions Available: Kindle

A baker who sees the dead. One too many suitors.
And a killer. Living in Honey Hollow can be murder.

*A laugh out loud standalone cozy mystery by New York Times Bestseller Addison Moore* All books in the series can be read individually, so dive on in!.***Includes RECIPE***

My name is Lottie Lemon, and I see dead people. Okay, so I rarely see dead people, mostly I see furry creatures of the dearly departed variety, who have come back from the other side to warn me of their previous owner’s impending doom.

Noah and Everett take Lottie to their high school reunion. The catty women show up in droves and so does a killer. It’s almost Lottie’s birthday and her due date. It’s raining suspects and contractions. There’s a baby in the mix—and a killer too.

Lottie Lemon has a brand new bakery to tend to, a budding romance with perhaps one too many suitors, and she has the supernatural ability to see the dead—which are always harbingers for ominous things to come. Throw in a string of murders, and her insatiable thirst for justice, and you’ll have more chaos than you know what to do with.

Living in Honey Hollow can be murder.

From the NEW YORK TIMES and USA TODAY bestselling author, Addison Moore— Cosmopolitan Magazinecalls Addison’s books, “…easy, frothy fun!” (Amazon)

Editions Available: Kindle

This is book 3 in the Digging Up Secrets paranormal cozy mystery series by USA TODAY Bestselling Author J A Whiting and Amanda Diamond.
Archaeologist, Dr. Kara Wolfe, receives an early morning call from her office assistant reporting a break-in at the historical artifacts consulting business. When one discovery leads to another and bodies begin to pile up, Kara is pulled headlong into the mystery swirling through the city of Brooklyn.
Will she be able to use her skills and her special gift of “sight” to find the serial killer before other people lose their lives?
This story has paranormal elements. (Amazon)

Editions Available: Kindle, Paperback

Miss Marple meets Oscar Wilde in this new series of cosy mysteries set in the picturesque Cotswolds village of Bunburry.

Harold Wilson, police sergeant in the picturesque Cotswolds village of Bunburry, loathes Alfie McAlister. Alfie is handsome, popular, a self-made multimillionaire – and worst of all, he and his friends Liz and Marge are much better than the police at catching villains. But Sergeant Wilson loathes one person even more – Bunburry’s vicar, Philip Brown – and is thrilled by the chance of locking him up for a local crime. When Reverend Brown refuses to defend himself or produce an alibi, it’s up to the Bunburry Triangle to uncover what’s going on.

Helena Marchmont is a pseudonym of Olga Wojtas, who was born and brought up in Edinburgh. She was encouraged to write by an inspirational English teacher, Iona M. Cameron. Olga won a Scottish Book Trust New Writers Award in 2015 and recently published her second book in the Miss Blaine mystery series. (Amazon)

Editions Available: Kindle

Welcome to the Bean Hive Coffeehouse where the coffee is as hot as the gossip!

“Fabulous fun and fantastic fried food! Kappes nails small town mystery with another must-read hit. Don’t miss this one!”
– Darynda Jones, New York Times Bestselling Author of Eighth Grave After Dark

Welcome to Honey Springs where the gossip flows as freely as the coffee. and The Bean Hive Coffee shop was usually the magnet to where it all occurred.

Honey Springs, Kentucky is abuzz with the opening of a new holistic health spa. There are all sorts of outsiders in town to visit and participate in the opening. A reviewer from a famous magazine is there, but he has the bad habit of writing scathing reviews of everywhere he visits.
Could this be trouble for the grand opening?

Add to the mix Loretta Bebe (the town socialite) wants her granddaughter, Birdie, to work for Roxy, so what if she has a bad reputation that’s a mile long?

Things get a little frothy after the famous magazine reviewer turns up dead and the weapon is found on Birdie.
Do you think Loretta is going to let anyone but Roxy Bloom use her lawyering skills to solve the murder?
You’re darn-tootin’ she aint!

Grab your coffee and hold on to your hat, this southern mystery is full of red-herrings with all sorts of snorts that’ll having you wanting to stay for bit longer at the Bean Hive! (Amazon)

Editions Available: Kindle

New Releases For The Week Of February 21st, 2021–Part 1

This fun new story from the Queen of Culinary Cozies is just the indulgence you need this winter! Cozy mystery fans know that a trip to The Cookie Jar—Hannah Swensen’s famous bakery—will always result in a delightfully page-turning whodunit…

“Another sweet-tempered outing filled with tempting sweets.”
—Kirkus Reviews

Spring has sprung in Lake Eden, Minnesota, but Hannah Swensen doesn’t have time to stop and smell the roses—not with hot cross buns to make, treats to bake, and a sister to exonerate!

Hannah’s up to her ears with Easter orders rushing in at The Cookie Jar, plus a festive meal to prepare for a dinner party at her mother’s penthouse. But everything comes crashing to a halt when Hannah receives a panicked call from her sister Andrea—Mayor Richard Bascomb has been murdered . . . and Andrea is the prime suspect.
 
Even with his reputation for being a bully, Mayor Bascomb—or “Ricky Ticky,” as Hannah’s mother likes to call him—had been unusually testy in the days leading up to his death, leaving Hannah to wonder if he knew he was in danger. Meanwhile, folks with a motive for mayoral murder are popping up in Lake Eden. Was it a beleaguered colleague? A political rival? A jealous wife? Or a scorned mistress?
 
As orders pile up at The Cookie Jar—and children line up for Easter egg hunts—Hannah must spring into investigation mode and identify the real killer . . . before another murder happens!
 
Features Over a Dozen Cookie and Dessert Recipes from The Cookie Jar! (Amazon)

Editions Available: Kindle, Hardcover, Paperback, Audiobook

Charlie Harris and his feline companion Diesel take a bookish vacation but discover that murder never takes a holiday, in this all-new installment of the New York Times bestselling series. 

Charlie and Diesel along with Charlie’s fiancée, Helen Louise Brady, are heading to Asheville, North Carolina to spend a week at a boutique hotel and participate in a gathering of a mystery reader’s club composed of patrons of the Athena Public Library. In addition to seeing the local sights, the members will take turns giving talks on their favorite authors. 

The always spry Ducote sisters, friends of the hotel’s owners, are helping underwrite the expenses, and they’ve insisted that Charlie, Helen, and Diesel join them. Anxious to get Helen Louise away from her bistro for a vacation, Charlie readily agrees. While Charlie is looking forward to relaxing with Helen Louise and Diesel, other members of the group have ulterior motives including a long-standing score to settle.

When an intrusive, uninvited guest turns up dead, only one mystery club member with a connection to the deceased appears to have a motive to kill. But could the answer really be that simple? Charlie and Diesel, along with the detecting Ducote sisters, know that every murder plot has an unexpected twist. (Amazon)

Editions Available: Kindle, Hardcover, Paperback, Audiobook

Isaiah Quintabe—an unlicensed detective for all seasons—and his best friend and masterful sidekick, Juanell Dodson, are at a crossroads in this latest installment of the “aggressively entertaining” IQ series (New York Times). This time, their lives may never be the same.

Isaiah Quintabe is no longer IQ, the genius of East Long Beach; instead, he’s a man on the road and on the run, hiding in a small Northern California town when his room is broken into by a desperate young man on the trail of the state’s most prolific serial killer.

His old partner, Juanell Dodson, must go straight or lose his wife and child. His devil’s bargain? An internship at an LA advertising agency, where it turns out the rules of the street have simply been dressed in business casual, but where the aging company’s fortunes may well rest on their ability to attract a younger demographic. Dodson—”the hustler’s hustler”—just may be the right man for the job.

Ide is the crime writer’s crime writer, and he’s filled his best novel yet with desperate souls, courageous outcasts, an ex-stripper who’ll do anything to protect her son, and wild half-brothers who may be the very incarnation of evil.

With deft plotting, lacerating humor, and a keen eye for the ways in which characters rise or fall based on their ties to one another, Smoke is Joe Ide’s crowning achievement. (Amazon)

Editions Available: Kindle, Hardcover, Audiobook

The Snowden Family Clambake Company has a beloved reputation in Busman’s Harbor, Maine. Almost as famous is the sleuthing ability of proprietor Julia Snowden, which is why an oyster farmer seeks her out when she’s in trouble.

When Andie Greatorex is robbed of two buckets of oyster seed worth $35,000, she wonders if somebody’s trying to mussel her out of business. Could it be a rival oyster farmer, a steamed former employee, or a snooty summer resident who objects to her unsightly oyster cages floating on the beautiful Damariscotta River? There’s also a lobsterman who’s worried the farm’s expanding lease will encroach on his territory and Andie’s ex-partner, who may come to regret their split. Before Julia can make much headway in the investigation, Andie turns up dead, stabbed by a shucking knife. Now it’s up to Julia to set a trap for a cold and clammy killer . . .

Praise for Sealed Off

“The beautiful landscape of coastal Maine adds local color to two intriguing mysteries.”
—Kirkus Reviews (Amazon)

Editions Available: Kindle, Paperback, Audiobook

When midwife Sarah and detective Frank Malloy’s friend and new partner Gino Donatelli is accused of murder, he and Sarah must catch the real killer to keep him alive, in this enthralling, new novel in the USA Today bestselling Gaslight Mystery series. . . .

A young woman is missing in the upper Manhattan neighborhood called Italian Harlem, and everyone knows whoʼs responsible—the Black Hand, a notorious group known for terrorizing their own community with violence and kidnappings. Gino and Frank set out to learn more about the disreputable gang and soon find a lead: a saloon-owning gangster named Nunzio Esposito.

Gino hates that a fellow immigrant would stoop so low and decides to confront his wayward countryman. But he quickly discovers the man can’t be reasoned with—because he’s been murdered. The police have only one suspect: Gino Donatelli.

Frank and Sarah know Gino is no killer, but someone has pulled out all the stops to make it look like he is guilty. They also must now face the Black Hand, who are honor-bound to avenge the death of one of their own.

With evidence mounting against their friend and a group of bad guys out for blood, Sarah and Frank race to unravel a treacherous plot before Gino’s time runs out. . . . (Amazon)

Editions Available: Kindle, Hardcover, Paperback, Audiobook

First in a new cozy mystery series from USA Today bestselling author Amanda Flower!

Coming home to a run-down farm, gossipy neighbors, and a shady investor is a lot to handle… but a murderer on the loose is the final straw!

Shiloh Bellamy cashed in her big city job and 401K to return home to Michigan to save the family farm, but turning Bellamy Farms into a sustainable, organic operation—complete with a farm-to-table café—is no small feat. Especially when her new investor is found dead among the flowers just hours after the contract is signed. Everyone knows her father had a grudge against the investor, and word travels fast in a small town…

Now, Shiloh must clear her family’s name and track down the real killer before her organic farm dreams wilt before her very eyes. But with her father trying to stop any progress on his land, her cousin belittling her every effort, the farmhouse falling down around her, and the whole town believing her family at fault, Shiloh’s small town troubles are growing much faster than her crops. She’ll have to trust her own investigation or risk all her dreams drying up before they begin.In the farmer’s market for a new cozy mystery? Farm to Trouble is:Perfect for readers of Kate Carlisle, Sheila Connolly, and Eva GatesFor fans of small-town fiction and amateur sleuths

From a USA Today bestselling author comes Farm to Trouble, a fresh new cozy mystery! When Shiloh Bellamy gives up her corporate life to revamp her family farm back home in Michigan, she gets more than she bargained for. With one person dead and the whole town against her, this amateur sleuth will have to crack the case—and get the farm up and running—before her goose is cooked! (Amazon)

Editions Available: Kindle, Paperback, Audiobook

“A mélange of clues from classic mysteries plus plenty of Irish charm produce an enjoyable read.”
—Kirkus Reviews

Join a bestselling author and travel to County Cork in Ireland to solve a bookish mystery full of twists in a cozy whodunit perfect for fans of  Sheila Connolly, Kate Carlisle, and Laura Childs!

Between training the new town garda and trying to set a wedding date with her fiancé, Macdara Flannery, Siobhán O’Sullivan is feeling a bit overwhelmed. She’s looking forward to visiting the new bookshop and curling up with an exciting novel—only to discover the shelves contain nothing but Literature with a capital L. The owner not only refuses to stock romances, mysteries, and science fiction, but won’t even let customers enter his store unless they can quote James Joyce or Sean Hennessey.  

Despite the owner deliberately limiting his clientele, he’s hosting a reading and autographing event featuring up and coming Irish writers who will be taking up residency in Kilbane for a month. Among them is indie author Deirdre Walsh, who spends more time complaining about the unfairness of the publishing industry and megastar bestsellers instead of her own creative works, causing a heated debate among the writers. She seems to have a particular distaste for the novels of Nessa Lamb.

Then Deirdre’s body is found the next day in the back of the store—with pages torn from Nessa’s books stuffed in her mouth. Now, Siobhán must uncover which of Kilbane’s literary guests took Deirdre’s criticisms so personally they’d engage in foul play . . . (Amazon)

Editions Available: Kindle, Hardcover, Audiobook

Jake Tiptree and Ellie White are fired up for Eastport, Maine’s Maine’s annual cookie-baking contest, but when a cunning killer and a devastating fire threaten to ravage the quaint island town, Jake and Ellie must dip into another homemade homicide investigation before all they love goes up in smoke . . .
 
As co-owners of Eastport’s beloved waterfront bakery, the Chocolate Moose, Jake and Ellie know their customers expect them to cream the competition. But they’re really just in it for fun, hoping to get Jake’s daughter-in-law baking again. Those plans collapse when fearsome local curmudgeon Alvin Carter is murdered, and every crumb of evidence points to Tiptree family friend—and all-around sweet guy—Billy Breyer.
 
Billy’s sisters beg Jake and Ellie to prove his innocence. After all, lots of folks had gone sour on Alvin, whose popularity ranked somewhere between a toothache and the plague. But just as the ladies begin sifting through the suspects, a series of grass fires blaze across the island, threatening catastrophe. Could someone be trying to hide the truth about Alvin’s murder?
 
Now, Jake and Ellie will need all their courage—and an extra dash of that downeast Maine stubbornness—to sniff out the real killer before anyone else gets burned . . .
 
Includes a Recipe! (Amazon)

Editions Available: Kindle, Hardcover, Audiobook

In the new Merry Muffin Mystery, baker Merry Wynter must solve a disturbing crime among opera singers before the culprit decides it’s curtains for her . . .

When a reality TV show for aspiring opera singers descends on Wynter Castle, Merry’s got her hands full catering to the endless demands of the distinguished judges and ambitious contestants. Then mysterious rumors about the cast and crew begin to surface, suggesting that some of their performances may be filled with false notes. When a dogged reporter with an eye for scandal who’s been covering the competition is attacked and left for dead, Merry’s determined to discover who orchestrated the heinous deed.

Her long list of suspects is filled with eccentric personalities, including a promiscuous tenor known for making unwanted overtures, a pampered young prodigy and her meddlesome mother, and a quiet up-and-comer whose shadowy uncle may have ties to the underworld. As the musical contest and Merry’s investigation near their finale, she’ll have to act fast to keep a conniving contestant from plotting out her final act . . .

Praise for the Merry Muffin Mysteries:

“[Has] the ingredients for a wonderful cozy mystery series.” —New York Times bestselling author Paige Shelton

“A great cozy with varied and interesting characters, nice plot with a few twists, and a good main character . . . Loved it!” —Mysteries and My Musings

“Merry Wynter’s character is extremely well-developed . . . This is a great start to a promising new series for cozy mystery fans. Five Stars!” —Goodreads

About the Author:

Victoria Hamilton is the pseudonym of nationally bestselling romance author Donna Lea Simpson. She is the bestselling author of the Lady Anne Addison Mysteries, the Vintage Kitchen Mysteries, the Merry Muffin Mysteries, and a Regency-set historical mystery series, starting with A Gentlewoman’s Guide to Murder. Visit her website at victoriahamiltonmysteries.com. (Amazon)

Editions Available: Kindle, Paperback, Audiobook

Mia Carina is back in the borough of Queens—in charge of the family catering hall, Belle View Banquet Manor, and keeping her nonna company. But some events—like murder—are not the kind you can schedule . . .

Mia’s newly pregnant friend Nicole plans to hold a shower at Belle View—but Nicole also has to attend one that her competitive (and mysteriously rich) stepmother, Tina, is throwing at the fanciest place in Queens. It’s a good chance for Mia to snoop on a competitor, especially since doing a search for “how to run a catering hall” can get you only so far.
 
Mia tags along at the lavish party, but the ambience suffers at Nicole’s Belle View shower when a fight breaks out—and then, oddly, a long-missing and valuable stolen painting is unwrapped by the mom-to-be. Tina is clearly shocked to see it. But not as shocked as Mia is when, soon afterward, she spots the lifeless body of a party guest floating in the marina . . .
 
Italian recipes included! (Amazon)

Editions Available: Kindle, Paperback, Audiobook

Beautiful Cape Cod, Massachusetts, is known for seafood, sand, surf, and, now…murder.

Samantha Barnes was always a foodie.  And when the CIA (that’s the Culinary Institute of America) came calling, she happily traded in Cape Cod for the Big Apple.  But then the rising young chef’s clash with another chef (her ex!) boils over and goes viral. So when Sam inherits a house on the Cape and lands a job writing restaurant reviews, it seems like the perfect pairing. What could go wrong? Well, as it turns out, a lot.
 
The dilapidated house comes with an enormous puppy. Her new boss is, well, bossy.  And the town’s harbor master is none other than her first love.  Nonetheless, Sam’s looking forward to reviewing the Bayview Grill—and indeed the seafood chowder is divine. But the body in the pond outside the eatery was not on the menu. Sam is certain this is murder. But as she begins to stir the pot, is she creating a recipe for her own untimely demise? (Amazon)

Editions Available: Kindle, Paperback, Audiobook

After catching her celebrity chef fiancé sizzling in the arms of another woman, Lindsey Bakewell left big city Wall Street for small town Beacon Harbor, Michigan to pursue her own passion as a pastry baker—and gets mixed up in someone’s sweet taste of revenge . . .

More interested in kneading dough than adding it up, Lindsey’s breakup inspired her to set up the shop she always wanted in a place that always made her happy. She’d spent many childhood summers near this beach community and converting the old run-down lighthouse into a bakery café and home offers a perfect fresh start for Lindsey and her devoted Newfoundland dog, Wellington.

But not everyone in town has a sweet tooth. The preservation society won’t have the lighthouse’s history sugar coated by lattes and cakes—and a protest group crashes Lindsey’s Memorial Day opening. Then her ex-fiancé Jeffrey Plank and his girlfriend Mia Long arrive to trash the place. In the ensuing chaos Mia chokes on a donut and dies.

An autopsy reveals cyanide in Mia’s bloodstream and Lindsey is the police’s prime suspect. To clear her name, she’s going to need to combine ingredients found in the town’s checkered past to uncover the identity of a desperate killer . . .

Includes Delicious Recipes!

Advance praise for MURDER AT THE BEACON BAKESHOP

“Darci Hannah mixes spicy characters, a sweet bakeshop, and a possibly haunted lighthouse into a charming beachfront Michigan village and serves up a mystery as delectable as the bakeshop’s treats and as twisty as the lighthouse stairs.”
—Ginger Bolton, author of Boston Scream Murder (Amazon)

Editions Available: Kindle, Paperback, Audiobook

A lottery winner uses her good fortune to save a local pet sanctuary, but when a body is discovered on the property, she just might be in the doghouse in this first book in a new, charming cozy mystery series from author Deborah Blake.

Kari Stuart’s life is going nowhere—until she unexpectedly wins the lottery. The twenty-nine-year-old instant multimillionaire is still mulling plans for her winnings when rescuing a bossy black kitten leads her to a semi-abandoned animal shelter. They need the cash—Kari needs a purpose.

But the dilapidated rescue is literally going to the dogs with a pending lawsuit, hard to adopt animals, and too much unwanted attention from the town’s dog warden. When the warden turns up dead outside the shelter’s dog kennels, Kari finds herself up a creek without a pooper-scooper.

With the help of some dedicated volunteers, a cute vet, and a kitten who mysteriously shows up just when she needs it, Kari must prove her innocence all while trying to save a dog on death row. Now she just needs to hope that her string of unexpected luck isn’t about to run out. (Amazon)

Editions Available: Kindle, Paperback, Audiobook

If you love Hallmark mystery movies,
you’ll love this cozy mystery
with humor, intrigue, and a librarian amateur sleuth.

Marvey, a librarian, has moved from Brooklyn to a quirky small town in Georgia. When she’s not at the library organizing events for readers, she’s handcrafting book-themed jewelry and looking after her cranky cat. At times, her new life in the South still feels strange…and that’s before the discovery of the dead body in the bookstore.

After one of her friends becomes a suspect, Marvey sets out to solve the murder mystery. She even convinces Spence, the wealthy and charming newspaper owner, to help. With his ties to the community, her talents for research, and her fellow librarians’ knowledge, Marvey pursues the truth. But as she gets closer to it, could she be facing a deadly plot twist?

This first in series cozy mystery includes a free Hallmark original recipe for Classic Peach Cobbler. (Amazon)

Editions Available: Kindle, Paperback, Audiobook

In the third installment of J.M. Griffin’s series starring rabbit rescue owner Jules Bridge and her telepathic rabbit Bun, when an Easter egg hunt becomes a crime scene, it’s up to the pair to crack the case…

Juliette “Jules” Bridge is devoted to rabbit rescue and rehabilitation on her beloved Fur Bridge Farm in rural New Hampshire, but she also likes to do volunteer work wherever and whenever she can. This spring she’s offered to help hide painted eggs at the Hop ‘Til You Drop Easter egg hunt–and of course she’s bringing along her black-and-white rabbit, Bun. In fact, he insists on it. Jules knows, because Bun communicates with her telepathically…

But their egg hiding is disrupted by a hare-raising scene: their unpleasant supervisor, Della Meany, lies peacefully on the grass with stems of Lily of the Valley on her chest, surrounded by garishly decorated Easter eggs. Is someone sending a message by staging the corpse? As they begin to examine the crime scene, Jules spots a tall, two-legged rabbit fleeing into the woods. Perhaps late for an important date? If their prime suspect is a person in an Easter Bunny costume, it seems a safe bet the killer is a real basket case. Jules and Bun will need to put their heads together–because the hunt is on… (Amazon)

Editions Available: Kindle, Paperback

The Golden Girls meets Remington Steel in Lee Hollis’s second mystery set at a Palm Springs retirement community! For retiree-turned-PI Poppy Harmon, spending her golden years running the Desert Flowers Detective Agency is far from the glamorous life she once knew. But becoming ensnared in two twisted Palm Springs crimes might be her worst look yet…

If Poppy didn’t believe she was in too deep as the only female juror in a high-profile assault case involving an infamously hot-tempered crooner, she’s sure of it upon meeting blast-from-her-past Rod Harper. A former TV co-star from her short-lived acting days, Rod is as dashing as ever, and now he wants to partner again–this time to locate his missing daughter…

Returning a pampered songstress with a penchant for running away back home unscathed shouldn’t be too challenging. But Rod’s charms while on the job is another story–and so is finding a dead body! When Poppy discovers a fellow juror face down in a swimming pool, she’s unwittingly thrust into a murder investigation with sinister parallels to the troubled chanteuse’s disappearance.

As Poppy struggles to survive a steamy love triangle while deciphering the connection between two seemingly unrelated cases, the Desert Flowers Agency must outsmart a ruthless killer who will do anything to keep hideous secrets hidden away…including ensuring Poppy becomes the next forgotten ex-actress to bite the dust… (Amazon)

Editions Available: Kindle, Hardcover, Paperback, Audiobook

Bridge expert and investigative reporter Wendy Winchester knows a thing or two about navigating life along the Mississippi River, but murder isn’t something she foresees . . .
 
Who could have predicted it? The daughter of Police Chief Bax Winchester married to a cop—Detective Ross Rierson. It’s a beautiful wedding, and the newlyweds are in bliss—even if they do have to postpone their Hawaiian honeymoon for now. In the meantime, Wendy is teaching a group of newbies the game of bridge so they can join the Rosalie Country Club Bridge Bunch.
 
One of the newcomers, flamboyant psychic Aurelia Spangler, invites the group to meet at her new home. The historic Overview mansion sits atop the High Bluff overlooking the Mississippi River, and the local lore is that it’s possibly haunted, definitely cursed by the original builder, who fell down the stairs to his death. Unfortunately, the house is about to claim another life.
 
Following a night of bridge practice and cold readings by their clairvoyant host, Aurelia is found dead in her home by Wendy, a suicide note and cocaine residue by her corpse. But Wendy, an investigative reporter for the Rosalie Citizen, doesn’t buy it. The scene seems phonier than Aurelia’s act, and now Wendy needs to call the bluff of a cold-blooded killer playing a psychic bid . . . (Amazon)

Editions Available: Kindle, Paperback, Audiobook