New Releases For The Week Of January 31st, 2021–Part 2

Riches to rags. … Chaos calms. … Suddenly it’s quiet. … Too quiet if Doreen’s involved!

What was supposed to be a leisurely stroll through a peaceful cemetery after a recent funeral turns into the start of a new case. Someone clobbers Doreen over the head and leaves her facedown among the funeral flowers.
Is it random violence? Revenge? A warning of worse to come?

No one knows, not even Doreen, but one thing is certain: the attack enabled the disappearance—perhaps the abduction?—of Doreen’s beloved African gray parrot, Thaddeus. Frantic, Doreen foregoes a trip to the emergency room in favor of heading straight home, where she hopes Thaddeus will return sooner rather than later.

When he does show up, riding a branch down the river, coming right home, he’s different, and all he can talk about is Big Guy. He’s also sporting an SOS message fastened around his ankle… Doreen sets out to retrace Thaddeus’s path, while Mack hunts down her attacker.

Between birds and boys and Corporal Mack Moreau’s brother, the lawyer looking into her divorce situation, Doreen has her hands full. And that’s before her former lawyer shows up unexpectedly at her home! Off-balance by all these events, Doreen opens her door to someone with a serious grudge to take her down … (Amazon)

Editions Available: Kindle, Paperback

She’s in a better place…

A surprising call from a rather crabby lawyer was an unpleasant interruption to Hazel Holloway’s otherwise blissful day off. She’s baffled at the news that a great uncle she’s never even heard of before has left her his old funeral home. Stranger still, the mortuary is in an unfamiliar small town. Fullmourn is less than thirty minutes away, but the place is a complete mystery.

Things get even weirder, though…

More shocking than a surprise Great Uncle and a peculiar small town is the “gift” she receives from a ghost. The gift is the craft. Witchcraft, to be exact. The spirit of an old witch has to pass her magic onto someone before crossing the veil to the afterlife. Since no one shows up for her memorial, Hazel was the “lucky” recipient of her strange and unusual powers.

But, the whole witchcraft thing might have to wait…

When Hazel gets into an argument with grouchy Fullmourn resident, George Cadell, she knows her reputation is about to bite the big one. Of course, George appears to be innocent in the squabble, so when he’s found dead in front of the funeral home Hazel just inherited, she becomes the prime suspect.

Hazel is one toadstool short of an alibi, and the hunky town Sheriff, Nicodemus “Nico,” Quillen doesn’t entirely believe in her innocence. But Hazel isn’t the only one in Fullmourn who might have wanted George – an unrepentant jerk – on the other side of the grass. Hazel needs all the help she can get exhuming the real culprit.

With her new familiar, Loftus, the cursed mouse, and her cousin, Rook, the mortician, at her side, Hazel’s prepared to harness her unique abilities and summon any spirit, to catch the real killer. She’s desperate to clear her name before the funeral home goes belly up, but will her mission lead her right into a killer’s snare? (Amazon)

Editions Available: Kindle

January 1927

New Year’s has arrived and Vi has resolutions. Her friends have faced something they never expected, and they’re all a little fragile. Determined to help her family, Vi brings them all together.

No one is even startled when they come across a body. But this time all bets are off. Vi and her friends will do whatever is necessary to ensure that the main suspect goes free. Never have they been more determined to discover the killer.

Book TWENTY-EIGHT in the Violet Carlyle Mysteries. Are you ready for the roaring twenties? You’ll love Vi, her patient husband Jack, her indulgent twin Vic, and their friends. For fans of Carola Dunn, Jacqueline Winspear, Georgette Heyer, and Lee Strauss. A light, cozy mystery with a fun peek into life in the life of a bright young thing. No swearing, graphic scenes, or cliffhangers.

Up next: A Fabulous Little Murder (Amazon)

Editions Available: Kindle

Grandma is in trouble and she expects Jill to drop everything in order to help. That’s easier said than done because Jill is already busy working on two other cases. Meanwhile, Winky seems to have pirates on the brain. And why is that squirrel following Jill around? (Amazon)

Editions Available: Kindle

Rex Langley is a retired contractor with a part-time job as a handy man at a local hardware store and apartment building. His wife, Gayle, is a retired Navy veteran and part-time waitress at a local restaurant. Together, in their spare time, they are amateur sleuths.

In this fourth installment of the Fernandina Beach Mystery Series, Family Maintenance, Rex and Gayle take to the road in search of a neighborhood girl who was abducted moments after her father was shot and left for dead. Join Rex and Gayle in they’re newest action-packed adventure as they travel through Florida, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, and back, in a race against time. (Amazon)

Editions Available: Kindle, Paperback

Katie’s been dealt the Dead Man’s Hand …

It’s all fun and games when Katie Bonner and her friends play poker for chocolate-covered peanuts, but the very next day Jamie Seifert collapses and dies after visiting Katie’s tearoom on Victoria Square.

Katie’s business in on the line and she needs to prove Jamie wasn’t poisoned at Tealicious. Her first order of business is to locate the mysterious woman he was dining with, and her next step is to go undercover at a nearby poker club where Jamie won big just a week before. It seems everyone there might have had a motive to rub Jamie out…and if they learn Katie has been lying to them, she might be next! (Amazon)

Editions Available: Kindle, Paperback

Hannah Hickok was looking for adventure when she inherited Casper Creek from her grandmother.
She got more than she was bargaining for.
Now she’s grappling with two ancient sister witches, both of whom are inhabiting the bodies of others, and a war is brewing.
Hannah knows she has to fight on the side of good but she’s not certain their ally has anybody’s best interests at heart, and it has her faltering. On top of everything, there’s a new demon on the loose and he appears to have joined sides with the dark witch who wants to end them all.
Life has never been easy for Hannah but it’s harder than ever for her now. The magic she’s only recently discovered is taking hold … and growing. That makes her an appealing target for the sister witches should they want a stronger body to leap into.
Cooper Wyatt loves Hannah with his whole heart but fear has gripped him by the throat. He wants to help Hannah with her battle but he’s not sure what he has to offer … other than loyalty. He will protect her with his dying breath, although she’s determined to make sure that’s not necessary.
Ancient evil is about to take on a powerful new witch. Who will be left standing? It’s anybody’s guess. (Amazon)

Editions Available: Kindle, Audiobook

Southern witchin’ never looked finer!

This paranormal cozy mystery sampler brings you three full-length novels by J. L. Collins – the first stories from three of her paranormal cozy mysteries set in the south. From a magical town cursed with eternal snow in North Carolina, to an ex witch-detective solving a string of magical crimes in Georgia, all the way to Mississippi where a seasoned witch brings magic and mayhem to her old haunted house, there’s a mystery for everyone. (and plenty of sassy animals, too!)

A Cold Case In Spell:

Charming Springs – Where every day is colder than a witch’s kitty!
After ditching her cheating fiancé, Indie Warren hits the road in her trusty old truck, refusing to settle for anyone or anywhere.

But all that changes after Indie gets stuck in the frozen ghost town of Charming Springs, North Carolina.

In the middle of July.

This secret magical town was struck by a curse that brought on eternal winter and cast a barrier around it with no way in or out.

And Indie knows this because the talking owl told her so, obviously.

Suddenly Indie’s thrown into a world of magic, mayhem, and murder. And when she stands accused of the deadly deed, she’ll have to use her wits to prove her innocence… if she can keep her newfound magical powers under control!

Even with the help of her feathered friend and the mysterious reaper with his own secrets, she’ll need to find her own way out of this cursed place—dead or alive.

Grits In The Graveyard:
An escape – That’s exactly what Birdie Devaine needs when witches around the world publicly announce their existence.

Instead of performing for the sold out crowd at her world-famous magic show in Vegas, Birdie runs away from the dazzling lights to her hometown in Mississippi. Back to the town she swore off over a century ago.

She thinks she has it all planned out – keeping busy with renovating an old beautiful house and eventually fading away from the spotlight. But the house has its secrets, including the haunted cemetery that Birdie is now responsible for. It doesn’t help when her nosy neighbor catches on to Birdie’s big secret – that she’s a true witch with real magical powers.

But when the busybody turns up dead on Birdie’s new property, the former southern debutante becomes the prime suspect in the case. Cue the ladies of Witch Hazel Lane – a group of women who’ve stuck together for forty years. With their help, Birdie is on the hunt for the real killer. Will they help get her off the hook? Will Birdie’s true nature stay secret? And what is she supposed to do with the stray dog that refuses to leave her house?

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

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

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

Taking her wand out of retirement, Gwen has to face the truth. (Amazon)

Editions Available: Kindle

Thea Doesn’t Know Who is Friend and Who is Foe

When a woman goes missing, leaving her 8 yr old son behind, Thea knows treachery is in the air. The woman, Marie, is connected to a magical rebel group. Are they part of the disappearance?

Marie’s late husband left her with a substantial gambling debt that she was attempting to pay off. The man collecting the bills was not the shy type. Did he decide that Marie was payment enough?

Thea seems closer to finding out what happened to her parents, but just as she’s about to discover the truth, Granny goes missing. Now Thea must face some hard truths about her parents’ fate and who she can actually trust.

***Don’t Miss This Last Book in the Tabby Kitten Mystery Series*** (Amazon)

Editions Available: Kindle

Ava Harper’s life has taken more twists and turns over the last few months than a mountain highway. It started when she arrived back home in Shipton Harbor, Maine. She wears many hats: Part-time bookstore clerk, part-time author, necromancer in training, full-time caretaker of a ghoul, soon to be girlfriend to the town sheriff. She’s still in denial of the latter. Now she has to add neighbor to Lucifer himself to that list.

Fine. Whatever. She can make her peace with living next door to the devil. But then, when she’s finally out on a first date with the hotter-than-sin local sheriff, who shows up to crash the date?

Luci himself. And he has a date of his own.

To add to all the crazy in her life, she answers her door to find an animated skeleton standing on her doorstep, hoping she can help him find his murderer.

What else can go sideways this Valentine’s Day in Shipton Harbor? (Amazon)

Editions Available: Kindle

Wanted: Cat mum to manage a yarn store, corral two curious cats, all the while being tangled up in murderous mayhem and mystery.

A smart woman would dump her cheating ex, move from the city, and give herself a chance for a well-deserved do-over. A smarter woman—smarter than me, anyway—wouldn’t jump out of that same frying pan and return to Cape Discovery, a seaside village where her family is the nuttiest of all the nut-ball residents.

I’m a former high school counsellor, middle-child peacemaker, and current curator of lots of squishy/fuzzy goodness at my granddad’s little yarn store. Temporary assistant. Until I decide what to do with the rest my life. There’s only one knotty problem to untangle first. The knife sticking out of the most unpopular man in town, and the police detective trying to pin the murder on the donkey—otherwise known as my younger brother. With a pair mischievous cats determined to be underfoot and a craft group of Serial Knitters and Happy Hookers wanting the inside scoop, a girl could lose her mind. And if the killer has their way, maybe even my life…

Tessa Wakefield has her hands full juggling a cozy craft store, her crazy family, and two men who’d rather poke out their eyes than describe themselves as cute. Which they totally are. Cute, charismatic, and occasionally on her mind when she’s not stumbling over dead bodies and using her newfound sleuthing skills to track down murderers. Lucky she’s an excellent multi-tasker because digging beneath Cape Discovery’s surface can unearth secrets that kill. (Amazon)

Editions Available: Kindle, Paperback

When Rachel Prince accompanies Lady Marjorie on a cruise to the beautiful Norwegian Fjords a murder mystery party turns deadly…

Convinced there won’t be any murders on this cruise, the incorrigible Lady Marjorie books the two of them on an event involving a series of murder mystery dinner parties hosted by Murder Mystery Creations. All is not what it seems within the mismatched cast nor within the group of guests attempting to solve an imaginary crime. When a member of the cast winds up dead, Rachel and Marjorie join forces once again to track down a cunning murderer who seems intent on removing anyone who stands in their way.

Rachel’s questioning provokes reactions even she didn’t see coming with dire consequences. Can she and Marjorie find out who is responsible for killing the actor and prevent any further deaths? (Amazon)

Editions Available: Kindle, Paperback

Nora Wildes couldn’t be happier after getting engaged, but planning a wedding is harder than she anticipated. Little did she know that getting a wedding planner involved would make everything even more complicated.

Nora and Ryan soon learn that there has been a number of murders at weddings recently, they all seem to be connected to one person that is, naturally, protesting their innocence. Nora is determined to figure out who the mystery killer is so that she can get married in peace, but is it going to be that easy? Of course not.

All she has to do is plan a wedding, graduate from her witch studies, catch a killer and keep her talking cat happy. Will she get her happily ever after? Or is an old grievance about to ruin everything?

Beat Around the Broom is the tenth book in the Wildes Witches Mystery series. (Amazon)

Editions Available: Kindle

“From the first sentence, it captures your attention and carries you on an intriguing mystery-solving adventure,” Avid reader Sharon S.

“…distinctively and enjoyably different. Father Frank is a really good character,” AuthorRoger B.

Rod Granet, award-winning novelist and womanizer, is the main speaker at a writers conference. But after the opening session and in front of a crowd, Maggie DeLuca, Father Frank’s sister, accuses Granet of stealing her story and says he will pay for it.

That night, Granet is killed.

The sheriff quickly zeros in on Maggie and she is hauled off in handcuffs. When Father Frank comes to her aid, the sheriff threatens him with jail if he interferes.

A Texas Ranger is assigned to the investigation. Soon he sees Father Frank as a valuable asset.

Even as the sheriff continues to threaten Father Frank and interrogate Maggie, the Ranger pushes Father Frank to get involved, telling him the sheriff considers Maggie his only suspect.

Can Father Frank stay out of jail and alive, long enough to find the real killer? (Amazon)

Editions Available: Kindle, Paperback

A missing necklace, a murder, and an extra helping of plum pie…

The magical Moria Pearls are hidden somewhere in Devon, and Miss Elinor Avely and the tiny vampire Miss Zooth are on the case – but a certain washed-up selkie prince is determined to find the powerful necklace before they do.

Pearls aren’t diamonds, curse it, so Elinor’s secret gift for divining jewels cannot help this time. And the bossy Lord Beresford would rather she stay out of trouble. His lordship’s opinion holds some weight, given Elinor is hoping he might kiss her again.

When a selkie’s murder disrupts the Devonwide hunt, however, Elinor is backed into a troubling corner. She might be able to find both the Moria Pearls and the killer… but everyone still believes that Miss Zooth is the jewel diviner. Somehow, Elinor and her vampiric chaperone must maintain the façade, extend Elinor’s divining gift, and find the pearls before the murderer does … or risk forfeiting their lives.

Who poisoned the selkie? Where are the pearls? And just why does that plum jam taste so good?

Rosalie Oaks serves up the second novel in the Lady Diviner series, full of magic, manners, and romance. Pick up The Moria Pearls and enjoy another whimsical mystery in Regency England! (Amazon)

Editions Available: Kindle