New Releases For The Week Of July 4th, 2021–Part 1

Spencer Quinn’s Tender Is the Bite is a brand new adventure in the New York Times and USA Today bestselling series that Stephen King calls “without a doubt the most original mystery series currently available.”

Chet and Bernie are contacted by a terribly scared young woman who seems to want their help. Before she can even tell them her name, she flees in panic. But in that brief meeting Chet sniffs out an important secret about her, a secret at the heart of the mystery he and Bernie set out to solve.

It’s a case with no client and no crime and yet great danger, with the duo facing a powerful politician who has a lot to lose. Their only hope lies with a ferret named Griffie who adores Bernie. Is there room for a ferret in the Chet and Bernie relationship? That’s the challenge Chet faces, the biggest of his career. Hanging in the balance are the lives of two mistreated young women and the future of the whole state.

At the Publisher’s request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied. (Amazon)

Editions Available: Kindle, Hardcover, Audiobook

Maggie Hope is off to California to solve a crime that hits too close to home—and confront the very evil she thought she had left behind in Europe—as theacclaimed World War II mystery series from New York Times bestselling author Susan Elia MacNeal continues.

“A swift, vibrant novel that peels back the asbestos curtain on the complex history of Los Angeles, home to heroes and villains.”—Steph Cha, author of Your House Will Pay

Los Angeles, 1943. As the Allies beat back the Nazis in the Mediterranean and the United States military slowly closes in on Tokyo, Walt Disney cranks out wartime propaganda and the Cocoanut Grove is alive with jazz and swing every night. But behind this sunny façade lies a darker reality. Somewhere in the lush foothills of Hollywood, a woman floats lifeless in the pool of one of California’s trendiest hotels.

When American-born secret agent and British spy Maggie Hope learns that this woman was engaged to her former fiancée, John Sterling, and that he suspects her death was no accident, intuition tells her he’s right. Leaving London under siege is a lot to ask. But John was once the love of Maggie’s life . . . and she won’t say no.

Maggie struggles with seeing her lost love again, but what’s more shocking is that her own country is as divided and convulsed with hatred as Europe. The Zoot Suit Riots loom large in Los Angeles, and the Ku Klux Klan casts a long shadow everywhere. But there is little time to dwell on memories once she starts digging into the case. As she traces a web of deception from the infamous Garden of Allah to the iconic Carthay Circle Theater, she discovers things aren’t always the way things appear in the movies—and the political situation in America is more complicated, and dangerous, than the newsreels would have them all believe. (Amazon)

Editions Available: Kindle, Hardcover, Audiobook

Lawyer Andy Carpenter and his golden retriever, Tara, work to free a man who risked it all to help a dog in need

Lawyer Andy Carpenter and his wife, Laurie, enjoy walking their dogs, Tara and Sebastian. By this point in their marriage, it’s routine. When out for one of their strolls, their simple ritual isn’t so simple anymore. Across the street, a man is mistreating his dog. Three things happen at once: Andy yells, Laurie runs to stop the abuse, and so does a closer passerby, who so thoroughly beats the owner that both are arrested when the cops arrive.

Andy scoops up the dog and takes him to the Tara Foundation, the dog rescue organization that’s always been his true passion. Meanwhile, at the police station, the passerby is identified as Matthew Jantzen, and he’s wanted for murder. Andy and Laurie are struck by the fact that Jantzen, a man on the run, would nevertheless intervene to help a dog, and decide to find out more.

Dog Eat Dog, the twenty-second installment in the Andy Carpenter series, features the charming cast of characters – old and new – that David Rosenfelt is known for and the dogs that accompany them. (Amazon)

Editions Available: Kindle, Hardcover, Audiobook

As witch and vintage store owner Lily Ivory steps into her new role as leader of the Bay Area’s magical community, she’s faced with a mysterious death of magical proportions…

Strange things are happening in Lily Ivory’s San Francisco. First, she finds a vintage mermaid costume which dates from the 1939 San Francisco’s Treasure Island World’s Fair – and which gives off distinctly peculiar vibrations. Next, she stumbles upon a dead man in the office of her predecessor, and as the community’s new leader, she feels compelled to track down the culprit. Just when Lily thinks things can’t get any stranger, a man appears claiming to be her half-brother, spouting ideas about the mystical prophecy involving San Francisco and their family…

When the dead man is linked to the mysterious mermaid costume, and then yet another victim is found on Treasure Island, Lily uncovers ties between the long-ago World’s fair and the current murders, and begins to wonder whether the killer might be hiding in plain sight. But unless Lily can figure everything out in time, there may be yet another body floating in San Francisco Bay. (Amazon)

Editions Available: Kindle, Paperback, Audiobook

In this intoxicating new cozy mystery series, the future for modern-day moonshiner Hattie Hayes looks bright–until death darkens the doorstep of her Moonshine Shack.

The Hayes family has made moonshine in Chattanooga since the days of Prohibition, and Hattie is happy to continue the tradition, serving up fun, fruity flavors in mason jars for locals and tourists alike. All signs indicate her new ‘shine shop will be a smashing success. What’s more, mounted police officer Marlon Landers has taken a shine to Hattie. For the first time ever, the stars seemed to have aligned in both her work and romantic life. But when a body ends up on her store’s doorstep alongside a broken jar of her Firefly Moonshine, it just might be lights out for her fledgling business.

The homicide detective can’t seem to identify the person who killed the owner of a nearby bar. The only witness is Hattie’s longhaired gray cat, and Smoky isn’t talking. When the detective learns that the victim and Hattie had a heated exchange shortly before his murder, she becomes her prime suspect.

Lest Hattie end up behind bars like her bootlegging great-grandfather a century before, she must distill the evidence herself and serve the killer a swift shot of justice. (Amazon)

Editions Available: Kindle, Paperback. Audiobook

Writer-in-residence Penelope Parish will need to use every trick in her quaint British bookshop to unravel a murderous plot that threatens to ruin a ducal wedding.

The wedding of the Duke and Duchess of Upper Chumley-on Stoke has all the makings of a fairy tale, complete with a glowing bride and horse-drawn carriage. But it wouldn’t be much of a story without a villain, and as American Gothic novelist Penelope Parish is coming to learn, happy-ever-afters are as fraught in this charming British town as they are in her books.

When the Duke’s former girlfriend is found murdered at the reception it’s up to Penelope and her newfound family at the Open Book bookshop to catch the killer before they strike again. (Amazon)

Editions Available: Kindle, Paperback, Audiobook

The greatest detectives of the Golden Age investigate the most puzzling crimes of the era

Sometimes, the police aren’t the best suited to solve a crime. Depending on the case, you may find that a retired magician, a schoolteacher, a Broadway producer, or a nun have the necessary skills to suss out a killer. Or, in other cases, a blind veteran, or a publisher, or a hard-drinking attorney, or a mostly-sober attorney… or, indeed, any sort of detective you could think of might be able to best the professionals when it comes to comprehending strange and puzzling murders. 

At least, that’s what the authors from the Golden Age of American mystery fiction would have you think. For decades in the middle of the twentieth century, the country’s best-selling authors produced delightful tales in which all types of eccentrics used rarified knowledge to interpret confounding clues. And for even longer, in the decades that have followed, these characters have continued to entertain new audiences with every new generation that discovers them. 

Edgar Award-winning anthologist Otto Penzler selects some of the greatest American short stories from era. With authors including Ellery Queen, Mary Roberts Rinehart, Cornell Woolrich, Erle Stanley Gardner, and Anthony Boucher, this collection is a treat for those who know and love this celebrated period in literary history, and a great introduction to its best writers for the uninitiated.

Includes discussion guide questions for use in book clubs. (Amazon)

Editions Available: Kindle, Hardcover, Paperback

Finally, a cozy mystery anthology just for pet lovers! Join your favorite authors as they share their love of pets in this brand new pet-themed collection of cozy mysteries.

Hisstory’s Mystery – Gretchen Allen
Just when Greta Lynn thinks she found the purrfect place for an overnight stay, the man next door is found dead and a curious game of cat and mouse begins.

Purrloined Bumpkin – Sam Cheever
A dead body, a missing cat, and a trail of blood and gems. Looks like Joey, Hal, and their adorable pet posse have another mystery to solve!

Killer Vacation – S.C. Merritt
Kate Kennedy had no doubt that a week on San Cabela Island is just what the doctor ordered after her recent brush with death. But when she gets pulled into a local murder investigation, can a new friend with “the gift” and a suspicious stray cat help her get back to her killer vacation?

Murder in Cottage #6 – Dianne Harman
When a spa guest is murdered hotel owner Liz Lucas vows to get to the bottom of it before her hotel guests flee the property. Thank goodness she has Winston, her guard dog, by her side while she hunts for clues.

Hot Diggity Dog – Magnolia Lily Plum
An award-winning pastry chef + a precocious puppy + a summer festival = a recipe for fun. That is…until a friendly bake-off between rival bakery owners turns deadly. When her puppy finds the murder weapon, baker Betsy Luna becomes suspect #1. With wedding season in full swing and her new puppy to chase after, she has no time to waste. She must follow the clues to clear her name.

Sophie’s Orphan – Summer Prescott
One rebellious teen plus one homeless kitten = a recipe for trouble.

The Penderhurst Pet Hotel – Donna Walo Clancy
The town’s health inspector is found murdered and Dora Penderhurst is now the main suspect. Did she kill the infuriating Mr. Horn to protect her fur babies and her home? Lily, the black lab, has all the answers.

Three Ring Murder – CeeCee James
Working at the circus is exactly what Trixie expected. What she didn’t expect was to find a dead body…but you know what they say, the show must go on!

A Witch Beginning – Susan Boles
Witches, a lake house and a bobcat named Bob for a mentor… what could go wrong?

The William Factor – Loraine Hudson
Who would lock an old lady in a closet and why? Miranda’s search for answers brings her face to face with danger, but she has her cat by her side, and no one can defeat The William Factor.

Gumbo and King Cake: Peril at the Puppy Parade – Mildred Abbott
Mardi Gras is not for the faint of heart. Baker Eleanor Reese is ready with king cake for all until her landlord is murdered. Can she find the murderer in time? With Gumbo, her new dog and best friend, by her side all signs point to yes.

Quarrels and Quacks – L.C. Turner
Presley just won an RV so she hits the open road with her faithful mastiff, Bella, as her co-pilot. When she finds a dead body in the campground bathhouse she knows she needs to find the murderer. Too bad Camp Tranquil’s crazy residents are all suspects. (Amazon)

Editions Available: Kindle

Hadley Hunter thought she was getting a grip on the paranormal world she never knew existed until recently. She was wrong. In the shadow of a massive shifter retreat, she finds she knew absolutely nothing.
Her live-in love Galen Blackwood has his hands full with the conference. Not only is his mother pressuring him to make his presence known but it’s also up to him to keep the not-so-friendly factions from going to war. Things only get stickier when a member of the Michigan wolf contingent ends up dead on the docks.
Hadley wants to help Galen, as does his cousin Aric Winters, who has brought his magical mage wife Zoe and their daughter to the island at the behest of his father. Aric prefers distance when it comes to shifter politics but he’s happy to see his cousin, and be introduced to Hadley for the first time.
Because they’re not shifters, Hadley and Zoe are considered outsiders. That allows them to join together to track down a murderer.
Hadley is out of her element but she’s determined to help Galen by any means necessary. Unfortunately for her, the other wolves don’t like it … and decide to make it an issue worth dying for.
A wolf war is brewing and Hadley is at the center of it. Not only that but she’s a target. It’s going to take all of her witchy energy – plus a little help from a new friend – to make it through to the other side.
Somebody else has different plans … and they’re deadly. It might be the wolves warring, but Hadley is the one who might die on the battlefield. (Amazon)

Editions Available: Kindle, Audiobook

STAND-ALONE MURDER MYSTERY, #17 IN THE SERIES. MEET MAVERICK BRITISH DETECTIVE DI SKELGILL… “MAD, BAD AND JUST A LITTLE BIT COZY.”

TWELVE CLOSE FRIENDS, ONE DEADLY ENEMY.

A Ouija board spells out ‘MURDER’ and next morning wealthy widow Daisy Mills is found drowned at a Lakeland beauty spot. Was this a warning from beyond the grave, or an agent provocateur among the house party?

Could the earlier death of successful businessman Simon Mills really be the accident it seemed? And was it by coincidence that the same clique of old school friends had met before each tragedy?

Pitched into this forest of uncertainty, Skelgill and his team glean perplexing clues – an anonymous phone call, a hidden tracking device, a secret assignation – but hard evidence is thin on the ground and alibis watertight.

For want of a clear view, the detectives follow the money trail – and a tenuous case begins to take shape. But Skelgill is uneasy. Is the group closing ranks, or are long-held enmities subtly being played out around them?

Try as they might, the questions persist. Were there two murders? Just one murder? Or no murder at all? It falls to DS Leyton to bemoan the impasse: “Guvnor – it’s a right old kiss and cuddle.”

“Great characters. Great atmospheric locale. Great plots. What’s not to like?”

Amazon Reviewer, 5 Stars (Amazon)

Editions Available: Kindle, Paperback

Angie Turner’s Idaho restaurant, the County Seat, owes its success not only to its farm-fresh fare, but also to its devoted and passionate staff. But a team-building retreat turns into much more than they bargained for . . .

Angie and her County Seat staff are all prepared for some much-needed R&R. Hope’s been hinting at an arts-and-crafts themed retreat. Instead, they end up at a military veteran’s home, where it’s their job to get it spic and span for summer. In between weeding the garden and painting the rooms, Angie starts up a conversation with an older vet who wants to make amends with his son before it’s too late. Unfortunately, he has no idea of his son’s whereabouts. It’s the perfect side job for the County Seat team, but someone keeps blocking their efforts. And the more they try to find out why, the more they’re certain someone’s life might be in danger . . .

Praise for Lynn Cahoon’s Mysteries

“Well-crafted . . . Cat and crew prove to be engaging characters and Cahoon does a stellar job of keeping them—and the reader—guessing.”
—Mystery Sceneon A Story to Kill

“One Poison Pie deliciously blends charm and magic with a dash of mystery and a sprinkle of romance.”
—Daryl Wood Gerber, Agatha winner and nationally bestselling author of the Cookbook Nook Mysteries and Fairy Garden Mysteries (Amazon)

Editions Available: Kindle, Audiobook

It’s time for red, white, ‘n blue cupcakes, fireworks, and a side of murder…

Ruby and Bee are having the time of their lives in cozy small town, Yesterday. The last few weeks have been a blast, what with Ruby’s boyfriend visiting for vacation and the preparations for the upcoming 4th of July parade. They’ve been asked to cater the celebrations, and they’re thrilled.

Until, the day before the parade, disaster strikes. The Yesterday Radish Queen, who’s meant to wave to the crowd from the back of the silver tractor float, has been murdered. The festivities will have to be canceled, the fireworks put away, and the cupcakes thrown out. Unless, of course, our favorite baking duo can solve the crime before time runs out.

The clock is ticking… Can Ruby and Bee figure out whodunit before the new detective in town closes down the parade? Find out in the latest installment of this cozy series. Grab your copy today! (Amazon)

Editions Available: Kindle

The Holiday Haven Inn is ready for its next adventure.

Carol and Mercy are preparing the inn for the summer solstice when they get a phone call from none other than Mrs Claus, telling them some VIP guests will be arriving at the inn. Namely, the representatives of other holidays, including the Easter Bunny and Cupid, who will bring them a much-needed publicity boost.

Unfortunately, their new guests also bring a flood of holiday-themed chaos. With the Easter Bunny demanding to be served fresh cabbage leaves every few hours and Cupid’s arrows wreaking havoc among the staff, Carol finds her own potential love life on hold as she does her best to keep everything running.

Can Carol and Mercy figure out who keeps stealing Cupid’s arrows and make it to the summer solstice in one piece? (Amazon)

Editions Available: Kindle

Jack Harker says the honeymoon will never be over, but it’s back to reality for him and his wife Ivy. Unfortunately for them, that means murder is on the menu … and this newest body is dropped in Ivy’s nursery parking lot.
Jack is a mess when he realizes a sniper took out a local woman. Ivy, although shocked because it happened right in front of her eyes, is also intrigued. When the duo starts digging, they find themselves drawn into an ugly underworld that’s happening right under their noses.
Shadow Lake might be a quiet town but it has an ugly side … and apparently there are a group of people looking to profit. The harder Jack and Ivy look, the more ugliness they uncover.
Ivy’s abilities are growing by leaps and bounds but even she can’t fight off a bullet. When her busybody nature makes her a target, it’s going to take everything she has in her arsenal to fight off the inevitable.
Jack loves his wife. Ivy will do whatever it takes to protect her husband. Will one of them have to make the ultimate sacrifice to protect the other in the end?
It’s a hot race to the finish, and Ivy’s magic will have a say in the outcome. (Amazon)

Editions Available: Kindle, Audiobook

A yoga-themed cruise – finally, a nice, calm cruise where nothing could possibly go wrong…

“Winters will have you giggling into your book!”

Unfortunately, two “rival” yoga groups are booked onto the cruise at the same time, and for such a calm-focused crowd, tempers begin to flare rather quickly.

To make matters worse, a VIP passenger associated with one of the yoga groups is soon found murdered.

Adrienne and her friends waste no time in beginning their investigation. Too bad the killer seems to be keeping a close eye on Adrienne…

Praise for A.R. Winters:
“The perfect balance of being lighthearted, but still a serious page-turning mystery.” – Jaycie D, Amazon.com

“A fun cozy mystery with engaging and entertaining characters” – lq, Amazon.com

“For fans of Janet Evanovich, Rhys Bowen and Jana DeLeon, this is a funny, clean mystery.” – Clara B, Amazon.com

Calmer Cruises is the twelfth book in the Cruise Ship Mystery Series. Though it can be read as a standalone, it’s best read in series order.

This is a humorous cozy mystery featuring a strong female protagonist, some unusual friends and co-workers, and a mystery that needs solving! It has no graphic gore, bad language or sex. (Amazon)

Editions Available: Kindle

Strange happenings at Ferndean Manor threaten to spoil a Happy Christmas–

Country squire Edward Rochester is determined to give his new bride, Jane Eyre, a Christmas to remember. Jane is equally committed to making this holiday special for Edward. But mysterious footsteps, disappearing food, and odd happenings cause both the Rochesters to worry. Is Ferndean Manor haunted? Can Jane ever escape her past and find joy in the here and now? Will Jane’s new friendship with a tenant farmer cause scandal? Or is this an opportunity for two women—from different social strata–to lean on each other? As Christmas Day grows nearer, the search for answers becomes more desperate—and the need for a Christmas miracle has never been so dire! (Amazon)

Editions Available: Kindle

In New York Times bestselling author Linda Castillo’s new thriller Fallen, a rebellious Amish woman leaves the Plain life, but the secrets she takes with her will lead Chief of Police Kate Burkholder down a dark path to danger and death.

When a young woman is found murdered in a Painters Mill motel, Chief of Police Kate Burkholder is shocked to discover she once knew the victim. Rachael Schwartz was a charming but troubled Amish girl who left the fold years ago and fled Painters Mill. Why was she back in town? And who would kill her so brutally?

Kate remembers Rachael as the only girl who was as bad at being Amish as Kate was—and those parallels dog her. But the more Kate learns about Rachael’s life, the more she’s convinced that her dubious reputation was deserved. As a child, Rachael was a rowdy rulebreaker whose decision to leave devastated her parents and best friend. As an adult, she was charismatic and beautiful, a rabble-rouser with a keen eye for opportunity no matter who got in her way. Her no-holds-barred lifestyle earned her a lot of love and enemies aplenty—both English and Amish.

As the case heats to a fever pitch and long-buried secrets resurface, a killer haunts Painters Mill. Someone doesn’t want Rachael’s past—or the mysteries she took with her to the grave—coming to light. As Kate digs deeper, violence strikes again, this time hitting close to home. Will Kate uncover the truth and bring a murderer to justice? Or will a killer bent on protecting a terrible past stop her once and for all—and let the fallen be forgotten? (Amazon)

Editions Available: Kindle, Hardcover, Paperback, Audiobook