New Releases For The Week Of July 11th, 2021–Part 1

In this series debut perfect for fans of Jenn McKinlay and Miranda James, Rain Wilmot must discover the killer, before the book closes on her life.

Rain Wilmot has just returned to her family’s waterfront log cabin in Lofty Pines, Wisconsin after the untimely death of her husband. The cabin is peaceful compared to Rain’s corporate job and comes with an informal library that Rain’s mother, Willow, used to run. But as Rain prepares for the re-opening of the library, all hopes for a peaceful life are shattered when she discovers the body of Thornton Hughes, a real estate buyer, on the premises.

The community of Lofty Pines starts pointing fingers at Willow, since she has been unusually absent from the library this summer. A fishy rumor surfaces when Rain learns that Willow had been spending a lot of time with Thornton. The town even thought they were having an affair.

While theories swirl about Thornton’s death, Rain takes it upon herself to solve the case to exonerate her mother. As more clues surface, Rain will have to piece together the mystery. But if she isn’t careful, she may be the next to end up dead in the water in Murder at the Lakeside Library, the first in Holly Danvers’ new Lakeside Library mysteries. (Amazon)

Editions Available: Kindle, Hardcover, Audiobook

Cass Donovan is confronted by ghoulish crimes both old and new when a defunct asylum is the site of a fresh murder and a long-hidden injustice . . .

The old abandoned buildings of the Twin Forks Lunatic Asylum have always fascinated and frightened clairvoyant Cass Donovan, but she never dreamed her psychic abilities would be put to the test there. Then the new owner of the site tells her he plans to renovate it and turn it into a boarding school, and he’ll pay Cass handsomely to determine whether the place is haunted! Cass accepts his offer, but her search for hints of old ghosts soon has her looking for clues among the living when the man who hired her turns up dead.

Returning to the shuttered asylum looking for evidence of who may have wanted her client out of the way, Cass stumbles upon signs of yet another murder, even as she’s besieged by an onslaught of haunting voices from the past. When it comes to light that rival real estate developers have been hatching plans of their own for the property, Cass sees no shortage of motives for the murders, but she’ll have to find a way to quiet the disturbing voices from long ago and focus on the here and now, because whoever’s behind the killings has targeted Cass as their next victim . . .

Praise for the Bay Island Psychic Mystery series:

“The future shows much success for this series! Fun, vibrant characters (as well as a sexy smolder or two for good measure) give the novel just the right tone.” —RT Book Reviews on Death at First Sight

“I loved the protagonist, Cass. She and her friends were very well developed, and felt like a group of people I’d like to get to know.” —The Book’s the Thing

“This has quickly become one of my favorite series! Cass is fantastic . . . A well-written cozy mystery with a touch of the paranormal, making for a delightful story full of unexpected twists.” —Books a Plenty Book Reviews

About the Author:

Lena Gregory is the author of the Bay Island Psychic Mystery series and the All-Day Breakfast Café Mystery series. She grew up in a small town on the south shore of eastern Long Island, and recently relocated to Clermont, Florida, with her husband, three kids, son-in-law, and four dogs. Her hobbies include spending time with family, reading, jigsaw puzzles, and walking. (Amazon)

Editions Available: Kindle, Paperback

The small town of Bellamy Bay has its share of skeletons in its closet, but it isn’t used to bodies turning up in the local history museum. After all, this coastal North Carolina town is much like any other…except, of course, for the mermaids.

Helping to run the family business, an herbal apothecary while keeping her supernatural secret hidden is no easy feat for water witch Aleksandra Daniels.  But somehow she’s still found time to help her friend Celeste, who has her own Caribbean mermaid heritage plan the annual Mermaid Festival. As fun-seekers throng the beaches, Alex gets to know and is intrigued by renowned artist Neve Ryland, who’s in town to decorate the local park with a mermaid-themed mural. Celeste, however, is less enamored with the artist, as Neve has been spending entirely too much one-on-one time with her boyfriend Jasper, director of Bellamy Bay’s history museum. Then, a reception for Neve ends abruptly when the artist is found dead in his office. 

The police investigation nets Celeste who asks Alex to find the true culprit. With the help of her magically-inclined aunt and cousins, Alex dives in to clear her friend’s name. But there was more to Neve Ryland than met the eye…and Alex fears she may be in way too deep. Will she catch the crook or be next on the hook? (Amazon)

Editions Available: Kindle, Hardcover, Audiobook

When her aunt suffers a stroke, New York portrait artist Emory Austen returns home to the North Carolina mountains to mend fences and deal with the guilt over her husband’s senseless death. But that won’t be as easy as she hoped.
Someone in the quirky little town doesn’t like Emory. Is it the sexy architect who needs the Austen land to redeem himself? The untrustworthy matriarch? The grudge-bearing local bad boy? Or the teenage bombshell who has raised snooping to an art form? Even the local evangelist has something to hide. Who wrote the cryptic note warning her to “Give it back or you’ll be dead? And what is ‘it’? As the clues pile up and secrets are exposed, Emory must discover what her family has that someone would kill for. (Amazon)

Editions Available: Kindle, Paperback

The name is Allen. Ken Allen.

These days Ken Allen is a nobody.

But once upon a time, his name was Brand. Jove Brand.

Eighteen years ago, Ken Allen played the famous fictional superspy in Near Death, a movie so bad it was never meant to be seen. Since then, Ken has faded into cult obscurity, but when his celebrated successor is killed in the same ghastly fashion as the villain in Near Death, Ken is cast as the prime suspect.The only way for Ken to clear his name is to go full method and once again play the part of Jove Brand, except this time it’s for real. As murder surrounds him, the secrets behind Near Death Ken fought to keep buried for eighteen years begin to surface.

“[A] nicely plotted debut . . . Readers will have fun spotting the real-life inspirations for the characters, and the authentically described fight scenes will please martial arts enthusiasts. Hopefully, Ken will be back soon for a sequel.” —Publishers Weekly

“J. A. Crawford’s debut is a pitch-perfect combination of action, mystery, and humor.” —Anthony Award-winning author Gigi Pandian (Amazon)

Editions Available: Kindle, Hardcover, Paperback, Audiobook

In Laura Scott’s Furry Friends series debut, veterinarian Ally Winter must collar the killer of a shifty lawyer. Does the dead man’s dog know who committed the arf-ul crime?

Ally Winter is going through a ruff patch. The thirty-something veterinarian lost her fiancé, her clinic, and her savings in rapid succession. So when Ally’s grandfather undergoes hip replacement surgery, she moves back to Willow Bluff, Wisconsin, to care for him. She arrives home, tail between her legs, only to find sleazy lawyer Marty Shawlin murdered in his home office. And the only witness was Marty’s faithful boxer, Roxy.

Quick as a greyhound, Noah Jorgensen is on the case. The good news is, he’s the best detective around. The bad news, at least the way Ally sees it, is that Noah is still just as fetching as he was back in high school. He also just happens to have witnessed every embarrassing incident that befell accident-prone Ally–including the fire-ant attack that set tongues wagging and won her the unshakable nickname Hot Pants.

Meanwhile, true-crime aficionado Gramps fancies himself a sleuth, and he is doggedly determined to sniff out the culprit himself…with Ally’s reluctant help, of course. Ally has no choice but to team up with Noah–and the irrepressible Roxy–to solve the case while keeping Gramps on a short leash.

Ally had better learn some new tricks, lickety-split. Because if she can’t bring the killer to heel, she won’t just be playing dead. (Amazon)

Editions Available: Kindle, Hardcover, Audiobook

Congressional staffer Kit Marshall is looking forward to a much-deserved summer vacation in the Outer Banks. When the mayor of the beach town turns up dead, Kit and her friends need to put their fun on hold to help solve the crime. (Amazon)

Editions Available: Kindle, Paperback

Spirit Canyon’s annual Spirit Spooktacular weekend is on, and for local amateur sleuth Zo Jones, it’s boomtime for business at her Happy Camper gift shop . . . until a murderer drops in for a browse.

To celebrate Halloween at the Happy Camper, Zo schedules a talk by successful author and self-proclaimed witch Marianne Morgan. Although Marianne’s benign brand of witchcraft is more about feminine empowerment than black magic, her presence is still not welcomed by everyone. Then on a midnight stroll home, Zo spots what seems to be a new Halloween decoration propped up outside the Happy Camper. What she finds is not a mannequin but a dead Marianne, her lifeless body dressed in traditional witch’s garb. But why would someone send this good witch back to the spirit world permanently?

Soon Zo realizes that plenty of folks have motives for murdering Marianne. What’s worse, nosy TV newsman Justin Castle plans to broadcast a report associating Marianne’s murder with the Happy Camper. Zo calls on her partner in sleuthing, local forest ranger Max Harrington, to help her find the culprit before Justin’s report airs. Otherwise Zo’s business just might go bust. But to catch this killer, Zo will have to risk much more than just her reputation . . .
 (Amazon)

Editions Available: Kindle, Paperback

Dead bodies and bad cops make for a brutal Montana spring-and a small-town sheriff’s worst nightmare in the second thrilling installment of the Nicole Cobain mysteries.

It’s a glorious spring in Blue Mesa, Montana, but not all is well in paradise. The authorities have been waging war against drug traffickers who use “mules” to carry the dope and cash across the Canadian border. And murder gets thrown into the equation when sheriff Nicole Cobain is called to the lake to assist Border Patrol but finds their boat adrift and a dead man in the ice. When the police drag the lake looking for bodies, they recover a satchel containing money and drugs–a satchel marked with the Border Patrol seal.

The evidence points to corrupt elements within the Border Patrol who are involved in the drug trade. Then, another murder victim turns up–the brother of Frank, a Border Patrol agent who’s been trying to root out the bad agents.

Nicole suspects that the two missing agents may have been responsible for the theft of the money and drugs, but when one of them is found dead from a single gunshot wound, the trail suddenly grows cold. As the bodies pile up, Nicole begins to feel that she’s the only good guy on the scene–and on the brink of a terrible discovery that could shake the community to its core. (Amazon)

Editions Available: Kindle, Hardcover, Audiobook

Fans of Marie Kondo and mysteries will love this series!

For professional organizer Charlotte Adams, cleaning up other people’s messes can be murder . . .

When a local company calls in professional organizer Charlotte Adams to help straighten out their offices—and especially the hopelessly cluttered desk of one of their employees—she’s soon tangled up in office politics and dodging clashing coworkers. And when the woman behind the disorderly desk goes missing, Charlotte senses foul play and is determined to get to the bottom of it.

But not everyone at the company appreciates Charlotte’s thoroughness, and no sooner does she begin looking for the missing woman than someone makes an attempt on her life. Then one of the employees is murdered, and Charlotte’s convinced that everyone at this company is bad company, and that one of them is setting her up for a nasty piece of work . . .

Organizing Tips Included!

Praise forthe Books of Mary Jane Maffini:

“A comedic, murderous romp . . . Maffini is a relaxed, accomplished, and wickedly funny writer.” —The Montreal Gazette

“Mary Jane Maffini provides a first-rate, well-organized whodunit . . . A new series that is fun to read.” —Midwest Book Review

“Maffini’s new series . . . is off to a brilliant start with this fast-paced mystery!” —Romantic Times

“Deserves top marks for creating an entertaining, fast-paced thriller filled with witty one-liners, snappy dialogue and crackling suspense.” —The Strand Magazine

“I’ll look forward to a long life for this series.” —Deadly Pleasures

“Plenty of twists and turns that kept me turning the pages until the last sentence.” —Dru’s Book Musings

“Maffini is a relaxed, accomplished and wickedly funny writer . . .” —The Times Colonist

About the Author:

Agatha and RT Award winner Mary Jane Maffini is the author of three and a half mystery series and two dozen short stories. Along with the Charlotte Adams professional organizer mysteries, she’s the author of the Camilla MacPhee Mysteries and the Fiona Silk comic capers. As Victoria Abbott, she collaborated on five collector mysteries with her daughter, Victoria. Mary Jane lives and plots in Manotick, Ontario, with a cluster of mischievous dachshunds at her feet. (Amazon)

Editions Available: Kindle, Paperback

This is book 2 in the Good Harbor Witches Cozy Mystery series.
Carly Cooper and her sister, Dana, live in the coastal town of Good Harbor, Maine where they belong to a small community quilting club. Only their “community” is a group of witches, warlocks, and a vampire who are terrible at magic.
Maribeth Silvia, a non-magical friend of the sisters, is a world-renowned quilter and author who invites Carly and Dana to come to her house for tea so she can show them her newest quilt design. When they arrive, they find Maribeth on the floor, bleeding and unconscious from an attack, and the sisters are thrown into helping solve the crime.
Will Carly, Hazel her pet raven, Dana, and their friends find clues to the criminal’s identity before he or she strikes again? (Amazon)

Editions Available: Kindle

Imagine your father opening up about his past and confessing that he’s a killer.

After years of separation, Abby’s father shows up unexpectedly at her home soaking wet, penniless, and with a stray dog named Hank. It makes no sense. He lives in China. Abby lives in San Francisco. When she presses him for an explanation, her father tells her he needs help. Something terrible has happened to her mother, and it has everything to do with his secret career as a hired gun for the Irish government.

Years ago, Abby’s father thought he killed a man known as the Puzzle Maker, but he survived. Now Abby’s mother is missing. Did the Puzzle Maker kidnap her? There’s only one way to find out: Follow the clues the Puzzle Maker has left. But it won’t be easy. The clues are puzzles that need to be solved. And that’s not all. Abby’s father is an international fugitive, and helping him will make Abby an accessory to his crimes.

Would you risk losing everyone you care about to save your mother? That’s a decision Abby must make in this unexpected family reunion.

The Muzzle Job is an adrenaline-fueled mystery-thriller with a twist you’ll never see coming. (Amazon)

Editions Available: Kindle

To celebrate Zack’s latest writing accomplishment, namely hitting the NY Times Bestsellers list for his latest book, Heart of Éire, Zack, Jillian, and the dogs fly to New Orleans to help promote the book at a large book expo. Accompanying them are none other than good friends Vance and Tori Samuelson, since it was the detective’s idea to write a story featuring his Irish wife in the first place. However, once they arrive, a blatant attack during the exposition sends everyone into a panic. The only clues that could be found were security footage of a mysterious stranger, seen hurrying away after dropping a voodoo doll for all to see, complete with pins stuck through it.

Was the stranger targeting a specific person? Is voodoo to blame, as everyone seems to think? Could someone be after Zack, since this is the first book signing he’s done in decades?

Join Sherlock and Watson as they start sniffing for clues in the Big Easy!

Readers are loving these indomitable dog sleuths. Meet Zack and the corgis, Sherlock and Watson, in this delightfully humorous series that pulls you right in.

Praise for Jeffrey Poole and the Corgi Case Files:
“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

“A great introduction to the characters in the Corgi Case Files mystery series. Sherlock is brilliant!” J.D. – 5 stars on Amazon (on Case of the One-Eyed Tiger)

“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

The Pied Piper shall lead them all astray…A captured audience helpless to its sway. The pipe’s infectious music bids them come…and come they will…two by two or one by one.

Just when I thought my life couldn’t get any weirder, life upped the strange to a never before seen level.
When a long line of critters, dazed and seemingly oblivious, marched past Croakies, I knew we had a situation on our hands.
Actually…if you counted being unwillingly affianced to a big old pink ogre…I had more than one situation.
Le Sigh.
Then someone died. A king declared war on Enchanted. And my situation became a crisis. It would be up to me to find the perpetrator and bring him to justice while wrangling the rogue pipe artifact he used for his nefarious deeds.
Buffalo buttocks! I really need a vacation.
Uh, but not a Honeymoon. Not that kind of vacation. (Amazon)

Editions Available: Kindle, Paperback

The show must go on…even when there’s been a murder.

I’m Paige Harper and I’m still trying to get back on my feet after being kidnapped. When my housemate, Darron, offers me a gig cleaning at the theater where he’s directing his first play, it seems like an easy job. Until the girl playing Titania falls to her death during rehearsal.

Of course, I’m gonna help Darron find the murderer. But somehow I also get roped into taking a part on stage too. 

Even worse, Nico, the one-eyed PI werewolf, joins the cast as well – as my love interest. It’s beyond awkward because I accidentally “claimed” Nico during our recent jaunt into Faerieland. And he claimed me back. This has created a sort of magical bond that’s pushed the underlying simmer between us into a full boil. He can’t keep his hands off me; and I want to claw the eyes out of every girl that looks at him.

And that includes his ex-girlfriend, Mavis. She’s in town tracking down a lead on O.H.I.O. – the super-secret anti-supe organization that seems to be behind the Great Ghosting.

Jealousy, paranoia, sexual antics, a brainwashed zombie vampire, and all the drama of community theatre – both on stage and off – are going to make this my hardest case yet.

If I can’t keep my head down – and my pants on – I’m afraid that this time it’ll truly be curtains for me. (Amazon)

Editions Available: Kindle