New Releases For The Week Of July 18th, 2021–Part 3

Is it possible to have a murder without a body?

Rylee is about to find out when the tenant who previously lived in her apartment makes an appearance and claims that his death years ago wasn’t an accident. To make matters worse, he refuses to move on until she helps him find his killer.

Everyone in town believes that the local artist died from a heart attack. Is it possible he’s telling the truth? Was his death the result of an expertly planned murder, or is he playing a not so funny prank on Rylee and her friends?

Will Rylee’s sleuthing skills be enough to find a missing painting, prove the killer is real, and deal with a mischievous spirit? Or will enduring ghostly antics become a part of her everyday life? (Amazon)

Editions Available: Kindle, Paperback

Our honeymooning heroine must unmask a magical murderer.

Happily married, Mrs Mnemosyne Seabourne travels to an island of no magic, for a relaxing honeymoon with her new husband Thornbury.

But the magic-free Isle of Aster is not what it seems. There’s a monster roaming the hills, a royal scandal brewing on the horizon, and (of course!) an impossible, magical murder to be solved.

On the night of the Midsummer Masque at the Queen’s country palace, Thornbury goes missing, leaving Mneme to unravel a web of secrets and lies involving her own husband.

Who could commit magical murder on an island with no magic? Only a spellcracker…

If you enjoy cozy magical mysteries, glamorous masquerade balls and the art of saucy letter writing, you’ll love this new Teacup Magic novella. (Amazon)

Editions Available: Kindle, Paperback

Get a wave from it all.

Miss Storm of the Wavily Witch Clan is settling into her new life as a pirate. All’s going as well as can be expected until The Pink Pearl and its crew encounter a cyclone that threatens to destroy them. The safety provided by a nearby harbor proves temporary when Storm and her fellow pirates are caught up in a murder investigation.

Trapped inside a palace with a pirate-hunting admiral, a long list of suspects, and an ambitious murderer, Storm has to take up the role of amateur sleuth once again. But politics are complicated, clues are scarce, the palace is huge, and — as the talking cat reminds her — it’s a dark and stormy night.

Armed with a hatched egg, a hungry cat, and a few spells, Storm sets out to solve the murder without getting arrested. Can she catch the culprit before disaster and Pooky’s hunger pangs strike again?

Storm Wavily and the Sea Lord is the second case in the Pirates Ahoy Cozy Mystery series. Get ready to sail around the African continent and into murder, mayhem, and other misadventures. 

If you enjoy exotic locations, eccentric characters, and bewitching stories, then come aboard and join the crew for a spellbinding voyage. (Amazon)

Editions Available: Kindle

Generation after generation of Lane women die in childbirth, while the sea claims the men.

Pippin Lane Hawthorne’s grand opening of Sea Captain’s Inn is tainted when a scholar studying the Lost Colony of Roanoke is brutally murdered. Like the black crow that hangs around the old house, could the untimely death be a harbinger of dark things to come?

When her twin brother, Grey, begins bucking the curse by risking his life in the waters of the Outer Banks, Pippin lives in terror that he’ll be the next Lane male to be swallowed by the sea. Now she must use her gift of bibliomancy to save her brother, solve the murder, and end a two thousand year old pact. (Amazon)

Editions Available: Kindle, Paperback

Owning a bakery has always been Aubrey Turner’s dream. Finding her rival’s dead body was not part of it. When new sheriff Blaze Martin puts her at the top of his suspect list, she’s left with no choice but to try to solve the mystery herself with the help of two friends. With the Fourth of July bash only days away, the town is overtaken by tourists and YouTube celebrities, and it becomes difficult to discern between friend and foe. But when the killer returns and makes an attempt on Aubrey’s life, she realizes that time is running out and she must discover who is behind the attacks before she joins her dead competition. (Amazon)

Editions Available: Kindle, Paperback

From USA Today bestselling author Catherine Bruns comes a boxed set of three exciting mysteries featuring baker turned sleuth Sally Muccio. This boxed set includes three full-length novels—and tasty recipes!—from the Cookies & Chance series, including:

Sprinkled in Malice (book #7)
What Sally Muccio had hoped would be a special birthday dinner turns into something much more deadly when her husband and a friend get caught in the middle of an armed robbery…and only one will make it out alive. Now Sal must uncover the real reason for the robbery…and the killer’s identity!
*A RONE Award nominee!*

Ginger Snapped to Death (book #8)
It’s the most wonderful time of the year…Unless you’re Sally Muccio. First, expectant mother Sal is the victim of a carjacking by Santa himself, and then her gingerbread cookies are found next to a dead body and her cake server is used as a murder weapon! Now Sal has no choice but to try to clear her name…before she and the baby are singing Christmas carols in prison!

Icing on the Casket (book #9)
Full-time baker and sometime sleuth Sally Muccio is enjoying new motherhood. But when her eccentric father’s friend, mortician Eddie Phibbins, is found dead in one of his own caskets, Sal’s father begs her to help find the killer. With their famous coffins cookies in hand, Sal and her best friend Josie “undertake” the investigation!

The Cookies & Chance Mysteries:
Tastes Like Murder (book #1)
A Spot of Murder (short story in the “Killer Beach Reads” collection)
Baked to Death (book #2)
Burned to a Crisp (book #3)
Frosted With Revenge (book #4)
Silenced by Sugar (book #5)
A Drizzle Before Dying (short story in the “Pushing Up Daisies” collection)
Crumbled to Pieces (book #6)
Sprinkled in Malice (book #7)
Ginger Snapped to Death (book #8)
Icing on the Casket (book #9)
Knee Deep in Dough (book #10)
Dessert is the Bomb (book #11)

“Engaging Entertainment! Why isn’t this a Hallmark mystery? It sure gets my vote!”
~ Kings River Life Magazine

“The Cookies and Chance Mystery series is more than just a series….it’s a family !! Once you read the first book, you are hooked and feel like a member of the crazy Muccio family.”
~ Cozy Mystery Book Reviews

“A fantastic cozy mystery!”
~ InD’Tale Magazine (Amazon)

Editions available: Kindle

In 1926, young Emma finds herself leading a sheltered life with her grandmother in England, where her aunt’s dramatic squabbling is the greatest excitement in her daily routine. But then one day, Emma receives a letter that makes her think her father, a professor of Egyptology at the University of Bonn, is in danger. She decides to return to Bonn to figure out firsthand what might have happened to him. Her search eventually takes her to various museums around the region in an effort to track down her elusive, missing father. A mysterious ancient cat figurine, strange letters, rival suitors, and a new self-confidence result in Emma becoming more comfortable with herself and more secure in her ability to untangle puzzles that others find unsolvable. A charming mystery about the 1920s Egyptomania craze and the brave new world facing young women in the Roaring Twenties! (Amazon)

Editions available: Kindle

One murdered man. Two wives. Two families. One pot of exploding marinara sauce.

Sharon Fuller is stunned when she loses her husband to a brutal murder.
But discovering that he had another wife and family living across town—now that’s brutal.

When Thomas Fuller is murdered, there’s no shortage of possible suspects. Starting with his two wives and families. Did a family member know his secret and decide to take matters into their own hands?

Tea room owner and amateur sleuth, Maggie O’Flynn, is shocked when the local homicide detective suddenly asks for her assistance with the case. After all, this is the man who has frequently threatened her with various charges for getting herself involved in past investigations.

While Maggie navigates working with the detective, her best friend and sleuthing sidekick, Gina Mattucci, is finding that preparing to open an Italian restaurant doesn’t come without its own risks. Like exploding marinara sauce. Helping out with the investigation is much more appealing than mopping up herby tomato sauce. With the detective’s wholly unexpected consent, Gina joins Maggie in the search for Thomas Fuller’s killer.

With so many suspects, will they be able to help find the killer—without accidentally provoking the wrath of the detective?

With wonderfully quirky characters, plenty of humor and charm, and copious amounts of tea, the STRATFORD UPON AVONDALE MYSTERIES will delight lovers of cozy mysteries! (Amazon)

Editions Available: Kindle

IT’S SUMMERTIME AND THE LIVIN’ IS EASY…
Until the murder starts

It’s finally summer in scenic Galway, Maryland, and the Appalachian hills are alive with the scent of roses, the buzz of honeybees, and the hustle and bustle of tourist season. When she isn’t immersed in running her cozy Victorian bed and breakfast, now-seasoned hostess and chef extraordinaire Claire Andersen would love nothing more than to spend her afternoons tending to her garden in the idyllic peace and quiet Galway is known for. Trouble is, fate (with pesky Sheriff Sellers at the helm) has other plans: murder’s afoot! And who better than the region’s foremost amateur sleuth to crack the case?

First, Claire’s friend Cal Olmstead—talented up-and-coming artist and gallery owner—needs a little help tracking down an art thief. Turns out the prized centerpiece of internationally-renowned conceptual artist Judd Muchesco’s newest series was stolen from right under Cal’s nose. Claire makes quick work of the scene to clear Cal—and quirky, retired art burglar Foster Fourfingers. But it’s not long before theft turns to murder—and then yet another theft.

Le sigh, thinks our heroine, eyeing her wilting garden sorrowfully. Or she would, if only she had time on her hands for sulking. Befuddled, Sheriff Sellers enlists Claire’s help to outsmart the art thief and track down the murderer. And she’s finally getting somewhere… when her progress is thwarted by an unlikely frenemy even Evelyn didn’t see coming.

Speaking of… Claire’s delightful gal pals Evelyn and Ellen are keeping themselves busy with their newest venture in the artisan popcorn business, Claire’s faithful pup Rupert is spending most of his time seeking out a cooling nap in the shade, and the summer sun is finally heating things up between Claire and her longtime crush, Ray Hamilton. Recent uptick in crime aside, it’s a quaint and colourful scene just this side of Sunday on La Grande Jatte—or so it seems… Because Claire can’t shake the feeling that, unless she solves this mounting mystery soon, she’ll end up a tragic figure in a scene closer to Cezanne’s The Murder. (Amazon)

Editions Available: Kindle

A dognapping, whispers of a hidden fortune, murder. Can Charlie’s dogged sleuthing skills uncover the killer before she’s dead and buried like an old bone?

The new dog grooming salon Charlie Winston opened recently is running smoothly and gaining in popularity with new clients like rich hotel owner Eliza Lancaster.

That is until Eliza’s prized pedigree Pandora is dognapped right out of the salon. Charlie thinks she’ll be out of business by chowtime if they don’t find Pandora.

Things go from bad to worse when Eliza ends up murdered, and the dog trainer Charlie hired is the prime suspect. Of course he is! What more could go wrong?

Plenty. Charlie digs deeper into the Lancaster family after hearing rumors of buried gold coins. When clues point to the chief of police and his possible involvement, Charlie and Mabel take the case by the tail to find the culprit.

Can they uncover the killer before they’re dead and buried like an old bone?

Find out in the fourth installment of A Wayside Bay Mystery – The House Call Dog Groomer Series (Amazon)

Editions Available: Kindle

Joanna Webber is back in Book 3, Organized Murder, and putting herself right in the thick of finding a killer.

After her husband Ted’s death six years ago, she is finally ready to visit his grave. Having never been able to reconnect with him in the afterlife, even after regaining her psychic powers, her plan B is to go tell off his headstone. She’s hoping for the closure she has never been able to get.

He surprisingly appears at the cemetery and tells her the truth about his death. The new version includes not one, not two, but three organized crime families. One he worked for, and two that potentially had him killed.

In the end, the closure she craves comes from a place she never expected.

Lots of lies. A shooting. A move to both a new office and a new house. Plus, an engagement. This one has it all. (Amazon)

Editions Available: Kindle, Paperback

Come to Tahoe. Help a friend. No problems. No pressure.
What could go wrong?
I’m Tracy Belden. I’ve only had a few cases as a PI,
but how could I refuse to help a buddy?
Twelve hours later, my PI friend is missing. The client is dead.
And I’m at the murder scene.
With the police eyeing me as a suspect, what can I do but find the killer?
And, better yet, complete my crossword puzzle. (Amazon)

Editions Available: Kindle, Paperback