New Releases For The Week of November 28th, 2021–Part 3

Petals and Poison is the second in a colorful cozy mystery series from Jess Dylan, set in a flower shop with a knack for attracting trouble as well as customers.

“Like her protagonist Sierra, Jess Dylan has manifested a charming cozy with humor, folksy dialogue, Southern charm, and a page-turning mystery.” –Peg Cochran, USA Today Bestselling Author

Sierra Ravenswood has embraced her role as owner of Flower House floral shop and companion to her former boss’s pet, Gus the Corgi. Sierra’s team are enjoying their new jobs too. At least until everyone realizes their lack of experience might be contributing to their lack of customers . . .

Sierra decides they need a change in luck, so she creates a special window display featuring lucky bamboo and auspicious flowers. It seems the new arrangement has worked when the shop is flooded with customers the next day, including a van full of college students on a horticulture club field trip. Unfortunately, Sierra doesn’t notice that the students’ distracted professor has gone missing until Gus’s urgent barking leads her to the storeroom – and the body of the unfortunate professor.

With folks now referring to Flower House as “Poison House” and suspects galore, Sierra fears her new business is doomed before it has a chance to get off the ground. Determined to reverse course and see justice served, she sets out to solve the crime and change her luck once more.

The Flower House is no place for shrinking violets. (Amazon)

Editions Available: Kindle, Paperback, Audiobook

Christmas has come early to the beautiful Poconos resort that’s the setting for the American Baking Battle’s holiday special, where chef Courtney Archer is on hand to sample festive fare—and lift the lid off a killer . . .
 
Six ambitious bakers are competing for glory and a grand prize, showcasing their most delicious candies, cookies, and desserts. Courtney detects some on-set grinchiness from her coworkers, especially judge Shannon Collins, but she’s hoping the sweet treats will restore everyone’s festive spirits. That Christmas wish swiftly fizzles when assistant director Kinzy Hummel is found strangled—with an apron from Shannon’s new product line . . .
 
Shannon insists she’s innocent. Meanwhile, Kinzy had been under pressure from a disgruntled attorney to settle her late grandfather’s estate. But could that be a motive for murder? The show must go on even as Courtney sifts through competitors and crew for likely suspects. But unless she can quickly get to the truth, there’ll be another helping of homicide amid the pinwheel cookies and fruitcakes . . . (Amazon)

Editions Available: Kindle, Paperback Audiobook

When Pomeranian immigrant Hanneke Bauer reaches Wisconsin in 1855, she believes her dearest dreams are coming true. After reuniting with her husband Fridolin at his farm near Watertown, she will help create a true home. Instead, she receives the shocking news that he is dead.

Hanneke quickly learns that Wisconsin life is not as bucolic as it seems. Alone and destitute, she is determined to discover the details of Fridolin’s death. Her efforts prompt animosity from his friends, anger the deputy sheriff, and entangle her in the rising tide of anti-immigrant sentiment. Finding herself in danger, Hanneke races to learn the truth about her husband’s secrets and lies…before a killer can silence her forever. (Amazon)

Editions Available: Kindle, Paperback

Teddy bear shop manager Sasha Silverman must step fast to find a murderer before an upcoming Scottish festival . . .

It’s springtime in Silver Hollow, Michigan, and Sasha is looking forward to the village’s inaugural Highland Fling weekend. Plans are underway for a Kilted 5K, athletic competitions, dancing, live music, and even a Hurl-the-Haggis contest. Meanwhile, Sasha’s staff is busy crafting custom teddy bears in kilts for the Silver Bear Shop’s vendor booth. But trouble’s brewing behind the scenes, as the obnoxious Teddy Hartman, former owner of a rival teddy bear company, sows seeds of discord about town, targeting Sasha’s family and their business.

Things go from plaid to worse when—just a week before the festival kicks-off—the disgruntled gossip is found murdered with an ax buried in his back. Sasha’s dad is arrested, since he’s a champion ax-thrower. But she doesn’t give a dram what it looks like—Sasha knows that despite the old business rivalry with Hartman, her father is innocent.  So with a spot of help from her friends, Sasha must bag the real killer before her first Fling also becomes her last.

Praise for BEARLY DEPARTED

“You’ll fall in love with this delightful debut mystery.”
—Victoria Thompson, bestselling author of Murder in Morningside Heights

“The first in a new series features a complex plot awash in red herrings, a perky heroine . . . and everything you ever wanted to know about teddy bears.”
—Kirkus Reviews

“The appealing, impulsive amateur sleuth, dedicated to the family business, will appeal to fans of character-driven cozies.”
—Library Journal

“Entertaining . . . inhabited by quirky, fully developed characters and good dogs and cats.”
—Publishers Weekly (Amazon)

Editions Available: Kindle, Paperback

Millie Fisher may be widowed, but she leads a full life in her Amish hometown of Harvest, Ohio. There’s her quilting circle, her Boer goats, her gift for matchmaking—and the occasional murder . . .
 
Millie is happy that her childhood friend, Uriah Schrock, has returned to Harvest after decades away. He was sweet on Millie in their school days, but she only had eyes for her future husband. Now, there’s a new spark between them, so Millie is concerned when Uriah doesn’t show up at the Harvest concert series—or for his job as the Village square’s groundskeeper. Perhaps Millie has been involved in too many murder investigations, but she has a sinking feeling. And when she and her best friend, Lois, find Uriah with the police, it seems she’s right  . . .
 
A film crew is in Harvest to make a movie about a forty-year-old unsolved murder. A skeleton has been found at the bottom of a ravine—and Uriah is certain it’s his sister, Galilee. Right before Uriah left Ohio, she disappeared, and her harsh husband, Samuel, was found fatally stabbed with a knitting needle. The sheriff declared that Galilee killed him and ran away. Uriah never believed the theory, and he’s come back to Harvest hoping, Gott willing, Millie will help him stitch together the truth . . .
 
Praise for Amanda Flower and her Amish cozies

“As it turns out, Amanda Flower may have just written the first Amish rom com.”
—USA Today

“At turns playful and engaging . . . a satisfyingly complex cozy.”
—Library Journal (Amazon)

Editions Available: Kindle, Paperback, Audiobook

Bookstore owner Arlo and her Friday Night Book Club sleuths are going to have to read between the lines to solve this mystery!

It’s movie time in Sugar Springs and the whole town is pitching together to get the historical Coliseum Theater ready for the event of the year—the premiere of Missing Girl, local author Wally Harrison’s bestselling novel turned film.

Thrilled to bring tourists to Sugar Springs, the town comes together to host the late author’s event. But when a stranger arrives, boasting he has definitive proof that Wally didn’t write Missing Girl…well, drama leaps from the page into real life. Mishaps start taking place around the theater—and then the stranger is discovered dead in his hotel room right before his press conference.

Can Arlo and her Friday night book club to sleuth out the killer and solve the mystery before the town’s Hollywood dreams go up in smoke? (Amazon)

Editions Available: Kindle, Paperback, Audiobook

In this thrilling mystery by USA Today bestselling author Sarah Fox, deadly happenings stick around like red wine stains on white tunics when the Renaissance faire visits Shady Creek, Vermont.

The Trueheart Renaissance Faire and Circus has rolled into town, attracting locals who can’t wait to spend a few summer days lost in a whimsical world of all-knowing fortune-tellers and daring acrobats. Well-read pub owner Sadie Coleman is swept up in the magic herself when she serves drinks to the faire’s resident wizard, the shamelessly brazen illusionist Ozzie Stone, and scores two tickets to his dazzling performance.

Sadie has no complaints about indulging in a free show with her new beau, craft brewery owner Grayson Blake. But while Ozzie is an instant crowd-pleaser, the real surprise comes when he collapses in the middle of his set. It’s not part of the act—Ozzie is dead, seemingly poisoned by  someone who wasn’t clowning around about writing the roguish showman’s final chapter.

The terrifying situation intensifies when the police eye one of Sadie’s employees, last seen caught in a suspicious fistfight at the fairgrounds. With so much at stake, Sadie must strain through a suspect list longer than her cocktail menu to find the real knave of a killer. But when another performer is murdered, it becomes clear that bringing the mixed-up murderer to justice will be about as dangerous as walking the high wire after happy hour . . . (Amazon)

Editions Available: Kindle, Hardcover, Audiobook

Maya and Sandra are friends, fellow moms, and private-detective partners in the picturesque waterfront city of Portland—where sometimes their cases can get as rocky as the Maine coast . . .

While private investigator Maya Kendrick is still mentoring her new partner, PTA president Sandra Wallage, in the detective game, the two women don’t need incredible powers of deduction to know their marriages are on the rocks. With Maya’s ex-cop husband in prison and Sandra’s senator spouse separated from her, both find themselves investigating the dating scene. Until Diego Sanchez turns up dead. The flirtatious high school Spanish teacher who had eyes for Maya was poisoned by cookies from a bake sale fundraiser for a Portland High school class trip to Spain.
 
Hired by the students to find out who killed their popular and beloved teacher—including their own children—Maya and Sandra get a real education in parenting, relationships, and murder as their search for whodunit leads them deep into the unpleasant realities found in the small town politics and gossip of their Maine community . . . (Amazon)

Editions Available: Kindle, Paperback, Audiobook

 

New Releases For The Week Of November 28th, 2021–Part 2

“Too late” isn’t a factor for Isabel Puddles—until the clock starts ticking on a deadly mystery in the cozy town of Gull Harbor, Michigan . . .
 
Isabel is living life on her terms as summer stirs the peaceful shores of Lake Michigan. Only slowing down to meet her oldest friend for daily coffee, the newly licensed PI has found herself chipping away at the college degree she never completed—and, to her surprise, eagerly awaiting letters from her pen pal, an admired British mystery writer. But when her latest client turns out to be an extravagant recluse who’s rich both in secrets and money, Isabel becomes embroiled in the strange world of Rust Belt royalty and the Memorial Day Weekend disappearance of a handsome young heir.
 
Beyond the famous family name and ugly rumors surrounding her, Abigail Bachmeier is an enigma. With one great nephew presumed dead after vanishing off the side of a ferry, Abigail makes the strange request to locate another missing relative. As Isabel investigates and gets closer to revealing at least one more possible murder, she begins to suspect yet another life could soon be in terrible danger—her own.
            
Praise for Meet Isabel Puddles
 
“Fans of Garrison Keillor’s tales of Lake Wobegon will be enchanted.”
—Publisher Weekly (Amazon)

Editions Available: Kindle, Paperback, Audiobook

* This humorous, contemporary travel mystery was originally published as Murder of a Po’ Boy in the When the Cat’s Away Anthology

A food tour in New Orleans where murder is on the menu…

When Mallory Beck wins a food tour experience in New Orleans, she invites teenage Amber, her foodie BFF, to join her on a road trip of French and creole cuisine. Mallory’s cat-sitter cancels at the last minute, and presumptuous, cheeky Hunch helps himself to shotgun in Mallory’s Prius. A good thing, too, because when a know-it-all food tour participant turns up dead and wrapped in Mardi Gras beads, they’ll need Hunch’s keen nose to sniff out any foul play.

Surrounded by tight-lipped locals and voodoo theories, Mallory and her team of sleuths have their work cut out for them to clear Amber’s name from suspicion and get to the bottom of what happened to the Po’ Boy who didn’t make it through to the last stop on the food tour.

You’ll love the strong friendships and the cranky crime-solving cat who thinks he’s a dog in this new whodunit. Order Murder in New Orleans now! (Amazon)

Editions Available: Kindle, Paperback

One of BookRiot’s Best Upcoming Cozy Mysteries for the Second Half of 2021!

When murder follows Mimi Lee to her romantic island getaway, she puts on her best sleuthing hat with her sassy cat in tow in this adventurous cozy mystery by Jennifer J. Chow.
 
Mimi Lee just found an extra perk to being a pet groomer at Hollywoof (other than cuddling animals all day long, that is). Pixie St. James, one of Mimi’s clients and the investor behind Hollywoof, has offered her and her boyfriend, Josh, a getaway at her vacation home, nestled on beautiful Catalina Island. With the island just outside of Los Angeles but still far enough from the hustle and bustle, Mimi, Josh, and their cat Marshmallow (who, of course, wouldn’t be caught dead in a dingy pet hotel) are excited for their relaxing stay.
 
That is, until Pixie’s last renter, Davis D. Argo, turns up dead. Mimi and Josh’s romantic getaway immediately turns into an enormous buzzkill, especially when Pixie asks Mimi for help. The police suspect Pixie, and Mimi knows a thing or two about wrongful allegations. Mimi figures it couldn’t hurt to snoop a little since she’s already there, and soon discovers that a valuable item is missing. Except Pixie isn’t the only one in the neighborhood who has been robbed. There is something strange happening on the island, and Mimi won’t stop until she finds out what it is. (Amazon)

Editions Available: Kindle, Paperback, Audiobook

“Wilde’s heroine is not only a useful woman but a highly entertaining one.” 
 —Kirkus Reviews on And Dangerous to Know

Among the ton of Regency London, one breath of scandal can be disastrous. Enter Rosalind Thorne, a young woman adept at helping ladies of quality navigate the most delicate problems—in this charming mystery series inspired by the novels of Jane Austen . . .

It is every mama’s dearest wish that her daughter marries well. But how to ensure that a seemingly earnest suitor is not merely a fortune hunter? Rosalind is involved in just such a case, discreetly investigating a client’s prospective son-in-law, when she is drawn into another predicament shockingly close to home.

Rosalind’s estranged father, Sir Reginald Thorne—a drunkard and forger—has fallen into the hands of the vicious scoundrel Russell Fullerton. Angered by her interference in his blackmail schemes, Fullerton intends to unleash Sir Reginald on society and ruin Rosalind. Before Rosalind’s enemy can act, Sir Reginald is found murdered—and Fullerton is arrested for the crime. He protests his innocence, and Rosalind reluctantly agrees to uncover the truth, suspecting that this mystery may be linked to her other, ongoing cases.

Aided by her sister, Charlotte, and sundry friends and associates—including handsome Bow Street Runner Adam Harkness—Rosalind sets to work. But with political espionage and Napoleon loyalists in the mix, there may be more sinister motives, and far higher stakes, than she ever imagined . . . (Amazon)

Editions Available: Kindle, Hardcover

In a tourist town on Lake Michigan, Athena Spencer keeps busy raising a son (and a pet raccoon named Oscar) while working at her family’s garden center. But sometimes, she also has to get the dirt on a murderer, in the new series by the New York Times bestselling author of the Flower Shop Mysteries . . .
 
Athena has invited Case Donnelly, recently relocated from Pittsburgh and awaiting his PI license, to accompany her to a Save Our Dunes fundraiser and art festival. And her date proves helpful when the body of a disgraced photographer turns up during a nature walk.
 
The crime—and the photos taken by the dead man—raise a lot of questions about local politics, environmental battles, and the victim’s womanizing ways. As Athena’s endearing Greek-American family strives to solve a mystery of their own (uncovering the identity of Athena’s anonymous blog), she and Case try to find the tangled roots of this murder and make sure there’s no sanctuary for a killer . . .
 
“Mean girls, stalkers, and a jealous brother are all fair game as suspects in this clever and amusing mystery.”
—Kirkus on A Big Fat Greek Murder

“Kate Collins delivers an entertaining, amusing, and deliciously suspenseful mystery.”
—Cleo Coyle, New York Times bestselling author on Statue of Limitations

“A rewarding and satisfying delight.”
—Kings River Life Magazine on Statue of Limitations (Amazon)

Editions Available: Kindle, Paperback, Audiobook

“A fabulous read packed with suspense, unexpected twists, glamour and humor. Prepare to be gripped from the first to the last page!” —Liane Moriarty 

For readers of Lisa Jewell, Liv Constantine, and Megan Miranda, a lightning-paced psychological thriller about two women, a tragedy that connects them as teenagers, and the terrible reckoning that will decide their fates a decade later.

Jane Ellison is a “super recognizer” able to identify strangers by the slightest facial details—the curve of a head, the arch of an eyebrow. When she spies human rights activist and heiress Bella Valencia in a crowded Boston airport, Jane’s convinced she’s found the person responsible for her sister Kit’s disappearance and presumed death eleven years earlier. But her attempt to detain the suspect ends with Jane herself fired and humiliated. 

As Bella prepares to marry Will Pease, scion of the uber-wealthy, influential, and ruthless Pease family, famous for their wholesome wellness and lifestyle brand, on their private Cape Cod island, she grows increasingly anxious that her dire secret will be revealed and used against her by—of all people—the man she loves.

She has reason to fear: Jane is ready to risk everything for the chance to publicly expose Bella’s crimes at her upcoming celebrity wedding. But the more she digs into what happened that night, the more she questions her own assumptions. 

Combining magnetic, wise-cracking narration and a skillfully layered plot, Do I Know You? is a gripping psychological thriller and tale of redemption that reveals the power of a sister’s love. (Amazon)

Editions Available: Kindle, Hardcover, Paperback, Audiobook

When murder turns out to be the special of the day at her friend’s seafood restaurant, bicycle shop owner Mackenzie “Mac” Almeida and her fellow book club sleuths have to net a killer . . .
 
From clam chowdahs to oysters on the half-shell, Tulia Peters’ Lobstah Shack offers locals and tourists in Westham, Massachusetts, some of Cape Cod’s most amazing cuisine. But when the body of Annette DiCicero is discovered in the kitchen’s walk-in freezer—with a custom-made claw-handled lobster pick lodged in her neck—spoiled appetites are the least of Tulia’s worries.
 
After a heated public argument with Annette, Tulia is a person of interest in the police’s homicide investigation. To clear Tulia’s name, Mac and the Cozy Capers Book Group snoop into Annette’s personal life. Between her temperamental husband, his shady business partner, and two women tied to Annette’s past life as “Miss New Bedford”, there are now several suspects and multiple motives. And they’re getting crabby about Mac intruding on their affairs. . .
 
Includes Recipes! (Amazon)

Editions Available: Kindle, Paperback, Audiobook

Heiress-turned-sleuth Prudence MacKenzie and ex-Pinkerton Geoffrey Hunter step out of the elite society of Gilded Age New York as they venture into the city’s crime ridden streets and most dangerous neighborhoods to search for two missing children . . .

THE DEAD CRY JUSTICE

May 1890: As NYU Law School finally agrees to admit female law students, Judge MacKenzie’s daughter Prudence weighs her choices carefully. Chief among her concerns is how her decision would affect the Hunter and MacKenzie Investigative Law agency and her professional and personal relationship with the partner who is currently recuperating from a near fatal shooting.

But an even more pressing issue presents itself in the form of a street urchin, whose act of petty theft inadvertently leads Prudence to a badly beaten girl he is protecting. Fearing for the girl’s life, Prudence rushes her to the Friends Refuge for the Sick Poor, run by the compassionate Charity Sloan. When the boy and girl slip out of their care and run away, Prudence suspects they are fleeing a dangerous predator and is desperate to find them.

Aided by the photographer and social reformer Jacob Riis and the famous journalist Nellie Bly, Prudence and Geoffrey scour the tenements and brothels of Five Points. Their only clue is a mysterious doll with an odd resemblance to the missing girl. But as the destitute orphans they encounter whisper the nickname of the killer who stalks them—Il diavolo—Prudence and Geoffrey must race against time to find the missing children before their merciless enemies do . . . (Amazon)

Editions Available: Kindle, Hardcover. Audiobook

 

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

An Actor to Die For

Bartender Avalon Nash’s youthful crush has become a movie star, but does he even remember her? And why are the women he dates turning up dead? Does Avalon dare let her long-time dream come true, knowing she might be next?

Avalon must use her superpower of collecting people’s stories to protect people she lovesby discovering and stopping the killer. Buy this book for a highly entertaining, edge-of-your-seat limo ride of a whodunit.

A shot of classic noir, half-ounce of modern flair and several ounces of bitters round out this intoxicating literary cocktail. This is a series that fans of both modern and vintage crime alike will not want to miss!—New York Times bestselling author Tosca Lee

A spellbinding mystery I couldn’t put down. The bonus? A menu of delicious craft cocktails too tempting to pass up. — Cathi Stoler, award-winning author of the Murder on the Rocks series (Amazon)

Editions Available: Kindle, Paperback

Teaberry Cozy Murder Mysteries Book 2
After some life changes have her contemplating her future, Megan Parker is searching for a new dream. Just as she begins to discover a new direction in the culinary world, a killer is busy cooking up murder.

When a well-known resident of Teaberry becomes the principal suspect, Megan substitutes one apron for another. While Erica and Jerry study the main ingredients of murder including jealousy and greed, Megan decides to follow the compote. Doing so involves examining the tempting world of cooking influencers. Her plans to seek out a new dream take on a fruitful twist that leads Megan to the top of the class.

Megan searches for puzzle pieces offered up by the friendly inhabitants of Teaberry in this light and cozy mystery. This mild cozy mystery series offers a clean read with a female amateur sleuth and friends in a small-town setting. Main characters in the series are multigenerational. (Amazon)

Editions Available: Kindle

Want a French recipe? Irene will teach you to make salad niçoise. Want murder and mayhem? Irene seems to attract both. With one week until her wedding, Henny James is convinced Irene’s arrival from France will ruin the biggest day of her life. One week to save Irene from the trouble she brings with her and save the wedding. Recipes included. (Amazon)

Editions Available: Kindle, Paperback

Two parents die and two families mourn, in very different ways.

Amateur sleuth Steve Levitan and his clue-sniffing golden retriever Rochester face two deaths in the 12th full-length novel in this long-running series. An Alzheimer’s patient slips away from home on his own and tumbles into the Delaware River. And then Steve’s love Lili suffers the crushing loss of her mother in a Miami Beach hospital.

Eckhardt Lalor left behind a fortune in real estate, a fractured family, and a bitter legacy as a city slumlord. Does that add up to murder? There’s no question of what killed Benita Weinstock—a dodgy heart—but her death rocks her daughter’s world, and Steve’s.

It will be up to Rochester to solve the crime and heal his humans in this new mystery with heart — and fur! (Amazon)

Editions Available: Kindle

Freelance photographer and Yeast of Eden bakery assistant Ivy Culpepper has just scored the job of a lifetime shooting the Dickensian dress-up X-mas party thrown by It Girl film actress Eliza Fox . . . until an unwanted guest appears.

A holiday costume party in the sleepy coastal town of Santa Sofia could be just the boost Ivy needs for her fledgling photography business. At the party, Ivy enters a Victorian fantasy come to life, all courtesy of the fabulous Ms. Fox. Ivy gets to play shutterbug while hanging with Scrooge, Marley, the Cratchits, and more classic Dickens characters.  But what begins as the best of times turns out to be the very worst for one of the party guests—a tabloid journalist with more enemies than Ebenezer himself.
 
When the man’s body is found sprawled across the jagged rocks below the house, the fingers begin pointing at Eliza. Meanwhile, Ivy gets roped into helping prove the starlet’s innocence. Her festive photos are now official evidence—and the Ghosts of Christmas Present could mean the party for Eliza is over, once and for all. (Amazon)

Editions Available: Kindle, Paperback, Audiobook

Rita Moreau’s 3rd book in this hilarious series…

More antics as Mabel Gold and her friend — spirit — ghost – whatever you want to call Irma, gets Mabel into yet another mystery. Things can go bad quickly in the Badlands…

Everything about Mabel’s golden years has been a surprise. The divorce, Irma the ghost haunting her vintage camper, dead guys whose murders Mabel must help Irma solve every stop of the way.

Mabel and her ghostly roommate Irma, along with friend Lili and her retired homicide detective husband Bob, have made it to the Badlands. From the get-go, they were smack dab in the middle of another murder.

Ralph, an old Marine buddy asks Bob, to investigate the death of his son Danny. His death has been ruled an accident. Ralph didn’t agree. He’s sure his son was pushed off top of Mount Rushmore. Right near the Hall of Records, or as it’s called in the movies and YouTube, the Secret Chamber. But why?

Did Danny, a skilled rock climber and much sought-after guide, find long-lost gold?

Were Danny’s last words–those of Crazy Horse–Hokahey–it’s a good day to die–leave a clue as to his demise?

Will Irma run out of costumes from her ghostly cyberspace closet before they solve the murder?

Will Irma’s new friend Poker Alice–the wild west’s famous gambler and brothel owner help Mabel and Irma figure out what happened to Danny?

And what about Cindy Lou and her side-kick Top Gun Colonel Clark–did they have a secret that Danny uncovered that fatal night outside the Secret Chamber?

Can Mabel and Irma catch the killer before Mabel joins Irma crashing through the Pearly Gates?

Murder in the Badlands is the high spirited third book in the hilarious Ghost & the Camper Kooky Mystery series. If you like golden girl sleuths, zany characters, and sardonic humor, then you’ll love this kooky mystery. Hoping you like camping! (Amazon)

Editions Available: Kindle, Paperback

*Warning* Be prepared to lose sleep, skip chores, and hide from family to read this new Queen of Spades thriller!

When Eva Santella answers a desperate plea for help from a boy worried about his sibling, she has no idea that a sinister organization is behind his problems.

As Eva uncovers a mass murder scheme, her enemies try to stop her by striking at what she holds dear.

The Queen of Spades must risk it all if she has any chance of stopping a deadly plot that will not only kill dozens but also destroy the lives of those she loves.

One-click today!

HIGH STAKES is the seventh book in the Queen of Spades Thriller Series. If you like take-charge heroines, fast-paced page turners, and gritty dramas, then you’ll love Kristi Belcamino’s tale of revenge.

ORDER YOUR COPY OF HIGH STAKES now! (Amazon)

Editions Available: Kindle, Hardcover, Paperback

Nurse-practitioner Wyn Miller is looking forward to a week of quality time with her cat Sal and the rest of the clowder while all her patients have gone home to spend time with family for Christmas. But then a stranger dies on the road to Harrisfield, and what initially looks like a natural death by hypothermia quickly turns into suspicious circumstances.

It’s possible the victim was coming to consult Wyn, so she can’t enjoy the holiday until she solves the multiple mysteries the dead woman presents: who was she, why was she walking to town at night in dangerously cold weather, and, most important of all, who killed her?

Note that this story is a novella, approximately 30,000 words, a bit less than half the length of the other stories in the series. (Amazon)

Editions Available: Kindle

Bookstore owner and mystery writer Samantha Washington comes to the aid of the cop who once arrested her own grandmother . . .

Sam and Nana Jo are back in sleepy North Harbor, Michigan, where Sam is eagerly awaiting the publication of her first book. In search of more immediate excitement, Nana Jo hits the casino with her fellow Shady Acres Retirement Village gal pals—but they get more than they bargained for when they witness Detective Bradley Pitt decking mayoral candidate John Cloverton.
 
As Sam well knows, mystery novels are full of brilliant detectives, genius sleuths, and hero cops. Detective Bradley Pitt—aka “Stinky Pitt”—is another story. In the past, the dull-witted detective has mistakenly accused members of Sam’s family for crimes they didn’t commit. Now, it’s his turn: when Cloverton turns up dead, he’s arrested. With his predilection for polyester, Pitt has been wanted by the fashion police for years, but Nana Jo knows her former elementary school math student would never commit murder—it doesn’t add up. Somebody’s framed the flatfoot to take a fall, and Sam and Nana Jo must step in to restore the reputation and good name of Detective Pitt.
 
Praise for THE PLOT IS MURDER

“A promising debut with a satisfying conclusion.”
—Publishers Weekly

“Cozy mystery readers and historical novel aficionados will adore this warm-hearted, cleverly plotted new series.”
—Kings River Life (Amazon)

Editions Available: Kindle, Paperback
 

New Releases For The Week Of October 21st,2021

Miss Fisher meets Downton Abbey in A Secret Never Told, the fourth installment in the critically acclaimed mystery series from New York Times bestselling author Shelley Noble.

Philomena Amesbury, expatriate Countess of Dunbridge, is bored. Coney Island in the sweltering summer of 1908 offers no shortage of diversions for a young woman of means, but sea bathing, horse racing, and even amusement parks can’t hold a candle to uncovering dastardly plots and chasing villains. Lady Dunbridge hadn’t had a big challenge in months.

Fate obliges when Phil is called upon to host a dinner party in honor of a visiting Austrian psychologist whose revolutionary theories may be of interest to the War Department, not to mention various foreign powers, and who may have already survived one attempt on his life. The guest list includes a wealthy industrialist, various rival scientists and academics, a party hypnotist, a flamboyant party-crasher, and a damaged beauty whose cloudy psyche is lost in a world of its own. Before the night is out, one of the guests is dead with a bullet between the eyes and Phil finds herself with another mystery on her hands, even if it’s unclear who exactly the intended victim was meant to be.

Worse yet, the police’s prime suspect is a mystery man who Phil happens to be rather intimately acquainted with. Now it’s up to Lady Dunbridge, with the invaluable assistance of her intrepid butler and lady’s maid, to find the real culprit before the police nab the wrong one . . .

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

Editions Available: Kindle, Hardcover, Audiobook

Review of Dead As A Doornail

Dead As A Doornail
Kenni Lowry, Book #5
Tonya Kappes
5 Stars

Synopsis:

Beauty is skin deep, but ugly goes clear to the bone. And doesn’t our Sheriff Kenni Lowry know that? Well, she knows a lot of things.

Lucy Lowell takes great pride in writing negative reviews in the local newspaper for anything that does not go her way. When Lucy is found dead, it appears to be from natural causes.

But Sheriff Kenni Lowry knows there is more to it because the ghost of her grandfather, the ex-sheriff, is standing over the body.

His presence can only mean one thing: Murder!

Since Kenni’s relationship with Deputy Finn Vincent has heated up, Kenni is having trouble conducting the investigation without Finn questioning her every move.

Can Kenni unravel the mystery on her own or will she have to tell Finn the real reason she knows it was murder—the ghost of her poppa?

It’s blowin’ up a storm and only Kenni knows how it’ll end. (Goodreads)

Review:

The author is very talented in her descriptive writing and whenever I read one of her books I am transplanted to the setting that she creates. Cottonwood, Kentucky, seems as real a place as any other small town in the United States. I always enjoy my visits.

The writing style flows smoothly and the book is an easy read. The characters are defined very clearly by their actions and words. The characters are well rounded and three dimensional. I so enjoy spending time with Kenni and her grandfather. Their love for each other crosses the border between the living and the dead.

The mystery was well paced and well plotted. There were enough twists and turns to almost give me whiplash enough red herrings thrown in that I thought cats might start following me! It was not an easy mystery to solve and that is fine with me.

I would recommend this book, and series, to anyone who enjoys a well crafted cozy paranormal. This series is one of my favorite ghostly cozies and I cannot wait to read the next one.

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

The Murder Before Christmas

If you’ve got a problem, Charlie Kingsley probably has a tea that’ll help make it right.

EXCEPT when it comes to love. She does NOT do love potions.

Not even for Courtney, her pregnant new client who showed up three weeks before Christmas seeking a love potion because her husband was cheating on her.

So, Courtney asked about poison, instead.

She said she was joking. That’s what happens between wives and husbands. They get angry and talk about killing each other. They don’t really mean it.

It seems to make sense … until Courtney’s husband turns up dead on Christmas Eve.

He was poisoned, of course.

And who is the number one suspect? Courtney. Of course.

But did she actually do it? Or is she being set up?

It’s up to Charlie to sort through all the twists and turns in a case that gets more complicated the deeper she digs.

Meet Charlie. Better known as “Aunt Charlie” from the award-winning Secrets of Redemption series. She’s back, making teas and solving cases in this funny, twisty, cozy mystery series set in the 1990s in Redemption, Wisconsin.

The characters are well rounded and well developed.  Charlie sells teas for anything that ails you.  One of her clients, Courtney, asks Charlie for a love potion to get her husband to be in love with her again. But Charlie does not do love potions.  So the client asks Charlie for some poison.  The client tells Charlie she is only kidding, but when her husband dies from poisoning, Charlie is not so sure.  Charlie decides to find the killer herself, but it will not be easy.  Pat, one of Charlie’s friends, helps her in her search.

The writing style flows smoothly and the book is an easy read. The author is very talented in her descriptive writing and these descriptions pulled me into the story from the very beginning.  I really enjoyed watching Charlie work on the mystery and hearing what she is saying.  The mystery is well plotted and not easily solved.  There were enough clues to sift through and suspects to consider and that made the mystery more intriguing.

I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a well crafted cozy mystery.  I look forward to reading the next book in the series.

I received a copy of the book from BookFunnel and the review is my own opinion.

When Michele was 3 years old, she taught herself to read because she wanted to write stories so badly. It took some time (and some detours) but she does spend much of her time writing stories now. Mystery stories to be exact, ranging from psychological thrillers to cozies, with a dash of romance and supernatural thrown into the mix. If that wasn’t enough, she also hosts a virtual book club you can check out and join (for free!) at MPWNovels.com.

Michele holds a double major in English and Communications from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Currently she lives in the mountains of Prescott, Arizona with her husband Paul and southern squirrel hunter Cassie.

Review of Getaway With Murder

Getaway With Murder

Mountain Lodge Mystery, Book #1

Diane Kelly

5 Stars

Getaway With Murder is the first in a brand new cozy series from Diane Kelly set in a lodge in the Blue Ridge Mountains, where secrets hide behind every hill.

As if hitting the half-century mark wasn’t enough, Misty Murphy celebrated her landmark birthday by amicably ending her marriage and investing her settlement in a dilapidated mountain lodge at the top of the Blue Ridge Mountains. With the old inn teetering on both a bluff and bankruptcy, she must have lost her ever-loving mind.

Luckily, handyman Rocky Crowder has a knack for rehabbing virtual ruins and for doing it on a dime, and to Misty’s delight, the lodge is fully booked on opening night, every room filled with flexible folks who’d slipped into spandex and ascended the peak for a yoga retreat with plans to namastay for a full week. Misty and her guests are feeling zen—at least until the yoga instructor is found dead.

With a killer on the loose and the lodge’s reputation hanging in the balance, Misty must put her detective-skills to the test. Only one thing is as clear as a sunny mountain morning—she must solve the crime before the lodge ends up, once again, on the brink.  (Goodreads)

Review:

The characters are well rounded and well developed.  Misty is trying her hand at being the owner of a mountain lodge.  Shortly after she has her first paying customers, someone is killed.  She has a whole inn full of suspects, including her staff.  She will have to figure out who the killer is before someone else is killed.  I found it refreshing that Misty was not butting heads with law enforcement.  Deputy Highcloud kept Misty in the loop and welcomed her input.  That was a nice change.

The author is very talented in her descriptive writing and it pulled me into the story from the very beginning.  The writing style flows smoothly and the book is an easy read.  I thought the mystery was well plotted and it was not easily solved.  There were plenty of suspects to consider and I did not know the culprit until the reveal at the end.

I would highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a well written cozy mystery.  In fact, all the books are very good, you cannot go wrong reading her stories.

I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book provided by the publisher, St. Martin’s Press, and NetGalley, which I greatly appreciate.

New Releases For The Week Of November 14th, 2021

Bonnie Balfour adores the changing seasons, fabulous fall activities and holiday hoopla, but will a corpse on the porch squash her holiday plans?

Thanksgiving is right around the corner in historic Bliss, Georgia, and Bonnie is trimming display tables at Bless Her Heart, especially for the occasion. A Gift of Gratitude display, beside the front door of her second chance dress shop, encourages shoppers to leave messages of good tidings for neighbors and friends. Unfortunately, someone has left a cornucopia of complaints instead.

And they’re all about Bonnie!

When the scrooge turns out to be a neighbor, fed up with Clyde’s habitual petty theft and trespassing, Bonnie’s claws come out in defense of her kitty. The heated exchange leaves a bad taste in Bonnie’s mouth, but the man turns up dead before she can dish out a proper apology.

Determined to see justice served, Bonnie and Clyde dig into the case with gusto, only to land in hot water with the handsome Sheriff Wright. A series of anonymous attacks soon have the town wondering if Bonnie can find the killer before it’s time to cut the turkey. Or if she’ll be the next one on his carving board. (Amazon)

Editions Available: Kindle

Murder is a dish best served ice cold…

Margery and Clementine are enjoying a peaceful middle-age together in the small, idyllic town of Dewstow, and eagerly awaiting retirement from their work on the front line serving meals to the students at Summerview secondary school.

Their calm life is shattered when their kitchen manager is found dead in the school’s walk-in freezer. The police are adamant that it’s an open-and-shut case of accidental death. Margery and Clementine are convinced there’s something far more nefarious going on, and they take it upon themselves to investigate.

As they inch closer to the truth, it becomes clear that someone will stop at nothing to keep the pair quiet. Will the perpetrator get their just-desserts before their time runs out?

A delightful, quintessentially British cosy mystery perfect for fans of SJ Bennett and Robert Thorogood.

Readers are loving The Dinner Lady Detectives

‘The plot is great, the character cast is spot on, and the dialogue and humor is so quick, smart, and addictive. Margery and Clem play off one another brilliantly. I cannot wait to read the next book (please say there will be one!!!!!!) and highly recommend this gem.‘ NetGalley review ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘What a fun mystery. I would definitely call this a cozy mystery on the line of Murder, She Wrote! I love the dinner ladies and their interactions. I love the relationship between Clem and Margery.’ NetGalley review ⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘The characters are beautifully written and I came to love them within the first few pages and was rooting for them all the way to the end. At times I wanted to stop reading because I just wanted the experience to go on for longer.’ NetGalley review ⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘Had me hooked from the start right until the end. It was just a lovely cosy read that felt like coming home on a cold and dark night. I loved it.’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐ (Amazon)

Editions Available: Kindle

Mrs. Jeffries and Inspector Witherspoon should be checking off their Christmas present list but instead they’re listing murder suspects in this latest entry of the beloved Victorian Mystery series.

Harriet Andover had no intention of dying young like her silly siblings had. She intended to outlive them and outdo them as she always had. But Harriet discovers that the best intentions can lead to murder when she is strangled inside her mansion with a house full of holiday guests.

As much as Inspector Witherspoon enjoys his job delivering justice, the last thing he wanted was a complicated murder case just a week before Christmas. He soon discovers that Harriet’s own husband and grown stepchildren are not overcome with grief and neither are most of her friends. And to put the icing on the Christmas cookies, the room where Harriet’s body was found was locked from the inside and she had the only key in her pocket.

Mrs. Jeffries and the household have no intention of letting their inspector down and learn that Harriet’s sister may have died from foul play as well. As the clues mount, this dedicated band of merry sleuths will not rest until they’ve delivered a stocking full of coal to a crafty killer. (Amazon)

Editions Available: Kindle, Hardcover, Audiobook

A heartwarming cozy mystery series about losing everything, taking a chance, and starting again.

After suffering a personal tragedy Abby Sullivan buys a huge old seaside mansion she has never even seen, packs up her life in San Francisco, and moves to Holiday Bay Maine, where she is adopted, quite against her will, by a huge Maine Coon Cat named Rufus, a drifter with her own tragic past named Georgia, and a giant dog with an inferiority complex named Ramos. What Abby thought she needed was alone time to heal. What she ended up with was, an inn she never knew she wanted, a cat she couldn’t seem to convince to leave, and a new family she’d never be able to live without.

In book 17 in the series, Abby joins Colt as he investigates the death of a local man who died after eating pudding dosed with poison during a community dinner. Was the man targeted or was the poison in the pudding a random act set into motion by a madman intent on murder?

Meanwhile, Thanksgiving is only a few days away and several guests who’ve visited the inn in the past return to spend the holiday with Abby, Georgia, and the rest of the Inn at Holiday Bay family. In addition to the return cast, a couple is looking for their runaway granddaughter and another is trying to make the best of things after tragedy struck his family. (Amazon)

Editions Available: Kindle, Hardcover, Paperback

Candlemaker Hazel Wickbury has a secret. She knows when someone is going to die.

Welcome to Crucible, a small town with a storied history. Founded by five prestigious families, Crucible has been tucked away in upstate New York for centuries under the protection of a shield enchantment cast by Jedidiah Glenmyre, Hazel’s revered ancestor. The enchanted barrier is meant to protect Crucible from anything bad ever happening to the town. No crime, no awful weather, no natural disasters…a haven from the greater world.

Until the heir to a billion-dollar company is found dead in his home. With the help of her uncanny power, known as a “whim,” Hazel realizes foul play is involved. But more than being concerned about a murderer running loose and Jedidiah Glenmyre’s protection shield deteriorating, Hazel and her aunt Poppy are worried the town’s kindhearted art teacher will be charged with the sinister crime.

Hazel and Poppy team up with an internationally acclaimed mystery author visiting Crucible to figure out who had it in for the victim. Their fledgling investigation has them questioning if long-time friends have turned into foes and whether blood is really thicker than water.

Determined to prove her friend innocent, Hazel is ready to shine a light on the real killer…if they don’t snuff her out first.

“You Can’t Candle the Truth is a unique, charming, feel-good story that fans across the entire mystery spectrum will enjoy. Treat yourself to a trip to Crucible. Grab a pint at the Cold Cauldron and get to know Hazel and the gang. You’ll be glad you did.” J.C. Kenney, bestselling author of the Allie Cobb Mysteries

“With the setting, characters, and mystery storyline all on point, You Can’t Candle the Truth is pure delight.”Carol E. Ayer, author of The HSP Mysteries

“You Can’t Candle the Truth, like its heroine, Hazel Wickbury, is absolutely enchanting…magic is threaded with persuasive charm into the fabric of the story.” Lori Robbins, award-winning author of the On Pointe Mysteries

Candlemaker Hazel Wickbury is about to shine a light on things in You Can’t Candle the Truth, first in the new Glenmyre Whim Mysteries by Sarah E. Burr. (Amazon)

Editions Available: Kindle, Hardcover, Paperback

Hairstylist Marla Vail flushes out a killer when murder disrupts her mother’s home renovation plans in this stylish cozy mystery.

When hairstylist and savvy sleuth, Marla Vail, gets a frantic call from her mother that there’s a dead body in her shower, Marla realizes this wasn’t part of the home renovation plans. The victim turns out to be the project manager, who had an untrustworthy reputation in town. Disgruntled customers, unpaid suppliers, and the design company’s staff are among the suspects. Which one of them wanted the foreman to pipe down about their shady dealings?

Meanwhile, the lead investigator sets his sights on Marla’s stepfather, Reed, who’s keeping secrets from his family. Reed has a past connection to the victim and won’t come clean about what he knows. As Marla drills deeper, she’s showered with suspicions, but nobody’s willing to leak any information. She needs to hammer down the prospects, or time will drain away and the murderer will strike again.

To flush out the culprit, Marla taps into her pipeline of resources. Can she assemble the clues and demolish the alibis to nail a killer? Or has someone designed the perfect murder?

Recipes Included! (Amazon)

Editions Available: Kindle, Paperback

Kari Stuart is roped into helping out at a dog show—but soon finds she’s bitten off more than she can chew when her best friend is framed for murder in this new Catskills Pet Rescue Mystery.

When the woman running the big regional dog show calls out sick, dog groomer Suz Holden is asked to take over. But it’s too much for her to handle by herself— considering the president of the kennel club, Olivia Weiner, criticizes her at every turn—so she calls in her best friend, Kari Stuart, for help.
A long, stressful day goes from bad to worse when a local breeder is found dead, and the murder weapon seems to incriminate Suz.

While Kari knows her friend isn’t guilty, the police aren’t so sure, especially after a second murder points to Suz again. But trying to run a dog show and investigate a murder at the same time is like herding cats, and Kari will have to rely on the rest of the Serenity Sanctuary staff to keep things running smoothly while she—and her beloved and clever kitten, Queenie—sniff out the truth. (Amazon)

Editions Available: Kindle, Paperback. Audiobook

Around here we say BLESS HER HEART and sometimes it’s just not in a good way.

Take Neva Hudson for instance, bless her heart, she’s the town gossip, not to mention someone who likes to toot her own horn.

Two toots too many ’cause bless her heart, someone has strangled Neva and left her for dead in of all places…the church’s Christmas play.

Trust me when I say there’s no shortage of suspects since her tongue lashed a few too many lies about people.

More importantly, my dear friend Dottie Swaggert has been on the tall tale end of Neva’s lies and she’s got the most motive. Thank goodness me, Mae West, and our group of friends, the Laundry Club Ladies have traded our Christmas play elf hats into sleuthing caps because Santa’s bringing Dottie a big ole present of FREEDOM when we find the real killer.

’Tis the season for murder in the small town of Normal, Kentucky. When the town gossip is found strangled to death in a church, there’s no shortage of suspects. (Amazon)

Editions Available: Kindle

Review of Six Feet Under

Description:

Too many cooks in the kitchen spoil the broth. And let me tell you, this broth is in trouble. Get ready for a Southern showdown.

The residents of Cottonwood, Kentucky are sent into a tizzy when the Culinary Channel comes to town to film an episode of Southern Home Cookin’ with celebrity chef Frank Von Lee.

Especially Sheriff Kenni Lowry.

Her mama’s award-winning chicken pot pie is what brought Frank to town, and they don’t make hair in the South bigger than her mama’s ego after the news.

When Frank Von Lee is found dead from food poisoning and the most likely culprit is Mama’s chicken pot pie, Kenni’s poppa, the former sheriff, comes back from the Great Beyond to assist in the investigation.

But nothing’s prepared Kenni for such a personal tie to a case, and she finds herself pushing the limits of the laws she’s sworn to protect.

This book’s so delicious it’ll make your mouth water and leave you hankerin’ for more. (NetGalley)

Review:

The author is very talented in her descriptive writing and her ability to create a small town Southern setting. You can tell she knows the ins and outs of places in the South and she creates towns that are spot on. The writing style flows smoothly and the book is an easy read. The mystery was carried on well throughout the entire book. There were plenty of suspects to consider and enough clues to sift through that I never really did figure out the culprit until it was revealed at the end.

The characters are well developed and well rounded. They seem very realistic to me because they all have their flaws. In this book we see Kenni almost crossing the boundaries of what is ethical and what is not. She wants to do whatever it takes to make sure that the primary suspect in the murder case is proven innocent but she just might have to cross a line that is best left not crossed. Poppa has once again come from the afterlife to help Kenni and I just love the interaction between him and Kenni. We should all be so lucky to have someone like Poppa in our lives.

I would recommend this book, and series, to anyone who enjoys a well crafted paranormal cozy. With great characters, a homey setting and a well plotted mystery, what’s not to love?

I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for a honest review. I would like to thank NetGalley and Henery Press for the opportunity to read and review this book.