New Releases For The Week Of July 3rd, 2022–Part 1

A sumptuous novel based on the fascinating true story of La Belle Époque icon Lucy, Lady Duff Gordon, who shattered the boundaries of fashion with her magnificently sensual and enchantingly unique designs.

Lucy Duff Gordon knows she is talented. She sees color, light, and texture in ways few people can begin to imagine. But is the male dominated world of haute couture, who would use her art for their own gain, ready for her?
 
When she is deserted by her wealthy husband, Lucy is left penniless with an aging mother and her five-year-old daughter to support. Desperate to survive, Lucy turns to her one true talent to make a living. As a little girl, the dresses she made for her dolls were the envy of her group of playmates. Now, she uses her creative designs and her remarkable eye for color to take her place in the fashion world—failure is not an option. 
 
Then, on a frigid night in 1912, Lucy’s life changes once more, when she becomes one of 706 people to survive the sinking of the Titanic. She could never have imagined the effects the disaster would have on her fashion label Lucile, her marriage to her second husband, and her legacy. But no matter what life throws at her, Lucy will live on as a trailblazing and innovative fashion icon, never letting go of what she worked so hard to earn. This is her story. (Amazon)

Editions Available: Kindle, Paperback, Audiobook

Join Flora Steele – bookshop owner, bicycle-rider, and amateur detective – as she faces her most puzzling case yet!

Sussex, 1957: When Flora Steele andhandsome crime writer Jack Carrington attend the grand re-opening of the Priory Hotel in the beautiful little village of Abbeymead, their day out is cut short when the flame-haired female singer in the band suddenly drops dead before their eyes.

Flora is stunned by the unexpected turn of events and immediately deduces foul play. Beverly Russo was a spirited young woman with a big voice and Flora is determined to get to the bottom of her untimely demise – especially as the detective sergeant leading the investigation is so hopeless. The first clue in the extraordinary case is Beverly’s missing ruby ring…

As Flora makes her enquiries, she discovers that Beverly wasn’t everyone’s cup of tea and there’s more than one person in Abbeymead who had reason to dislike her. But who had the biggest motive: Beverly’s former beau Tommy May, jealous love rival Sally Jenner, or the local doctor who seems to be up to no good…

Then one of the suspects is found dead in the woods near the Priory Hotel. The murder weapon – a musical instrument. As the investigation reaches a high note, Flora knows she must find the culprit and make them face the music before anyone else is hurt. But will Flora’s tenacity put a dangerous spotlight on both her and Jack?

A delightful cozy crime novel, perfect for fans of Agatha Christie, Faith Martin and Joy Ellis!

Readers love the Flora Steele Mysteries:

Amazing… a top-notch cosy mystery… an engaging, intelligent and intriguing murder mystery that I found totally absorbing.’ Goodreads reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

I absolutely love this book! I was so captivated… I could not put this book down… I read this book in one sitting!… Amazing.’ @thenerdandherbooks, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Absolutely fantastic… An addictive perfect mix of mystery, crime, suspense and quirkiness which kept me turning the pages late at night!! An explosive start to a new series!’ Bookworm86, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

A joy to read… Full of mystery and secrets!… Truly an unstoppable read! And I loved every minute of it!’ NetGalley reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐

I loved… A cozy, heart-warming, fast read. It felt like Scooby-Doo meets Agatha Raisin. I am here for it!… Delightful.’ Frosta Wings It, ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Fantastic cozy mystery!… Fun to read… This author knows how to keep the reader’s attention from the first chapter!’ Books and Benches, ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Wonderful book! I absolutely adored this… Had me reading and finishing the book in no time! I highly recommend!!!’ Goodreads reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Love… The story twisted along, with everyone becoming a suspect… A fab read, that I devoured in a day.’ Goodreads reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐

What a joy… Fabulous… Totally fantastic… I highly recommend this outstandingly fabulous book.’ Goodreads reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Pace moves along as you keep turning the pages to find out whodunit. You’ll find yourself rooting for Flora and Jack in more ways than one. I can’t wait for the next book!’ Goodreads reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐ (Amazon)

Editions Available: Kindle, Paperback, Audiobook

After a man dies during a performance at Castle Dark, Nora Blake learns just how hard it is to catch a killer, especially if every suspect is a trained actor, in this exciting new Dinner and a Murder Mystery.

Autumn has arrived at Castle Dark, and Nora Blake has settled into her role as an actor in Derek Corby’s castle murder-mystery troupe. She is troubled, however, by the setting of Derek’s fall mystery: the catacombs in the depths of the castle. Yes, these catacombs are part of a set, the skeletons and cobwebs mere props, but Nora feels uneasy in the shadowy passages beneath Castle Dark. When a man is killed during one of their first shows, the eerie catacombs become a place of terror.

Joined by her castle companions, Nora attempts to find the motive for killing a seemingly innocent victim. Some of those answers appear to lie with the local community theater, the members of which Nora has come to know because she has joined Derek’s latest town production. As Nora practices her lines at Wood Glen’s Blue Curtain Theater, she realizes that everyone around her is an actor, and all of her suspects are perfectly capable of convincing others of their innocence. Nora soon discovers that someone else is in danger and that she may also be in the sights of the killer. With the help of her handsome boyfriend, Detective John Dashiell, Nora will have to go off-script to prevent a murderous encore. . . .  (Amazon)

Editions Available: Kindle, Paperback, Audiobook 

Amateur sleuth Astrid Swift investigates a maritime mystery in this cosy crime adventure set on the Isle of Wight.

The sailors are ashore, and murder is afoot.

It’s summer in the Isle of Wight, and the islanders have little more to do than munch crab sandwiches, sip pints of Wight Squirrel, and complain about the hordes of tourists arriving for the world famous Cowes Week regatta. But when the local busybody drowns in the harbour, what was set to be a relaxing sailing festival starts to turn deadly.

Art restorer Astrid Swift realises she has stumbled on a fresh case that only she and her new art-club friends can solve. Soon she is embroiled in an investigation involving a grand seafront mansion, a dead billionaire’s nautical paintings, and a sailing prodigy who mysteriously went missing at sea three years ago.

As the deaths stack up, and Astrid confronts ever more dangerous suspects, the Isle of Wight’s reputation for being England’s friendliest island is put to the test…

Praise for M.H. Eccleston:

‘I romped through The Trust… A cosy debut set in a house brimming with secrets… An enchanting murder mystery.’ Janice Hallett, author of The Appeal

‘A feisty heroine, an ingenious plot and a cast of quirky characters that soon feel like your best friends, make The Trust a cozy crime to savour.’ Merryn Allingham, author of The Bookshop Murder

‘Intelligent and gently humorous, with a suitably eccentric cast of characters.’ M S Morris, author of the Bridget Hart books (Amazon)

Editions Available: Kindle, Hardcover

Entrepreneur Emma Westlake’s new business is booming until her latest client is arrested for murder in this new Friend for Hire Mystery by USA Today bestselling author Laura Bradford.

Emma Westlake, proprietor of A Friend for Hire, finds a heart-wrenching email from a prospective client in her inbox. The email is from Kim Felder, a woman struggling with empty-nest syndrome and an out of left field divorce. Determined to help get Kim in a better headspace, Emma suggests she draft a bucket list of things she has always wanted to do in life but has put off in favor of taking care of everyone else.  
 
Together, they fill that list with fun baking classes, traveling, and dancing in the middle of the street for no reason. Kim also adds in some hilarious items about getting even with her ex. But all laughter ends when Kim’s ex winds up dead via one of the ideas Kim proposed. Now, Kim is Deputy Jack Riordan’s lone suspect in a murder Emma knows she did not commit. Emma will have to put her budding relationship with the deputy on the line to corner a cunning killer. (Amazon)

Editions Available: Kindle, Paperback, Audiobook

A spooky séance. A missing ornament. A double murder.
Can Vivian Shelly really speak to the dead?
Rosie’s not a believer, but her doubts are pushed to the limit when she attends one of Vivian’s séances. There’s something weird about the whole event. Something otherworldly. And the event gets even stranger when murder comes calling…
To complicate matters further, Rosie’s love interest Sergeant Todd Parker has an old school friend staying with him—a female friend—and Rosie’s green with envy!
The whole gang is back: Rosie’s quirky librarian friend, Kim Chen, the town’s hottest cop, Todd Parker, and the sassiest grandmother to be found on the south coast, Nan Ryan. Good thing Trixie the beagle is there. After all, someone’s got to keep this crazy crowd under control…
The Rosie Ryan Mysteries are cozy, clean, fun traditional mysteries that can be enjoyed by young and old alike. (Amazon)

Editions Available: Kindle

Neighbours Carole and Jude uncover more than they bargained for when Jude decides to redecorate her cottage in this lighthearted cosy mystery.

Having decided to redecorate Woodside Cottage, Jude has engaged the services of local man Pete, who has painted and decorated the homes of Fethering residents for many years. Pete is currently working on Footscrow House, a large Victorian building which is being converted into holiday flats by a local developer.

Having arranged to meet at ‘Fiasco House’, as it is known locally due to the many failed business enterprises over the years, Jude and Pete make a surprising discovery behind a wall panel: a woman’s handbag! The casual discovery becomes serious when the police identify the handbag’s owner as Anita Garner, a young woman who vanished in suspicious circumstances twenty years earlier.

Determined to find out what really happened to Anita all those years ago, Jude and her neighbour Carole’s investigations plunge them into a maze of deception and murder, as they uncover a number of uncomfortable secrets beneath the serene surface of Fethering life . . . (Amazon)

Editions Available: Kindle, Hardcover, Audiobook

At Romano’s Pizza Parlor, murder is always on the menu…

In small town, Lake Basil, Gina has finally gotten her uncle’s pizza parlor back into its authentic Italian shape. The new menu, including the pizza melanzane special, is popular and everyone wants a slice of the pie.

Except for the newest restaurateur in town who happens to be opening a pizzeria right across the street.

When one of Gina’s regulars is found murdered in the alleyway next to the parlor, she’s sure she knows whodunit—her chief competitor.

But the local police, including the crotchety sheriff, have other suspects in mind. And they’re closing Romano’s until they catch the killer…

Can Gina figure out whodunit before the murderer strikes again? Find out in the second installment of the Pizza Parlor series and enjoy an afternoon of cozy mystery intrigue. Grab your copy today! (Amazon)

Editions Available: Kindle

Richard is a middle-aged Englishman who runs a B&B in the Vallée de Follet. Nothing ever happens to Richard, and really that’s the way he likes it.

Until scandal erupts in the nearby town of Saint-Sauver when its famous restaurant is downgraded from three ‘Michelin’ stars to two. The restaurant is shamed, the town is in shock and the leading goat’s cheese supplier drowns himself in one of his own pasteurisation tanks. Or does he?

Valérie d’Orçay, who staying at the B&B while house-hunting in the area, isn’t convinced that it’s a suicide. Despite his misgivings, Richard is drawn into Valérie’s investigation, and finds himself becoming a major player. (Amazon)

Editions Available: Kindle