Of Manners and Murder is the first in the delightful new Dear Miss Hermione mystery series from Anastasia Hastings.
1885: London, England. When Violet’s Aunt Adelia decides to abscond with her newest paramour, she leaves behind her role as the most popular Agony Aunt in London, “Miss Hermione,” in Violet’s hands.
And of course, the first letter Violet receives is full, not of prissy pondering, but of portent. Ivy Armstrong is in need of help and fears for her life. But when Violet visits the village where the letters were posted, she finds that Ivy is already dead.
She’ll quickly discover that when you represent the best-loved Agony Aunt in Britain, both marauding husbands and murder are par for the course. (Amazon)
Editions Available: Kindle, Hardcover, Audiobook
Who knew being a writer for hire could be so dramatic? Join Veronica in her fourth adventure as writer-turned sleuth!
When writer for hire Veronica Blackstone is asked to write the copy for The Friends of Hyde Park’s annual house and garden tour, she never expects to get involved in a violent death. But that’s exactly what happens when famous author Landon Donte is found dead in his study during a dinner to highlight the tour.
With his career on the wane, and apparently having deleted his last manuscript, it looks as though Landon committed suicide. But Veronica isn’t so sure. She discovers that left-handed Landon was killed by someone right-handed and becomes convinced someone murdered him.
It’s true that Landon had many enemies: his rival and neighbor, bestselling romance author RL Lincoln; his put-upon assistant, Brad; even his own daughter! But are any of them capable of murder? Veronica is determined to uncover the truth. (Amazon)
Editions Available: Kindle, Hardcover
In the second installment of Patricia Raybon’s critically acclaimed mystery series, amateur detective Annalee Spain races the clock to solve the murder of a handsome young pilot before she is framed for the crime—and before his dashing twin falls head over heels for her, tempting her promised heart.
On a cold spring night in 1924, Annalee Spain offers her new fancy lace handkerchief—a gift from her pastor boyfriend Jack Blake—to a young woman crying in a Denver public library. But later that night, when police find the handkerchief next to the body of the young woman’s murdered husband, Annalee becomes the number one suspect, and her panic doubles when she learns that Jack has gone missing.
With just days to solve the murder before the city’s Klan-run police frame her for the crime, Annalee finds herself hunting for clues in the Colorado mountain town of Estes Park. She questions the victim’s wife and her uncle, a wealthy Denver banker, at their mountain lodge, desperate for leads. Instead, she finds a household full of suspects and even more burning questions. Who keeps threatening her, why can’t she find Jack, and will a dangerous flirtation be her undoing? Her answers plumb the depths of the human heart, including her own, exploring long-buried secrets, family lies, even city politics—all of which could cost the young detective her fledgling love . . . and perhaps even her life. (Amazon)
Editions Available: Kindle, Hardcover, Paperback, Audiobook
Crime writer turned sleuth, Augusta Hawke finds herself drawn into her second mystery when a celebrity doctor is found dead at a party she is attending!
Callie Moore is no ordinary aspiring writer. Notorious wife of a Washington lobbyist, Callie believes no publicity is bad publicity and that publishing her scandalous memoirs will help her achieve her heart’s desire: a diplomatic posting. She just needs crime novelist Augusta Hawke to be her ghostwriter.
It’s hard to say no to Callie, but Augusta does agree to attend her dinner party. The guest list is impressive, and it’s Augusta’s chance to meet celebrity doctor Doc Burke. But before Augusta really gets a chance to chat with the famous humanitarian, the evening ends in his untimely death.
Signs point to a heart attack, but Augusta isn’t convinced. Especially when his niece tells Augusta about the mystery woman who claimed the doctor’s remains.
Augusta decides to host a writers’ retreat and invite all the suspects, most of whom are connected in some way with writing. Isn’t that what Agatha Christie would do? But the remote lodge soon becomes snowed in and the group starts to crack when it becomes clear the killer may not be finished killing. Can Augusta flush out the culprit before anyone else gets hurt? (Amazon)
Editions Available: Kindle, Hardcover, Audiobook
Harlow Jane Cassidy is swamped with homecoming couture requests. If only she didn’t have to help solve a murder, she might get the gowns off the dress forms….
Harlow is doing everything she can to expand her dressmaking business, Buttons & Bows—without letting clients know about her secret charm. When she has a chance to create homecoming dresses with a local charity and handmade mums for several high school girls—including Gracie, whose father, Will, has mended Harlow’s heart—she is ready to use her magical talents for a great cause.
But when Gracie’s date for the dance is accused of murder, Harlow knows things won’t be back on course until she helps Gracie clear the football player’s name. If Harlow can’t patch up this mess before the big game, her business and her love life might be permanently benched.
INCLUDES SEWING TIPS (Amazon)
Editions Available: Kindle
With a needle and thread, Harlow Jane Cassidy is capable of magic. Her neighbors in Bliss, Texas, on the other hand, are capable of murder….
Any garment Harlow stitches together has the power to grant the deepest desire of whomever wears it. So when she’s asked to sew aprons for a local women’s group, Harlow must get to know each member. First up is Delta Lee Mobley, who doesn’t care much for Harlow’s family—or anyone else in Bliss, for that matter. Granting Delta’s greatest wish could only lead to trouble….
But trouble finds Delta all the same. The day after Harlow delivers her apron, Delta’s body is discovered in the cemetery. It seems one of the townsfolk harbored ill will toward one of their own. Harlow’s sleuthing skills are a cut above the rest, and with a few magical tricks up her sleeve, she is determined to cuff this killer once and for all. (Amazon)
Editions Available: Kindle
A seaside party at a Cornish mansion with plenty of fizz, what could be more perfect? But something fishy is afoot… a killer lurks among the guests, and only Cressida Fawcett can stop them.
When Cressida Fawcett is invited to stay at Penbeagle House on the Cornish coast for a fancy-dress ball, she is looking forward to sipping rum cocktails clad as a pirate, watching the red-sailed boats go by and relaxing in the sea air with her good friend Dotty. But before they can raise their glasses to toast Cressida’s former flame Lord Canterbury’s engagement, he drops dead in front of the horrified guests.
The local doctor determines that Lord Canterbury was poisoned, and soon Detective Chief Inspector Andrews is on his way from Scotland Yard. But Cressida is dismayed by the murder of the intrepid explorer who once asked for her hand in marriage, and she cannot simply leave the case to the police. Together with Dotty and her little pug Ruby, Cressida searches for clues only to discover that many of the guests have a motive for murder. Did an irate journalist or a bitter fellow explorer send Lord Canterbury on his untimely final journey?
And when a young maid is found dead, floating in the shimmering waters of the cove, Cressida knows time is running out to catch the killer. Could aclue hidden among some rather pungent crab sandwiches help her solve the case before there is another murder?
A witty and totally addictive cozy mystery packed with intrigue and glamour. Perfect for fans of Agatha Christie, T.E. Kinsey and Lee Strauss.
What readers are saying about Fliss Chester:
‘I absolutely loved it… Clever, funny, charming.’ T E Kinsey, best-selling mystery writer of the Lady Hardcastle series
‘What a rip-roaring adventure!… A classic whodunnit… kept me hooked from start to finish.’ Goodreads reviewer ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
‘So much fun. Think Wooster and Jeeves meets Downton Abbey doing a mystery. I was laughing out loud… Twists, turns and red herrings keep you guessing to the end. Just super.’ Goodreads reviewer ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
‘Very Agatha Christie-esque… Literally never a dull moment… The twists and turns just kept on coming right until the final scene… I simply couldn’t avoid being tripped up by the red herrings…I was always on the edge of my seat… Wonderful.’ @Fiction_Books⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
‘Loved loved loved… Can’t wait to read more of Cressy and her faithful little pug Ruby… Fantastic… Couldn’t put it down… It was gripping… I wanted to know who dun it!!’ NetGalley reviewer ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
‘Exceptional… Nail-biting… A terrific crime caper… A wonderful new amateur sleuth who is bound to become a huge favourite.’ Bookish Jottings ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
‘I absolutely loved this… Twists and turns, plenty of suspects, and all the red herrings you could dream of… Incredibly fun… I did not want this book to end… I can’t wait for more adventures with Cressida!’ Book Frolic ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
‘I love Cressida!… Fantastic… Filled with laughs, sass, and moments of pure genius.’ KKEC Reads⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
‘I loved this!… A romp from start to finish. The main character is a gem… I can hardly wait to ride along on more of Cressida’s adventures.’ Goodreads reviewer ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
‘Absolutely loving this series what ho! Love the twists and turns… Amazing.’ NetGalley reviewer ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
‘Very Agatha Christie with a bit of Dorothy L Sayers. Absolutely loved it. Can’t wait for the next.’ NetGalley reviewer ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (Amazon)
Editions Available: Kindle, Paperback, Audiobook
It’ll be a Valentine’s Day to celebrate…if she makes it out alive.
Brilliant baker Rosie Hart is busier than ever as she prepares for Airlie Falls’s famed Valentine’s Day Farmers and Craft Market. The last thing she needs as she races to frost her cashew nut cakes is the mysterious appearance of a dead body found on her new fiancé, Jonah’s, property. To add icing to the cupcake, another long-dead body is found buried underneath it. For goodness bakes!
Rosie vows to leave the investigating to the sheriff this time—she has enough to juggle with her baking business and her nonagenarian friends who are entranced by a new seniors dating app. But when rumors begin affecting Jonah’s construction business, enough is enough. Getting answers will mean retracing the unexplained disappearance of a woman ten years earlier—a woman who had a dalliance with a now-famous actor and is supposedly speaking through a clairvoyant.
Can Rosie solve the case in time to ensure this Valentine’s Day is remembered for all the right reasons? (Amazon)
Editions Available: Kindle
A former lifeguard found belly-up at the beach. A reporter off to a rough start. Can she and her whiskered-BFF follow the footprints to the truth?
Maggie Romano is itching to put pen to paper. Tasked with covering the big opening event of the summer season, the anxious journalist takes a beachside walk to calm her nerves. But instead of being soothed, the jittery journalist is jolted when she and her feline sidekick stumble over a stranger’s body with a bullet hole in his back.
Shocked by her mother’s unexpected emotional reaction to the news, Maggie vows to protect the distraught woman and solve the case before it makes the front page. But as she digs deeply into the dead man’s past, she discovers tangled local connections going back decades that threaten to trigger a heartbreaking scandal…
Will her persistent prying lay old wounds to rest or open a can of worms?
Sandcastle Secrets is the poignant second book in the cozy Maggie and Pepper Mysteries series. If you like precocious pets, quaint communities, and watching characters grow, then you’ll love Wendy Ledger’s four-footed romp.
Buy Sandcastle Secrets to see what the tide washed in today! (Amazon)
Editions Available: Kindle, Paperback
mjbreviewers 