New Releases For The Week Of June 9th, 2024–Part 2

Alexa Glock is at a crossroads, personally and professionally.

Now that DI Bruce Horne, who said he loved her, won’t deny he cheated on his ex-wife, how can Alexa trust he won’t cheat on her? She and her abandonment issues need some space, so she throws her hat in the ring for a position far from New Zealand: Abertay University in Scotland. Her professional crush, Dr. Ben Odden, is interested in her expertise in teeth. If he makes an offer, will Alexa bite?Meanwhile, a human skeleton has been exhumed in a quaint former gold rush town in New Zealand. A benefactor believes that the bones are that of a Chinese gold miner, and she wants to repatriate the “hungry ghost” of her ancestor to China. Alexa is called in to examine the teeth and the secrets they contain. She didn’t expect to discover a hole in the skull. When another skeleton is unearthed nearby and also shows evidence of a violent death, Alexa heads to the police station to open a cold case. Then, the town’s beloved school principal goes missing. Alexa is quickly recruited to assist with the search, and as she digs into both cases, the secrets she uncovers make her dangerously unpopular with those who want to keep the past buried—and perhaps Alexa along with it. (Amazon)

Editions Available: Kindle, Paperback, Audiobook 

Denver’s newest detective. A garden’s deadly secrets.

On a lovely June night in 1924, amateur detective Annalee Spain is mingling bravely at a high-class political fundraiser in the lush backyard garden of famed political fixer Cooper Coates, one of the wealthiest men in Denver’s Black neighborhood of Five Points. When Coates’s young daughter discovers a pretty stranger dead in her father’s garden shed, Annalee is thrust onto the baffling new case just as she’s reeling from another recent discovery—a handwritten letter, found buried in her own garden, that reveals the identity of her mother.

Not ready to face the truth about her hidden past, Annalee throws herself into solving the mystery of the young woman’s demise. With the help of her pastor boyfriend Jack Blake, her orphaned buddy Eddie, and her trustworthy church friends, Annalee follows the clues to three seemingly disconnected settings—a traveling carnival set up downtown, a Black civic club, and a prestigious white seminary on the outskirts of Denver. Intriguing advice also comes from a famous, real-life Denver visitor. But is Annalee on the right track or just running in circles, fleeing from conflicts racing in her heart?

In a taut, heart-gripping narrative driven by secrets, romance, and lies, Annalee must unravel a case with higher stakes than she imagined—one where answers about a lovely woman’s death point to truths and tensions still throbbing today.

  • A clean historical mystery featuring an amateur female detective, from the Christy Award–winning author of All That Is Secret
  • Third installment in the Annalee Spain series
  • Includes discussion questions for book groups (Amazon)

Editions Available: Kindle, Hardcover, Paperback, Audiobook

The islanders are up to the high doh. Scotland’s popular reality game show, Game of Trust, is being filmed at Vik Castle and two of their own are taking part. Will the “Saviours” team help them survive, or will the “Murderers” team eliminate them first?

When Sergeant Wilson receives intelligence that the international art thief, Shoogledy Jack, has infiltrated the game in order to steal Laird Hamish’s valuable painting, she commandeers Losers Club to help her unmask the villain. Sending some of their number in undercover seems like an excellent idea…until a contestant is eliminated in the most gruesome fashion, leaving behind a trail of conflicting stories and half-truths.

With the remaining contestants locked in the castle and unable to communicate with the outside world, loyalties become strained as the Losers battle to solve the murder, find the thief and stop PC “Easy” Piecey eating all the good chocolate biscuits. If they are all to survive the night, Saviours and Murderers must work together in this ultimate Game of Trust. (Amazon)

Editions Available: Kindle

Two weddings with feasting and kissing. Frisky cats and their angry hissing. And murder.

Hollywood, 1957. The gofer for a television series doesn’t earn all that much, so when one of Gillian Raye’s friends asks for help serving at a local retirement party, she agrees. Rumor has it that Gillian and Minnie Mae have a talent for stumbling into crimes, but that’s silly. Or is it? To their dismay, the luncheon’s guest of honor never finishes the meal and ends up face down in the leftover layer cake.

Here’s the thing. A girl must step in at times and help people she cares about. When the surprise demise at the lunch threatens to ruin Minnie Mae’s food services business, how can Gillian stand by and let that happen? And when a murder occurs during a rehearsal of the new spy series, and the handsome homicide detective is stumped, he tracks her down to ask for help.

Can Gillian ferret out essential clues to the killers’ identities before one of them takes aim at the amateur sleuth?

Arsenic and Old Lovers, book one in Candy Baxter’s cozy Trouble in Tinseltown Mystery Series, is a delightful, lighthearted romp through Hollywood of the late 1950s.

Fans of T.E. Kinsey’s Lady Hardcastle and Florence characters, or “The Cats That…” series by Karen Anne Golden, will enjoy following the adventures of Gillian and friends (with the help of Trixie the cat) behind the scenes in Tinseltown.

For a fun read filled with kisses, hisses, and a lovesick macaw named Izzy (awk!), get your copy of Arsenic and Old Lovers.

Previously published as Films, Foodies and Fatalities (Amazon)

Editions Available: Kindle

Callie and the Gull’s Nest are back in the spotlight when a high-profile guest books a room at the bed-and-breakfast. When the man doesn’t show up for his reservation, Callie thinks it was too good to be true. Everyone is shocked when his body washes up in a dinghy the next morning. Once she gets past her assumptions that everyone liked the man, it becomes clear that more than one person might’ve wanted the business mogul dead. Even though Callie trusts her adoptive father to figure out the mystery, she can’t resist using her ghostly contacts to help him narrow the suspect pool.

When Callie gets the call dreaded by anyone in a relationship with an officer of the law, she drops everything to go to the hospital in the neighboring city of Alderbrook. But time in a new city helps her see details about the murder in a different light, and Callie finds herself pulled back into the investigation. Will her involvement be enough to catch the killer before they slip away for good?

Readers, this series of mini-mysteries is a fun follow up to Eryn Scott’s Teahouse series set in the same coastal town. Return to Pebble Cove, this time with Callie, Rosemary’s adopted sister. These novellas are full of your favorite characters from the main series, new mysteries to solve, love, intrigue, and so much more. They also contains major series spoilers for the Teahouse series, so make sure you’ve finished that series before beginning this one. (Amazon)

Editions Available: Kindle

When a stranger is murdered near Roxy Constantine’s farm, she’s sure it has nothing to do with her. But the investigation turns up surprising links to Roxy’s past. As if that weren’t enough, Roxy’s quarreling with her Significant Other, Nate Robicheaux, and facing a possible break-up. Just when the stress begins to ease, the murderer strikes again, sending Nate to the hospital. Now Roxy needs to figure out the link between the Constantine Farm and a blackmailer before she becomes the killer’s next target. (Amazon)

Editions Available: Kindle, Paperback

It all comes down to this.
Charlie Rhodes has come a long way.
She started out as a young woman trying to find a reason for her magic, going as far as to hide in the one place they were looking for her.
Now the final battle is here.
Charlie is in Detroit, surrounded by new faces, and looking for the final piece of the puzzle. Between the reapers, zombies, mages, brujas, loas, and gods, she has her hands full. Death is barreling toward her and taking no prisoners.
Sybil wants to kill her to prolong her life. Charlie just wants to be free to live hers.
This war has always been written in the stars. Now it’s finally here. Who will win? (Amazon)

Editions Available: Kindle, Audiobook

Welcome to Witch’s Cove, where the gossip is as tantalizing as the magic!

Glinda Harrison, our hit-and-miss witch and amateur sleuth, thought she’d seen it all—until a vengeful warlock’s curse begins to unravel the lives of the town’s most talkative residents.

As the quaint coastal haven descends into a whirlwind of misfortune, Glinda must navigate a web of secrets, spells, and suspects to unmask the culprit before the entire town falls under an irreversible hex.

Armed with her wits, her talking pink iguana familiar, Iggy, and her tech-savvy husband, Jaxson, Glinda races against time to break the curse. But as she delves deeper into Witch’s Cove’s mysteries, she discovers that the town’s charming facade conceals a trove of hidden agendas. From the eccentric gossip queens to the enigmatic newcomers, everyone seems to have a secret to hide.

Brew a cup of tea, grab an enchanted pastry, and join Glinda as she unravels the most spellbinding mystery to ever charm Witch’s Cove. (Amazon)

Editions Available: Kindle, Paperback

Mystery • Animals • Romance

In the serene town of Raton, Natalie Davis and Sheriff Jake Dwyer are back on the case when a beloved community member, Mr. Smith, is found murdered in his own backyard. As they untangle the threads of this perplexing crime, they stumble upon an unexpected discovery—a lonely tortoise named Tony, in need of a new home.

Amidst the urgency of solving the murder, Natalie and Jake embark on a heartwarming journey to find the perfect place for Tony to thrive. But with tensions running high and secrets lurking in the shadows, their investigation takes unexpected twists and turns.

As they follow the clues, Natalie and Jake find themselves drawn deeper into a web of deceit and betrayal. With time ticking away, they must race against the clock to uncover the truth about Mr. Smith’s death and ensure Tony’s safety.

Can they solve the case in time?

“Trespass and Tortoise” is a captivating tale of mystery and compassion, where love for animals intertwines with the pursuit of justice. Join Natalie and Jake on a gripping adventure where every revelation brings them closer to the heart of the truth.

Don’t miss out on this thrilling installment in the Dusty Paws series, where courage and determination prevail against all odds.

Includes a recipe for Chicken and Catnip Bites—cat approved. (Amazon)

Editions Available: Kindle

Lady Evelyn is off on a new adventure…her honeymoon! Her newly minted husband, Daniel, and the ever-curious detective are off to India, seeking weeks of rest, relaxation, and romance. They are thrust into a world so different from the one they know, an exhilarating setting for Evelyn, who delights in the different cultures and traditions. Disrupting their exploration, a family acquaintance invites the pair to the famed Bombay Gymkhana Club for an evening of entertainment. Yet what begins as a cheerful event, ends in something far more sinister. Evelyn begins to wonder whether murder follows her, when she is the one to find one of her latest acquaintances having met a rather unnatural and premature end. Despite Daniel’s protests, a detective cannot simply ignore a case unfolding before her very eyes, and so it is that the newly married couple is thrust into a murder investigation. Questions arise, doubts are born, and long-held secrets exposed, as Evelyn pokes her nose in – as her husband might say.
Cultural conflicts add to an atmosphere of mounting tension, as she navigates a world in which she can only be a visitor. She meets Indians and British alike, who are harboring all manner of secrets they might kill to keep. Evelyn must solve the case before another life is taken, including her own. (Amazon)

Editions Available: Kindle