Book picks similar to
Thick as Thieves by Mary B. Barbee


amish
cozy-mysteries
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1-fic-cozy-mystery

Downward Death


Stella Bixby - 2021
    Sure, she doesn't have friends, family, or a steady job. But she does have her pet pig, Penelope, and her VW Microbus, Mona.If only she could get her hair under control. Some might call it magic, Ellie just calls it annoying.Mad, sad, happy, or scared—it always starts the same way: with a little tingle. That's when she knows her hair is about to go berserk. Whether it pulls itself into curls, turns bright purple, or goes completely limp is beyond her control.But when she gets a letter from her newly departed grandmother telling her she inherited a farm, she knows it's time to get a handle on the hair situation. Especially, if she wants to find out why her mother left her at a fire station all those years ago.Cliff Haven, Iowa is the perfect small town. Friendly people, warm smiles, and almost no crime.Until Ellie shows up.When she finds a dead body in her cornfield, the entire town seems to think she did it. Will she be run out of town? Will her big hairy secret come out? Or will she be able to solve the crime and learn more about her family?Meet Ellie in this first installment of the Magical Mane Mystery Series!

Honeymoon Cruise Murder (A Rachel Prince Mystery Book 7)


Dawn Brookes - 2020
    

The Connecticut Corpse Caper


Tyler Colins - 2015
    And if that's not enough to make for hair-raising moments on the secluded, storm-bound estate, how about a ghost named Fred?The stipulation in the will of Jill-Jocasta Fonne's aunt reads: if a guest leaves early, his or her share will be divided among those remaining. The first one to leave - permanently - dies just hours after arriving.Soon, people start dropping like flies. Donning amateur sleuth caps, Jill and her associates, Rey and Linda, attempt to solve the mystifying murders. Others jump in, and the bumbling and stumbling - and mayhem - begin.Praise: ★★★★★ - "Will keep you amused - and guessing - from beginning to end."

A Confusion of Murders


Marina Johnson - 2017
    A brother obsessed with his looks, a dog that thinks it’s human and a happy though, dull routine. Until that is, her father starts talking nonsense and she makes a shocking discovery about herself. Not to mention the strange events occurring in Frogham – a missing person and a case of dog-napping. And then, on top of everything Louise finds romance in the unlikeliest place....

The New Orleans Go Cup Chronicles Vol 1-3: Rescued By A Kiss, Dead and Breakfast, Drive Thru Murder


Colleen Mooney - 2018
    Brandy Alexander’s the real deal--yes, that’s her real name and she’s not even a stripper, although her best friend Julia is. YOU WILL LOVE THESE: The offbeat way Brandy goes about it all has a definite whiff of Janet Evanovich’s Stephanie Plum; fans of  Stephanie Bond, Jana DeLeon, Joan Hess, Lisa Lutz, Sarah Strohmeyer, and Elaine Viets may also find a kindred spirit in this New Orleans dawlin’. And animal lovers will flat-out swoon! Book 1 RESCUED BY A KISS Brandy gets an unexpected KISS TO KILL FOR. Brandy still lives with her parents in the Irish Channel and she’s sort of semi kind of engaged to the boy next door, who’s—what else?—one of  NOLA’s finest. And Italian! Dante, the BF, is such a thoroughgoing New Orleanian he always manages Mardi Gras parade duty on his own block. So you'd think Brandy might be a little self-conscious a suave Svengali in one of the gentlemen’s walking clubs mesmerizes her into a big fat Mardi Gras smooch right in front of him. But not a bit. Because after all, it's Mardi Gras, and also for another good reason--that kiss was long, slow, hot—unlike any kiss I’d ever had in my life. She makes a date to meet Mr. Great Kisser after the parade (Yes! Right in front of Mr. Right Next Door) but –horrors--arrives just in time to see him get shot. Although fortunately not shot dead. Before he passes out, he pulls her close and whispers, “Save Isabella. And with that we’re off on a screwball chase all over town, from Lee Circle to the Lakefront, with a stop at Charity Hospital, and finally to the French Quarter’s favorite gay dance club, at all times accompanied by Schnauzers, one of them named Geaux Cup. Vol. 2 DEAD AND BREAKFAST--DEAD IN BED…WHO YOU GONNA CALL? Brandy Alexander is a true and trusted friend – not to mention something of a detective-- who else would you call if you found a full-blown murder mystery in your bedroom? So when Brandy’s best friend Julia, the ex-stripper-turned hotelier, finds her first and only guest covered in blood, lying half on and half off a broken bed—with Julia’s panties swinging from the chandelier – she gets Brandy on the horn. And Brandy does the only sensible thing—makes coffee...with a shot of whiskey--then calls the police. And who should respond, but her recent ex-boyfriend, Dante, with a brand new daggers-looking female partner? But wait! This is not nearly complicated enough for Noo Awlins, where, after all, everybody knows everybody! Julia’s lawyer is none other than Jiff, Brandy’s new squeeze (and the reason Dante’s the ex-boyfriend). As the suspense mounts, the romance blossoms, and not just one. Jiff’s looking more and more like Mr. Right: a 100% Class Act, with his own Schnauzer and a soft spot for Brandy’s three. But Dante makes it clear that he doesn’t plan to go quietly; the former Mr. Right Next Door has a few very sexy moves he’s been holding in reserve, which knock Brandy’s socks--and truth be told, her panties --off! DRIVE THRU MURDER, Book 3 When Brandy pulls into the drive-thru, she expects to order a box of CLUCK IT!—CHICKEN BY THE BUCKET, not hear gunshots and see someone in high heels and a black leather miniskirt climbing out of the pick-up window dragging a body. Her boyfriend, New Orleans Detective Dante Deedler, is on this case and hers as bodies keep turning up and she knows about them before he does.

Organized for Christmas Wishes


Ritter Ames - 2020
    However, things take an unexpected turn when they find a mystery in their hometown. This year, there's a Secret Santa who's keeping everyone wondering who the mysterious benefactor is, why the goodwill is suddenly coming to town, and if more surprises are on the way. What is this benefactor's true motive?There might not be a murder to solve this time, but there is a festive mystery that grows bigger each day--and the organizing duo keep a-sleuthing...Organized for Christmas Wishes is a holiday novelette in the popular Organized Mysteries series. The series features a small town New England setting and interesting characters, along with humor, strong family and friendship ties, and absorbing cozy mysteries.

Raising Prosperity (The Prosperity Spartanburg Files, #1)


Cherie Mitchell - 2019
    Her associate Reuben Jackson certainly makes her job easier and a whole lot more enjoyable.As the chaos of clues surrounding Ophelia Rump’s untimely death slowly start to make sense, Prosperity and Reuben get ever closer to finding her killer.However, everything isn’t what it seems in Martha’s Vineyard and there’s more to this story than first meets the eye. As Prosperity’s mama always used to say, "you never know what you’re going to find until you unzip the sealed tab."If you like your suspenseful mystery with a little zany fun and a touch of romantic tension, you will LOVE The Prosperity Spartanburg Files. Readers of Janet Evanovich, Sue Grafton, and J.D. Robb are sure to grow to love this series. Grab yours today!

Team Destiny and Gray's Grave


Belinda White - 2020
    Team Destiny answered.Who is Team Destiny you ask? Well, we're a rag-tag bunch of witches and werewolves, with a Shaman and a couple of lawmen thrown in for good measure. When the Goddess needs help, we're there for Her.Sounds like some kind of science fiction or fantasy movie flick, doesn't it?Nope. Just my life as I now know it.The last month or so had been pretty quiet. No dead bodies showing up in awkward places. No crazy entities out to destroy the world. You know… the kinds of things that had become our usual challenges. The Universe appeared to be giving us a break for once.Enough so that Mom and Dad convinced my Aunt Opal and her new husband, Ex-Sheriff Orville Taylor, to go on a belated honeymoon. Heaven knows my Aunt was long overdue for some rest and relaxation.But wouldn't you just know that the very night after we dropped them off at the airport, all heck broke loose.Welcome to life as a member of Team Destiny.We just can't catch a break for long.

The Way the Cookie Crumbles: Ginger Burnet Cozy Mysteries Prequel


Clementine Moore - 2021
    Recently returned from big city life, and in an attempt to reconnect with her roots and restart her life, she takes up the job of school baker at the esteemed Chiswick Park Academy. Further turning her back on her recent past and following her true aspirations as an amateur baker, stars seem to finally align in Ginger’s life.When a mysterious invitation to a bake-off challenge for a new TV reality show comes up, Ginger takes the opportunity to further cement her presence in the small town. She still has a month until her new job starts, so what harm could possibly be done?As the contestants gather at the highly gated Manor, things take a bloody turn, and all of a sudden ten strangers will need to work together to get out of their host’s murdering sight.Can Ginger solve the mystery and save her life in time? Will her natural instincts protect her from the mansion’s death traps?Find out in this page-turning mystery full of wild turns and family secrets that will rock Little Chiswick to the core, and announce the arrival of a new amateur sleuth in town!*If you like quirky characters, witty dialogue, heart-wrenching twists and turns, and lots of mystery, then you’ll love “The Way the Cookie Crumbles”

Woo Woo: Paranormal Cozies


Carrie Bedford - 2017
    Suddenly she’s psychic. But that can't be! In her circle, the supernatural is strictly for the superstitious. And yet…people close to her are dying.Vol. 2: LOVE BITES, “An engaging, sinister romp” by Adrienne Barbeau, author of the Vampyres of Hollywood series.The sexy, tongue-in-cheek crime-solving duo of Detective Peter King and Ovsanna Moore is a charismatic alchemy of MOONLIGHTING and TRUE BLOOD. Ovsanna, the successful owner of her own Hollywood film studio and the star of 17 blockbuster horror films, is a 450-year-old vampyre.Volume 3: LOVE AFTER DEATH, the THIRD book in The Jolie Blonde Series: A Louisiana Trilogy by M.A. Harper.Harper creates a unique and spooky triangle: a newlywed couple and the ghost of the woman’s handsome and much-missed husband. Definitely not your average paranormal romance. This is a funny, warm, feel-good tale with enough literary heft and humor to stick to the ribs.Volume 4: BAD GIRL SCHOOL is teen author Red Q. Arthur’s debut novel.One tiny slip-up lands the most accomplished teen burglar in California in a remote residential school for “gifted teens” where she quickly discovers a secret about herself—she's psychic. Reeno learns her dying sister’s disease is the result of an ancient Mayan curse, and to break it she must time travel to an ancient Mayan city and steal the one item Reeno’s mentor needs to save the world. Piece o’ cake.Volume 5: THE DELPHI AGENDA is the FIRST Lisa Emmer Historical Thriller by Rob Swigart.Papyrologist Lisa Emmer’s world flips when esteemed Paris historian Dr. Raimond Foix is murdered. Lisa finds clues at the crime scene to a secret kept hidden for centuries. These clues make her a prime suspect in the murder investigation, and also put her directly in the cross-hairs of a deadly commando group that proves to be none other than a contemporary offshoot of the Inquisition.She discovers that the fugue states she experiences and has always thought were a liability may be an almost paranormal ability to see things in ways others cannot. Volume 6: OTHER PEOPLE’S SKELETONS is the SIXTH book in Edgar-winner Julie Smith's Rebecca Schwartz series.Secrets spill out of these pages like hornets out of a nest, each with its distinct sting, as author Smith weaves a thrill-packed and complicated San Francisco mystery that’s as much about how little we know about our nearest and dearest as it is about whodunit.

The Sandy Bay Cozy Mystery Series: Box Set 1


Amber Crewes - 2018
    The town's local detective, Jack Irvin, has an eye for Meghan but will she find time to build a romance while she tries to clear her name? 3 complete BESTSELLING cozy mystery series in 1 boxset! Apple Pie and Trouble (Book 1) Meghan Truman always had a dream to become a Hollywood actress. Hollywood decided she wasn’t good enough. She left Hollywood broken but with a burning desire to start afresh in the Pacific Northwest, pursuing her second dream – opening a bakery. She never expected that the owner of a rival establishment would be found dead and all eyes would be focused on her as the prime suspect. As the new girl in town with a new bakery store, she’s determined to clear her name and find the murderer; otherwise she’ll have to leave Sandy Bay penniless and pitiful and possibly the murderer’s next victim. Brownies and Dark Shadows (Book 2) When Sandy Bay’s crème de la crème congregate to raise money for charity, Meghan Truman is proud to have her tasty desserts the talk of the party. She’s not so proud when the wealthiest couple in Sandy Bay are discovered dead and rumors circulate around town that her brownies are the cause of this tragedy. This murder case casts a dark shadow over Meghan’s budding romance with handsome Officer Irvin who’s disappointed that she’s once again at the center of another murder investigation. With everything to lose, Meghan must work hard to clear her name, restore broken relationships and solve this murder mystery before everything she’s worked so hard to build comes crumbling down. Cookies and Buried Secrets (Book 3) When a beautiful stranger sashays into a birthday party, Meghan Truman, along with other guests, is surprised to discover her relationship to the birthday celebrant. This beautiful stranger attracts more shady characters to Sandy Bay. When one of these characters is found dead in an alley, the whole town is set on edge. Will Meghan’s attempt to link the owner of a golden antique gun to the murder prove helpful to handsome Officer Irvin’s investigation or will the discovery of a buried secret lead to more murders? The first 3 books in the Sandy Bay Cozy Mystery series! Perfect for a lunchtime read or on a commute to/from work. If you want to enjoy a quick light-hearted read, with an amateur female sleuth, mouth-watering culinary desserts and a gripping murder mystery with a touch of romance, then you'll love Meghan Truman and all the quirky characters in Sandy Bay. No cliffhanger, swearing or graphic scenes! THE FULL SANDY BAY READING ORDER: 1. Apple Pie and Trouble 2. Brownies and Dark Shadows 3. Cookies and Buried Secrets 4. Donuts and Disaster 5. Eclairs and Lethal Layers 6. Finger Foods and Missing Legs 7. Gingerbread and Scary Endings 8. Hot Chocolate and Cold Bodies 9. Ice Cream and Guilty Pleasures 10. Jingle Bells and Deadly Smells

Catastrophe: A Highland Murder Most Fowl


Lucinda Hare - 2015
    What's not to like about this book? It grabs the reader's attention from the start and holds on to it throughout the story. I also love the information about Wild Cat conservation which appears before the story starts: hopefully this will encourage readers of all ages to take an interest in the conservation of this beautiful animal. Whilst this book is going to appear on LoveReading for kids, it would be equally at home in the adult section. I normally clear my downloads after reviewing a book, but I will be keeping this one to reread and I can't wait to read about Catastrophe's next adventure.Sharon Hall (LoveReading4Kids review)What a delightful book! I liked the descriptions of the world as seen through Catastrophe’s eyes, as he described life in the wild for him, and then getting to know Mary and George. After a while this built to a murder mystery that had you rooting for the good guys. Overall an unexpectedly lovely book and I look forward to reading more about the family’s adventures.

Calamity under the Chandelier


Bianca Blythe - 2018
    Manor homes. Malfunctioning chandeliers. Hollywood starlets are supposed to be happily on set in sunny California, and not trapped in drafty manor houses during ferocious snowstorms.But after Cora Clarke's best friend and fellow actress elopes with an English earl, Cora visits England to help her friend brave the aristocratic disapproval of her new husband's family.Unfortunately, the holiday turns nightmarish when a chandelier crashes down and kills somebody. When suspicion falls on her friend, Cora vows to figure out the identity of the murderer. After all, blizzards have a habit of preventing the police from arriving, and body counts have a dreadful habit of growing.NB: This book was previously titled Murder at the Manor House under the name Bianca Blythe.

The Body on the Barstool


Lolli Powell - 2016
    With a lousy apartment, less-than-promising job prospects, and even worse romantic ones, the inheritance comes at just the right time. Ricki packs up her cat and heads for the Buckeye State.Now she's trying to change the Top Shelf from a bar known for its Friday night fights into the kind of drinking establishment where you can bring your granny. But finding her ex-husband dead on a barstool at opening time one morning just might put a kink in those plans.

A Book Signing To Die For


Judy Moore - 2020
    They live above the bookstore with Beck’s feisty younger sister, Lizzie, a lifeguard. Beck is excited to host the country’s bestselling cozy mystery writer for a book signing event until a member of the audience turns up dead later that night. Afterward, Beck decides to pursue her lifelong dream of being a detective to try to catch the killer. The amateur sleuth finds several suspects, but the murderer isn’t happy about her interference. Neither is the town’s handsome new police detective who has a history with Beck.