Death Overdue


Allison Brook - 2017
    Her first major event is a program presented by a retired homicide detective, Al Buckley, who claims he knows who murdered Laura Foster, a much-loved part-time library aide who was bludgeoned to death fifteen years earlier. As he invites members of the audience to share stories about Laura, he suddenly keels over and dies. The medical examiner reveals that poison is what did him in and Carrie feels responsible for having surged forward with the program despite pushback from her director. Driven by guilt, Carrie's determined to discover who murdered the detective, convinced it's the same man who killed Laura all those years ago. Luckily for Carrie, she has a friendly, knowledgeable ghost by her side. But as she questions the shadows surrounding Laura's case, disturbing secrets come to light and with each step Carrie takes, she gets closer to ending up like Al. Now it's due or die for Carrie in Death Overdue, the delightful first in a new cozy series by Allison Brook.

A Tough Case to Crack


Cindy Bell - 2016
     Kerri Gale is getting ready for the grand opening of her nut shop, ‘Nuts about Nuts’, in the small town of Cascade Grove. She is new to the area and is enjoying setting up home with her Yorkshire Terrier, Cashew, and spending time with her new friend, Natalie. But when possible evidence from the murder of the previous shop owner is found in the shop, Kerri finds herself right in the middle of a murder investigation. A handsome reporter, Steve, is writing an article about the murder, but can Kerri rely on him? Then her grandfather, who she hasn’t seen in ages, turns up out of the blue and is being very secretive. During the chaos Kerri has to try to juggle everything so she can find the murderer and her shop can open on time. Can she trust Steve or is he just using her for a story? Can she trust her grandfather or is his sudden arrival not a coincidence? Will Kerri solve the murder? Or is Natalie right and ghosts are to blame? Recipes for Toasted Pecan Cookies and Maple Nut Pie are included!

Sinister Cinnamon Buns


J. Lee Mitchell - 2018
     Recipes included in each book. In Castle Creek West Virginia, rivalries run deep, but has this tiny town’s biggest rivalry finally led to murder? When widely disliked socialite Macie Dixon is found dead on the set of her cooking show, suspicion falls on her rival, elderly family matriarch, and owner of the Red Herring Inn, Liddy Lou Cormier. As the investigation heats up, friendships will be tested, and long buried secrets will come to light. With the evidence stacking up against Liddy Lou, her granddaughter Q’Bita will risk her relationship with Sheriff Andy Hansen, and her own life, to clear her Nana’s name. It will take every ounce of Q’Bita’s culinary cunning, and a little help from her best friend Jamie and brother-in-law Rene, to figure out who’s behind the sinister cinnamon buns that killed Macie Dixon. Sign up for the Red Herring Inn newsletter using the link on the About J Lee Mitchell page to get access to contests, freebies, and an inside look at upcoming books. New subscribers will receive BONUS CONTENT as a thank you for signing up.

Death by Dumpling


Vivien Chien - 2018
    . .The last place Lana Lee thought she would ever end up is back at her family’s restaurant. But after a brutal break-up and a dramatic workplace walk-out, she figures that a return to the Cleveland area to help wait tables is her best option for putting her life back together. Even if that means having to put up with her mother, who is dead-set on finding her a husband.Lana’s love life soon becomes yesterday’s news once the restaurant’s property manager, Mr. Feng, turns up dead―after a delivery of shrimp dumplings from Ho-Lee. But how could this have happened when everyone on staff knew about Mr. Feng’s severe, life-threatening shellfish allergy? Now, with the whole restaurant under suspicion for murder and the local media in a feeding frenzy―to say nothing of the gorgeous police detective who keeps turning up for take-out―it’s up to Lana to find out who is behind Feng’s killer order. . . before her own number is up.

The Dessert Corpse


Tracey Quinn - 2018
    The Breezy Spoon is a big success, and when hunky and flirtatious fireman Mark Adams offers to rent Dani his downstairs apartment, things are really looking up.... until a dead body with a chocolate pie smashed in his face shows up in the dumpster behind the diner! Trying to get to the bottom of the mystery isn't easy when dealing with the quirky and eccentric residents of East Spoon Creek City, and it gets even harder when the body keeps disappearing and popping up around town! There's not a moment to lose when dark secrets threaten to come to light, and Dani discovers that one of her customers just might be a serial killer!

Magick & Mayhem


Sharon Pape - 2017
    She just didn’t expect to inherit her mother and grandmother’s centuries-old shop, Abracadabra, so suddenly. The surprises keep coming when Kailyn goes to finalize the estate at the local attorney’s office—and stumbles over the body of her best friend Elise’s husband . . .As a brash detective casts the blame on Elise, Kailyn summons her deepest powers to find answers and start an investigation of her own. What with running a business, perfecting ancient spells, and keeping up with an uninvited guest of fabled origins, Kailyn has her hands full. But with the help of her uncanny black cat Sashkatu and her muumuu-clad Aunt Tilly, she’s closing in on a killer—who will do anything to make sure she never tests her supernatural skills again!“Pape has a sure‑handed balance of humor and action.” —Julie Hyzy, New York Times bestselling author

Sweet Murder


Tegan Maher - 2017
    But that's just the beginning. She has the Magical Oversight Committee on her back because she can't keep her unruly little sister in line and the hunky new city-slicker sheriff would like to take her to dinner, except he suspects her of murder. To top it off, her possessed miniature donkey is being particularly calamitous and the old hens at the local beauty parlor are laying bets on her love life. A skydiving best friend and a bossy, living-impaired aunt become the least of her worries when the killer decides to bump up the plan by bumping her off. Can she figure it out in time to save all that she holds dear, or will Noelle be next on the list of folks who've turned up dead?

Dead Man Calling


Kendra Ashe - 2015
    She bids farewell to her job at Happy Days Burgers and sets out to convert Blackwell Rest into a nightclub.    But she has a few surprises coming her way.   It would seem that her estranged grandfather's accidental death, might not have been an accident. If this isn't bad enough, old man Blackwell's pet monkey now needs a home, and the ghosts that come along with her inheritance, need a new psychic detective to help them with all their unfinished business, which usually involves murder.   And then things get worse!   A murder victim is discovered in the cemetery, and he just happens to be a member of the biker club known as the Death Dogs. To complicate matters, Jazz may have been a witness to the murder, kind of.   Brock Logan, the leader of the Death Dogs, has taken an interest in her, which opens up a whole new can of worms. He's one hot bad boy, and exactly the kind of guy she doesn't need in her life.   Caught in the middle of a biker war and a murder investigation, Jazz begins to think that working at Happy Days Burgers might not have been such a bad deal.

Deadly Claws


Jenna St. James - 2021
    When she retires from capturing criminal supernaturals for the government, she figures her days of chasing bad guys is over. Little did she know her new job as the game warden on Enchanted Island would thrust her right back into harm's way...and she wasn't even officially on the clock yet! But when Sheriff Stone enlists her help to find out who killed an island resident, Shayla readily agrees. Between sorting through alibis, gathering clues, and mentoring a wayward teenager on how to be a witch...Shayla's life is hectic. If only her estranged dad--the King--wouldn't insist she take her bodyguard, Needles, with her everywhere she goes. Just when Shayla believes she's identified the killer, a new threat emerges...leaving her to make a snap decision that may cost her her life. This new paranormal cozy series with a twist on midlife discovery will leave you guessing and hungry for more!

Deadly Magic


Elisabeth Crabtree - 2012
    None more so than Grace Holliday. After all, it's not every day she gets invited to the annual costumed bash at the Dragon's Lair, the premier magic theater in Manhattan.What promises as a night of magic and mystery, quickly turns into a night of mayhem and murder when the boss' equally tyrannical wife dies on stage.According to the police, it was an obvious suicide. Now it's up to Grace to discover which one of her co-workers pulled off the trick of the year before she becomes the killer's next victim.

A Spell for Trouble


Esme Addison - 2020
    Ever since her mother's tragic death, her father has mysteriously forbidden her from visiting her aunt and cousins. But on a whim, Alex accepts an invitation to visit her estranged relatives and to help them in their family business: an herbal apothecary known for its remarkably potent teas, salves, and folk remedies.Bellamy Bay doesn't look like trouble, but this is a town that harbors dark secrets. Alex discovers that her own family is at the center of salacious town gossip, and that they are rumored to be magical healers descended from mermaids. She brushes this off as nonsense until a local is poisoned and her aunt Lidia is arrested for the crime. Alex is certain Lidia is being framed, and she resolves to find out why.Alex's investigation unearths stories that some have gone to desperate lengths to conceal: forbidden affairs, family rivalries, and the truth about Alex's own ancestry. And when the case turns deadly, Alex learns that not only are these secrets worth hiding, but they may even be worth killing for.

Photo Bombed


Daria White - 2021
    She’s determined to stand on her own two feet in Edenville, Texas after her bitter divorce. When the town’s wedding of the year stars her friend as the bride, Bianca can’t wait to celebrate the nuptials. Neither she nor the guests expect a corpse! When the police suspect the bride, Bianca's determined to prove her friend’s innocence.Lamar Sims, the new police detective in Edenville, is investigating the murder case. Bianca’s “interference” is not helping, but she won't stop when her friend's freedom is on the line. He makes it clear he wants her to let the police do their job, so she has to find ways around him.No one in Edenville is safe until the killer is behind bars. Bianca won’t let Detective Sims dismiss her hunches. They may have to work together before another dead body shows up.

The Sweet Dreams Bake Shop


J.A. Whiting - 2015
    The building's new owners are not renewing the bake shop's lease and Angie is running out of time to find a new location. When one of the town's long-time residents is murdered, Angie finds herself on the suspect list. With the help of her three sisters and a huge orange cat, Angie works to uncover the killer's identity. A cozy mystery with recipes ! This story has some mild paranormal elements. The main mystery is solved in each book but you will enjoy the series more if the books are read in order as some story threads run from book to book. In The Sweet Cove Mystery series: 1. The Sweet Dreams Bake Shop 2. Murder So Sweet 3. Sweet Secrets 4. Sweet Deceit (Coming late July 2015) And more to come ! Thank you for reading

Rear-View Murder


Willow Monroe - 2015
    The used car salesman he finds sells her more than a Honda, though, and now Gemma has a dead body in the trunk, a sneaking suspicion of murder, and an entire police force who thinks that the victim is just another hooker. Gemma knows better, and her search for answers takes her to the roughest part of town and inside the world of pimps, dirty senators, and one oddly threatening blues singer. Somebody murdered poor young Opal, and Gemma is determined to catch her killer.Genre: Cozy MysteryLength: 30,000 wordsRead the series in order:Rear-view MurderMall Santa MurderMansions can be MurderCupid’s Corpse

Shakespeare's Landlord


Charlaine Harris - 1996
    Lily Bard came to the small town of Shakespeare to escape her dark and violent past. Other than the day-to-day workings of her cleaning and errand-running service, she pays little attention to the town around her. So when she spots a dead body being dumped in the town green, she's inclined to stay well away. But she was in the wrong place at the wrong time, and despite her best efforts, she's dragged into the murder case. Lily doesn't care who did it, but when the police and local community start pointing fingers in her direction, she realizes that proving her innocence will depend on finding the real killer in quiet, secretive Shakespeare.Shakespeare's Landlord is the first book in Charlaine Harris's Lily Bard mysterious series.