Book picks similar to
Death in Magnerstown by Anne Crosse


cri-ire
murder-mystery
mystery
mystery-and-crime

Can I Be Frank?


Rob Wyatt - 2011
    He is not sure what to expect, but certainly isn’t prepared for what he finds. As if his new role isn’t challenging enough, he struggles with everything from jalapenos to fire ants, from church politics to the language barrier. Having unwittingly managed to alienate his parish’s main benefactor, Frank soon finds himself in hot water with his Diocese. His troubles only increase when he stumbles across suspicious goings-on deep in the Florida orange groves. Can he solve the mystery before he loses his parish…or his life?

Anonymously Yours


Shirley McCann - 2014
    She returns a lost wallet and finds herself in the middle of a murder mystery. To make things worse she needs to solve the crime and stroke the ego of an inept private investigator who happens to be her Uncle Bob. Don't miss the fun. Get your copy today.

Pineapple and Poison


Allyssa Mirry - 2019
    Ever bitten off more than you can chew? Sticky sweets can lead to a sour case of murder. Lydia Doherty is about to achieve her dream by opening up her very own saltwater taffy shop on the Jersey Shore boardwalk. A sweet dream soon turns into a nightmare, however, when a prominent local realtor is poisoned, apparently after consuming one of Lydia’s free samples. Determined to clear her name and save her business, Lydia dives into investigating, despite the potential danger. Who would have wanted the realtor dead? What was the real motive behind his murder? And why did the killer choose her delicious pineapple taffy as the way to commit this crime? Lydia is determined to get to the bottom of it all – no matter how sticky the situation becomes!

How to Leash a Thief


Cat Clayton - 2017
    Normally.But nothing is pleasant or normal about murder.I never thought, in my wildest dreams at 26-years-old, I would see my first dead body. Or take over my grandmother’s floundering pet grooming business, without a lick of experience aside from managing the shop’s (Stone Age) back office, drain my savings account for the shop’s renovations, begin hearing my Chihuahua’s voice inside my head, and wind up a possible suspect in the murder of one of my employees.Now, if I can clear my name, discover the real killer—without getting whacked myself, come to terms with hearing my chatty pup, all while keeping the family business afloat, my life won’t slip down the proverbial drain.♥Author’s Note: Some, more mature, readers in the humorous, cozy mystery genre may love to hate my main character, Steely Lamarr, and that’s okay. But as the writer, it is my duty to remain true to her character and her story. Steely doesn’t claim to have all the answers, nor does she always make the wisest of decisions. Her character is loosely based on a few of my own experiences married to a law enforcement officer in my 20’s, and coupled with inspiration drawn from our oldest daughter’s personality, whose steely attitude and tenacious spirit kept her feet on the ground and her head held high during the difficulties in her young adult life. As with my own daughter, I have a deep appreciation for Steely’s growth, maturity, and her willingness to own and learn from her mistakes as the series progresses. My hope is readers will acknowledge and appreciate this as well. If not, remember, there’s always pie, and pie makes everything better.~Publisher's note: This is the 2nd edition of How to Leash a Thief. Many readers of the 1st edition stated it read like a "cozy" mystery. Although it does contain many cozy mystery elements, we at Pigasus Publications do not want to mislead readers. Our readers’ happiness is top priority. How to Leash a Thief does not contain explicit sex or excessive violence. Some cozy mystery fans might enjoy the story. But we want to inform readers, the book does contain minimal use of curse words and sexual innuendos. Thank you for your interest!

Wilde Murder


Ruth Rowland - 2015
    When the chance to purchase the Cosset Cove Advertiser, a small weekly newspaper in the New England seaside town she'd spent many happy childhood vacations, it seemed too good an opportunity to turn down. Charlotte soon settles in to her new role as owner, chief reporter and general gofer of the Advertiser. Life is sweet, her new friends and colleagues Clara, Abigail and Amy, along with Barney, the huge Maine Coon cat, can both delight and frustrate in equal measure. This idyllic new life is disturbed when Charlotte has to interview a blast from her past. It is completely shattered when that interview leads to murder. Things only go from bad to worse as Charlotte is suspected of being the culprit. Can Charlotte, and her new found friends, clear her name and bring the real murderer to justice? Or will being on the trail of a cold blooded killer only put their own lives at risk? “A charming traditional cozy mystery in a modern day setting. Contains plenty of light witty humor and will keep you guessing right to the end!”

Secrets at Wallisford Hall


C.G. Oster - 2017
    Domestic service had never been an intended career for Dory, but a plea from family could never be ignored, even, as it turns out, when her predecessor had been murdered in the very house Dory now worked. A stranger was blamed for the death, and Lord and Lady Wallisford and their grown children were not giving Detective Inspector Ridley from the Met an easy time to investigate alternative theories. No strangers had been seen in the district and Dory, with her position in the house, is increasingly drawn in the help.

Massage & Murder


Jenn Cowan - 2018
    A professional. A healer. Not a killer. When a client ends up dead on my massage table, I become the number one suspect. I have Means. Motive. Opportunity. But I didn't kill her. The clock is ticking, someone is stalking me, I have to find out who before I end up in jail or worse...dead.

Murder on the Sinful Express


Shari Hearn - 2018
    But fiction becomes reality when one of the book club members is poisoned. Will Fortune, Gertie and Ida Belle catch the perp before she strikes again? Or will one of them become her next victim?Murder on the Sinful Express (Sinful Stories Book 7) is set after the events of Hook, Line and Blinker, book ten of Jana DeLeon's Miss Fortune series.A WORD FROM THE AUTHOR: Murder on the Sinful Express was first published on January 19, 2018 as part of the Miss Fortune Kindle Worlds program (which ended in July of 2018). It is now part of the Miss Fortune World published by J&R Fan Fiction. I wish to thank Ms. DeLeon for graciously allowing other writers to explore their own writing in a most Sinful way.Sinful Stories is a series of stories written by Shari Hearn within the Miss Fortune World featuring Fortune, Gertie and Ida Belle. They may be read in any order; however, they do follow the timeline of Jana DeLeon's Miss Fortune series with regard to Fortune's relationship with Carter. With the earlier books in the series, Carter doesn't know Fortune's true identity. As Jana DeLeon's series changes with regard to Fortune's continued threat from Ahmad, future stories within Sinful Stories will reflect those changes.Currently, the stories within Sinful Stories include:Nearly DepartedMutiny on the BayouOverdueNearly BelovedRematchLeaving SinfulMurder on the Sinful Express

Absinthe of Malice


Pat Browning - 2001
    When Krill Press bought the rights in 2008 they repackaged the story with a new cover and marketed it as "Absinthe of Malice".Old crimes come back to haunt a small California town in this intriguing urban cozy. ABSINTHE OF MALICE introduces Penny Mackenzie, Lifestyle reporter for The Pearl Outrider, and a cast of unforgettable characters who find their lives turned upside down when old secrets and new secrets all come to light after chance discovery of a skeleton in a cotton field leads to murder...and romance.

The Case of the Missing Finger: A Cruise Ship Cozy Mystery


Cheri Baker - 2021
    Two years later, with her children grown and the rest of her life ahead of her, she's ready to have the adventure she'd planned before her life was turned upside-down. She's excited to visit the U.S. Virgin Islands on her very first cruise.After boarding the most beautiful cruise ship she's ever seen, Ellie's surprised when she's assigned a cabin inside the cruise line's new singles club at sea, but she quickly sees that her new friends aboard could use some advice when it comes to romance. Unfortunately, Ellie's matchmaking efforts are interrupted when a fellow passenger finds a finger with a big diamond ring on it in her Sangria Surprise!Passengers are scandalized and tongues are wagging all around the ship. The ship's security chief seems eager to brush the crime under the rug while others are eager to point fingers at Ellie's favorite bartender. After thirty years married to a small town police chief, Ellie's picked up some sleuthing skills of her own, and she knows that justice demands honest answers to the questions rocking the ship. Who does the finger belong to? How did it end up in the boozy drink special of the day? And what other secrets lurk beneath the Caribbean sun?It's all hands on deck for adventure with this matchmaking sleuth.

Murder Goes to Church


C.D. Jarmola - 2011
    Kool-Aid and kids. Will the stains on the carpet ever come out? Is it contagious? But the most desperate thought churning through Chrissy Chronister’s mind was a hysterical mantra of “Please, don’t die. Please, don’t die. Please, don’t die.” But she did anyway.When Chrissy Chronister agrees to help in her small community church’s vacation Bible school she knows that it will be a hectic week of making crafts, telling stories and singing songs. However, she never expects it to land her in the middle of a murder investigation with her friends, fellow church members and possibly even herself being the prime suspects.Chrissy is a spunky, petite blonde (all adjectives she hates) mother of eleven-month-old, Lukas, along with her husband, Luke, living in south Georgia.As the newest church member Chrissy is stuck with the team teacher from hell, Ramona Snyder, a self-centered thorn in the flesh at United Community Church. However, she also is the richest woman around and her tithe is all that keeps the church solvent.The theme for the week is “God’s Beautiful World,” emphasizing saving our ecology. Thus, everyone has his/her own labeled eco-cup to be used each day during snack time. Day one Chrissy is already hearing Ramona making threats that she will be withholding her money from family members and causes if things do not change to her specifications.By the end of the second day Chrissy is holding a dying Ramona in her arms.The evidence shows that Ramona’s eco-cup has been poisoned. The only people with access are fellow members of UCC including Bro. Michael, the pastor accused of embezzling, his wife Melanie, John, whose farm Ramona foreclosed on, his pregnant teenage daughter Peggy, who Ramona disdained, Scott the youth minister, who Ramona had accused of having inappropriate relations, Emilie Anne the church secretary, Deacon Melvin, Ramona’s own children, Suzanne and Rick, and her husband Max.Chrissy is unwillingly drawn into the investigation. She tries to distance herself, but motherhood forces her back where she unintentionally finds clues through the help of her mischievous son. Due to Lukas’ baby monitor, blankie, tipping over trash cans, getting into ladies’ purses, crawling places he shouldn’t and destroying the story of Abraham and Isaac from his storybook, Chrissy finds skeletons that her fellow parishioners thought were deeply buried.Will Chrissy and baby Lukas solve the crime before the uncovered secrets tear their little church apart?

Marshmallows and Murder: A Comedy Cozy Mystery (Mom and Christy's Cozy Mysteries Book 7)


Christy Murphy - 2018
    Read in any order. Fletcher Canyon is hosting its first fair! But when Christy finds a dead body and the mayor becomes the prime suspect, the town's reputation nosedives.Meanwhile, Christy's relationship with DC Cooper slips into crisis mode after an awkward interview with a TV reporter. Can Mom and Christy save the mayor, Fletcher Canyon's reputation, and Christy's relationship with DC?Find out in this cute, comedy cozy.

Sweet Dreams (Jack Dillon Dublin Tale Book 2)


Patrick Emmett - 2017
    Marshal Jack Dillon is temporarily on loan to the Garda Síochána Special Detective Unit, helping to smoke out the Russian crime boss responsible for the murders of two of their own in a shoot-out at the airport. Jack was wounded in the gun battle, but he did bring down down three mobsters.  He’s definitely on the mend now, as his sexy nurse Lin will attest – with a big smile.In this action-packed sequel to Welcome, the first humorous Dublin Tale by Patrick Emmett, (Dev Haskell author Mike Faricy’s Irish alter ego), one of the mob families has sworn revenge. And so, with a price on Jack’s head, the Garda uses him to bait a trap for the bad guys.Emmett’s (Faricy’s) funny charm shows up in the good-natured joshing among Jack and the new Irish friends who’re protecting him. With round-the-clock security and a dog for protection – how could he screw this up, right? He will – with style and humor.Hint: like his American cousin Dev, Jack has a tendency to take his eye off the bad guy to admire a beautiful lady. And under certain circumstances, a whole roomful of Russian mobsters might be less dangerous to him than one pretty face and figure. WHO WILL LIKE IT: Fans of Dev Haskell and rascals like him. Also for fans of Robert B. Parker, Elmore Leonard, Carl Hiaasen, Lee Child, strong Minnesota men – especially when transplanted to Ireland, and drinkers of Guinness everywhere.  “Faricy is the next Carl Hiaasen.” Crime SceneMike Faricy is the author of the bestselling Dev Haskell series as well as the bestselling Corridor Man series which is written under the pseudonym Nick James. He is the winner of the 2016 International Crime Masters Silver Award.

Curiosity Killed The Cat (Cozy Conundrums #1)


T.H. Hunter - 2017
    A clumsy psychic. And a snarky cat. What could possibly go wrong when trying to catch a killer? When an inquisitive journalist is killed in the cozy little village of Fickleton, the local police are totally mystified. As PC Bowler says, it's almost like the killer used magic. How else could the locked door have been opened without leaving any marks? And everyone seems to have had a motive. Some of the residents, meanwhile, are convinced that the area is haunted. Luckily, as a witch, I don't believe in ghosts. Well, not that kind, anyway. My name is Amanda Sheridan. When my Great Aunt Margaret died, I was totally surprised - I didn't even know I had one. But you should have seen the look on Val's face when they told us that I was the sole surviving relative and had inherited an English country house in the Cotswolds - cat, magical powers, and all. Some change from waitressing, I tell you. One of the village regulars is the killer. And Barry, Val, and I have to solve the conundrum before he finds his next victim and frames an innocent person for the crime. "Curiosity Killed The Cat""Curiosity Killed The Cat" - is the first novel in the BRAND NEW Cozy Conundrums series - features a witch private investigator, Amanda, and her psychic sidekick, Val. - with Barry, the snarky cat who was formerly warlock - classic whodunit setting in the Cotswolds - paranormal cozy mystery with loads of twists - has no graphic scenes or language, though lots of suspense - is self-contained with a full story arc (no artificial cliffhangers) Curiosity Killed The Cat is perfect for fans of the bestselling paranormal cozies by Annabelle Chase, Tegan Maher, Adele Abbott, Zoe Arden, Emma Watts, Morgana Best, Amy Boyles, Angela Pepper, and Iris Kincaid.

Point Blank: A Short Tale of Macabre Family Faults


Justine Avery - 2015
    ask your mother to stop pointing the gun at your head. Steven is a writer, by all accounts of self-proclamation. But no artist can be expected to work under serious pressure, especially not when the pressure consists of his own mother indenting his tender skull with the muzzle of the pistol held in her hand. Suddenly, it's write or die for Steven. He better tap away on that typewriter or expect to be extracted from the land of the living before he's had the opportunity to finish anything he's ever written. Not to mention that his recently departed Father lying on the floor beside him should supply enough motivation. When Steven manages to frustrate his murderous mother to no end, his wish made under duress actually comes true. Mother's vanished... along with all evidence of the foregoing incident ever having taken place. Is his beloved father really dead? Is his own mother now a criminal on the run? Can he truly never cure his lifetime disease of writer's block? Only one person can uncover the truth and set the world to rights again. That would be Tim, Steven's much more successful, though younger, brother. If only Tim would actually believe Steven's retelling of the frightful situation he's just managed to survive. Someone's got to fix the latest family faux pas. And everyone in the family knows it can't be Steven. In the dead of night, two brothers battle sibling rivalry, serious mother issues, one heinous surprise after another, and a lifetime of family strife to get to the bottom of it all and uncover what's been lying beneath all along. Start Reading Now... What are you waiting for? chuckle-worthy dark comedy, murder mystery, delicious sibling rivalry and family issues, the cure for writer's block, and so much more await you. About the Author Justine Avery Is a Genre-Breaker, a Writer of Delicious Story Above All Else Justine Avery is an avid reader of all genres, weaves her own stories among them all, and sets out to surprise her readers at every opportunity. She's an acutely observant introvert with an insatiable yearning to explorer, a risk-taker who's based in reality, a wanderer with a mission, and a grownup blessed with childlike wonder at the world. Her stories reflect the same, and readers can't get enough of them. Avery writes genre-breaking fiction with universal appeal, emphasizing enticing story above all else. She writes powerful, affecting stories accessible to all readers, regardless of what your own favorite genres happen to be. She writes the tales all readers are drawn to, the stories capable of changing your view of the world around you, the narratives that will become a part of you. Go ahead—take a peek. Use the Look Inside feature above, and start reading Point Blank now.