Pineapple Lies


Amy Vansant - 2015
    Golf cart racing with her surrogate mothers Mariska and Darla was about as nutty as life got...until she found the hot pawnbroker's mom buried in her backyard. Talk about making a lousy first impression. Armed with nothing but her wits, Pineapple Port's questionable cast of characters and a growing crush, Charlotte is determined to solve the mystery of Declan's mother's murder. Hey, at least this guy's skeletons aren't in his closet.

A Murderous Valentine (Admiral Shackleford Mystery #1)


Beverley Watts - 2021
    Having been instrumental in improving the lives of so many (his words - others might be inclined to call it something slightly different...), he was struggling to reignite the spark in his own love life with the feisty Mabel. Short on ideas, he decides to gatecrash his much put upon former Master At Arms and best friend Jimmy Noon's Valentine idea and ends up in the middle of a murder mystery weekend... where real murder is on someone else's script. Stranded in the middle of nowhere with a hotel full of potential murderers, the unstoppable duo embark on a series of blundering escapades in an attempt to uncover the Murderous Valentine... The Admiral and Jimmy may be more Laurel and Hardy than Holmes and Watson, but can they catch a murderer...? This humorous cozy mystery short read is the first in The Admiral Shackleford Mysteries.

Death Under the Fireworks


Nancy McGovern - 2016
    She feels trapped & alone in her small town of Milburn, Wyoming, and she just wants a break for a little while. So when she receives an invitation to visit an old friend for the 4th of July weekend, she jumps at the opportunity! Nora met Katya when she worked as a chef in New York City. It's been years since they've seen each other and it would be wonderful to catch up. And to do so on a private island in Portland, Oregon (who knew they had private islands in Portland, Oregon?!) seems like a dream come true! Especially considering that Katya's in-laws-to-be, the owners of the island estate, have offered to pay Nora to cook a few meals while she's there! It can't get better than a paid vacation with an old friend! So, without much need for consideration, Nora packs her things and heads off for a weekend in paradise! Unfortunately, her dream weekend turns into a nightmare when her host dies at the dinner table. And, as if that's not bad enough, it appears as if it was something in a dish Nora prepared that did him in...

The Cat Who Could Read Backwards


Lilian Jackson Braun - 1966
    George Bonifield Mountclemens, the paper's credentialed art critic, writes almost invariably scathing, hurtful reviews of local shows; delivers his pieces by messenger; lives with his all-knowing cat Koko in a lushly furnished house in a moldering neighborhood, and has a raft of enemies all over town.He offers the newcomer a tiny apartment in his building at a nominal rent, and Qwilleran grabs it, surmising the deal will involve lots of cat-sitting. Meanwhile, a gallery whose artists get happier treatment from Mountclemens is owned by Earl Lambreth. The acerbic critic has praised paintings there by a reclusive Italian named Scrano; the junk assemblages of Nino, who calls himself a ``Thingist,'' as well as works by Lambreth's attractive wife Zoe.It's Zoe who, one night past closing, finds her husband stabbed to death in the vandalized gallery. Days later, Qwilleran, guided by an insistent Koko, finds Mountclemens's knifed corpse on the patio behind his house.

Murder at the Courthouse


A.H. Gabhart - 2015
    After all, nothing ever happens in Hidden Springs, Kentucky. Nothing, that is, until a dead body is discovered on the courthouse steps. Everyone in town is a little uneasy. Still, no one is terribly worried--after all the man was a stranger--until one of their own is murdered right on Main Street.As Michael works to solve the case it seems that every nosy resident in town has a theory. When the sheriff insists Michael check out one of these harebrained theories, his surprising discovery sends him on a bewildering search for a mysterious killer that has him questioning everything he has ever believed about life in Hidden Springs.

Lights, Camera, Murder


Nikki Haverstock - 2016
     Melissa McBallister is young, rich, and beautiful but frustrated. She wants nothing more than to be a famous author like her mother. When the opportunity to be on a new reality TV show comes her way, she grabs the chance, hoping to find some inspiration. When a castmate is murdered during a live broadcast and her blood is literally on Melissa’s hands, the young writer gets more than she bargained for—reality TV is much stranger than fiction. Can Melissa prove that she’s innocent? Ryan Sethi prefers to produce TV commercials. They’re boring and safe. But he can’t pass up the opportunity to produce a show about socialites in Fishcreek Falls, an exclusive ski town high in the Rocky Mountains. But can he keep the show, cast, crew, and especially Melissa safe while a killer is on the loose? Or will a reality TV show gone bad ruin both of their lives? Reality TV Cozy Mysteries 1

Body Wave


R.V. Doon - 2012
    Everyone but Reece believes Abigail Hamilton died of natural causes. They point to her age, chronic health conditions, and medications as evidence. Abigail's doctor called her a heart attack waiting to happen, and the police have determined she doesn't merit a crime scene investigation or even an autopsy. Reece is determined to prove that a blood pool isn't required to solve this murder mystery.Armed with her stethoscope, a handy-dandy murder-care plan, and her well-honed nursing instincts primed to interpret clues like symptoms, she becomes an amateur sleuth to find the answers. Haunted by her aunt's recent deathbed confession of a murder cover-up over half century ago, Reece reluctantly realizes Abigail Hamilton was at the heart of her aunt's confession. Not only that, she uncovers other cases of death by natural causes connected to the same drowning victim in the distant past.She never counted on her investigation into Abigail's death, setting off a fatal chain reaction or an incoming hurricane to aid the killer's escape. Worse, she's beginning to suspect that the sweet fireman she's falling in love with may be guilty of murder.When the suspect turns on her, Reece learns that secrets fester like infections, and one day they'll come back and try to kill you.This cozy mystery series features a quirky amateur female sleuth with a penchant for solving murder by using her nursing experience.

Murdermobile


B.B. Cantwell - 2013
    When the retired head librarian is found dead in the City Library’s bookmobile, it’s no longer business as usual for fiery-haired librarian-on-wheels Hester Freelove McGarrigle. Does the murder have something to do with the wacko book-banning group with which the old woman was entangled? It’s up to Hester and her dishy, trail-running, pizza-obsessed neighbor, Detective Nate Darrow, to chase clues all over Oregon’s quirky Rose City. Their mutual connection with Nathaniel Hawthorne, along with Hester’s upchucking Maine Coon cat, build the romantic fizz in this cozy mystery spiked with humor and an authentic Northwest sense of place. Fasten your seatbelt -- and hold tight to your armload of books -- for the flash-bang ending high atop Crown Point in the spectacular Columbia River Gorge. A rollicking summer read from one of Portland’s last bookmobile librarians and her Seattle Times travel-writer husband.

A Novel Death


Elizabeth Ashby - 2016
    She inherited a legacy. It’s Danger Cove’s only bookstore, and her grandmother had made sure that it's a warm and friendly places for readers of all ages. Determined to get off on the right foot, Meri has organized a series of author readings, starting off with Cal Montague, a Danger Cove native who grew up to become a solid B-list actor, and his tell-all his memoirs, Tales I Shouldn’t Tell. Only the actor turns out to be a difficult diva, and before the inaugural event can even start, Meri finds the guest of honor in the alley—shot dead. Turns out someone else thought Cal shouldn't be telling tales, too. With motive and opportunity, the police have Meri in their sights. To save her business and her own skin, Meri turns to her small staff of part-time employees for help. Along with some assistance from Danger Cove’s hot new veterinarian, Meri, sets out to help the Danger Cove police—whether they appreciate it or not—before the murderer returns for a sequel. The Danger Cove books: Secret of the Painted Lady (a Danger Cove Renovation Mystery) Murder and Mai Tais (a Danger Cove Cocktail Mystery) Death by Scones (a Danger Cove Bakery Mystery) Four-Patch of Trouble (a Danger Cove Quilting Mystery) Deadly Dye and a Soy Chai (a Danger Cove Hair Salon Mystery) Killer Closet Case (a Danger Cove B&B Mystery) Tree of Life and Death (a Danger Cove Quilting Mystery) A Killing in the Market (a Danger Cove Farmers' Market short story in the "Killer Beach Reads" collection) Killer Colada (a Danger Cove Cocktail Mystery) Passion, Poison & Puppy Dogs (a Danger Cove Pet Sitter Mystery) A Novel Death (a Danger Cove Bookshop Mystery) Robbing Peter to Kill Paul (a Danger Cove Quilting Mystery) About Danger Cove: Danger Cove is a sleepy little town in the Pacific Northwest and home to renowned mystery novelist, Elizabeth Ashby. While Elizabeth swears the stories she writes are fiction, you can find the inspiration for her murderous tales all over Danger Cove...from the intriguing cast of local characters to the places to eat, play, and explore in Danger Cove. Don't let our name fool you—we're the friendliest (even if deadliest) town in the Pacific Northwest! Visit us at dangercovemysteries.com

Catnap


Carole Nelson Douglas - 1992
    While Temple and Midnight Louie are on the case, the famous publishing mascots, a pair of Scottish Fold library cats named Baker and Taylor, are kidnapped for ransom. The pair must sniff out a murderer before Murder by the Book describes their fates.

One for the Money


D.B. Borton - 1993
    Detective work seems a logical choice. So, she sells her suburban house, buys an apartment building in a “transitional” neighborhood, and begins her training, only to discover a dead body in an upstairs apartment. What’s the connection between a murdered homeless woman and the Golden Age of Hollywood silent movies? Cat races to discover it before the killer can strike again. In this first book of the popular Cat Caliban series from the 1990s, Cat assembles her colorful cast of helpers and neighborhood hangers-on.

Beyond Dead


Jordaina Sydney Robinson - 2016
    And then she finds a dead ghost stuffed in her locker.Since the police are desperate to arrest her for murder, Bridget’s new best friend convinces her the only way to save herself from an eternity in prison is to solve the murder themselves.With a handsome parole officer watching her every move, an outlaw ghost befriending her and two persistent mediums demanding her attention, solving the murder is not quite as easy as it sounds. And when “murder” turns into “murders” Bridget needs to solve the case … before she becomes the next dead body stuffed in her locker. Beyond Dead is the first book in a paranormal cozy murder mystery series set in a ridiculously bureaucratic afterlife. It is rife with cozy humor (or more accurately cosy humour) that cozy British mysteries are famous for. The series follows the newly dead Bridget Sway as she tries to adjust to her new life as a ghost while solving the odd murder along the way. Bridget exhibits all the best virtues of cozy mystery women sleuths in terms of wit and humor but, as the amateur sleuth of a cozy ghost mysteries series, she is something most others are not – and that’s dead.

Killer Karma


Jeanine Spooner - 2015
     There the yogis appear to be a peaceful, intimate bunch, and soon she's downward-dogging with the best of them, all stresses from her life in Los Angeles forgotten. But when her fast new friend, Rain is found dead one morning, the tranquility she'd seen amongst the yogis is quickly replaced with a dark mentality uniform to the ashram. No one seems concerned the young woman has been killed. They return to their yogic schedule as though foul play hasn't occurred, and Blossom takes it upon herself to expose the killer. If she thought she could escape the hold Hollywood has on her, one tall, dark, and handsome man stands in her way. Dan Warfield, a burgeoning heartthrob with a handful of action films under his belt, takes an interest in Blossom, which has her thrown. The retreat at Mana Ashram isn't their first encounter. Last year, they argued across a table at Paramount leaving a bad taste in her mouth. Can she trust his deep tone and tickling compliments? Or is this his way of throwing her off the murderer's scent? As Blossom tracks a killer who might be uncatchable and fails to resist Dan's burning advances, she finds herself in a quandary like no other - catch or be killed… Mana mean spiritual power and she'll have to find some in order to get off this island alive.

Murder in the Mountains


Miles Lancaster - 2016
    . . until a guest in unit nine turns up dead. Jennifer left her high stress job to live a life of tranquility as the owner of a mountain resort. With newspaper editor Clint in her life, she finally has the life she dreamed of. When a guest is murdered, they must work together to unravel the story of a gold heist, a mysterious historical society, and foul murder. They will have to bend the rules and call in favors if they are going to catch the murderer before he gets away and forever ruins the peace and tranquility of the Aspen Breeze Lodge. Murder in the Mountains is the first book in the Rocky Mountain Cozy Mystery series. If you like fast paced mysteries with a touch of romance, you’re gonna love Murder in the Mountains. Buy Murder in the Mountains and start solving your next mystery today! The Rocky Mountain Cozy Mystery Series Each book in the series is a stand-alone story, but your enjoyment of each story will be increased if you read them all. * Book 1: Murder in the Mountains * Book 2: A Novel Way to Die * Book 3: COMING SOON

Trouble Under the Mistletoe


Rebecca Barrett - 2017
    Teddy Adamson, that heart breaker, has just walked back into Billie Dean Bailey’s life. But more dire happenings are going on under the mistletoe. Who ends up dead and why? Was it the maraschino cherries in the Tizzington sisters’ fruit compote? Or was it something more sinister? Find out in this short story of Trouble’s latest escapade in the Familiar Legacy Mystery Series.