Buried in a Book


Lucy Arlington - 2012
    Being paid to read seems perfect to Lila, although it's difficult with the cast of quirky co-workers and piles of query letters. But when a penniless aspiring author drops dead in the agency's waiting room-and Lila discovers a series of threatening letters-she's determined to find out who wrote him off.

Entangled


Barbara Ellen Brink - 2010
    One summer of her childhood is a mystery she intends to solve. But digging up her past also lays bare the skeletons of others, including her mother’s. Entangled between what she once believed and a new reality, will she be able to live with the consequences of full disclosure?

Double Booked for Death


Ali Brandon - 2011
    She didn’t know that the store’s mascot—Hamlet, an oversize black cat with a personality to match—was also part of the deal. And he may be more trouble than Darla bargained for… As the new owner of Pettistone’s Fine Books, Darla Pettistone is determined to prove herself a worthy successor to her late great-aunt Dee…and equally determined to outwit Hamlet, the smarter-than-thou cat she inherited along with the shop. Darla’s first store event is a real coup—the hottest bestselling author of the moment is holding a signing there, which brings hordes of fans and some protestors. But when the author meets an untimely end during the event, it’s hardly good for business, even though it’s ruled an accident…until Hamlet digs up a clue that seems to indicate otherwise. Now Darla fears a killer might be lurking about… Can the interfering Hamlet point the paw at the culprit without losing one of his own nine lives?

Murder & Moonflowers


Leslie Leigh - 2015
     Melissa Michaels is an herbalist and nutritional healer operating a market in the sleepy town of Catalonia, Arizona. When a client dies mysteriously from something even the Medical Examiner cannot decipher, gossip runs amuck and local law enforcement officials make wild speculations. When Melissa herself, along with other townspeople, fall under suspicion, a local doctor hires a handsome private investigator to give Melissa a hand, and the two of them race against time to solve the mystery before mounting evidence leads to wrongful accusations and false arrests.

Dying to Get Published


Judy Fitzwater - 1995
    She's sure that if she can just get famous for something, someone will have to publish her books. Why not murder?She'll find a target so mean that she'd actually be doing the world a favor by bumping him or her off. And she knows just the person:Penney Richmond, a high-powered literary agent who's made it her job to ruin people's lives. All Jennifer has to do is frame herself, do the deed, and come out with an iron-clad alibi, and she'll be well on her way to getting a three book deal. So what if she chickens out at the last minute? A vegetarian good girl who rescued a greyhound could never actually kill someone. But when Penney is found murdered and the police think Jennifer did it, she’d better find the real murderer before she goes away... for life.Along with her eccentric writer's group, spunky old ladies with a nose for sleuthing, her neurotic greyhound, and a sexy, sarcastic reporter named Sam, Jennifer embarks on a journey filled with danger, deception, and disguises that could leave her Dying to Get Published...

Partners In Crime


Gallagher Gray - 1991
    Sayers’ Murder Must Advertise has there been a more perfect cozy office murder--and not since Agatha Christie’s immortal Miss Marple has a more loveable geriatric sleuth been spawned. Gallagher Gray’s first Hubbert and Lil mystery’s got it all—a stuffy old firm with stuffy old routines disturbed by a few unaccustomed murders, a hilariously apoplectic boss, the indispensable brace of cats, and a clever amateur sleuths of a certain age. Break out the tea and cookies to welcome T.S. Hubbert and his unforgettable Auntie Lil! T.S. tells the story (and very wittily too), but it's Lil who steals the show—she’s eighty-four years young, with a taste for bloody Marys at any time of day, a fine-tuned appreciation of life’s other pleasures, and a remarkable talent for detecting. It begins, as so many things do, with a phone call: T.S. (Theodore to Auntie Lil) has been retired about eight hours when he’s summoned back to Sterling & Sterling, the bank where he served as personnel manager for most of his adult life. One of the bigwigs is lying stabbed to death in the Partner’s Room and his demanding former boss, forgetting he’s no longer boss, is demanding a favor—damage control. Well, that’s certainly more interesting, thinks Theodore, than “interviewing the slack-jawed sons of clients.” And besides, now he can talk back to the brass. He can even dress like it’s casual Friday and no one can say a word. Although they do. A big part of the fun’s watching him shock his former colleagues with his sudden assertiveness. Because who can boss around a person who’s doing a favor? What starts out as damage control quickly evolves into full-scale detecting as more and more partners bite the big one in unexpected ways. Aunt Lil’s all over it from the first, demonstrating not only the necessary smarts, street savvy, and moxie, but also a feminine way of looking at things that leads to a surprisingly contemporary conclusion. Fans of Golden Age mysteries will eat this irrepressible amateur detective team with a spoon, along with readers who just get a kick out of watching senior sleuths kick butt. If you like Miss Marple, Miss Silver, Miss Seeton, Mrs. Pollifax, Jessica Fletcher, Agatha Raisin, Henrie O, Hercule Poirot, and their many distinguished silver-haired colleagues, you’ll want to grab this one now. Aficionados of cozy authors like Dorothy Cannell, Carolyn Hart, M.C. Beaton, Joanne Fluke, Jana DeLeon, and Alexander McCall Smith will be equally captivated!

Dead Before The Wedding


Ruby Blaylock - 2015
     Professional photographer and part-time bakery employee Carly Keene loves everything about her small hometown, except for the fact that there's a murderer on the loose. When one of Carly's photography clients is murdered just days before his wedding, it's up to Carly to prove that the most likely suspect isn't the culprit at all. With the help of her sassy best friend, Shell, and her clever cop cousin, Carly is determined to get to the truth, no matter what. Can Carly prove that the police are after the wrong woman? And are her feelings for the dead guy's twin brother more than just friendship and a shared love of their dogs? Find out in this first book of the Carly Keene Cozy Mystery series! Meet the colorful residents of Parker's Mill in the first-ever Carly Keene cozy mystery. ***Includes two mouthwatering recipe straight out of the Sweets & Eats Bakery!****

Glossy Lips


Barbara Silkstone - 2018
    When Olive’s grandmother dies and leaves her a condo in Florida and a secret recipe for miracle cold cream, she grabs the chance at a new life in Starfish Cove, Florida, making designer creams for ladies who spend far too much time at the beach. Business is brisk and life is good! Olive even makes a wild new best friend in Lizzy, the real estate agent who handles the transfer of Nonna’s condo. When a dead body is found in the trunk of Lizzy’s car, Olive despairs that life in Starfish Cove won’t be any different than the one she thought she’d escaped. But this time, instead of listening to confessions of murder, Olive’s going to have to solve one. Maybe two… Contains a recipe for Olive & Lizzy’s super-creamy homemade lip gloss! Book I in a series ~ Book 2 available for pre-order SMOKEY EYES ~*~ “Barbara Silkstone is beyond clever. She's an engaging writer who, with great skill, manages to make her skewed world ring true. The best thing about her characters is that they are not caricatures; they are real with all their dimensions intact. The best thing about Silkstone is that she manages to exhibit equal measures of talent and imagination.” ~ Kindle Reader Author of the Florence Nightingale Comedy Mystery Series, The Giggling Corpse, The Killer Corset, and The Cheeky Corner, Barbara Silkstone is also the creator of the best selling Mister Darcy series of comedic mysteries ~ 9 Books plus 10 Regency novels and novellas, all with a light, humorous touch. She is also the author of the Wendy Darlin Comedy Mysteries – 5 Cozy Romantic Adventures combining Nick and Nora Charles with Lara Croft. Check out her Amazon Author page or visit her at the https://secondactcafe.com Most books are available in paperback and audio! Barbara Silkstone’s Amazon Author’s page http://www.amazon.com/Barbara-Silksto...

Cabs, Cakes, and Corpses


Jennifer Joy
    Not a murder. Jessica James is a twenty-three-year-old, work-at-home computer whiz content in her comfort zone … until her family conspires to send her to the jungles of Ecuador for a once-in-a-lifetime experience. When her taxi driver takes off with her bag in the trunk, her grand adventure begins. When that same taxi driver is found murdered minutes later, Jessica is forced into one catastrophe after another as she seeks to find the truth … and get her stuff back. With the help of the two most mischievous sisters old enough to know better, Jessica will either catch a murderer or end up in jail. But friendship and discovery come at a cost. Can Jessica’s newfound bravery help her survive her South American experience as she gets closer to the murderer? Or will this grand adventure be her last? *Recipes included

Death by Dog Show


Arlene Kay - 2019
    But when murder prances into the ring at a Massachusetts dog show, Perri must confront a cunning killer who’s a breed apart.   Accompanied by her bestie Babette and four oversize canines, Perri motors down to the Big E Dog Show in high style. Perri hopes to combine business with pleasure by also spending time with sexy DC journalist Wing Pruett. Until a storm traps everyone at the exposition hall . . . and a man’s body is found in a snow-covered field, a pair of pink poodle grooming shears plunged through his heart.   Turns out the deceased was a double-dealing huckster who had plenty of enemies chomping at the bit. But as breeders and their prize pets preen and strut, the murderer strikes again. Aided by her trusty canine companions, Keats and Poe, Perri must collar a killer before she’s the next “Dead in Show” winner.    Praise for Arlene Kay’s Boston Uncommons Mysteries   “Reminiscent of the comedy-mystery movies of the thirties…An entertaining first entry into the Boston Uncommons Mystery series.” —New York Journal of Books on Swann Dive   “Highly entertaining . . . I can't wait for the next book in the series!” —Jaye Roycraft, author of Rainscape

Apple Seeds and Murderous Deeds


Kathy Cranston - 2017
    Now Fiona McCabe has a murderer on her heels. Worse still, the local Garda sergeant seems to think she was involved in her old friend's murder. With the police sniffing around her bar and a murderer on the loose, things aren't looking good for Fiona. Luckily for her, she's got the McCabe clan fighting her corner. Can they dig through their small town's web of secrets to solve the mystery and find the real killer?Apple Seeds and Murderous Deeds is the first novel in the Fiona McCabe mystery series. All of the books are standalone mysteries.