Book picks similar to
Distinguished Bumpkin: Page-Turning Cozy With Fun and Fabulous Fur Babies (Country Cousin Mysteries Book 8) by Sam Cheever
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The Late, Lamented Molly Marx
Sally Koslow - 2009
Newly arrived in the hereafter, aka the Duration, Molly, thirty-five years old, is delighted to discover that she can still keep tabs on those she left behind: Annabel, her beloved four-year-old daughter; Lucy, her combustible twin sister; Kitty, her piece-of-work mother-in-law; Brie, her beautiful and steadfast best friend; and, of course, her husband, Barry, a plastic surgeon with more than a professional interest in many of his female patients. As a bonus, Molly quickly realizes that the afterlife comes with a finely tuned bullshit detector.As Molly looks on, her loved ones try to discern whether her death was an accident, suicide, or murder. She was last seen alive leaving for a bike ride through New York City’s Riverside Park; her body was found lying on the bank of the Hudson River. Did a stranger lure Molly to danger? Did she plan to meet someone she thought she could trust? Could she have ended her own life for mysterious reasons, or did she simply lose control of her bike? As the police question her circle of intimates, Molly relives the years and days that led up to her sudden end: her marriage, troubled yet tender; her charmed work life as a magazine decorating editor; and the irresistible colleague to whom she was drawn.More than anything, Molly finds herself watching over Annabel–and realizing how motherhood helped to bring out her very best self. As the investigation into her death proceeds, Molly will relive her most precious moments–and take responsibility for the choices in her life. Exploring the bonds of fidelity, family, and friendship, and narrated by a memorable and endearing character, The Late, Lamented Molly Marx is a hilarious, deeply moving, and thought-provoking novel that is part mystery, part love story, and all heart.
The Wildwater Walking Club
Claire Cook - 2009
You'll be lacing up your own sneakers in no time."Lively and inspiring!"-Hartford Courant "A great feel-good story."-Philadelphia Examiner After losing her boyfriend and her job in one fell swoop, Noreen has no idea what her next step is. So she puts on a new pair of sneakers and a seriously outdated pair of exercise pants, and walks. Before long she's joined by two neighbors as lost as she is and figures out time flies and fitness is actually fun when you're walking with friends. Throw in a road trip to Seattle for a lavender festival, a career-coaching group that looks like a bad sequel to The Breakfast Club, some terrific romantic comedy twists and turns, a quirky multigenerational cast of supporting characters, and the result is a tribute to female friendship that will inspire you to pick up the phone and call all your old friends--or maybe even start your own walking group."The Wildwater Walking Club is a quick smart read that will get you thinking about walking, friendship, and making time for the things you love." -Bookreporter.com"Readers who enjoy a celebration of friendship will want to walk the beach alongside the Wildwater trio." -Midwest Book Review"The Wildwater Walking Club reminds us of what's important in life - the joy of friendship, the power of a brisk walk, and of course the importance of a good book. I couldn't put it down. -Anisha Lakhani"The woman of The Wildwater Walking Club are a delightful trio, full of heart and determination. As they - literally - put one foot in front of the other, the three new friends find unlikely paths that point them toward more fulfilling lives. Their journey left me genuinely inspired (and with the curious urge to go out and buy a clothesline)." -Jean Reynolds Page
There's Cake in My Future
Kim Gruenenfelder - 2010
Melissa (Mel), still ringless after dating the same man for six years, deserves the engagement ring charm. The red hot chili pepper would be perfect for Seema, who is in love with her best male friend Scott, but can't seem to make their relationship more than platonic. And recently laid off journalist Nic wants the shovel, which symbolizes hard work, to help her get her career back on track. Nic does everything she can to control who gets which silver keepsake - as well as the future it represents. But when the charmed cake is mysteriously shifted from the place settings Nic arranged around it, no one gets the charm she chose for them. And when the other party guests' fortunes begin coming true, Mel, Seema, and Nic can't help but wonder.... Is the cake trying to tell them something?
Grounds for Murder
Tara Lush - 2020
In front of a gossipy crowd in the small Florida town of Devil's Beach, Lana's normally calm demeanor heats to a boil when she runs into the arrogant java slinger. Of course, Fabrizio "Fab" Bellucci has a slick explanation for jumping ship. But when he's found dead the next morning under a palm tree in the alley behind Lana's café, she becomes the prime suspect.Even the island's handsome police chief isn't quite certain of her innocence. But Lana isn't the only one in town who was angry with Fabrizio. Jilted lovers, a shrimp boat captain, and a surfer with ties to the mob are all suspects as trouble brews on the beach.With her stoned, hippie dad, a Shih Tzu named Stanley, and a new, curious barista sporting a punk rock aesthetic at her side, Lana's prepared to turn up the heat to catch the real killer. After all, she is a former award-winning reporter. As scandal hangs over her beachside café, can Lana clear her name and win the championship -- or will she come to a bitter end?
The Cat Came Back
Louise Clark - 2017
Worse, Frank’s trustees are telling Christy to let them handle it. But they aren’t doing anything, and Frank’s enemies are coming after her and her daughter.Desperate to find Frank and fend off his enemies, Christy asks Quinn for help. His price: the dirt on Frank. But the closer Christy and Quinn get to the dangerous truth, the more convinced they become that only the one who knows where Frank is at, is Stormy the Cat.THE 9 LIVES COZY MYSTERY SERIES, in order
The Cat Came Back
The Cat’s Paw
Your Perfect Life
Liz Fenton - 2014
While workaholic Casey rubs elbows with celebrities daily as the host of Gossip TV and comes home nightly to an empty apartment, stay-at-home mom Rachel juggles an “oops” baby, two fiery teenagers, and a husband who barely seems the man she fell in love with two decades before. After an argument at their twentieth high school reunion, Casey and Rachel throw back shots to get the night back on track. Instead, they get a life-changing hangover.Waking up in each other’s bodies the next morning, they must figure out how to navigate their altered realities. Rachel is forced to confront the reason she gave up her broadcasting dreams when she got pregnant in college, and Casey finally steps out of the spotlight to face the truth about why she’s alone. And they soon discover that they don’t know themselves—or their best friend—nearly as well as they thought they did.Liz Fenton and Lisa Steinke bring humor and heart to every page of this novel that is sure to please fans of In Her Shoes and The Opposite of Me. Your Perfect Life is a story about two very different women, what they didn’t know about each other, and how, by switching lives, they each learn to appreciate their own.
The Break-Up Book Club
Wendy Wax - 2021
And yet at book club meetings in an historic carriage house turned bookstore, they bond over a shared love of reading (and more than a little wine) as well as the growing realization that their lives are not turning out like they expected.Former tennis star Jazmine is a top sports agent balancing a career and single motherhood. Judith is an empty nester questioning her marriage and the supporting role she chose. Erin's high school sweetheart and fianc� develops a bad case of cold feet, and Sara's husband takes a job out of town saddling Sara with a difficult mother-in-law who believes her son could have done better - not exactly the roommate most women dream of.With the help of books, laughter, and the joy of ever evolving friendships, Jazmine, Judith, Erin and Sara find the courage to navigate new and surprising chapters of their lives as they seek their own versions of happily-ever-after.
Buzz Kill
Beth Fantaskey - 2014
She is chasing a lead for the school newspaper - and looking to clear her father, the assistant coach, and prime suspect.Millie's partner is gorgeous, smart-and keeping secretsMillie joins forces with her mysterious classmate Chase who seems to want to help her even while covering up secrets of his own.She's starting to get a reputation…without any of the benefits.Drama-and bodies-pile up around Millie and she chases clues, snuggles Baxter the so-ugly-he's-adorable bassett hound, and storms out of the world's most awkward school dance/memorial mash-up. At least she gets to eat a lot of pie.Best-selling author Beth Fantaskey's funny, fast-paced blend of Clueless and Nancy Drew is a suspenseful page-turner that is the best time a reader can have with buried weapons, chicken clocks, and a boy who only watches gloomy movies…but somehow makes Millie smile. Bee-lieve it.Pair with Fantaskey's best-selling Jessica's Guide to Dating on the Dark Side.
The Tea House on Mulberry Street
Sharon Owens - 2003
But a perpetually dieting housewife still comes in to escape her husband's stick-thin mistress, a struggling artist pens love letters to actor Nicolas Cage, and a woman returns to search for a long-lost soulmate. Behind the cherry cheesecakes and chocolate cappuccinos are the stirrings of a change that will redefine and heal lives. And lead Penny and Daniel to discover what truly matters in life--and love.
Shelby Nichols Adventure Box Set Books 1-3: Carrots, Fast Money, and Lie or Die
Colleen Helme - 2016
During a bank robbery, she is caught in the cross-fire and grazed by a bullet to the head, leaving her with the ability to read people's minds. Not only is she hearing what everyone thinks about her, but the gunman who shot her is out to silence her forever. In her fight to stay alive she is saved from certain death by a handsome hit-man with ties to organized crime. This pulls Shelby even deeper into danger, where knowing someone's thoughts can not only hurt her feelings, but get her killed. Fast Money: A Shelby Nichols Adventure, Book Two A trip to the mall gives Shelby the shock of her life when she finds an extra five million dollars in the bank account Uncle Joey set up for her. She thought he was out of her life for good, but with this huge deposit, she’s not so sure. Soon, all kinds of people are coming after her for a piece of the money, and her survival becomes a matter of life and death. Can she figure out who to trust in time? Or will this fast money be the end of Shelby Nichols? Lie or Die: A Shelby Nichols Adventure, Book Three Shelby has her hands full managing her new agency. Her first case to track down stolen bank money leads her into the lingerie business where nothing is as it appears. She also finds plenty to keep her busy with Detective Harris, AKA Dimples. But all that pales in comparison to what she must do to help Uncle Joey, the local mob boss. When Chris receives threatening notes, and Hodges turns up dead, it is up to Shelby to determine what is going on and who is behind it all. Soon, Shelby must use all her mind-reading skills to stay alive... and her only option? Lie or Die. REVIEWS "One of the best and rarest gems of the indie book market." -Matthew LeDrew
More Please? ~ BRILLIANT! Shelby is a well-rounded character and the plots are cleverly written! As much as I wanted to find something wrong, I just couldn't.
Fun, Fast, Fantastic read ~ An amusing and entertaining read. I hope there are many more to come!
Shelby Nichols Adventure Series Carrots Fast Money Lie or Die Secrets That Kill Trapped by Revenge Deep in Death Crossing Danger Devious Minds Hidden Deception
Beachcomber Motel
Meredith Summers - 2021
The motel is even more dilapidated than it looked like in the pictures and it turns out that renovating it includes working with her estranged cousins Maddie and Gina—the same cousins who caused her to fail at running the last motel. But there’s no getting around the stipulations in Gram’s will, and Jules needs to make a success of the Beachcomber, not only because of the promise she made but also to prove to herself that she’s not a failure.Nick Barlow doesn’t understand why anyone would want to renovate a dusty old hotel in a town that has no tourists, but when Jules comes in asking for the loan, he’s smitten and can’t get the application off the printer fast enough. Things are dull around Shell Cove and he’s looking forward to doing business with his new client... until his grandfather, the bank president, gives him a dire warning about Jules and her family and then refuses to approve the loan.Maddie Montgomery has made a promise to her grandmother, too. She needs to help Jules and Gina reconcile. But, as she soon finds out, that might not be the only reason Gram sent her to Shell Cove. The town needs her special brand of optimism and organization to keep it from dying out completely.Gina Gallagher’s life has hit rock bottom. Her real estate tycoon husband has disappeared after cleaning out both their business and personal bank accounts. When her grandmother makes her promise to learn to find joy in the little things and help out at the Beachcomber, she has no energy to refuse. Right now she has nowhere else to stay, but she doesn’t plan to keep her promise for long... until her stay at the Beachcomber yields some unexpected surprises.None of them really wanted to come to the Beachcomber, but could the old motel be the exact thing each of them needs?
Mrs. Fix It Mysteries Books 1-5
Belle Knudson - 2016
Kate Flaherty is Rock Ridge’s handywoman. A mom struggling to put her twin boys through college, Kate takes every job she is offered…even the one that comes from Scott. SCREWED DOWN MURDER Against the warning of police Chief Scott York to stay uninvolved, Kate cannot help but search for the murderer at the request of a suspect she believes is innocent. A VENEER OF MURDER Another life has been unjustly taken. Her hometown has been threatened by anarchists. Kate’s husband is still missing. Mrs. Fixit is back and more determined than ever to solve Rock Ridge’s many mysteries. DRILLED IN MURDER Kate's skills range from laying tiles to painting houses and everything in-between, but can she crack a burgeoning conspiracy that threatens to destroy RockRidge? CHISELED When resident handywoman, Kate Flaherty shows up at a house to attach a doorknob, she finds one of Rock Ridge's finest dead on the floor.
No Place Like Home
Maxine Morrey - 2011
One home? Ellie Laing has a very good reason to want to stay single: her last relationship put her in danger. And she’s worried that while the physical scars will heal, the emotional ones never can. So, travelling to Kansas for her best friend Sandy’s wedding, Ellie’s in need of some time alone. And Sandy’s brother Ben’s rural and idyllic ranch seems like the perfect place for it. Ben comes with his own baggage – a failed marriage in his past, and a big question mark over his future – and he knows the feelings he had for Ellie belong firmly in the history books. But, sitting on his porch with her, he’s never felt more at home. Both of them swore they were better off alone… yet is it possible that two broken hearts could come together to heal?Readers LOVE Maxine Morrey:‘'I’ve fallen head over heels for Maxine's writing style’‘I'm a big fan of Maxine's writing and I love how she is able to write lighthearted romantic comedies that have serious issues at their centre’‘I love Maxine Morrey's books’‘Hand on heart, I could read a Maxine Morrey novel every day of the week without getting bored.’‘I'm a big fan of Morrey's books’‘Maxine has this way of captivating her readers with charismatic and memorable characters’