Book picks similar to
Throw a Monkey Wrench by Karen Chester


mystery
first-in-series
cozy-mystery
mysteries

Trouble at Happy Trails


Minnie Crockwell - 2014
    By night’s end, a death in the park finds her consoling the deceased man’s widow...or his killer. Whether the dearly departed died by his own hand or whether someone murdered him remains to be seen. It seems the deceased had a lot of character flaws. A lot! Peregrine Ebenezer Alvord, otherwise known as Ben, is tagging along with Minnie on her travels. That he is an early 19th century ghost is only a minor complication. Ben has the ability to venture unseen where others cannot. Minnie never imagined herself as an amateur sleuth, but with Ben’s help, she might just be able to discover the source of the Trouble at Happy Trails! Trouble at Happy Trails is Book 1 of a series of short stories featuring Minnie and Ben. Each story can stand alone, but to avoid extensive repetition of the back story, the stories would be best read in order. Look for Book 2 soon!

A Body in the Bargain


Charlotte Moore - 2016
    She writes, paints watercolor landscapes and reads Jane Austen over and over. Kylie’s been married since she was 19, has twin boys and loves hunting for bargains and selling her crafts on-line. Kate and Kylie have been best friends since third grade at River Valley Elementary School. When Kate inherits her grandmother’s old house and decides to move back to peaceful River Valley, she finds there’s anything but peace in the Valley. First, she arrives to find that all her late grandmother’s old furniture has been stolen. Kylie comes to the rescue, and just a few days later the two of them are right in the middle of a murder investigation. Through it all, with Kylie’s help, Kate’s turning the old house into her own home with yard sale and thrift shop bargains and getting to know two very different men. From the author of the Hunter Jones mystery series, A Body in the Bargain is about people you might know and one or two you might just want to avoid.

Raspberry Ripple Murder


Abby Byne - 2016
    The only drawback to her new life as a baker is the dead electrician in her kitchen.Was the electrician the victim of a tragic on-the-job accident, or is there something much more sinister afoot? It’s up to Bitsie to find out with a little help from her sister-in-law, her recently-retired-from-the-police-force brother, and her too-handsome-to-be-real shop assistant.It’s not easy finding a murderer when your most compelling clue is a half-eaten raspberry ripple cupcake, but perhaps a pleasantly-plump cupcake connoisseur is the perfect woman for the job.

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.

Sleeping Dogs (Chronicles of Miller's Crossing #1)


Linda L. Chontos - 2016
    If the message it contains is true, the man convicted of a local murder thirty-six years ago is innocent, and the real murderer is walking free. Matty must decide if she is willing to uncover the truth, whatever the cost to herself and those around her. If that wasn’t enough, there’s trouble afoot in their little country church where Matty’s friend, Willa-Mae, is leading the charge to get things back to the way they were before the new pastor arrived with his new ideas.

True Blue Murder


Elise M. Stone - 2016
    The former librarian has developed her first hybrid, a plant with unusual deep blue flowers, and hopes to win a first place ribbon. Maybe even best in show. But her excitement turns to dread when the aggravating Bette Tesselink, her fiercest rival, turns up dead, and she becomes the logical suspect. There’s never been a murder in the village of Rainbow Ranch, and it soon becomes apparent that the young Chief of Police is in over his head. Under pressure from the mayor, Lilliana is afraid he’ll arrest her in order to close the case. Her only option is to begin her own investigation and find the murderer before she winds up in jail. The first in a new cozy mystery series sure to engage you with its fascinating characters and twisty plot.

Dead on the Vine


J.M. Harvey - 2014
    Helena's Violet Vineyards, has a husband who would rather date a teenager than raise one, an emotionally unstable daughter with a violent ex-boyfriend and a staff of two who treat her more like a mother than a boss. But she can handle all of that. After all, things could be worse. Much worse.Claire is preparing for the bottling of Violet's Vintner's Reserve, hoping to stave off bankruptcy for one more year, when her neighbor, Kevin Harlan, is found murdered in her vineyard. That's awful enough, but when her daughter is arrested for the murder Claire is forced to pursue the real killer on her own, placing herself and everyone she loves in the line of fire.

Playing At Murder


Gillian Larkin - 2017
    Now that she’s retired, she makes that dream a reality and sets herself up as an investigator. With reluctant help from her sister-in-law, Sable, Connie takes on her first client. What starts out as a simple case of tracking down a missing person soon turns into an intriguing case of deception, phone hacking and murder.

Resort to Homicide: A Merrifield Mystery Novella


Christine Chianti - 2016
    Giving in to her brother's request, she goes to visit his new island resort during a special weekend for the investors. Spending time at Rim Runners should have been the perfect prescription to help rebuild her life, but the mood at the resort is like the weather-stormy. As hurricane Anna cuts them off from the mainland, tempers flare resulting in threats and sabotage. When the body of one of the guests is found, Laura is forced to rely on her training to find the killer before the storm lets up and they can slip away.

Dying To Win


Eve Craig - 2017
     Holly Bridges had always dreamed of having her own stable. While out for a drive in the country, she found a farm with a large indoor arena and several outdoor arenas. Even though it looked like it hadn't been used in years, it was the perfect location for holding equestrian shows and stabling horses. Shortly after opening, Holly managed to acquire a prominent local's horse as her first boarder. With the new tenant it looked like Happy Hollow Stable's first equestrian show could be a huge draw for the locals. Well, that is until a dead body showed up in a nearby field. Will the show go on or will Holly have to give up her lifelong dream?

Killer Dress


Nancy McGovern - 2017
    After years of living the fast life as a photographer in LA, she's heading back home to Innocence, California, with nothing but her old camera, a laptop, and $40 to her name. It’s time to pick up the pieces… Thankfully, there is one bright spot in her life. Her sister, Caroline, is about to be married and she’s asked Dani to photograph the event. It’s the perfect way to jumpstart into her future. Unfortunately, things don’t go according to plan. The groom-to-be’s ex-girlfriend is found dead the day before the wedding.  And, between their bitter history and the fact that the victim is somehow wearing her wedding gown, Caroline immediately becomes suspect #1. Can Dani do something to help her sister? The sheriff is confident it is an open & shut case against Caroline and doesn’t see the need to dig much deeper. But, of course, Dani knows she’s innocent. And, for some reason, she has a nagging feeling that there is something in the wedding photos that can clear Caroline’s name. Something that is hiding in plain sight. If she can only figure out what it is… Find out what happens in Killer Dress, the first book in Nancy McGovern’s new cozy mystery series, “Shot & Framed”! Nancy McGovern is also the author of the popular culinary cozy mystery series, “A Murder In Milburn” & “Slice of Paradise Cozy Mysteries”, featuring delicious recipes and even tastier whodunits, as well as the witch-based paranormal cozy mystery series, “Bluebell Knopps Cozy Mysteries”.  Follow the link in ANY of Nancy's books to join her mailing list and receive a FREE COZY MYSTERY just for signing up!

Bones & Boxes


Anna Drake - 2015
    Recently widowed and new to to town, she also must find her place among a village of strangers. That effort is how she discovers her first dead body. It also launches her into her first murder investigation. But her effort to track a killer gets muddled as ghost and cat compete for her attention. Then there’s her daughter, Megan. How is Hetty to track a killer without tipping her off? Finally, mix in a clever killer, and Hetty finds herself truly challenged in this lighthearted, mystery novella

White Satin & Murder


Harper Harris - 2018
    A clingy Yorkie. And a dead Maid of Honor. It’s the first wedding Valerie Masters has ever planned and the start of her new business.There’s money flowing in Buckingham Downs, California, a small coastal town largely taken over by the rich, where weddings are a billion-dollar business. Val works tirelessly to make sure this one- the very first that she’s been hired to plan- is perfect, juggling a temperamental florist, a diva cake baker, and a self-obsessed DJ who’s threatened to walk off the job if the Chicken Dance is requested.Not to mention the biggest Bridezilla Val has ever seen, the bride’s “unique” family and snooty Maid of Honor.Starting a new business is hard, and this first wedding is turning out to be more than Val bargained for. Right before the wedding, Val finds the Maid of Honor dead and the expensive, one-of-a-kind wedding dress missing!Now, on top of getting a hitch-filled wedding to go off without a…well…you know, she has no choice but to solve this mystery. No wonder half of all new businesses fail!The stakes couldn’t be higher. This socially influential family has already threatened to ruin Val if any part of the wedding is ruined.But who among this motley cast of characters could be a murderer and a dress thief? And will Val figure it out in time to pull off the perfect wedding? Or will her business crash before it’s even started?White Satin & Murder is a full length cozy mystery novel full of humor, intrigue, and an adorable furry friend named Buttons. It's the first book in the Val Masters Wedding Planner series, which can be read in any order and are best enjoyed together.

Crime and Nourishment


Miranda Sweet - 2017
    Neither does the island of Nantucket. A NEW RELEASE cozy mystery perfect for fans of Agatha Frost, Cynthia Ellingsen, Cindy Bell and CeeCee James When Agnes Mary Clarissa Christie Prouty, a.k.a. Angie, abandons her fiancé and her analyst job at a big Manhattan investment firm, she doesn’t expect to end up back where she started—the island of Nantucket.  It’s not every day you get a chance to open a bookstore, complete with bookmark-eating cats and cantankerous great-aunts.  Especially when your childhood friends agree to provide you with the world’s best pastries from their bakery down the street. Everything goes great until one of the locals turns up dead on the fourth of July, the sound of the gunshots covered by the local fireworks display. But did it have to happen right after Angie delivered a book to his home making her a prime suspect? Angie and every gossip on the island, including her great-aunt and her friends, are on the case.  But trying to discover the truth is going to take more than a simple murder investigation.  Someone’s guilty and the deadly secret might cut closer to home than anyone wants to admit.Being an amateur detective is harder than it looks, even when you’ve been named after the Queen of Crime.  This cozy mystery/amateur sleuth novel is book one in the Angie Prouty Nantucket Cozy Mystery Series

Thirteen Chocolates (A Chandler's Chocolate Box Mystery, #1)


Agatha Chocolats - 2020
    Thirteen heirs. One stab at a decadent fortune. Legendary chocolatier, Ulysses Chandler has died, leaving his historic Smoky mountain mansion and world-famous chocolate factory behind. Single mom, Anna Clementine, has left her minimum-wage waitress job to collect an inheritance from a man she never met. The catch? There are twelve other heirs, with twelve killer personalities, all competing for the same prize. As chapters literally start counting down, confections and heirs simultaneously disappear. Until– Then there was one…and it’s a KILLER.