Book picks similar to
Drugged on Deck by Susan Harper
cozy-mystery
mystery
first-in-series
cozy-mysteries
Summerhouse Reunion
Kathi Daley - 2020
After Kayla’s death, Kelly returns to the island where she joins three friends from her past, to commemorate both, Kayla’s life, and the life of a sixteen year old girl who disappeared from the island twenty five years earlier. Now in their early forties, each of the four remaining friends struggle to find a way to deal with their loss while also dealing with their own personal crisis.Meanwhile, the new sheriff on the island, also a childhood friend, seems to have stumbled onto an interesting pattern the previous sheriff overlooked all together. Apparently a sixteen year old girl has gone missing from the island every fifth summer since Peggy disappeared. Some were assumed to have run away, while others were reported as missing, but one thing is for certain, none of the girls were ever seen again.As the sheriff, the women, and other friends from the past, work together to piece together the random clues they hope will provide a mirror to the past, disturbing evidence begins to surface suggesting that the next girl to disappear will disappear this summer.The Summerhouse TrilogySummer ReunionTopsail SundaysCampfire Secrets
Death by Inferior Design
Leslie Caine - 2004
The prize? A big feature in Denver Magazine, showcasing their interior design business. Who could have dreamed the uproar to ensue in a neighborhood full of eccentric homeowners, jealously hidden secrets and a few marriages in need of total makeovers. Trapped together in the midst of chaos, could the charming Steve turn out to be a…friend? But between her custom, cushy pillows and dramatic drapery, Erin uncovers a very undecorative dead body, too many suspects, and a killer who seems to have designs…on her!
Mardi Gras Madness
Alison Golden - 2019
A New Orleans adventure. A Mardi Gras murder... Roxy believed that life never gives you more than you can handle. But when she's fired from her wage-slave job, bullied by her co-workers, and her boyfriend abandons her, she decides she’s handled quite enough. Eager for a change of scene, Roxy with her white Persian cat Nefertiti head off to New Orleans. The exotic sights, smells, and food of Mardi Gras coax the shy young woman out of her shell. Booking a room at a rundown guesthouse, Roxy is surrounded by a colorful cast of local characters. From tattooed waitresses to mystical tarot card readers, she quickly makes new friends and leaves her old life behind. But she soon discovers that the Big Easy isn’t all beignets and jambalaya. A wealthy developer is eager to buy the guesthouse where Roxy lives and tear it down… until he turns up dead as a doornail! Before she can say ‘Mon Dieu!’, Roxy is caught up in a diabolical murder mystery… and her new friends are the prime suspects! Roxy is determined to protect her pals, and save her new home. But is this anxious adventurer up to the challenge of solving a murder? Or will she become the killer’s next victim… Cozy mystery fans will love this delicious new series from author Alison Golden. No foul language, no sex, and no gore…Just quirky characters, Cajun food, and a puzzling mystery that will keep readers guessing. Mardi Gras Madness is the first book in the Roxy Reinhardt series. Grab your copy today!
Poison Pen: A Claudia Rose Novel
Sheila Lowe - 2007
Alongside detective Joel Jovanic, she’ll have to find the killer before the killer finds her… “Dynamite” (Publishers Weekly).
Yarned and Dangerous
Sadie Hartwell - 2015
But after earning an overpriced master’s degree and getting fired by a temperamental designer, she finds herself heading back to her hometown. Her great-uncle was injured in a car accident, and newly unemployed Josie is the only person available to take care of him. Uncle Eb’s wife didn’t survive the crash, so Josie is also tasked with selling the contents of her Aunt Cora’s yarn shop. But the needling ladies of the Charity Knitters Association pose a far bigger challenge than a shop full of scattered skeins… Miss Marple Knits is one of the few businesses still open in the dreary downtown. Josie can’t imagine how it stayed open for so long, yet something about the cozy, resilient little shop appeals to her. But when one of the town’s most persnickety knitters turns up dead in a pile of cashmere yarn, Josie realizes there’s something truly twisted lurking beneath the town’s decaying façade… INCLUDES ORIGINAL KNITTING PATTERNS!
Death by a Honeybee
Abigail Keam - 2010
They are not cozy or fuzzy, but they do try to be humorous and witty. Sometimes they succeed. Each novel/novella has a stand-alone mystery, but the stories are also about the continuing life saga of a middle-aged Southern woman as she faces many serious obstacles. Josiah faces the world with sarcastic humor and a number of quirky, oddball friends that can only be found in the Southern town of Lexington, the heart of the Kentucky horse country. Some mysteries end with a bang, some are not solved at all and the first one ends with a cliff hanger, but they always entertain in the sassy, humorous and suspenseful world as Josiah goes about sleuthing. The Josiah Reynolds Mystery Series is just like fried chicken . . . finger-licking good! Add some sweet tea and a piece of chocolate pecan pie with a scoop of ice-cream and you got yourself some tasty reading. Description Josiah Reynolds is a beekeeper trying to stay financially afloat by selling honey at the Farmers' Market. She finds her world turned upside down when a man is found dead in her beeyard, only to discover that the victim is her nemesis. The police are calling the brutal death murder and Josiah is the number one suspect! Josiah makes the rounds of quirky characters that can only be found in the lush Bluegrass horse country. Fighting an unknown enemy in the glamorous world of Thoroughbreds, oak-cured bourbon and antebellum mansions, Josiah struggles to uncover the truth in a land that keeps its secrets well. Death By A HoneyBee is the first of an episodic series and as such ends in a cliff-hanger which is crucial to the rest of the series. Attached to HoneyBee is a bonus chapter from Death By Drowning which continues our heroine's story in linear time. I hope you enjoy reading Death By A HoneyBee as much as I have enjoyed writing it. It was a labor of love.
Murder at Farrington Hall
Ann Sutton - 2020
Unlucky in love but adept at sleuthing, she navigates the world of high society with intelligence and panache.When she and her sister, Lady Diantha, are invited to a party at Farrington Hall they eagerly accept. The weekend begins with a lot of promise until disaster strikes. A theft leads to murder and Dodo is called upon by her hosts to help the police, who are less than happy to have an amateur interfering. Can she win them over and solve the crime?
Death on the Danube: A New Year's Murder in Budapest
Jennifer S. Alderson - 2019
Her luck has run sour for going on a decade, ever since she got fired from her favorite job as an investigative reporter. When her fresh start in Seattle doesn’t work out as planned, Lana ends up unemployed and penniless on Christmas Eve. Dotty Thompson, her landlord and the owner of Wanderlust Tours, is also in a tight spot after one of her tour guides ends up in the hospital, leaving her a guide short on Christmas Day. When Dotty offers her a job leading the tour group through Budapest, Hungary, Lana jumps at the chance. It’s the perfect way to ring in the new year and pay her rent! What starts off as the adventure of a lifetime quickly turns into a nightmare when Carl, her fellow tour guide, is found floating in the Danube River. Was it murder or accidental death? Suspects abound when Lana discovers almost everyone on the tour had a bone to pick with Carl. But Dotty insists the tour must go on, so Lana finds herself trapped with nine murder suspects. When another guest turns up dead, Lana has to figure out who the killer is before she too ends up floating in the Danube… Introducing Lana Hansen, tour guide, reluctant amateur sleuth, and star of the Travel Can Be Murder Cozy Mystery Series. Join Lana as she leads tourists and readers to fascinating cities around the globe on intriguing adventures that, unfortunately for Lana, often turn deadly.
Good Fortunes
J.A. Whiting - 2016
After the death of her husband, Claire Rollins moves to Boston, Massachusetts to start a new life. After living in the city for a year and working in a chocolate shop, she begins to develop some "special" skills and when she and a friend just miss getting shot while walking along a city street at night, she taps her new abilities to try to solve the mystery that is swirling around her. This story has some mild paranormal elements.
Peonies and Peril: A Cozy Animal Mystery
Sue Hollowell - 2020
The Agatha Christie Book Club
C.A. Larmer - 2012
It's a mystery so baffling it would leave even the Queen of Crime scratching her head...After gathering seven crime buffs together—including young librarian Missy (as ditzy as Miss Marple and as sharp), fashionista Claire, paleontologist Perry (both stylish and fastidious like Poirot), dashing Dr Anders, a poisons expert, and socialite Barbara Parlour—Alicia grows suspicious when one of them fails to show for the next book club.Barbara has disappeared from the face of the earth and her arrogant husband, Arthur, seems coldly unconcerned. The group suspects him of foul play until he suddenly shows up dead. With two baffling mysteries and time fast running out, the book club decides to do as the meddling Miss Marple would do and investigate!So begins the first exciting instalment of the Agatha Christie Book Club (ACBC), a motley collection of amateur sleuths who use Christie as their guide to help solve a range of mysteries that fall into their lap. Following in the footsteps of Hercule Poirot and Miss Marple, the group must sort the clues from the red herrings to solve the murder of Arthur Parlour and determine what happened to his missing wife. Has she been brutally murdered or is she somehow, somewhere still alive?Like Poirot before them, the ACBC uncover a stream of shifty suspects along the way including flirtatious housekeeper Rosa, sleazy tennis coach Jake, traitorous BFF Wanda, and impoverished brother Niles. They must also face each other because, as Alicia discovers, each of the book club members is hiding a secret of their own. Their secrets could jeopardize the case, or crack it wide open.Returning to Agatha Christie's books time and again for inspiration and advice, the ACBC quickly unravel a baffling mystery that will leave readers guessing right until the end.C.A. Larmer, author of the popular Ghostwriter Mystery novels, shines again in this exciting new series that is fun and easy to read with eclectic characters and a plot you simply can't put down.Can you work the mystery out before the Agatha Christie Book club do?
The Farmer's Slaughter
Liliana Hart - 2018
What she doesn't expect is for her research to lead her to her newly retired neighbor, Hank Davidson. She recognizes a cop when she sees one, and Hank doesn't look like her idea of retired, despite the black socks, sandals, and manicured lawn. Hank needs a place to forget his past, but Agatha needs his past to secure her future. As an FBI trained profiler, Hank Davidson sees right through most people. But Agatha isn’t most people. She's as seasoned as any cop he knows and just as mouthy. It doesn't take long for him to get caught up in the cold case Agatha's using for research, but small town roots run deep, and loose lips will tell you anything you want to know--except who the killer is. In the spirit of Angela Lansbury and Murder She Wrote, enjoy these cozy mysteries in order to get the most fun out of your experience. ABOUT THE AUTHORS The dynamic husband and wife writing duo of Liliana Hart and Scott Silverii combine their love of adventure and storytelling into the Harley and Davidson Mystery Series. While they've discussed a team writing effort for years, when it came time to actually develop their characters, both admit to being stumped. Why not write us they laughed. Liliana, a 29-time NY Times and USA Today bestseller and author of over 59 titles, enjoys this labor of love with her husband. Scott, a former Chief of Police and law enforcement professional has over 25 years of banging down doors and busting bad guys. An author of 10 titles, he says this by far is his favorite mission. Together, they have created a lovable tandem of adventure seeking, mystery-solving heroes that you'll get to know and love. You might even catch a glimpse of Liliana and Scott in each story. Well, probably much more than a glimpse. Other Books In The Series: BOOKS IN THE SERIES Book 1 The Farmer’s Slaughter Book 2 A Tisket A Casket Book 3 I Saw Mommy Killing Santa Claus Book 4 Get Your Murder Running Book 5 Deceased and Desist Book 6 Malice In Wonderland Book 7 Tequila Mockingbird Book 8 Gone With the Sin Book 9 Grime and Punishment (12-2019) Book 10 Blazing Rattles (12-2019)
Moving Violation
Melanie Jackson - 2010
But with the aid of her dog, and her writer's group, Chloe may just be able to solve Hope Falls' first homicide and impress the new chief of police.
Flea Market Magic
Bella Falls - 2019
Ruby Mae Jewell helps run the family business of selling antiques and refurbished goods. But with old objects, you never know when one of them possesses more than just dust and cobwebs. With the help of her family, friends, and vampire boyfriend, Rue helps to keep those items out of human hands at whatever the cost. But when someone dies on her property, maybe the price is too high! Will her fiery personality and powers be able to solve the mystery before anyone else gets hurt or will Ruby Mae’s efforts to solve the murder go up in smoke?
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.