Book picks similar to
Involuntary Turnover by Cheri Baker


mystery
cozy-mystery
cozy-mysteries
first-in-series

A Friend In Knead


Judith Jackson - 2018
     It is springtime in Vermont, and Harriet’s life is finally on a roll. The Bluebell Café, her pride and joy, is a success, and someday soon it may even be solvent. In her scant free time she ghost writes her gran’s wildly popular advice column and tends to her beloved one-eyed, cross dressing, English Bulldog. But then Sevenoaks experiences its first murder in as long as anyone can remember, and the police investigation hits way too close to home. In order to save her café, Harriet and her best friend, Claire, are forced to conduct their own search for the killer. To further complicate matters, Harriet’s long-ago boyfriend – the love of her life – has moved back to town, and if her legs would just stop wobbling every time the two of them are together it would be easier to pretend she’s completely over him. A Friend in Knead is a cozy mystery full of tasty food, lots of laughs and a hit of romance. Includes some of The Bluebell Café’s most-loved recipes.

Amanda Cadabra and The Hidey-Hole Truth


Holly Bell - 2018
     After all, her family’s bus went over a Cornish cliff. Now the presentable but irritating Inspector Trelawney is dogging her footsteps as he investigates the unexplained deaths. But that’s the least of her problems. Amanda has just got a furniture restoration job at the old English Manor of Sunken Madley with its murky past. Armed only with a wand and Tempest, her grumpy reincarnated cat, she’s going in. A body, ghosts, hidden tunnels, chills and unexplained lights; can Amanda solve the mystery in time and save the village from the scandal of murder?Please note that to help the reader to be immersed in Amanda's world, this British-set story uses British English spelling, grammar and usage, and includes accents, dialects and a magical language.

Marigolds and Murder


London Lovett - 2017
    With her pet crow Kingston and a tabby cat named Nevermore, she is settling right into her new life in the small coastal town of Port Danby. With a flower shop opening soon and a full cast of quirky neighbors and friends, her new digs are exactly what she's been looking for. Away from the hectic hustle and bustle of the city Lacey has found peace and happiness. However, her heightened sense of smell proves to be of use once again when a Port Danby neighbor turns up dead. Lacey finds herself caught up in an unexpected murder investigation alongside the handsome local detective, James Briggs. She’s determined to find the killer and solve the murder mystery before any more bodies turn up.Book 1 of the Port Danby Cozy Mystery Series. 1. Marigolds and Murder2. Carnations and Chaos (October 15, 2017)3. Mistletoe and Mayhem (November 2017)Full-length novel ~50,000 words.

Peonies and Peril: A Cozy Animal Mystery


Sue Hollowell - 2020
    

Mourning Routine


S.E. Babin - 2018
    Now, in desperate need of some way to make ends meet, she skulks back to her hometown of Asheville. Unfortunately, the employment offers are slim pickings for a has-been whose sole talent is being able to cry on cue. That is, until one odd turn leads to another, which leads to the little-known profession of Personal Mourning. Here, the better Kitty can fake it, the more dollars she’ll find stacked up in her bereft bank account. Talk about a role she was born to play! And townsfolk are just dying to hire her. Her first gig casts her as the bereaved girlfriend of one newly deceased Chase McCormick, someone she would never have dated in life. Still, Kitty will have to act like her life depends on it, because--OMG!--it does. Can she perform an investigation that could turn out to be murder before she gets her own curtain call? Find out whodunit in this hilarious mystery series filled with fake tears and a very real body count... Order your copy and start reading today! Mourning Routine is book one in The Funeral Fakers series. Each book stands completely on its own, but you'll have more fun if you read them all together!

If the Curse Fits


Kennedy Layne - 2019
    Unfortunately, the consequences of being hexed by the only immortal Lich Queen has kept Lou a little too busy to find a solution to her problem.What's the hex, you ask? In Lou's tragic case, her curse gives her the foresight of murders yet to be committed. It's the ultimate race against time--can she discover the culprit prior to the actual deed or can she save the victim and catch the murderer in the act?This poor hexed witch is going to need all the help she can get. Unfortunately, her help comes in the form of a warlock who is obsessed with conspiracy theories, an overly optimistic yet naïve healer, and a rather pretentious familiar who has an obsession for proper etiquette. Come join this traveling mystery band while they try to solve another murder as they're faced with powerful druids, two odd magical hares, and a mysterious man who definitely knows more than he's willing to say.

A Witch Too Late


Paula Lester - 2019
    . . For Cascade Lorne, getting out of a messy marriage was supposed to be the ticket to starting over.On the brink of her big five-oh birthday, a special delivery transforms everything she knows and plunges Cascade into a bewitching world of unexpected delights, phenomenal power, and legendary creatures turned real.But before she has time to adjust, Cascade becomes the number one suspect in the murder of a powerful figure in this strange new world.With only a sarcastic talking cat and a mysterious but totally hot neighbor to help, Cascade must unravel a decades old mystery even as the killer plots to use her as the last piece in a lethal puzzle.

Too Many Crooks Spoil the Plot


Sarah Osborne - 2018
    So when a childhood friend asks Ditie to babysit her kids for a few days, she jumps at the chance. She never imagined she’d be solving a murder too . . .   Despite growing up together, Ditie hasn’t seen Ellie Winston in two years, and she didn’t even know Ellie was living in Atlanta. But when Ellie asks her to take care of Lucie and Jason for the weekend, she thinks nothing of it. They’ll bake cookies together, play with her dog—it’ll be fun! Until the police call with terrible news . . .   Ellie may not have been the best friend, but who would want her dead? Could it have something to do with the vague get-rich-quick scheme she mentioned to Ditie? Or the men in a black truck following her and breaking into her home? Not sure who to trust other than her best friend, Lurleen, Ditie’s buried maternal instincts kick in to protect the kids and find their mother’s killer—before they’re orphaned again . . .   Includes Family-Friendly Recipes!

Meowing for Murder (A Clever Cat Detective Series Novel Book 1)


Sandra Baublitz - 2020
    It’s what sisters do.Lillian knew they’d argue like they always did. But murder?She’s shocked to find a dead neighbor in the middle of her sister’s living room. Why did the woman break in? And who killed her?It’s time for Lillian to pick up her spyglass and Saber to prowl for clues. A killer is on the loose.It will take one clever cat and one canny older woman to solve the purr-fect murder.

Magically Murdered: A Witch Cozy Mystery (Paranormal Bed & Breakfast Mysteries Book 1)


Joynell Schultz - 2020
    

Bakeries and Bones


Nic Roberts - 2017
    Engaged to a French banker, a quaint apartment in Greater London, an array of amazing friends and a family friend whose bakery she gets to spend her free time in, polishing her passion for making sweet treats. What could possibly go wrong? She’s about to find out. A surprise letter, a wavering fiancé and the discovery of bones are about to shake her peaceful world to the core, and this time, a cup of tea and a slice of apple pie won’t fix the major upheaval in her life… or will it? Bakeries and Bones is a 10,000 word Prequel to the Westford Bay B&B Cozy Mystery Series Ally and her wonderful group of friends live in the United Kingdom, so please note that this book contains British terminology and British spellings.

Pineapple and Poison


Allyssa Mirry - 2019
    Ever bitten off more than you can chew? Sticky sweets can lead to a sour case of murder. Lydia Doherty is about to achieve her dream by opening up her very own saltwater taffy shop on the Jersey Shore boardwalk. A sweet dream soon turns into a nightmare, however, when a prominent local realtor is poisoned, apparently after consuming one of Lydia’s free samples. Determined to clear her name and save her business, Lydia dives into investigating, despite the potential danger. Who would have wanted the realtor dead? What was the real motive behind his murder? And why did the killer choose her delicious pineapple taffy as the way to commit this crime? Lydia is determined to get to the bottom of it all – no matter how sticky the situation becomes!

Murder Between the Lines


Thea Cambert - 2020
    All three live in tiny apartments above their shops.The trio of friends share a charming rooftop garden, where they meet in the mornings for coffee from Franny’s coffee shop, and sweets from Owen’s bakery. When a new yoga studio, Bliss, opens up across the street, Alice reluctantly agrees to take a class to promote relaxation in her life, and it actually works, much to her relief.A fire breaks out in town, resulting in a tragic death, and Alice’s brother, Blue Valley PD Officer Ben Maguire, and newcomer, Detective Luke Evans—who has an irritating way of making Alice blush—lead the investigation. When it is determined that the death was no accident, Alice, Franny, and Owen get pulled smack dab into investigating the case.Will they solve it before you do?Find out in this fun and fast-paced Cozy Mystery!

Murder Under the Magnolias


Charmain Zimmerman Brackett - 2016
    After the murder of a young woman with a mysterious tattoo, Grace finds herself in the middle of an investigation and wonders if these parties she's beautifying are actually fronts for something more sinister.

The Way the Cookie Crumbles: Ginger Burnet Cozy Mysteries Prequel


Clementine Moore - 2021
    Recently returned from big city life, and in an attempt to reconnect with her roots and restart her life, she takes up the job of school baker at the esteemed Chiswick Park Academy. Further turning her back on her recent past and following her true aspirations as an amateur baker, stars seem to finally align in Ginger’s life.When a mysterious invitation to a bake-off challenge for a new TV reality show comes up, Ginger takes the opportunity to further cement her presence in the small town. She still has a month until her new job starts, so what harm could possibly be done?As the contestants gather at the highly gated Manor, things take a bloody turn, and all of a sudden ten strangers will need to work together to get out of their host’s murdering sight.Can Ginger solve the mystery and save her life in time? Will her natural instincts protect her from the mansion’s death traps?Find out in this page-turning mystery full of wild turns and family secrets that will rock Little Chiswick to the core, and announce the arrival of a new amateur sleuth in town!*If you like quirky characters, witty dialogue, heart-wrenching twists and turns, and lots of mystery, then you’ll love “The Way the Cookie Crumbles”