Book picks similar to
Lilac Mist Murder by Mary Maxwell
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cozy-clean-mystery
first-only
investigation
Wreath of Deception
Mary Ellen Hughes - 2000
The entertainment she's hired, Cuddles the Clown, is little help, grumbling and complaining until Jo is ready to strangle him. Someone else does silence him, though – for good. With a dead clown in her storeroom and murdered with one of her craft items, Jo becomes the prime suspect. She works to clear her name, unaware that the crafty killer is ready to do anything it takes to stop her – and won't stop at murder!Includes directions for a craft project!
Twist of Truth
Diane M. Dickson - 2016
Why he has been away, and where he has been will soon become apparent, as well as why his heart is set on bloody revenge. Simon is soon recognized by figures from the past when he enters a pub and the locals make it known they don't want him around. But when Gloria Bartlett, the owner of the Bed and Breakfast in which he is staying, treats him compassionately, Simon quickly draws her into his plans. What follows is an exciting search for the truth about Simon’s past and a terrible murder of a family member. Yet when the couple get to the bottom of the mystery, they find that both of their lives are in jeopardy. TWIST OF TRUTH is set in the fictional Yorkshire town of Ramstone based in the heart of the moors. It explores the difficult emotional connections between people whose lives have been affected by crime. And as the protagonists get closer and closer to the truth, and the terrible secret that is revealed, it exposes the difference between revenge and justice.
Buster's Law
Laraine Lebron - 2012
So do cats, bunnies and every other creature that must temporarily call it home. Running an animal shelter is hell, but Lucy knew that coming in. Dealing with the constant stream of homeless animals, tight budget and tighter Board of Directors, while maintaining a 20 year marriage, is exhausting. But it's all worth it each and every time an animal gets adopted. What Lucy could not foresee is that an unknown enemy would declare war on Mercy. Disturbing notes, nasty pranks and the horrible murder of a beloved co-worker threatens Mercy's very existence. Ferocious in the defense of her employees and the animals they care for, Lucy must identify and stop this enemy, or die trying.
Lupine Lies
Karen MacInerney - 2020
You won't be able to put this seaside cozy mystery story down!
Christmas Corpse
Mona Marple - 2020
When her car skids into a snow bank, she's rescued by a sweet old lady who promises her name is Mrs Claus. Holly is taken to Candy Cane Hollow to recover, and finds herself in a genuine winter wonderland. As Christmas Day approaches, the grouchy medical receptionist appears to have been poisoned by a mince pie.And to Holly's surprise, Mrs Claus is the prime suspect. With Mrs Claus under suspicion, Holly vows to return the woman's generosity by clearing her name.Maybe it will impress Mrs Claus' dimpled dish of a son, too?
Silver Linings
J.A. Whiting - 2020
With a heavy heart, a new house, a new job, and a new community, Hope is trying to settle in when she is reluctantly drawn into two mysteries. Will Hope and Cori find the clues to a killer before he or she strikes again?
The Man in the Green Chevy
Susan Rogers Cooper - 1988
To make the whole thing really stink, the victims were little old ladies, the nice cookie-baking, sweater-knitting kind.His prime witness is Mrs. Laura Johnson-about thirty-five, three kids, and absentee husband-the sexiest woman Milt had ever seen. She'd identified a man in a green Chevy emerging from the murder scene. Find that man, he figured, find the killer.Between digging unsuccessfully for leads and fighting-equally unsuccessfully-his growing attraction for the warm and inviting Laura, Milt figures the only solution is a new line of work. But Milt Kovak's not the kind of guy to take the easy way out-not when there's a crazed killer waiting eagerly to help him.
Chili to Die for
Lilly York - 2015
From the slow southern dialect to the crazy drivers, Willow finds herself at odds with what most call “southern charm.” She becomes obsessed with cook-offs and bake-offs, wanting those trophies for her mantle. With the chili cook-off just around the corner, Willow manages to provoke one of the judges to a fit of road rage. When that judge ends up face down, dead, in a bowl of Willow’s chili, police chief Grice looks to the newest town resident as his number one suspect. Willow must find out who wanted Ms. Delonda Posey dead before the good citizens of Turtle, OK run her Yankee bottom out of town.
Murder in the Piazza
Jen Collins Moore - 2020
She's taken a job offering painting instruction to well-heeled travelers and her boss-a rather unpleasant English lord-has turned up dead in his penthouse. Maggie's left with a palazzo full of suspicious guests, a valuable painting her boss might have stolen, and a policeman who's decided she's the prime suspect. Now Maggie must keep the tour up and running while she tracks the killer and works to clear her name.
Her Ocean Grave
Dana Perry - 2021
She can’t see the girl’s face, which is covered by her long, brown hair. But she knows her. She met her just yesterday…When Samantha Claymore doesn’t return home after an afternoon bicycle ride on Martha’s Vineyard, Detective Abby Pearce acts immediately. She knows from experience how quickly a lost girl can become a tragedy. Back on the island for the first time since she ran away as a teenager, Abby hopes solving Samantha’s case will make up for her past mistakes… But, as the media swarm and Samantha’s grieving mother joins the search, the police find no trace of the beloved sixteen-year-old—even when a reward is offered for her return.Trawling through old case files, Abby discovers that Samantha is not the only girl to have gone missing in the small community of Martha’s Vineyard. She’s convinced more could follow, but her team insists there’s no link to be found. Until Samantha’s best friend is found dead at the bottom of a cliff the next day…After searching Samantha’s bedroom and trawling through the files on her computer, Abby digs into the death of Samantha’s father five years ago at sea, following the trail to one of the island’s most powerful families. The same people who failed to protect Abby the night she was forced to leave as a young girl. Is there anyone left on this quiet island who Abby can trust? Can she find Samantha before more innocent lives are taken?An absolutely unputdownable and nail-biting crime thriller that will have you racing through the pages. Perfect for fans of Lisa Regan, Kendra Elliot and Gregg Olsen.
The Murder Before Christmas
Michele Pariza Wacek - 2021
She does NOT do love potions.Not even for Courtney, her pregnant new client who showed up three weeks before Christmas seeking a love potion because her husband was cheating on her.So, Courtney asked about poison, instead.She said she was joking. That's what happens between wives and husbands. They get angry and talk about killing each other. They don't really mean it.It seems to make sense ... until Courtney’s husband turns up dead on Christmas Eve.He was poisoned, of course.And who is the number one suspect? Courtney. Of course.But did she actually do it? Or is she being set up?It's up to Charlie to sort through all the twists and turns in a case that gets more complicated the deeper she digs.Meet Charlie. Better known as “Aunt Charlie” from the award-winning Secrets of Redemption series. She's back, making teas and solving cases in this funny, twisty, cozy mystery series set in the 1990s in Redemption, Wisconsin.
Murder At The Playgroup
Liz Hedgecock - 2017
When she meets the locals, she’s absolutely sure. There’s just one problem; she’s 8 months pregnant. The village is turned upside down when Barbara Hamilton, pillar of the community, is found dead at Gadding Goslings playgroup. No one could have murdered her except the people who were there. The police suspect all of them, including Pippa herself…With a baby due any minute, and hampered by her toddler son, can Pippa unmask the murderer? Will Much Gadding return to normal? And does anyone in Much Gadding even know what normal is?Murder At The Playgroup is the first cozy mystery featuring Pippa Parker, mum and amateur sleuth, and set in the quiet but eccentric English village of Much Gadding.
Truth or Dare
Kathi Daley - 2021
After finding out about the assault of an old friend, which has left him comatose, she renews her relationship with Ezra Reinhold, a reclusive billionaire who enjoys poking around in cold cases and has the means to hire the best people to find the answers no one else has been able to.In book 1 in the series a group of ten high school students go camping but only eight return. The statements those who've made their way back have told to Sheriff Sam Stone are so different as to be completely useless. Syd has experience getting the truth out of people so she agrees to help Sam weed though the witness statements to find the truth both are certain exists beneath the lies. Meanwhile Syd's middle sister Emily has started a new lifestyle blog, her youngest sister Rory is fostering kittens, and Syd renews her relationship with Kelly Green, an FBI analyst she first met while working for the FBI on the East Coast.
Christmas at Swans Nest
Lorraine Bartlett - 2016
An unexpected winter storm disrupts her friends’ plans, and it looks like her B&B will have to open a little early. And then there are the cryptic notes that hint of a treasure to be found somewhere in the house. Will Kathy and her friends find a cache of cash?
Murder a la Christie
Marilyn Levinson - 2014
More members are knocked off as Lexie unravels secret after secret, leading her to believe she's living in Christie's novel, And Then There Were None. Using Miss Marple’s knowledge of human nature and Hercule Poirot’s cunning, Lexie reveals the murderer.