Book picks similar to
Holly and the Framed Friend by Dianne Harman


young-adult
mystery
dianne-harman
1st-in-series

The Case of the Missing Finger: A Cruise Ship Cozy Mystery


Cheri Baker - 2021
    Two years later, with her children grown and the rest of her life ahead of her, she's ready to have the adventure she'd planned before her life was turned upside-down. She's excited to visit the U.S. Virgin Islands on her very first cruise.After boarding the most beautiful cruise ship she's ever seen, Ellie's surprised when she's assigned a cabin inside the cruise line's new singles club at sea, but she quickly sees that her new friends aboard could use some advice when it comes to romance. Unfortunately, Ellie's matchmaking efforts are interrupted when a fellow passenger finds a finger with a big diamond ring on it in her Sangria Surprise!Passengers are scandalized and tongues are wagging all around the ship. The ship's security chief seems eager to brush the crime under the rug while others are eager to point fingers at Ellie's favorite bartender. After thirty years married to a small town police chief, Ellie's picked up some sleuthing skills of her own, and she knows that justice demands honest answers to the questions rocking the ship. Who does the finger belong to? How did it end up in the boozy drink special of the day? And what other secrets lurk beneath the Caribbean sun?It's all hands on deck for adventure with this matchmaking sleuth.

Escape From Danger (Escape from Reality Cozy Mystery, #1)


Courtney McFarlin - 2020
    She never thought she’d discover something shocking about her own past. She never dreamed she’d have an opportunity to fall in love. She never expected she’d soon be fighting for her life after getting too close to the truth.After the unexpected death of her father, Shay moves back home and discovers her father left her a legacy to live out her dreams. Her new business is set to open in just a few weeks, and she needs to figure out why there’s a dead guy in one of the newest escape rooms. Join Shay as she reconnects with her best friends from childhood, tries to solve a murder, and locks horns with the attractive detective assigned to the case. Sparks fly and danger lurks where Shay least expects it.

Death in Room 7


K.J. Emrick - 2015
     Adelle Powers, or Dell as she is known around the town of Lakeshore, is living her dream life. She and her best friend Rosie Ryan are owners of the wonderfully quirky Pine Lake Inn, a very popular Australian tourist destination. Running her own inn is the only thing she has ever wanted to do and it is her pride and joy. So when Dell's friend Jessica calls to say she's coming for a visit Dell is ecstatic and can't wait to show it off to her friend. Surprisingly Dell finds that Rosie is less than thrilled about the visit and can't understand why. They were all such good friends, or so she thought. It would seem that Rosie may know something about Jessica's past that Dell doesn't. Some sort of secret that Rosie is reluctant to share with her. When Jessica is found dead in her room the following day it would appear that her secret past may have finally caught up with her. Horrified by the death of her good friend in her very own inn, Dell soon gets drawn into the mystery. And things take a turn for the very weird when Jessica's ghost visits her, more than once, directing Dell to clues that have been overlooked by a very incompetent police investigation. Soon Dell finds her own life in peril as she gets further into the mystery surrounding her friends life, and death.

Berry The Dead: A Sequel Series To "A Murder In Milburn"


Nancy McGovern - 2018
    Now, after a twenty-five year hiatus, she is back! And there’s a lot to catch up on! So much so that we just had to “Return To Milburn”! About Berry The Dead: Finding herself as the guest of honor at a surprise party for her 55th birthday, Nora is thankful for the wonderful friends & family with whom she has been blessed. She’s also grateful for how long it has been since ending up knee-deep in a murder mystery. For years, her days have been filled with delicious baking & fantastic times with loved ones. Life is good! Then her housekeeper is found dead, poisoned by berries… To make things worse, the new sheriff seems determined to brush her death off and move on. But Nora knows this wasn’t an accident. And, if she wants to see the killer brought to justice, she also knows it’s time for her to spring into action. So, with the help of her friends, Tina & Simone, Nora jumps headlong back into the murder game. And this time she’s older, wiser and in more danger than ever! Join Nora Newberry in this first book of her new series, “Return To Milburn”, and find out what we’ve all been missing since we saw her last! NOTE: If you have not read Nora’s first series, “A Murder In Milburn”, you do not have to do so to enjoy this book/series! You can jump right in! But, if you’d like to catch up on the past, you can get ALL 12 BOOKS from the previous series in a big box set right here on Amazon! And for a hugely discounted price! And please sign up for Nancy McGovern’s newsletter using the link inside this book! When you do, you’ll receive behind-the-scenes info about her (and Emma Lee’s) stories, updates on future releases and a FREE PREQUEL to “A Murder In Milburn” as a Thank You for joining the family! You’ll love it!

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.

Peril in Paradise


Deb Graham - 2016
    Not another theft. Depressed over her youngest son leaving two years early for college– across the country no less!– Jerria takes up her husband Will’s offer of a relaxing Hawaiian cruise. But, a series of ominous events onboard the Ocean Haven squashes any idea of a calm tropical vacation. Soon Jerria’s very life is in danger, and she can’t blame the mythical Pele for this one. If you love cruising, you’re going to love this debut novel by The Cruise Addict’s Wife! Warm characters and rich descriptions of beautiful Hawaii bring this cozy mystery to life. If you’ve ever dreamed of the enchantment of a cruise ship vacation, Peril In Paradise is for you!

Murder at Stake


Constance Barker - 2017
    One of the regulars at the Old School Diner is found with a stake to the heart. Is the stake from his collapsed barn, or as a couple of conspiracy theorists from the diner speculate...that the dear departed was indeed a vampire and there is a vampire hunter among them. Find out what happens in this new hilarious mystery series where the owner, Mercy, has her hands full with a colorful cast of characters.

Death Takes A Break: A Taylor Texas Mystery


Vikki Walton - 2019
    She returns home to Comfort, Texas, only to be thrust into the middle of a land dispute and developers intent on gaining the Taylor Ranch property. When one of the developer’s employees dies on their property, Christie must extend her break to help her father. Christie sets out to find the killer before they strike again. But will the truth unravel everything? If you love Texas, country life and pies, you’ll enjoy this humorous cozy mystery set in the beautiful hill country. Meet the characters who may remind you of your cantankerous grandpa or your quirky next-door neighbor. Pie Recipe included!Buy Death Takes a Break and get roped in to a your new favorite cozy series.

Missing in Mystic Grove (Liz Bean, #1)


S.F. Bose - 2018
    Bose featuring Liz Bean, woman sleuth. Liz Bean Mystery Series Book 0 - Missing in Mystic Grove (Prequel) Book 1 - Murder in Mystic Grove It’s Thanksgiving Week at the Bean Family Bed and Breakfast. Liz Bean is looking forward to helping her family prepare a Thanksgiving dinner and celebration for their B&B guests. Two months earlier, a traumatic event prompted Liz to leave her job as a field translator with Worldhead Global Security in Virginia and return home to Mystic Grove. After four years of hiding what she really did in the Covert Services Group at Worldhead, Liz is relieved to be home. She looks forward to a peaceful and enjoyable holiday. Then everything falls apart. A B&B guest reports that a piece of her jewelry has gone missing. Then she suggests that another guest might have actually stolen it. The guest gives them four days to find her jewelry or she’ll call the police. Grandma Addie Bean shivers at the thought of the negative online reviews the guest might leave if they don’t find her jewelry. Grandma Addie pairs Liz with Sam Nolan, a quirky private investigator who’s a frequent diner at the B&B. Their meeting is like oil and water, but Liz knows they have to team up to help the B&B. When their prime suspect disappears, the situation goes from bad to worse. As they investigate each lead, Liz realizes that she’s not the only one in Mystic Grove who’s keeping secrets. When the truth is revealed, it takes everyone by surprise. This action-packed mystery featuring a young woman sleuth and her private investigator partner will keep you guessing all the way to the surprising ending. The Reviews are In! "I read book 0 and book 1. Loved them both! Plenty of mystery and suspense. Really great characters that I want to enjoy reading about again and again." "This was really an excellent mystery. Lots of twists and turns. I liked and identified with the heroine. The other characters were believable and interesting. I would recommend this to any mystery lover." "Lively characters and good story. Enjoyed from start to finish. Unexpected events." "Missing in Mystic Grove" is a prequel to S.F. Bose’s first mystery novel, "Murder in Mystic Grove", and I enjoyed this one just as much. At 148 pages, it’s a shorter story, but just as much fun to read. It starts out as a story about a ring that may be lost or stolen, but quickly develops into so much more. Ms. Bose has a knack for building suspense and fleshing out characters. I hope she continues the series because I want to see what happens to her main characters next." "I was very excited when I saw S.F. Bose's new book, Missing in Mystic Grove, released. Great characters and plot. Once again, twists and turns and an ending I didn't expect.

Reunion and Revenge


Karen Musser Nortman - 2018
    Does that mean they are amicable companions? Not at all. But when, during a family reunion, the murder of a family friend throws suspicion on their shiftless younger brother, they put their heads together to try to save him.

Farmcall Fatality


Abby Deuel - 2014
    A colleague and classmate from vet school has passed away and left her veterinary clinic and house to Mandy. While Mandy has always been a traveling vet in her motor home, she finds herself drawn to the Midwestern hospitality that the town shows her and her sidekick Border collie, Lyle. Unfortunately, on one of her farm calls, she discovers a body that turns out to have been murdered. She is determined to solve the murder to clear the name of the quaint little town. She uses her own intuition and careful questioning of townspeople and clients to piece together the culprit at fault. Lyle is by her side through the whole book, including at the town’s Halloween Hoedown, where she gets into trouble of her own. Read on to experience life as a small town veterinarian with a knack for solving murders.

Murder at Mile Marker 18


Denise Jaden - 2020
    Her late husband had been the mystery novelist with a penchant for the suspicious. She was born for the crock pot, not the magnifying glass, and yet here she is elbow deep in fettuccine, cat treats, and teenagers with an attitude, the combination of which lands her smack-dab in the middle of a murder investigation.Maybe she should have thought twice about delivering a casserole to a grieving family. Maybe she should have avoided the ever-changing green eyes of her seventh-grade crush—now the most heart-stopping cop in town. Maybe she should have stopped listening to the insightful mewls of her cat, Hunch, who most likely wants her to be the town’s next murder victim.Whatever the case, Mallory Beck got herself into this investigation, and she has a distraught teenage girl counting on her to deliver the truth.Add book one in the brand new Mallory Beck Cozy Culinary Series, to your to-read list now!

Into the Lion's Den: (A Christian Amateur Sleuth Mystery)


S.E. Biglow - 2021
     Reverend Margot Quade never expected to be dropped in the midst of a murder. She just wanted to get reacquainted with her hometown of Port Marie, Vermont, maybe find her place in the world again after serving her tour of duty. But when a friendly dinner with a member of her unit turns deadly, she's pulled into a mystery she can't help but solve. Then things go from dead to worse when she and all the suspects are stuck in the victim's home during the worst snowstorm her little town has seen in decades. Now she'll need more than a prayer to discover the truth behind who wanted the victim out of the picture ... and to stay alive herself. To complicate matters, her strained relationship with her cousin, who just happens to be the attending officer, threatens to ruin the whole investigation. Can Margot and her cousin set aside their differences and bring a killer to justice? Or will the real reason behind the murder haunt Margot as much as her past? Scroll up and one-click now to see why fans of Alison Golden and Mindy Quigley will love INTO THE LION'S DEN.

The Wickenham Murders


Amy Myers - 2004
    This is the premise on which Peter Marsh – a former policeman invalided out of the force – and his daughter, Georgia, base their investigations into unsolved past murders. In 1929, in the village of Wickenham, Kent, Davy Todd was charged with murdering Amy Proctor, middle-aged daughter of the local doctor. As Marsh & Daughter begin their investigations, a skeleton is found in the woods of Wickenham Manor Hotel. Two seemingly unconnected events – yet Georgia and her father feel intuitively that there must be a link, and together, they set out to find it . . . ‘Fascinating subject matter, cozy characters, and tempting prose highly recommend this first title in an intriguing new British series.’ – Library Journal AMY MYERS has been a full-time writer since 1988, and has written a wide range of novels from historical sagas and contemporary romance to crime. She is married to an American and lives in Kent. Many of her novels have been published under the name of Harriet Hudson. Amy is also the author of the successful Tom Wasp murder mystery series.

A New Place, Another Murder


Christa Nardi - 2018
      Pretty much settled into her new home in Appomattox with Brett and his daughter, Sheridan longs for something to keep her busy.  That is, until Maddie and her new friend are framed for theft and murder.  Not quite the distraction she had hoped for, but she’ll turn over every rock to prove their innocence.  In the process, she learns about the powerful Buchanan family and the history of local community.  Will the truth come out before the person calling the shots takes Sheridan and Maddie out of the picture?