Book picks similar to
The Christmas Tree Thief by Phillipa Nefri Clark
mystery
christmas
cozy-mystery
fiction
Liver Let Die
Liz Lipperman - 2021
When she's offered a chance to fill in for a local food critic off on sick leave, she jumps at the chance rationalizing that it's one step closer to her dream. However, when a dead body is found underneath her apartment stairwell with her name and number along with it, she becomes the prime suspect, as well as the main course on the murder menu.
#2 Bundle of Fun
Lizz Lund - 2014
Plural. Her catering disorder runs neck-and-neck with her weird luck, and her cat’s weirder tendency toward gnawing elf gear. Okay, and getting kidnapped a couple of times in one week is a little strange, too.Her next door neighbor Vito's past as ex-leader of the Moils, the Jewish-Polish Family from Bumville, New Jersey, comes to light and throws a dollop of dilemmas into an already simmering plot.Top it all off with a counterfeiting ring, a county-wide dearth of holiday wrapping tape, and a mass of pets running loose at the local mall, and what do you have? A recipe for disaster that Mina whips to a froth.Christmas Bizarre will keep you smiling when you’re not shouting up a belly laugh. Set in Lancaster, “Pee-Ay” you’ll discover a lively cast of characters, funny dialogue and lots of twists and turns. Hang on tight -- you’re in for a slalom of a holiday ride.
CONFECTION CONNECTION
Valentine’s Day stinks - literally - after a shift at The Shrimp Shack, getting showered with a vat of marinara and being haunted by a messy ghost.The romance holiday looms large for Mina Kitchen - a forty-something single without a boyfriend in sight, and a catering disorder to beat the band. Everyone else is all set: even her Swiffer-addicted neighbor Vito (the ex-leader of the Moils, the Jewish-Polish Family from Bumville, New Jersey) has a significant other. Who knew?And then there’s her best friend Trixie. She’s got a steady boyfriend, and a full time job with plenty of OT, too. She’s even quit smoking! Except now she’s a jelly junkie. Well, not just jelly - any sweet will do.What’s a girl to do? Set her sights on handsome Chef? Or dare a flirt with juicy James? Who you gonna call? GumBuster! Wait, that’s just one of Mina’s new part time jobs.Romance fills the air (or is that fried chicken?) but dates remain elusive as a series of mysterious thefts rattle the shop owners of Lancaster "Pee-Ay". Can mild-mannered Mina land a full time job, a boyfriend and save Trixie’s waistline without getting konked by some creepy crook? Vinnie, her mini mountain lion-sized tabby keeps assuring her everything will turn out fine - but he’s been wrong before.Confection Connection is packed with laughs, mysterious thefts and a ghost - with a cherry on top - recipes. Set in Lancaster, “Pee-Ay” you’ll discover quirky characters, hysterical dialogue and funny surprises simmering away. ˃˃˃ “Christmas Bizarre (Mina Kitchen Mystery 2) is a hilarious sequel to Kitchen Addiction!” "It kept me laughing all the way through and brought to mind Janet Evanovich's Stephanie Plum stories. Ms. Lund has a bit of a winner on her hands here... Very well written, excellent, quite lovable characters and some very witty lines made this into a book that I would read again...
Sweet Masterpiece
Connie Shelton - 2010
But her real dream is to open her own pastry shop, Sweet's Sweets.Life is a little crazy for Sam right now. At one of her break-in properties a dying woman insists that she take a small wooden box. Sam doesn't realize that the old woman was known locally as a bruja, a witch, until she begins to feel some strange effects from the box, herself.Meanwhile, at another property, she finds an unmarked grave and the authorities come to investigate. The property owner disappeared a few months earlier and Sam wonders--who is the body in the grave? A small mural in the house leads to a connection with a famous artist; a bogus will points to possible fraud; and the handsome deputy investigating the case seems completely enchanted with Sam.While Sam scrambles to fill bakery orders and keep her properties in order, she's equally intrigued with the idea of a new romance. It all makes for a delightful romantic mystery with elements of the paranormal.
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.
The Farm at Peppertree Crossing
Leonie Kelsall - 2020
But, out of options, she and Scritches leave Sydney behind, bound for the 800-acre property on the edge of the wheat fields of South Australia.However, this is no simple inheritance: Marian seeks to control her legacy from beyond the grave by setting tasks that Roni must complete before she can claim the property and a life that could change her future. With everything at stake, Roni must learn to trust in the truth of Marian's most important lesson: everyone deserves love.A captivating story of family, friendship and forgiveness."'Everything you want in rural romance - heart, humour and hope' Sandie Docker, author of the much-loved The Kookaburra Creek Cafe"
Jack Be Nimble Jack Be Dead
Wendy Owens - 2017
Five years ago, Penny Preston found herself divorced and alone in San Diego, CA. With only her Dachshund named Piper and the possessions she could fit in her beat up Chevy Malibu, Penny decided to take her Aunt up on her offer to move in with her in Wyoming, Ohio, and help her run her coffee shop. She never imagined her Aunt passing away or her leaving the shop to her, but that’s exactly what happened. Besides the occasional nosy community member creating a stir around unsubstantiated gossip, life was peaceful—that’s until Penny’s life got messy . . . as in red body messy. Jack Eggerton, the local dog catcher, is found dead in the back of the animal shelter Penny runs in her spare time. After a heated argument between her and Jack about a missing dog, it appears the finger is pointed directly at Penny Preston. Enlisting the help of her seamstress neighbor, Linda, and her chubby Dachshund, Piper, with whom she has a rather peculiar connection to, Penny sets out to unveil the killer before she is left paying for a crime she didn’t commit . . .
Sleighed
T. Lockhaven - 2019
You better watch out, sometimes Santa isn't who you think he is. Christmas has descended on Lana Cove. It should be a time of merriment, but in one swoop, a news broadcast changes everything….Michael, an author, finds himself on the trail of a rogue Santa intent on ruining Christmas - and the lives of some residents. George is the usual Santa for Lana Cove, so who is the secretive newcomer, and why is he taking over all of George's jobs? Along with his friends, Ellie and Olivia, Michael needs to find out what's going on before things get out of hand. But when a body is found, things take a sinister turn. Another bizarre bend in Michael's investigative road is a mysterious stranger asking to meet him - alone.Who killed the victim? Why have they gone to such lengths with a smoke-and-mirrors approach? And will Michael, Ellie, and Olivia catch the person responsible for creating so much unhappiness in the season that has turned into anything but jolly?Buy Sleighed today and follow the clues of this lighthearted, charming, cozy mystery with a little spice thrown in.
Sunny Side Up
Sonia Parin - 2016
Paying her aunt, Mira Lloyd, a.k.a. Elizabeth Lloyd, renown historical romance author, a long overdue visit, she plans to spend a month on Rock-Maine Island lounging around and plotting the launch of her new life. Her ex-husband, however, has other ideas. As for her aunt… she’s gone missing. And now there’s a dead body to contend with and a murder weapon with her fingerprints on it. A mantle of suspicion hangs over Eve and everyone she encounters has a reason to want her out of the way. Unwilling to leave matters in the hands of swoon worthy Detective Jack Bradford… only because it’s her civic duty to provide a new perspective, Eve Lloyd engages the assistance of her new friend and fellow suspect, Jill Saunders. They both stumble their way through a long list of possible motives and suspects in a race to find the killer before either one turns into the next victim. Clean read: no graphic violence, sex, or strong language.
Welcome to Spicetown
Sheri Richey - 2019
Although Spicetown is sprinkled with culinary street names, stores full of spices, and quaint life-long citizens, out-of-towners can bring in a dicey element.
Playing With Poison
Cindy Blackburn - 2012
But when a body lands on her couch, and the cute cop in her kitchen accuses her of murder, even Jessie isn't sure what will happen next. Playing With Poison is a cozy mystery with a lot of humor, a little romance, and far too much champagne.
Final Chapter: A Megan Montaigne Mystery (Megan Montaigne Mysteries)
Pam Stucky - 2018
At least it was, before the murders started. Megan Montaigne has always secretly wanted to be a forensics investigator. The small-town library director has just begun rebuilding her life after tragedy tore it apart less than a year ago, and is happily settling into her new apartment on the top floor of the library by the river. But when a local celebrity turns up dead, the time has come to put her sleuthing fantasies into action. Has she unwittingly invited the murderer into her own home? And will she be able to prove her innocence before she becomes a victim herself?
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!
Who Murdered Garson Talmadge
David Bishop
and Mrs. Talmadge has built himself a comfortable career writing mysteries. Garson Talmadge sold weapons to Saddam Hussein, then moved out of France, came to America and married Clarice, a woman half his age. When Clarice is arrested for murdering her husband, Matt becomes the investigator for her defense attorney, and quickly learns there is a line of suspects stretching from the U.S. into Europe and the Middle East. Not long after getting involved in the case Matt learns that Garson Talmadge’s weapons deals meant the FBI had an interest as well as the French Prefecture of Police. While Matt is simply trying to establish that Clarice is innocent, the FBI is trying to learn how Hussein got some of his weaponry, and powerful members of the French government and armaments industry wants to keep Matt from following the trail far enough to expose them.Told in the first person, Matt shares his thoughts and wise remarks as he weaves his way through a mass of plot twists and turns to its conclusion, and learns Who Murdered Garson Talmadge.
Spells and Spirits: A Paranormal Cozy Mystery Sampler
Amy Boyles - 2019
This sampler includes SCARED WITCHLESS, SOUTHERN MAGIC, SOUL FOOD SPIRITS and THE WITCH'S HANDBOOK TO HUNTING VAMPIRES. SCARED WITCHLESS – Dylan Apel is your average dressmaker living a simple life in Alabama. That is until she discovers she has magical powers. The whole witch deal seems really cool until someone murders Dylan’s best client with a poisoned gown meant for her. Now everyone's a suspect and Dylan is barely getting a handle on her new powers when she finds herself surrounded by witches bossing her this way and that, local police nosing about, and wary clients—death by clothing is not good for business. And the solstice is coming … a time when witch powers are at their peak. Can Dylan survive the chaos long enough to figure out her new life? SOUTHERN MAGIC -- In less than twenty-four hours Pepper Dunn loses her job, her boyfriend, and her home. But when Pepper discovers she’s a witch and has inherited the most important store in the magical town of Magnolia Cove, Alabama, she’s as happy as a pig in mud. Too bad the shop is a familiar pet store and Pepper doesn’t like animals—not even a teensy bit. Determined to sell the shop and get the heck out of town, Pepper’s plans go haywire when a local storeowner winds up dead and Pepper gets accused of murder. Thrust into a magical mystery, Pepper teams up with a mysterious private detective and a cat so traumatized by the murder that she’s not talking—and that cat could hold the key to Pepper’s innocence. Now Pepper must avoid trouble, solve the mystery, and placate her new grandmother, who keeps a strict ten p.m. curfew that’s enforced by the talking end of her shotgun. Sounds like a simple day in the life—as if. Can Pepper solve the mystery or will she become the next victim of the Magnolia Cove murderer? And most importantly, will Pepper learn to love the animals she’s in charge of? SOUL FOOD SPIRITS -- Blissful Breneaux has spent her career catching troublesome ghosts for a covert government agency. But all that changes the day she is fired. She has one shot to redeem herself— track down the biggest, baddest spirit the agency has ever known and haul him in. Too bad that ghost resides in the one place Blissful despises—Haunted Hollow, Alabama. It’s the tourist attraction from hell. Blissful is knee deep in a foreign place—and it’s not just the deer head trophies and the giant pickup trucks that are throwing her for a loop. When a local reveals he has information that could save her career, Blissful is all ears. But when he winds up murdered, Blissful becomes a suspect. Thrust into a murder mystery, Blissful teams up with a pair of amateur ghost-hunting grannies who know more about town dynamics than hunting spirits. Then there’s the handsome bed and breakfast owner who’s keeping more secrets than he’s revealing. But Blissful is determined to discover what the murder victim knew. She’ll hunt for clues all over town. Will the hunt save her career or place her in the clutches of the Haunted Hollow murderer? THE WITCH'S HANDBOOK -- Andie Taylor is your average single mom. She's got a beautiful toddler, a great job at the local preschool, a neurotic best friend and one huge secret—she used to hunt vampires. Now retired, Andie would much rather be wiping kid snot off her clothes than stalking the undead.
Scraps of Paper
Kathryn Meyer Griffith - 2003
It’s made her sympathetic to the missing and their families.Starting her new life, Abigail moves to small town and buys a fixer-upper house left empty when old Edna Summers died. Once it was also home to Edna’s younger sister, Emily, and her two children, Jenny and Christopher, who, people believe, drove away one night, thirty years ago, and just never came back.But in renovating the house Abigail finds scraps of paper hidden behind baseboards and tucked beneath the porch that hint the three could have been victims of foul play.Then she finds their graves hidden in the woods behind the house and with the help of eccentric townspeople and ex-homicide detective, Frank Lester, she discovers the three were murdered. Then she and Frank try to uncover who killed them and why…but in the process awaken the ire of the murderer. ***