Book picks similar to
Gumballs and Murder by Wendy Meadows


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Tail Wagging Trouble


Leona Fox - 2016
    Now, Ellen is fully invested in finding the murderer. With handsome police chief Andy, her precocious friend Kelly, and Scampy the dog by her side, Ellen is determined to find the killer before he or she goes free.

Murder and Marinara


Rosie Genova - 2013
    . . Victoria heads back to the Jersey shore to explore her family’s roots and the specialty Italian cuisine their restaurant, the Casa Lido, is famous for. But she barely hits town before she finds that Oceanside Park is abuzz about a reality show slated to film on its beach. Not everyone in the cozy seaside town is happy with the news, and Victoria’s family is leading the protest. But when the show’s brash producer winds up face down in the tomato garden after eating at the restaurant, things look bleak for the Rienzi clan—and Victoria finds herself in some hot pasta water. She served the dead man his last meal, her ex-boyfriend prepared it, and now the Casa Lido is on the verge of closing. Adding to her troubles is a nosy journalist, a determined prosecutor, and a plateful of suspects, all spelling a recipe for disaster. That’s when her formidable nonna gives her a new job: solve the murder before the summer season starts and save the Casa Lido. With her deadline only days away, this saucy sleuth jumps into action—but can Victoria serve up the culprit before it’s too late?Recipes Included![This is a new edition of a book previously published by Penguin Random House under the same title. Its contents have been slightly updated, but the story, characters, and setting remain the same.]

Murder, She Floats


Rachael Stapleton - 2017
    With a contest prize of ten thousand dollars on the line, the town is full of summer vacationers on the hunt for the rare 1913 Liberty Head nickel that was lost to Bohemian Lake over fifty years ago. With the help of spitfire local, Eve Berns and Cody Lumos, the town's handsome new detective, amateur sleuth Lucky Penny takes the bait and goes diving for the story behind the legend of the million dollar coin. Unfortunately, her dive turns up more bodies than missing treasure. The deeper she digs, the more secrets she finds hidden in the sand, but will she be buried along with them?

Tales Around the Jack O'Lantern III: A Mary O'Reilly Short Story


Terri Reid - 2016
    Join the O'Reilly family once again as they meet around the Jack O'Lantern on Halloween night and share ghost stories that will make you shiver and have you looking over your shoulder to see if there is "a little something extra" wandering through your home tonight.

Criminal Confections


Colette London - 2015
    But sometimes, a dash of murder finds its way into the mix. . .Hayden Mundy Moore has bushwhacked through African jungles and haggled in exotic markets to find the finest cacao beans and the most flavorful blends. It's thrilling work but rarely dangerous--until a colleague turns up dead at the exclusive chocolate-themed Lemaître resort spa in San Francisco.Adrienne Dowling's heart attack is blamed on an accidental overdose of the secret ingredient used in Lemaître Chocolates' new line. Hayden can't believe that conscientious Adrienne would make that mistake. And between chocolate body scrubs, cocoa mud baths, and a non-stop frenzy of chocolate-based treats, Hayden starts to suspect that she, not Adrienne, was the intended target. Finding a killer among the rival chocolatiers and potential suspects won't just be satisfying--it might save her life. . .

Katherine Hayton's Bumper Cozy Mystery Collection


Katherine Hayton - 2020
    

Summer in the Scottish Highlands


Donna Ashcroft - 2021
    It’s the perfect place to be this summer…Thirty-year-old Paige Dougall’s life is a mess. Only a year ago she was smashing all of her life goals: handsome husband, high-flying job, cute kid. But in just under twelve months everything has gone wrong. Nursing a broken heart, single mother Paige returns to her childhood home in a picture-perfect Scottish village to try and get her life together.Paige is too wrapped up in her worries to embrace the beautiful rolling hills and lavender-scented air of the highlands. That is until Johnny Becker, the infuriatingly cheerful chef, with his twinkling eyes and dimpled smile, steps onto the scene and provides Paige with some much-needed distraction…Johnny challenges Paige to step outside her comfort zone and focus on the things that really matter. From food tasting, to puppy training, to mountain climbing, in every moment she spends with Johnny, Paige finds herself remembering how to live again… will she be able to love again too?Across long sunshine-filled days, Paige and Johnny grow closer and she’s tempted to open her heart to him. But is happy-go-lucky Johnny hiding secrets of his own?And can Paige learn to let go of her past and find happiness in the highlands?A gorgeous, moving summer romance novel about finding joy in the small things and discovering what really matters in life. Perfect for fans of Nicola May, Sarah Morgan and Cathy Bramley.** PREVIOUSLY TITLED: Summer at Kindness Cottage

Case of the Strawberry Cream Stabbing


Jessica Lansberry - 2017
     After losing her husband, Beatrice thought her days of adventure were over, but then she meets a handsome debonair man who turns out to be a conman and murdered days later. Armed with her two quirky best friends and a sarcastic handsome police detective, Beatrice must solve the murder mystery before the crime gets too close for comfort! Case of the Strawberry Cream Stabbing is the first of these cozy mysteries new releases. There are absolutely no sex, gore, curse words or cliffhangers in these murder mystery books. This is an easy read about a retired school teacher and amateur sleuth who lives in a retirement community filled with colorful personalities. If you like cats and wise-cracking parrots, you'll enjoy these cozy mysteries for kindle. Although this book is part of a cozy mystery series, it can be read as a standalone book.

Mojitos & Murder: A Tropical Witch Mystery


Sara Bourgeois - 2017
    She'll have to deal with sun, surf, and tourists. (gross) Oh, and a dead body turns up right as she's getting acquainted with the island. Starla will have to clear her name and steer clear of a grumpy Clownfish Cay Police officer who has already decided that she's as guilty as sin. This is book 1 in the Wicked Witches of Clownfish Cay series.

Torrent Witches Cozy Mysteries Complete Box Set (Books 1 - 10)


Tess Lake - 2019
     Butter Witch (Torrent Witches Book 1) The International Butter Festival has come to town! When Harlow Torrent, part-time journalist and full-time Slip witch stumbles upon a dead body, frozen and drained of blood, she's pulled into a murder mystery. Someone has murdered one of the Butter Festival competitors. Was it Zero Bend, punk sculptor extraordinaire with a history of violence? Perhaps Fusion Swan, a sleazy agent playing the publicity game when his clients meet their untimely end. Between trying to run her struggling online newspaper, dealing with her highly caffeinated cousins Molly and Luce, fending off three meddling witch mothers who will do anything to get their daughters married off (including drugging food with magic potions) and great Aunt Cass who appears to be running an underground laboratory of some kind, Harlow barely has time to breathe, let alone solve a murder. Romance certainly isn't on the cards either but the hot scruffy guy new to town seems to have other ideas... Treasure Witch (Torrent Witches Book 2) Harlow Torrent, part-time journalist and full-time Slip Witch is pulled into a murder mystery when the skeletons of a man and a girl are uncovered on Truer Island. Seeing visions of the past that are all too real and ghosts who are becoming more solid by the day, Harlow is trying to keep her online newspaper running, dealing with her meddling witch family and working out what to do about the very handsome Jack Bishop being back in town. But Harlow might be out of her depth when the murderer sets their sights on her! Hidden Witch (Torrent Witches Book 3) Harlow Torrent, part-time journalist and full-time Slip Witch is hot on the trail of an arsonist. But who is behind the deadly fires? Someone working for their own evil ends or a fire spirit acting according to its nature? Or perhaps a magical power hidden away? Between dealing with sleazy real estate developers intent on getting their hands on Torrent Mansion, a teenage Slip Witch who just might be the Queen of Sarcasm, a talking magical cat who smells like lavender, and an AWOL potential future boyfriend, Harlow would love nothing more than a peaceful Summer. But when an special arson investigator arrives in town with his sights set on Harlow, she has to fight to clear her name! Fabulous Witch (Torrent Witches Book 4) Harlow Torrent, part-time journalist and full-time Slip Witch has a new job working on the set of Bella Bing’s latest movie, filming in Harlot Bay. It’s meant to be a change of pace but when the lead actor, Mattias Matterhorn, dies on his first day on set, Harlow is pulled into a dangerous plot. A saboteur is on set and they’ll do anything to shut the film down... including murder. With the ghost of Mattias demanding she find his murderer, her witchy cousins Molly and Luce tracking down a thief and her Aunt Cass getting into hot and spicy trouble, Harlow has her plate full. It doesn’t help one bit when she Slips and starts a magical storm... Holiday Witch (Torrent Witches Book 5) Harlow Torrent, part-time journalist and full-time Slip Witch wants nothing more than to take a holiday from witchy things... but when a series of thefts around Harlot Bay turn deadly, she’s drawn into solving a murder mystery. Between murderous teenagers, a secret buried in the past, Hattie Stern on the warpath, Christmas approaching and Aunt Cass suffering a very froggy problem, Harlow is doing everything she can to enjoy her holiday but th

Pineapple Pack III: Pineapple Port Mystery Series Books 7-9


Amy Vansant - 2019
     Pineapple Gingerbread Men Sheriff Frank asks newly-minted private detective Charlotte to help him crack the case, but she has no idea those darn gingerbread men will start showing up everywhere. What did Santa do that made them so angry? And what's the secret in his colorful Christmas-themed bureau? Charlotte is forced to split her time between searching for Santa's killer and helping Declan's crazy ex-Stephanie stop a corrupt district attorney in exchange for a book that could help solve more crimes in the future. She never thought she'd help calculating Stephanie with anything...but as this story comes to it's shocking ending, you'll find it could be Stephanie who's finally bitten off more cookie than she can chew.. Pineapple Jailbird Book EIGHT of the hilarious Pineapple Port mystery series from Wall Street Journal and USA TODAY Best-Selling author Amy Vansant has Charlotte awaking to find Mariska and Bob gone, kidnapped from their home. Their disappearance is a message from a familiar killer: Help me or your friends will disappear. To save her loved ones, Charlotte must find a way to clear her boyfriend's crazy ex of a killing. It may be the only crime the woman didn't commit...but things don't get any easier when someone mistakes Charlotte as a traitor and sends a madman with a distinctive "tattoo" and unusual gang of deadly pets to stop her. Pineapple Puppies Someone has left puppies on the doorsteps of Pineapple Port's residents, but the adorable balls of fur seem to be connected to the murder of a nearby millionaire with too many heirs of his own. Meanwhile, Mariska's been framed for baking a killer cake, and Charlotte must clear her name

Ollie Stratford Cozy Mysteries: 5 Book Box Set: An Ollie Stratford Cozy Mystery


N.C. Lewis - 2018
    Lewis's popular Ollie Stratford Cozy Mysteries series. Enjoy hour upon hour of good, clean, humorous, reading with characters you will grow to love! BOOK1: TEXAS TROUBLES Middle-aged Professor Ollie Stratford's been hounded by a psycho realtor, outrun by a bunch of grandma’s, taken advice from sock puppets, stuck in a brimming toilet bowl, and almost run out of college by a drunken professor. How is that for her first few days in a quiet little Texas town she never wanted to live in? BOOK 2: CREEK CRISIS When a mysterious Portuguese film producer hires Ollie Stratford's event center she thinks it is going to be fun and games... until the brawling and fisticuffs amongst the Divas break out followed by Murder! BOOK 3: BITTER BONES When the bones of beloved local, Garrick Markovich, turn up buried by the oil well, Ollie's dreams of financial stability are put in danger. Now, Ollie must uncover the secrets of tight lipped locals to find the killer and obtain justice for Garrick. BOOK 4: MAGIC MUMBLES Doctor Ollie Stratford loves a good mystery. But the last thing she ever expected was to stumble into one while relaxing at Mysterious Malcolm's Magical Masquerade show. When a body shows up during the show, and the Magician leaps from the stage and disappears, Ollie gets sucked into a world where everyone has a grudge, and no one is talking. BOOK 5: TEDDY TUMPIN Ollie is trying to live a normal life, in a normal Texas Hill Country town, with a normal event center business. All that changes when the high school homecoming brings a local hero back to town. Then strange things happen—including to Ollie—and a body appears unexpectedly in a most unusual place. As Ollie follows a twisted trail, she does not understand the terrible consequences that will result. Will Ollie and the gang be able to track down the killer before the next victim or is it already too late? Pick up this TOTALLY ABSORBING COZY MYSTERY BOXSET FULL OF STUNNING TWISTS AND TURNS.

The Chocolate Magic Cozy Mystery Box Set Books 1 to 7


Olivia Swift - 2021
    No cliff-hangers. Although each book can be read as a stand-alone, the reader’s experience is enhanced by reading the books in order. The Chocolate Magic Café – The beginning. - Successful chocolatier Magda Caraganic decides to convert an old stable into a chocolate shop and café. The work sparks off spirit activity marked by the appearance of a mysterious ghost cat. At the same time Magda’s beautiful Birman cat, Crystal, starts to act strangely. This is a story of friendship, friendly ghosts, cats, chocolate and true love. Spirit Magic - Spirit Magic is a light-hearted, entertaining tale with a happily-ever-after ending! - When Magda decides to make some extra-special truffles using imported whisky, strange events start to occur. Her cat, Crystal, always seems to sense when things aren’t quite right. As Magda and her fiancée Sam plan their wedding, they are plagued by a strongminded Scottish spirit. Celtic Spirits - A honeymoon in Ireland! What more Magda and her husband ask for? - When Sam’s aunt Alison contacts them about the possibility of Sam buying her cottage, it’s an easy decision to spend their honeymoon in romantic Ireland. Once there, they find themselves immersed in family history and mystery. The discovery of an old well stirs up trouble, murder and witchcraft. Add in a magical pendant, hidden places, new friends … and of course, a mysterious cat … for another delightful story from the pen of Olivia Swift!Lonesome Spirits - Join Sam and Magda on their latest adventure! A must-read about chocolates, a psychic cat, séances, a ghost town … and murder! - While helping their friends Merle and Branston plan a feature for their dude ranch, they are visited by the spirit of a young woman. Never ones to let things be, they rally their psychic friends for a séance to try and determine who she is and why she’s so sad. Meanwhile, Magda’s cat, begins to act strangely … well, not so strange for this cat! Christmas Spirits - It’s Christmas at the Chocolate Magic Café! - Part of Magda’s Christmas plan are to install a model train in the café. Trains seem to be a theme as Crystal keeps giving clues which include trains. When one of the customers says she hears noises in her house, naturally Magda and her friends need to investigate. They encounter the spirit of a sad little girl and her dog. Will Magda, Sam and their friends be able to enjoy the holiday spirit of the café and the glitter of the Christmas dance at the ranch, especially when there’s a robbery, murder and some very naughty elves!Kindred Spirits - Nothing stays buried forever. - Magda, Sam, and their friends pool their resources to purchase an old bank building. Problems arise with an angry spirit during the renovations. Meanwhile, Magda’s cat keeps pushing a magazine to the floor – opening to a page about family ancestry. To their surprise, the spirit appears again when Magda and Sam take a trip to Ireland and the spirit’s mood hasn’t improved. Painted Spirits - Cowboy dreams, séances, painted horses, a rodeo and a mystery . . . they all happen in a new adventure for Magda Barnes and friends of The Chocolate Magic Café. - Magda’s best friend Rula seems to have a cowboy spirit in her stable. Imagine the surprise when an artist paints the same cowboy, which he has seen in his dreams. Will the friends be able to determine the connection between the two when they come together for a séance? Meanwhile, in her usual manner, Crystal is knocking books to the floor opening to pages providing hints about family . . . and danger.

Murder on the Rocks


Lucinda D. Davis - 2016
    The only blight on the horizon is a secret from her past that she must keep under wraps. However, with the gruesome discovery of a dead body on the rocks near The Jolly Roger Pub, Angela’s life is suddenly complicated, albeit a lot more interesting! But her secret is suddenly rearing its ugly head again and it has to do with the victim himself. She and her friend Larry Brownlow, former policeman turned boater, are not convinced it’s suicide so they decide to catch a killer! Will Angela and Larry discover the truth behind the death before they themselves become victims? Will Angela’s secret come out and ruin her new found happiness in the small town along with her business? Small town America comes to life in this short coastal cozy ‘coffee break book’ thanks to the relationships between characters and the unforgettable, quirky village personalities. It is an enjoyable witty read offering seaside suspense, a rocky murder, and a blossoming romance.

The Phantom of the Opal


Jessa Archer - 2019
    The distinctive black opal ring that Caroline had always worn—the ring that she had promised to leave to Tig's fifteen-year-old daughter, Paige—isn't on her finger when they open the coffin. But who could have taken Caroline's ring? Was it the funeral director? Or perhaps the college student who found Caroline's body at the foot of the stairs in the science building?Tig is determined to find the opal and to sort out the odd behavior of her mother's cat, the aptly-named Attila. Her detective skills are a little rusty, however, and this time, there are no writers to tell her whodunit. She'll have to rely on her wits—and maybe a bit of help from the cat.