Book picks similar to
Under Lock & Key by Sam Short


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Dark, Witch & Creamy


H.Y. Hanna - 2017
    This series has me completely bewitched!"Caitlyn's world changes when she learns that she was found as an abandoned baby and adopted by her American family. Now, her search for answers takes her to the tiny English village of Tillyhenge where a man has been murdered by witchcraft - and where a mysterious shop selling enchanted chocolates is home to the "local witch"...Soon Caitlyn finds herself fending off a toothless old vampire, rescuing an adorable kitten and meeting handsome aristocrat Lord James Fitzroy... not to mention discovering that she herself might have magical blood in her veins!When she's dragged into the murder investigation and realises that dark magic is involved, Caitlyn is forced to choose. Can she embrace her witchy powers in time to solve the mystery and save those she loves?

Witch in Progress


Elle Adams - 2018
    Unemployed and out of luck, with the uncanny ability to cause havoc wherever she treads, when she receives a job offer from a strange town called Fairy Falls, she's certain it's too good to be true. It turns out Fairy Falls isn't just eccentric: it's magical. And so is Blair.  Learning she's a witch with a never-before-seen talent is just the first in a series of surprises that await Blair, but her new life comes with its fair share of pitfalls. From a hot ex-paranormal hunter security guard to a co-worker with an inexplicable grudge against Fairy Falls's newest witch, not to mention the mysterious death of a former client, Blair swiftly finds herself overwhelmed. After her magical skill gives her an unexpected lead on the murderer, she finds herself dragged into the investigation.  Can Blair figure out her magical talents before the paranormal killer notices she's on his tail? Or will her new beginning come to an untimely end?

Back to Spell One


Samantha Silver - 2018
    Or so she thought, anyway. When a chance encounter finds her transported to the magical town of Western Woods, Tina discovers that everything she thought she knew about magic - namely, that it isn't real - is a lie. Just in case coming to terms with her new witch powers wasn't enough of a challenge, Tina quickly finds herself embroiled in the middle of a muder mystery, with half the town thinking [i]she's[/i] the one who killed a local wizard. With the help of her new roommates and her martial-arts obsessed familiar, Tina has to solve the mystery, learn basic magic and navigate the complicated social hierarchy in Western Woods. Sounds easy, right? And who's that strange, smoking-hot elf everyone keeps warning her to stay away from? Tina's definitely got her work cut out for her, but as she gets closer to the truth, it becomes obvious she's in danger. Will Tina solve the mystery before she becomes the killer's next victim?

Ghostly Apparitions


Aubrey Harper - 2017
    She's broke and the only possession she has in the world is her crappy car that barely runs anymore. So she decides to move back to her hometown: Silver Bells Cove, Ohio. It's not ideal, but it'll do, for now anyway. She's glad to see her grandmother and she's more than happy to indulge in her grandmother's delicious pastries. When she runs into her ex, who happens to be a cop now, things get a bit more complicated. Oh, there's also a dead body by the lake and the ghost belonging to that body wants nothing more than for his murder to be solved. Things get interesting when Meredith finds out that the victim was working on projects around the small town, trying to modernize the quaint town with tourist-ready hotels and chain stores. A sexy PI, a greedy billionaire and some not-so-happy locals could all be prime suspects in the murder, and it's up to Meredith to get to the truth of the matter. With a little help from her best friend Rebecca (who just happens to be a ghost), Meredith is sure to get herself into all kinds of trouble. All she has to do is make sure she doesn't become a ghost herself in the process!

Pall in the Family


Dawn Eastman - 2013
    In this small western Michigan town, everyone knows the Fortune family. Rose is gifted with tarot card readings. Her sister, Vi, is a self-proclaimed pet psychic. And Rose’s daughter Clyde is… A cop. A cop on leave from Ann Arbor, more specifically, who’s come home to kooky Crystal Haven to reevaluate her life. Mom and Aunt Vi can’t wait for Clyde to finally embrace her own psychic gifts and join the family business. Clyde would prefer the low-stress lifestyle of a dog walker and the low-key company of her nephew, Seth.But when a local psychic is killed, leaving behind a traumatized Shih Tzu, it seems to be in the cards for Clyde to get involved. With her old flame Mac leading the investigation, that may prove awkward. Whether she uses her skills as a cop or her long-denied psychic abilities, it’s up to Clyde to divine a killer’s identity before someone else suffers more misfortune.

Mountains and Magic


Natalie Summers - 2018
    With nothing to lose, Amalie heads for the hills, or, in this case, the mountains. Turns out the cottage comes with a big family secret: Amalie is from a long line of witches. She quickly discovers that living in a new town isn't easy, especially when lightning strikes whenever she loses her temper! When an orphaned eleven-year-old stands accused of murder, Amalie's social worker instincts compel her to solve the case and clear the child, even if it means digging into painful secrets the town considers long buried. Secrets that paint a target on her back. Between her crazy family, magic lessons, investigating a murder, and the sexy wizard detective hell-bent on keeping her in line, Amalie's not sure which one will be the death of her first — her newfound abilities or the killer.

Daisies for Innocence


Bailey Cattrell - 2016
    But when the magical serenity is interrupted, it’s up to Ellie to sniff out a killer.  Ellie’s life has blossomed in Poppyville, California, since she opened Scents & Nonsense, a custom-made-perfume store. Her skills with aromas and botanical essences—some from her very own garden—seem almost…supernatural. Her perfumes can evoke emotions,  bring about change, or simply make people happy. Customers are flocking to the store to buy her wares or just to sit in her beautiful garden, sip tea and enjoy homemade cookies.   But she smells trouble when she learns that her part-time assistant Josie is dating her ex. And before she can tell the young woman to beware of his charms, she finds Josie dead in the Enchanted Garden. Now the prime suspect in Josie’s murder, Ellie must search for the real culprit in Josie’s past—because it’ll take a miracle to nip this problem in the bud....

Down the Hatch


Constance Barker - 2020
    She's a witch with fiery silver eyes when her witchiness takes control. But right now she's burdened with three ghosts who like to keep her company while working. But that's not the worst of it. When a dead body with an arrow to the heart lies in her path, will she be the one who is blamed? The ornery critter had a jealous wife. Or maybe the arrow has significant meaning. Could Cupid be on the warpath? Is the deadly deed black magic or evil lurking in the mundane world?Helga's coven consists of Gwen her sister, and friends from the Shear Magic hair salon. Can they help her or is one of them to blame.Jacob, the detective in town, is an old school chum of Helga's. While he may not possess the skills Helga has, he does have a few of his own, not counting his dreamy eyes.***Find out what happens in the first book of the Witches Be Crazy Cozy Mystery Series***

The Chocolate Magic Café


Olivia Swift - 2018
    When she inherits an old stable from her aunt, she decides to convert it into a chocolate shop and café. The best contractor to help with the conversion is the man she has argued with since she was fifteen. The work sparks off spirit activity marked by the appearance of a mysterious ghost cat. Magda’s beautiful Birman cat, Crystal, starts to act strangely. What can it all mean? This is a story of friendship, friendly ghosts, cats, chocolate and true love.

A Familiar Tail


Delia James - 2016
    But when she stumbles upon a smoky gray cat named Alastair, and follows him into a charming cottage, Annabelle finds herself in a whole spellbook full of trouble.   Suddenly saddled with a witch's wand and a furry familiar, Annabelle soon meets a friendly group of women who use their spells, charms, and potions to keep the people of Portsmouth safe. But despite their gifts, the witches can’t prevent every wicked deed in town....   Soon, the mystery surrounding Alistair’s former owner, who died under unusual circumstances, grows when another local turns up dead. Armed with magic, friends, and the charmed cat who adopted her more than the other way around, Annabelle sets out to paw through the evidence and uncover a killer.

Cold as a Witch's Toffee


Sara Bourgeois - 2019
    The dog is talking! When Allegra Darling, star fitness instructor, inherits an ice cream shop from her Uncle, she is shocked, appalled, and at a loss. Allegra Darling doesn’t eat carbs, and she won't be caught dead selling them. When she goes to the little town of Knox Hills to sell the property, her Uncle’s attorney gives her the absolute worst news possible. She can’t sell the shop. If she does, she loses her entire inheritance. Things get even worse when her stockbroker fiancé breaks up with her over email… for a plus-size model. Distraught, Allegra goes to the ice cream shop and devours an entire tub of Toffee Twist ice cream. Unable to move, she sleeps on the floor in a puddle of her tears mixed with the last shreds of her dignity. Allegra is in for a huge shock the next morning when she wakes up to find her Uncle’s lawyer dead in the shop. What was he doing there? Who killed him? How is Allegra going to prove to the town of Knox Hills she didn’t murder him? After all, everyone saw her fighting with him the day before. But, that’s not the biggest surprise. Something happens to Allegra when she moves into her Uncle’s old house. Magic she’d forgotten comes alive inside of her when she steps inside her childhood refuge. She’ll have to harness her new powers and find a way to solve the crime one spell at a time. Cold as a Witch's Toffee is the first book in An Allegra Darling Cozy Mystery Series. It is a clean read suitable for all ages.

Witch Is When It All Began


Adele Abbott - 2015
    Private investigator, Jill Gooder, has been hired to find a serial killer because, as usual, the police can't buy a clue. Jill, the not so proud owner of a crazy, one-eyed cat, probably can't expect too much help from her PA/Secretary, Mrs V, who spends all day knitting. And just in case all of that wasn't bad enough, Jill's just about to discover she's a witch. ...break out the custard creams.

Tempest in the Tea Leaves


Kari Lee Townsend - 2011
    But when she uses tea leaves to read the frazzled town librarian, what lies at the bottom of the cup is anything but helpful.

A Skeleton in the Family


Leigh Perry - 2013
    So she settled in and began reconnecting with old friends. Including Sid. Sid is the Thackery family’s skeleton. He’s lived in the house as long as Georgia can remember, although no one, including Sid, knows exactly where he came from and how he came to be a skeleton. Sid walks, he talks, he makes bad jokes, he tries to keep Georgia’s dog from considering him a snack. And he manages to persuade Georgia to let him leave the house. But when she takes him to an anime convention—disguised as a skeleton, of course—he sees a woman who triggers memories of his past. Now he is determined to find out how he died—with Georgia’s help. But their investigation may uncover a killer who’s still alive and well and bad to the bone…

Spell Booked


Joyce Lavene - 2014
    But as the years passed, their magical powers started to fade—leaving them no choice but to conjure up a retirement package…     Before they could blink their eyes or twitch their noses, Molly, Elsie, and Olivia somehow became eligible for AARP. But they can’t fly off to Boca Raton just yet. First they must give up their magic, recruit and train three new witches, and pass on their cherished spellbook.   They’ve barely begun to consider potential practitioners when Olivia winds up dead and their spellbook is stolen. To honor their friend and reclaim their spells, Molly and Elsie are about to go wand-to-wand with a dangerous young witch more powerful than the trio was in their prime. And this time they’re going to need more than magic up their sleeves…