Book picks similar to
Death of a Cantankerous Old Coot by Teresa Watson
cozy-mystery
mystery
cozy-mysteries
short-stories
Lights, Camera, Murder
Nikki Haverstock - 2016
Melissa McBallister is young, rich, and beautiful but frustrated. She wants nothing more than to be a famous author like her mother. When the opportunity to be on a new reality TV show comes her way, she grabs the chance, hoping to find some inspiration. When a castmate is murdered during a live broadcast and her blood is literally on Melissa’s hands, the young writer gets more than she bargained for—reality TV is much stranger than fiction. Can Melissa prove that she’s innocent? Ryan Sethi prefers to produce TV commercials. They’re boring and safe. But he can’t pass up the opportunity to produce a show about socialites in Fishcreek Falls, an exclusive ski town high in the Rocky Mountains. But can he keep the show, cast, crew, and especially Melissa safe while a killer is on the loose? Or will a reality TV show gone bad ruin both of their lives? Reality TV Cozy Mysteries 1
Death of a Dead Man
Karin Kaufman - 2017
So when a stranger arrives in town and stirs painful memories of a baffling episode in the town’s past, Rachel vows to put an end to his mischief.But events take a nasty turn when Rachel discovers a body in her own backyard and suspicion for the murder falls on her widowed neighbor. Despite being warned off the case by the town’s handsome but aloof police chief, Rachel makes it her mission to clear her neighbor’s name and find the real killer. Can she crack the case before another body turns up?This light, cozy mystery offers a clean read with a female amateur sleuth in a small-town setting. No foul language, sex, gore, or graphic scenes of any kind.
Murder in the House of Beads: A Mystery in Paradise (House of Beads Cozy Mystery Series Book 1)
Mary Jane Forbes - 2009
Manny Salinas. The captain recognizes Julie, and he is tasked with breaking the news to her husband, Russell, that his wife is dead.While the police are not sure what happened, they are immediately suspicious of Julie’s husband, who is a well-known architect. And they also want to interview Catherine Hainsworth, a friend of Julie’s who performed CPR on her right before she died. Might she have information important to the case?Soon, the police learn that the couple did not have such a happy marriage. But their efforts to solve the case are complicated when two bodies turn up in the Halifax River. Now, there is an added sense of urgency to find answers as Capt. Salinas and his team wonder how, or if, the three deaths are connected. If they don’t find answers soon, others could die in MURDER IN THE HOUSE OF BEADS.
Dying for Dinner Rolls
Lois Lavrisa - 2013
How is that for a first day on the job as an amateur sleuth? Along with her friend Annie Mae, Cat investigates the brick-paved, oak-lined streets of Savannah to find their friend's murderer.
Mattress Mart Murder
Kayla Michelle - 2015
Thirty-four year old cosmetics saleswoman Chloe Cook is busy searching for a love that lasts in the tourist town of Cape Cod when a murder strikes.The victim is Marty Diamond, a mattress mogul known for his high pressure sales tactics and schlocky TV ads.Unfortunately, the local police detective suspects that Chloe's good friend Kristina Miller is the killer.To prove Kristina's innocence, Chloe has to take matters into her own hands and find the real killer herself.Books In The Chloe Cook Series:Book 1 -- Mattress Mart MurderBook 2 -- Reunions Can Be DeadlyBook 3 -- Killer Finale
Give Me Chocolate
Annie Hansen - 2013
She accepts her sister's generous offer to live in the apartment above Chocolate Love, her sister's specialty dessert shop in the Historic District of Geneva. Kelly's life starts to turn around when she reconnects with an old flame. Just when it looks like she's getting her life back on track, she stumbles over a dead body. The suspicious death sends her hopes for a better future plummeting. Has her violent past and the danger she faced in California followed her home to Geneva?
Mew Is for Murder
Clea Simon - 2005
Her sometime boyfriend's gone for good. The death of her beloved cat opened a bigger void. And the career leap she's made from copy editor to freelance writer has left her finances and her spirit flat. She desperately needs a headline to get her life back on track.One day, out for a stroll in her Cambridge neighborhood, Theda spies an adorable stray kitten. This charmer leads Theda to an old woman holed up in a decrepit house full of cats. Is this one of those "crazy cat ladies," a classic hoarder, or is the old woman a neighborhood do-gooder?More important, is this the story to catapult Theda out of the dumps?But when she returns to interview Lillian Helmhold, Theda finds her fascinating subject dead of an apparent accident. The neighbors are celebrating, the police aren't interested, and the cats are removed to a shelter. End of story. Not for Theda--one or two things don't compute. So Theda marshals her investigative journalism skills to turn gumshoe.
A Murderous Valentine (Admiral Shackleford Mystery #1)
Beverley Watts - 2021
Having been instrumental in improving the lives of so many (his words - others might be inclined to call it something slightly different...), he was struggling to reignite the spark in his own love life with the feisty Mabel. Short on ideas, he decides to gatecrash his much put upon former Master At Arms and best friend Jimmy Noon's Valentine idea and ends up in the middle of a murder mystery weekend... where real murder is on someone else's script. Stranded in the middle of nowhere with a hotel full of potential murderers, the unstoppable duo embark on a series of blundering escapades in an attempt to uncover the Murderous Valentine... The Admiral and Jimmy may be more Laurel and Hardy than Holmes and Watson, but can they catch a murderer...? This humorous cozy mystery short read is the first in The Admiral Shackleford Mysteries.
It's Just a Little Crush
Caroline Fardig - 2013
Residents are stunned when the body of a young woman is found strangled, and reporters at the Liberty Chronicle are thrilled, rather disturbingly, over the biggest news story to hit town this century. Lizzie Hart has even bigger problems. Lately, she can’t seem to concentrate on her job as copy editor at the Chronicle with the new hunky investigative reporter, Blake Morgan, swaggering around the office. How can a girl work when she’s using all of her energy combating Blake-induced hot flashes and struggling to repress the giggly inner schoolgirl that’s constantly rearing her dorky head? It’s a good thing that Blake barely knows Lizzie exists. After an odd string of events, however, Lizzie begins to wonder if Blake is really as fabulous as she has fantasized. When Lizzie and Blake find a co-worker dead, Blake’s personality changes completely—and not in a good way. Even though the police rule the death as an accident, Lizzie immediately suspects foul play and senses a connection to the recent murder. She is determined to bring the killer to justice, but is having some trouble getting her Nancy Drew on thanks to the pesky stalker she’s picked up—Blake Morgan. Wait, didn’t she want him to follow her around and pay attention to her? Not like this. Blake has turned from cool and smooth to cold and downright scary, making Lizzie wonder if he should be next on her suspect list.
The Art & Craft of Murder
Cozy Cat Parker - 2015
But when the local gallery owner, Hilary Small, is poisoned in Misty's teahouse, and it begins to look as if the man Misty is in love with committed the murder, Misty must turn amateur sleuth in order to save the reputation of her teahouse and her hopes for romance. Set in an enchanting location, this cozy mystery will delight with its entertaining cast of humorous characters, including Misty's cat Miss Mabel, who plays a crucial part in revealing the true murderer.
Dying for a Date
Cindy Sample - 2010
Right, or Mr. Every Other Saturday Night, divorced mother of two, Laurel McKay reluctantly joins THE LOVE CLUB, a popular local dating service. Dressed to kill, she meets bachelor number one at a trendy restaurant. But the date is a bust, literally, when the guy decides Laurel is dessert, and she breaks his nose with her cell phone. It gets even worse when the man is found murdered the next morning, and Laurel has his blood on her clothes.Despite her now being a person of interest to the police, Laurel bravely ventures out on date number two. When that unlucky bachelor disappears during dinner, Laurel’s only alibi is a bottle of Dom Perignon. The sexy investigating detective thinks she’s innocent and is worried she may be the next target. That’s more than enough motivation for Laurel to find a murderer determined to kill her social life––before dating becomes a dead end she can’t escape.
Play Dead
Leslie O'Kane - 1998
But with a natural nose for crime, Allie soon suspects murder—leaving her dejected canine client as possibly the sole witness to the crime. With the scent fresh, Allie is quickly on the case – but a second murder curtails her investigation. Before taking another step, Allie needs to count her enemies: several suspicious dog owners, a boyfriend with a temper (and a demand for vengeance!), and a mysterious door-to-door salesman with a curious tale to tell… Bizarre salesman, vicious boyfriend and suspect dog owners – one thing is for sure – Allie’s life may never be safe until one of these characters lands in the pen…
Irish Creme Killer
Summer Prescott - 2016
Spencer and Janssen team up to face a most unexpected villain in this fast-paced tale of greed, jealousy and intrigue.
Bark Once for Murder
Susie Gayle - 2016
Business is good, and he’s dating again for the first time since his divorce, but in the course of a single day, Will’s whole life turns upside-down. A corporate giant threatens to destroy his business, his ex-wife decides to move back to town, and worst of all, he discovers a dead body. When Will’s girlfriend is arrested as a suspect, it’s up to Will, with the help of an adorably enthusiastic shelter dog, to uncover the identity of the killer, in a town where just about anyone could be a suspect.
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?