Book picks similar to
Grim and Bear It by Paula Lester


paranormal
book-first-in-series
cozies-mysteries
shifter-vampire-elf-witch-etc

Over My Dead Husband's Body


Etta Faire - 2018
    She got a dead roommate. The first in the paranormal series The Ghosts of Landover Mysteries. Carly Taylor thought her luck was finally changing. Being broke, divorced, and living in her mother’s basement wasn’t where she thought she’d be at thirty-one. So when her ex suddenly dies and leaves her his family’s Victorian, she can’t sign the paperwork fast enough.That’s when she realizes there’s a catch. And it’s a lying, cheating, annoying one she can’t get rid of.Her ex is haunting the house and wants her to solve his murder case, which Carly figures is the only way to get the jerk to leave once and for all.Through channeling with his ghost, Carly is taken straight to the day her ex was poisoned at a strip club to relive the memory with him moment by moment, take down clues, and figure out what happened.But just like a free house, nothing is ever as easy as it seems, at least not in the strange county of Landover where small-town secrets meet the paranormal. And it’s a toss up about which is weirder.

A Job of Inn Dependence


Katherine Hayton - 2018
    Diana Halcomb just started a brand new job... and discovered a murder! Employed as a hotel inspector for a national accommodation chain, newly-divorced Diana is nervous about her first day of work. A situation that doesn't get any easier when she discovers a fatally injured man following a Vietnam War protest. With suspicions cast her way and an investigative journalist on her tail, Diana must navigate two completely new experiences. A career that offers her a way out of her mother's spare room and a crime that could land her in the big house. Joining ranks with an eager reporter, Diana chases up leads and conducts interviews with potential suspects. She'd better work quickly to solve the murder or she might have to check-out. Hotel Inspector Cozy Mysteries are quick 1-2 hour reads perfect for filling in time waiting for appointments, commuting to work, or when your significant other insists on watching the TV show that makes you roll your eyes. Scroll up to secure your place in the seventies murder mystery today!

True Blue Murder


Elise M. Stone - 2016
    The former librarian has developed her first hybrid, a plant with unusual deep blue flowers, and hopes to win a first place ribbon. Maybe even best in show. But her excitement turns to dread when the aggravating Bette Tesselink, her fiercest rival, turns up dead, and she becomes the logical suspect. There’s never been a murder in the village of Rainbow Ranch, and it soon becomes apparent that the young Chief of Police is in over his head. Under pressure from the mayor, Lilliana is afraid he’ll arrest her in order to close the case. Her only option is to begin her own investigation and find the murderer before she winds up in jail. The first in a new cozy mystery series sure to engage you with its fascinating characters and twisty plot.

Father Knows Death: A Paranormal Cozy Mystery


Christy Murphy - 2018
    New Magic. Double Trouble. Two weeks after their birthday, twins Joy and Didi discover they’re going through “The Change” also known as the time when late-blooming witches get their magic. That would be fun news except they descend from a line of ancient witches with magic that skews evil. To make sure they're not following in their ancestor's footsteps, the Witches High Council demands they prove their innocence by undergoing "a trial." But this is no ordinary trial.In order to prove their innocence, the twins have to help a mortal solve the death of his true love while proving their internal goodness. With the help of their rule-breaking, witch mom, their fairy godparents—the Greek Titaness Themis and Death—and their suicidal client, Didi and Joy find themselves immersed in a world of mortal mob crime, magic, and even a ghost.Will they pass the test, or will they be sentenced to death?If you love paranormal witch cozies with cats, comedy, and a touch of romance, you'll love this new cozy mystery series. Each book complete. Read in any order.

The Almost Good Witch


Erin Huss - 2020
    Cursed with eternal life because of a hex gone wrong many centuries ago, Abigail spent her days exacting revenge on those she found to be the vilest of humans, from evil dictators to shoppers who didn't return their grocery carts. The line between good and annoying may have gotten blurred over the years. Sick of spending immortality frozen at the age of twenty-five, Abigail does the only thing she can--turn herself into the Supernatural Crimes Department. Now she's a member of Dark Magic Anonymous with a three year probation and a parole officer who is annoyingly powerful and more annoyingly cute. Oh, and she's traded in her broomstick for a Prius. After centuries of being evil, Abigail struggles with entering the workforce and being good. But that pesky probation means one slip up will result in a life sentence. She's not about to let that happen, and things are going well until her boss turns up dead with all evidence pointing to her. Will Abigail be able to maintain her new good witch ways while she hunts a killer, or will she slip up and spend the rest of forever behind bars?★Recipe Included★

The Curse: A Cozy Mystery From the 1920s


Alice Simpson - 2018
    Jane grapples with a vandalized shop, a kidnapping, a creepy doll with seemingly supernatural powers, and a stolen diamond necklace. What do all these have in common? It's up to Jane to find out. About the Jane Carter Historical Cozy Mystery Series: This quirky historical cozy mystery series is set in the fictional American city of Greenville during the 1920s, and features Jane Carter, a young widow who returns home to live with her father after the tragic death of her journalist husband. Jane’s father owns a local newspaper, and wants Jane to take it over someday, but Jane is adamant that she has no desire to be a reporter. Instead, she turns her talent for writing to concocting melodramatic romances for fly-by-night rags who almost never pay on time. This work pays so poorly that Jane supplements her income by becoming an agony aunt, soliciting letters from the lovelorn through advertisements in the back of women’s weekly magazines. Jane dispenses advice to all and sundry, but her personal life is in shambles. Jane claims that she's holding out for a millionaire before she marries again, but the only man who makes her heart beat faster is Jack, a reporter on her father's staff. Not only has Jane vowed she will never be a newspaper man herself, she's doubly insistent on never again marrying one. While trying to turn out enough column inches of overwrought romantic bilge to keep her old car on the road, and herself in shoes, Jane runs into the most extraordinary circumstances. In Jane's madcap world, it's a constant round of kidnappings, curses, stolen jewels, counterfeit paintings, and hidden stashes of gold. There's plenty of crime to go around, but nary a murder. Accompanying Jane on her adventures is her best friend, Florence. Jane and Flo may get into one perilous situation after another, but they are never damsels in distress, because, as Jane puts it, "A real lady always carries her own pocket knife." Neither Jane nor Flo think it beneath them to slip a cosh into their handbag, either, should the situation call for it. All this getting into harm's way alarms the Carter's housekeeper, Mrs. Timms. Mrs. Timms believes it's her mission in life to turn motherless Jane into a proper lady, but seeing as Jane has just turned twenty-four, Mrs. Timms considerable efforts appear to have been in vain. However, the housekeeper won't give up trying, just as Jane won't give up on seeing Mrs. Timms and her father center-aisling it to the alter and saying, "I do." If you like light-hearted historical mysteries with quirky characters and a bit of zany humor, this may be the series for you! These are murderless mysteries. Despite a constant crime wave, there seem to be no murders in the city of Greenville. There may be plenty of peril in the form of kidnappings, heists, and the occasional assault, but nobody ever dies, and justice is always served. There’s plenty of romance, but sex is strictly behind closed doors. Suitable for readers looking for a "clean" mystery novel. This series may be of interest to fans of: Lee Strauss (Ginger Gold Mysteries), Jaqueline Winspear (Masie Dobbs Mysteries), Patricia Wentworth (Miss Silver Mysteries), Jessica Ellicot (Berl and Edwina Mysteries Series), Clara Benson, L. B. Hathaway (Posie Parker Mysteries), Leighann Dobbs (Hazel Martin Mysteries), T. E. Kinsey (Lady Hardcastle Mysteries), Margarete Addison (Rose Simpson Mysteries), Emily Organ (Penny Green Mysteries), and the Phryne Fisher Mystery Series.

Drop Dead, Gorgeous


Mike Jastrzebski - 2016
    She had to come back from the grave to convince him she was murdered. Oh, and she brought along the ghost of her mother.What was she thinking? Artie didn't get along with his mother-in-law when she was alive...why would it be any different now?If you like a great mystery and don't mind a couple of ghosts mucking things up, grab this book now. You won't regret it.

Haunted And Hexed


Misty Bane - 2019
    Probably. Instead, I'd been lured in by the cute little beach town, a handful of instant friends, and a hunky local. My name is Dru Rathmore Davis, and In my defense, my life had pretty much just fallen apart. So, after learning that I'd inherited a bookstore from a grandmother that I never even knew existed, I was desperate to make this my fresh start. I daydreamed of owning a quaint little bookstore and spending my weekends reading on the beach. Sounds great, right? And what could possibly go wrong? Turns out, everything. The bodies start piling up along with my arrival in town, someone may have murdered Granny… and that’s only the beginning. As a former private investigator, I really can't help but find myself drawn (or pushed) into doing a little investigating of my own. It also helps that the Police Sergeant is super hot… cliché, I know, but what's a girl to do? Things are much more complicated than they first appear though, and being new in town certainly has its disadvantages. No one is who they seem to be. Not even me. The only ones I can trust are the dead. Well, and my cat. But none of them are talking. Or are they?

Mystic Guests


Leanne Leeds - 2020
    As his bones are unearthed along with the town's secrets, she is determined to find out who killed the mohawked teen and why. At least, if she can do it without tipping her hand to the townspeople that she's a witch.Between the hot detective that suspects she's a con-woman up to no good, the smolderingly sexy manager of the local greyhound track that seems to be full of secrets, and a conspiracy theorist reporter determined to enlist Fortuna in her war against the town's corruption, Fortuna's life is becoming more complicated than an Escher painting. And she could be unknowingly related to any of them.Will Fortuna be able to find out who murdered the ghost in her attic, or will Mystic's End unearth her secrets instead?Mystic Guests (Mystic's End Mysteries, Book 1) is a funny full-length paranormal cozy mystery.Mystic's End Mysteries:Mystic Guests, Book 1Angel in Demise, Book 2Sketchy Charms, Book 3The Art of Scrying, Book 4Fortuna Delphi originally appeared in Leanne Leeds' Magical Midway Paranormal Cozy Series.

Carnations and Deadly Fixations


Abby Reede - 2019
    A small town with busybodies and open secrets. Can a new girl in town start a new life before a murder investigation ends it? Tracy Adams had three things going for her in her just-above-average boring life namely: 1. A good job 2. A good job... that she liked 3. A good job that she liked... and that paid VERY well When she lost her job and had to move back to the small town where she grew up, it seemed like her life had lost all purpose. Helping out at her aunt's floundering floral shop seemed like the perfect distraction before she decided what to do next. When her aunt's competition, a nasty and egotistical know-it-all is found dead, the rumor mill in Fern Grove goes into overdrive. With an important piece of evidence linking Tracy to the scene of the crime, she becomes a person of interest in the murder investigation. This leaves her feeling vulnerable and confused. Moving back to Fern Grove was meant to be the start of a new life but this murder mystery is fast ending what has hardly begun. Will she retain her wits and piece together the clues that will lead her to the killer? If you want to enjoy a light-hearted read, with an amateur female sleuth and a gripping murder mystery with a touch of romance, then you'll love Tracy Adams and all the friendly and not-so-friendly characters in Fern Grove. No cliffhanger, swearing or graphic scenes! Buy Carnation and Deadly Fixations to discover how events unfold in this cozy murder mystery.

Sleeping Dogs Don't Lie


Chloe Grace - 2019
    Two super cute animals. And a multitude of suspects. But, no-one hears me. Hey there. Pleased to meet you. I’m Albertus Eagle. I’m now known as the Detective Beagle. I see things. And I hear more. But what’s best is that no-one suspects me of being the guy who feeds back what the humans can’t unearth.It all started with one case.The one where my owner, Milly was bumped off. It landed me, and the cat, otherwise known as Cleo to her friends, not that she has many, in a shelter for unwanted animals.But, I didn’t let that stop me. Here’s my story. Sleeping dogs don’t lie is the prequel to the Cozy Mystery series of novels starring Albertus Eagle, his two sidekicks, Cleo the cat and Bella Schuhmann, the smart human who actually understands him. In this wonderful short which is packed with humour and satire, we see the world of murder and intrigue set up through the eyes of a loyal dog turned amateur sleuth.

Spell Maven from Spell Haven


Megan Marple - 2019
     Gwendolyn Brady thought escaping to the Human Realm would solve everything. With a baby in her arms, she traded in her exciting life of solving mysteries and magic for one full of diapers and a tiny house in the Georgia mountains. The best part? No magic required. The worst part? No magic allowed. Fast-forward fourteen years, and all Gwen has to worry about is a sassy teenager, burning dinner (again), and keeping the peace between the cat and dog. Except for the part where she’s terrified her daughter will learn the truth about Gwen being a witch from another realm. Of course when her Aunt Bedelia appears in their living room out of thin air, Gwen knows that her magical past has finally caught up with her. And with her aunt comes some dire news. With her younger brother missing and suspected of murdering a vampire leader, it’s up to the former witch investigator to track him down before anyone else can. It doesn't help that her uncle is the head of the witch investigators looking for her brother —the very same group that Gwen used to be a part of, in fact. Taking her wand out of retirement, Gwen has to face the truth. It’s time to pull her daughter into the world she’s determined to protect her from. *Spell Maven from Spell Haven is a full-length witch cozy mystery full of magic, family, laughs, and even a dose of crazy cat antics!* -please note that this book was previously published under the same title, only under the author’s former pen name, Megan Marple- Books in the Spell Maven Mysteries series include: Spell Maven from Spell Haven - Book 1 Snitch Witch - Book 2 Tragic Magick - Book 3 West of Wicked - Book 4 (coming soon!)

Home Sweet Witch


Bettina M. Johnson - 2020
    An aspiring artist who is living in New York State and discovers a mystery unfolding around her when a letter from her deceased mother shatters everything she has ever believed about herself. When Lily opens the package left to her by her mom, she finds an ornate key, a careworn journal, old photos, and a peculiar letter with curious instructions to head to Sweet Briar, Georgia. Lily not only discovers her birthplace, and a plethora of new relatives but also come to realize they are all witches. She is, in fact, a witch herself. A dark one. As she humorously wanders her way through discovering her new reality, Lily manages to find a place to call home, makes a new best friend, meets a bevy of great looking men to keep her distracted and learns to deal with her whacky relations. Throw in a decades-old murder along with a new body to cross her path, and Lily is embroiled in a tale that tests her resolve and has her questioning whether or not being a little wicked can make everything right in her world! Book one of the Lily Sweet Mysteries is here for you to enjoy...with many more in the series to follow!

Second-Hand Murder


Blair Merrin - 2016
    Will Cassie, and her P.I. pal Dash, find out the meaning behind the unusual artifact before it's too late? This Paranormal Cozy Mystery is sure to keep you on the edge of your seat, and make you laugh out loud too!

A Hiss-tory of Magic


Harper Lin - 2014
    They run the Brew-Ha-Ha café, and naturally, they’re witches hiding in plain sight along with their three magical cats, Treacle, Peanut Butter, and Marshmallow. When Brew-Ha-Ha's baker is burnt to a crisp, along with their beloved café, Aunt Astrid lets out a big family secret: a powerful spell book, a Greenstone heirloom from the Salem days, has been stolen from its secret hiding spot in the café. If it’s fallen into the wrong hands, black magic could destroy not only Wonder Falls but the world. A secret society… A new detective with a shady past… A once-bullied local returning to town as a multimillionaire. Who in town could know Cath’s family secret? Cath, Bea, and Astrid must use their witch powers to uncover the deadly truth. Cath communicates with their cats, also magically inclined, and they help uncover more than one secret lurking in wonderful Wonder Falls. The first novel in a new cozy mystery series featuring modern-day witches and their magic cats.