Book picks similar to
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The Jade Dagger


J.A. Whiting - 2020
    When Kara arrives in Four Falls and is shown the jade dagger, things begin to spiral out of control. Drawn into the murder of an unknown woman, will Kara be able to use her skills including her special gift of “sight” to track down the killer and solve the mystery of the jade dagger?This story has some mild paranormal elements.

Alas, She Drowned


Monica Knightley - 2016
    Betrayal. Tea and Scones. When ex-novice nun, turned steamy romance writer, Maggie O’Flynn moves to the charming village of Stratford Upon Avondale to open a tea room she expects plenty of murders, betrayal, and duplicity. On the stages of the town’s renowned Shakespeare Festival. But when a theater critic is found murdered on the town’s riverbank and the prime suspect turns out to be the sexy bookshop owner Maggie has had her eye on, she takes matters into her own hands. Will she be able to dig through the layers of betrayal and duplicity to find the true murderer before that handsome bookseller, Nate Larimer, finds himself behind bars? With the help of her loud, brash, spitfire of a friend, Gina Mattucci, Maggie plans to do just that. With a bit of Shakespeare, copious amounts of tea, and a faux-English setting to rival anything the real England has to offer, ALAS, SHE DROWNED is the first book in THE STRATFORD UPON AVONDALE mystery series. Lovers of cozy mysteries will find a cozy home in Stratford Upon Avondale.

Ye Olde Antique Shoppe: The Edward V Coin


Margaret Brazear - 2018
    What she does not expect is to also inherit an Antique Shop which has not been opened in more than sixty years. She takes her friend, Peter Attwood, an archaeologist and historian to investigate the shop, but what they find is far more than a simple neglected retail store. They discover a coin minted at the time of the young King Edward V, but when they try to remove it from the shop, they step outside and into 1483, the year the coin was minted. Wanting to see the princes in the Tower and perhaps discover the truth of what happened to them, Peter persuades Rachel to dress in some of the historical clothing in the back room of the antique shop, and visit the Tower. There they watch the young King Edward V writing and when he leaves his scroll on a stone bench, Peter takes the opportunity to grab it. A journal written by one of the princes could be worth a fortune, but when they try to take it out of the shop, they find the same problem: it cannot be taken into the twenty first century. A scheme to hide the scroll in the fifteenth century and find it again in the twenty-first seems an easy option, until they are observed digging it up and accused of witchcraft.

Craks in a Marriage


Barbara Barrett - 2018
    A few days later, the husband is found dead, his head bashed in. Fearing she’ll be considered the most likely suspect, the widow prevails upon Sydney and her three friends—Marianne, Kat and Micki—to find out who really killed him. Though none of these four fun-loving, take-charge retirees has any training as detectives, the women agree to launch a secret investigation. As they dig under the happy veneer of their community’s social life, they find more than enough suspects, from shady ladies to resentful golf buddies, to keep them looking over their shoulders. Could the murderer be lurking among the talent in a chaotic production put on by Sydney’s husband, who will do anything to keep busy in retirement? Could the sheriff, who may have more than a professional interest in chanteuse Kat, end up pinning the crime on the women instead? Each discovery during their investigations and their weekly mah jongg game keeps them running as they close in on the killer—but the killer may also be closing in on them. This cozy mystery, the first in the Mah Jongg Mystery series, features four retired amateur sleuths who live in the small Florida town of Serendipity Springs, all female and all friends who play the game of mah jongg together. Though they don't set out to investigate murder, after their first experience in this story, others start looking to them to help investigate subsequent homicides and questionable accidents. In this first book, Sydney Bonner takes the lead, although she turns to her three friends for help. Though this series features four protagonists, the others will take the lead in subsequent stories. Two are married, one is divorced and the fourth, who has been single all her life while she tended to her ailing mother, now finds herself the object of the sheriff's attention in this series. The four don't seek out murder; somehow the circumstances and those affected drag them in. Meanwhile, as they attempt to gather information, life goes on in their community in such activities as a women's club, a social group for those over 50, real estate transactions, numerous stops at the local coffeehouse, and even a shopping trip to Naples. Sydney's husband, Trip, and her friend Marianne Putnam's husband, Beau, are golf buddies who spend many a day on the course. When not there, Trip is busy seeking to build a new post retirement life, and Beau is often prevailed upon to join in Trip's latest activity, which in this first book is a town follies. Kat Faulkner has lived a frugal life until winning big in a lottery shortly after her mother's death; suddenly, Kat has money and doesn't know how to spend it. But her divorced friend and freelance writer, Micki Demetrius, does, even if it's to guide Kat through a makeover and wardrobe change for her lounge act. This cozy mystery is the first book in the Mah Jongg Mystery series. Barbara Barrett is already published in contemporary romance. She is a member of the Mystery/Romantic Suspense chapter of Romance Writers of America. Like her protagonists, she is retired and is a resident of Florida, although she spends her summers in her home state of Iowa. She spent over three decades as a human resource management analyst with Iowa state government. She can be contacted at barbarabarrett747@gmail.com. Check her website at barbarabarrettbooks.com.

Broken Memory


J. Sharpe - 2015
    Sharpe.I just woke up in this ghostly town. There are only a few people living here, although “living” might not be the right word. They just told me that I’m dead. That this is the afterlife. I don’t want to believe them. One thing is for sure though. Whatever is going on here, I’m screwed.Waking up in a different body isn’t the strangest thing that happens to Tim. He fights for answers in an unusual little town with only a nine-year-old girl on his side.Together they battle to find the truth. Is this heaven, hell, purgatory, or a mind-control experiment? No matter what, Tim and Ella need to uncover the reality of this nightmare.Broken Memory was nominated for the Harland Awards for best novel of 2015, and received an honorable mention for the extraordinary originality. If you like fast-paced thrillers with influences of horror and science fiction, packed with twists and turns, then you are going to love this novel by bestselling author J. Sharpe.

A Lovely Nightmare: A Paranormal Romance Novel


Wendy Cole - 2018
    Stick around. Maybe you’ll see how great later!” “Promises, Promises.” Amelia is desperate for normalcy. Plagued by a monster in her closet, she has never really experienced a normal life. After graduation, Amelia is finally leaving town. College is supposed to be her new start. She is supposed to finally enjoy her life. She is supposed to finally have friends without being called a weirdo. Most importantly, the monster in her closet isn’t supposed to come back and haunt her. As she struggles to start anew, her tall, playful, and exceedingly irresistible landlord, Brady, catapults into her life. She is instantly entranced by the undeniable passion that blazes between them. But romance will have to wait because her hopes for a new life ebbs for her monster is back and it no longer hides in the dark. The monster has taken a new form and it follows Amelia wherever she goes, day and night. It watches her every move and its desire for her becomes a craving she knows she can never satisfy and she will have to fight for as hard as she can. Brady knows about Amelia more than he lets on. He knows about her monster and he knows about the risk yet he is more than willing to take it. Brimming with his hot charms and seductive words, Brady is prepared to do everything to win Amelia’s heart. He wants her—always has. But when a string of secrets slowly come to light, and Amelia soon uncovers the kind of man he truly is, all bets are off. No man is worth life in hell. Tempered by unexpected turns and heart-pounding revelations, Wendy Cole delivers the kind of narrative that scares you and makes you fall in love at the same time. Be captivated by the frightening yet beautiful monsters in Amelia’s world.

Illusive Storm


Lily Campbell - 2020
    But with a body on the floor and suspicions mounting, it’s time to figure out who the killer is before someone else winds up dead.Everyone has their own secrets. They are all clearly hiding something.Everyone turns to the P.I. for answers. With the cell towers down, her best advice is for everyone to stay in their rooms until the storm is over and they can call in help. So when hormones take over and a tryst leads two of them to make out in the lobby, the pair is stunned to see familiar faces on T.V. Apparently they also have armed criminals in their midst…When the storm passes, it will all be much clearer — or not.

The Wedding Caper


Laura Briggs
    Instead of unmasking the charade, Gwen makes the split second decision to play along, and finds herself roped into the challenge of her small career with a socialite bride and her domineering mother. Juggling the outlandish requests–from firing “the best man” to renting hot air balloons–thrusts Gwen into the spotlight role she always dreamed of.Knowing she should escape before her true identity is exposed, Gwen clings to the masquerade for one reason: the handsome, boyish Ryan Miller. Whose opinions of the wedding fail to impress his bride-to-be, awakening Gwen’s sympathy for the seemingly forgotten groom.Stealing her boss’ identity? Now that was the easy part. The hard part is preventing her secret crush from stealing her heart away.

Hound on the Sound


Jessa Archer - 2019
    . . only to discover that most of the folks in her old hometown believe the place is haunted.Once back in Misty-on-the-Sound, Pepper has to contend with her old boyfriend the sheriff, her nosy mother, and the town’s shady lawyer. All this while starting her own law practice and trying to find time for her original passion—singing.With the help of her trusty legal beagle, Mr. Woogles, can Pepper figure out what’s going on before the house turns on her?

The Potion Commotion


Constance Barker - 2019
    Sam, earth witch, owns the local smoothie shop. She likes to put a little magic in her brew and she can cure most ailments with her smoothie potions. Her one employee, David aka Tank, has tattoos out the ying yang and a Harley in the parking lot. Regular customer Phineas and his pet rooster Chuckles enjoy lounging in the shop's courtyard seating. Chuckles gets his own shot glass of magic brew. Lucky bird.Tessa, fire witch, owns the hottest grill in town. Mara, wind witch, can hear the whispers of the town, which comes in handy when an investigation is needed.Amelia Windemere was the coven's water witch until her untimely demise. She wasn't the most loved person in town....oh heck, she was the most despised. But how does a water witch drown? Are there witch hunters in town or something more evil? And why did the police force hire two new twin detectives just in time for a murder?Find out in the first installment of the Happy Blending Witch Cozy Mystery Series

Small Town Murder


Patti Benning - 2017
    If not, enjoy this first book in the incredible series! Autumn Roth has a good job and a long-term boyfriend, whom she hopes will become her fiancé before the year is out. When she loses both in the space of a weekend, she is convinced that her life can’t get any worse…until she witnesses an innocent man’s death while visiting her aunt and uncle at their assisted living home. Trying to maintain her holiday cheer is difficult, especially when Autumn becomes the killer’s next target. With only weeks to go before Christmas, she struggles to deal with the new direction her life is taking… and to catch a killer before someone else gets hurt.

Murder By Design: ...a young girl dreams of topping haute couture!


Mary Jane Forbes - 2011
    Lack of money is a high hurdle. Living with her grandfather, and working as a casino barmaid, she saves her tips to take classes in Seattle. With her eye to one day having her own clothing label, the redhead, keeps her eye on the prize, leaving men smitten with her beauty in her wake—a preacher, an American Indian law student, and a NY fashion designer. It isn’t until a newspaper reporter appears on her door step that she pauses to take a second look. But reporter Skip Hunter has no time for women. He is driven to become a N.Y. Times best-selling mystery writer using his reporting of crime on the streets of Seattle as fodder. Will the New York designer who borrows Gillianne’s sketches end her dream? Will a heist of a billion dollars worth of gold bullion give the reporter his big break? Will the intersection of their lives drive the pair into each other’s arms? Or, will their life plans, force them apart?

Witch Is How To Find Your Magic


R.K. Dreaming - 2020
    She has a great new job and a fab new apartment and is determined to leave all that silly childhood witchy stuff behind her. After all, magic isn’t real. Surely she was imagining it?But then Cecily’s new flatmate Lola goes missing following a murder and magic might be the only thing that will save her. Cecily isn’t the only one investigating. Her dreamy new boss Detective Storm is also on the case. Cecily is determined to prove her worth and find Lola, and all without revealing her magic. That shouldn’t be hard… Because magic isn’t real, remember?

The Loss Prevention Officer


Jon Jordan - 2019
    They may be telling you that you are being watched by a loss prevention officer. THE LOSS PREVENTION OFFICER is a thriller that tells the story of Crane Jefferson, a third-year law student at the University of Miami, who takes a job in the loss prevention department at Taylor’s department store. Through the eyes of Crane, the underground loss prevention world involved in catching shoplifters is explored, a shadow world of violence and perversion that the retail establishment does not want you to know about. Crane enjoys working in his position, until things go horribly wrong when an innocent man is nearly beaten to death. His position then comes back to haunt him as a storm of vengeance develops, threatening to destroy him and everyone else in its deadly path.

Spies Like Me


Doug Solter - 2016
    Even if it means becoming a spy. The mysterious organization known simply as The Authority wants Emma to join The Gems. This team of all-girl spies knows how to handle themselves on dangerous missions...like stopping an evil plan to incinerate the world's food supply. Meet The Gems... Olivia, code-named Emerald, is seventeen years old. Half English and half Jamaican. Specializes in leadership, marksmanship, and is a rated pilot. Miyuki, code-named Ruby, is sixteen and from Okinawa, Japan. She specializes in gymnastics and martial arts. Trained in jungle survival and deep sea diving. Once blew up her boyfriend's motorcycle using a rocket launcher. Nadia, code-named Sapphire, is sixteen and from Saudi Arabia. She's a science and computer nerd. Nadia's zero-gravity school agriculture project created interest from NASA. Emma, code-named Black Opal, is a transplant from New York City who specializes in high school theater and shopping. The Authority thinks Emma is the missing link to make this team work. Emma thinks The Authority is her only chance for revenge. Spies Like Me is the first book in The Gems Young Adult spy series that features fast-paced action, crazy thrills, girl-power bonding, International intrigue, and a touch of romance. Think Gallagher Girls meet Jason Bourne. If you like culturally-diverse characters, fun dialogue, cool spy gadgets, and a romance with a complex boy to figure out, then the first book in Doug Solter's exciting new spy series is for you.