Book picks similar to
Murder On The Menu by Zanna Mackenzie


mystery
cozy-mystery
cozy-mysteries
romance

Cliffhanger


Amy Saunders - 2012
    Even worse, Belinda must return to the events surrounding a tragic sailing accident to set things right.But new possibilities emerge in the form of security expert Bennett Tate. Between her connections and his know-how, they're bound to catch the killer - and kick the skeletons out of the closet for good.

Strawberry Crunch & Murder


Lori Woods - 2018
    With her new dessert shop opening soon, Molly is excited to be following her dream. The last thing she expects is to be caught up in the solving the murder of the town’s bully. Using her former investigative journalism skills, and with the help of the handsome police officer, Molly makes it her mission to find the killer before they strike again. Book 1 in the Sweet Treat Cozy Mystery series, which can be read in one to two hours! Perfect for a lunchtime read or if you want to enjoy a quick light-hearted read, with a parrot-loving amateur sleuth, set in a seaside town with quirky characters.  No cliffhanger, swearing or gory scenes!

Cozy Leading Ladies


Julie Smith - 2017
    PLUS a romantic puzzler bonus, which isn’t at all what you might expect…From murder at a conference in fashionable Provence to an underground feminist bordello in San Francisco (with a pit stop on the Gulf Cost where a killer’s on the loose while a hurricane closes in), Cozy Leading Ladies is sure to satisfy mystery readers who love their independent female sleuths. (Friendly piece of advice: it’s probably best to read the collection with a box of chocolates or your favorite brand of potato chips really nearby). Vol. 1: DEATH TURNS A TRICK, the FIRST book in the Rebecca Schwartz mystery series by Edgar Award Winner Julie Smith A ROLLICKING TALE OF MURDER, ROMANCE, AND A BORDELLO… Rebecca Schwartz, nice Jewish lawyer with a few too many fantasies, is happily playing the piano in a whorehouse when she suddenly finds herself assigned to make sure a near-naked state senator escapes a police raid. That dirty job done, a lovely evening turns even more delightful when she’s picked up by the cops and spends the next two hours at the Hall of Justice. Could this day get any worse? Of course! Guess who arrives home to find a dead hooker on her living room floor? Vol. 2: THE AURA, the FIRST Kate Benedict Paranormal Mystery by Carrie Bedford Life spins out of control for London architect Kate Benedict when she sees a dancing aura above certain people’s heads that seems to signal death. Suddenly she’s psychic. But that can't be! Psychic’s not acceptable in her circle, where the supernatural is strictly for the superstitious. And yet…people are dying. People close to her. Vol. 3: THE 13th FELLOW, A Mystery In Provence by Tracy Whiting POETRY, MURDER, BEAUTIFUL PEOPLE ... AND PROVENCE! American Professor Havilah Gaie has always seen herself as “an academic version of Pam Grier’s characters: smart, quick on their feet, loyal with a keen sense of purpose.” Now she’s got a chance to suit up for action because suddenly she’s a witness in a murder. Vol. 4: HURRICANE SEASON: Florida Panhandle Mystery #1 by Michaela Thompson “Miss Marple meets Eudora Welty (with a trace of Erskine Caldwell)” –KirkusThe 1950s fairly leap off the page in this classic cozy mystery set in northern Florida in the Eisenhower era, complete with Johnny Ray on the jukebox and a Womanless Wedding—this one interrupted by an explosion at a moonshine still. Lily Trulock, owner of Trulock’s Grocery & Marine Supply, leads a pretty quiet life until a stranger comes to town. Before she can say, “down the hatch,” Lily’s at the center of a vicious murder and a no-holds-barred bootlegging war—and a nasty storm’s on the way. Vol.

Brownie Points for Murder


Nicole Ellis - 2018
    When the stressful situation lands Desi in the hospital with pregnancy complications, Jill must navigate her own mom-life crisis, sift through a tangled web of secrets and lies, and discover the identity of the real killer before it’s too late for Desi and her unborn baby.

Murder Above the Fold


ReGina Welling - 2018
     Turns out, keeping up with a thousand-year-old coven leader with a penchant for magical mischief isn’t the most exciting item on their agenda. When Mag and Clara stumble over the dead body of a local woman, they refuse to let the ruling of accidental death stand—not when they’re positive it was murder. If you like cantankerous old witches, concealed covens, and unsolved murders, you'll love this humorous magical story full of chaos and intrigue.

Killer Cleavers & Cupcakes


Mel McCoy - 2020
    One luxury cruise ship heading to the Bahamas. And an elusive killer running amok with a penchant for cleavers.After overstuffing her husband with a button-bursting amount of cookies and cakes, Ruth Shores—charmed mother, grandmother, wife, and retired pastry chef—decides to take a dream job in the kitchen of the brand-new, luxury cruise ship, Splendor of the Seas. Luggage rolling behind her, she sets out on her first day, and it's everything she imagined. That is, until she runs into the rudest, most inconsiderate person she’s ever crossed paths with: Loretta Moran.That’s okay—Ruth refuses to allow a stranger to ruin her idyllic new life. But when a body is found in the kitchen, both women become prime suspects in a murder investigation. Compelled to prove their innocence, Ruth and Loretta must work together, all while desperately covering up a mouse running loose in the dining room. Can they set their differences aside to unveil the real killer before they both lose their jobs—or worse, their lives?Pranks. Scandals. Cover-ups. All wrapped up in this fun and quirky cozy mystery!Killer Cleavers and Cupcakes is the first book in this nutty, lighthearted Cruise Ship Cozy Mystery Series. So, get nestled in a cozy chair, pour your favorite beverage, and get ready for an exciting Bahamas escapade aboard the Splendor of the Seas!

The Farmer's Slaughter


Liliana Hart - 2018
    What she doesn't expect is for her research to lead her to her newly retired neighbor, Hank Davidson. She recognizes a cop when she sees one, and Hank doesn't look like her idea of retired, despite the black socks, sandals, and manicured lawn. Hank needs a place to forget his past, but Agatha needs his past to secure her future. As an FBI trained profiler, Hank Davidson sees right through most people. But Agatha isn’t most people. She's as seasoned as any cop he knows and just as mouthy. It doesn't take long for him to get caught up in the cold case Agatha's using for research, but small town roots run deep, and loose lips will tell you anything you want to know--except who the killer is. In the spirit of Angela Lansbury and Murder She Wrote, enjoy these cozy mysteries in order to get the most fun out of your experience. ABOUT THE AUTHORS The dynamic husband and wife writing duo of Liliana Hart and Scott Silverii combine their love of adventure and storytelling into the Harley and Davidson Mystery Series. While they've discussed a team writing effort for years, when it came time to actually develop their characters, both admit to being stumped. Why not write us they laughed. Liliana, a 29-time NY Times and USA Today bestseller and author of over 59 titles, enjoys this labor of love with her husband. Scott, a former Chief of Police and law enforcement professional has over 25 years of banging down doors and busting bad guys. An author of 10 titles, he says this by far is his favorite mission. Together, they have created a lovable tandem of adventure seeking, mystery-solving heroes that you'll get to know and love. You might even catch a glimpse of Liliana and Scott in each story. Well, probably much more than a glimpse. Other Books In The Series: BOOKS IN THE SERIES Book 1 The Farmer’s Slaughter Book 2 A Tisket A Casket Book 3 I Saw Mommy Killing Santa Claus Book 4 Get Your Murder Running Book 5 Deceased and Desist Book 6 Malice In Wonderland Book 7 Tequila Mockingbird Book 8 Gone With the Sin Book 9 Grime and Punishment (12-2019) Book 10 Blazing Rattles (12-2019)

The Case of the Flashing Fashion Queen


N.L. Wilson - 2011
    firm where she's worked for years, Dix Dodd has hung out her own shingle at the ripe age of 40. There are plenty of cheating husbands to go around, and Dix has a knack for busting them. Problem is, it doesn't always pay so well. Conscious that the guys back at the old firm are laying bets about how soon she'll come crawling back, she figures she's got six months to make a go of it.The going gets even tougher when she hires Dylan Foreman. But when he told her about getting fired from his law firm and disbarred for putting common decency before the firm's interests, she hired him on the spot. In addition to being smart, he's gorgeous enough to remind her she's a woman. And at 28, young enough to make her feel like a total cougar.Things start looking up when Dix gets hired by millionaire businessman Ned Weatherby's wife Jennifer Weatherby, to tail Ned 24/7 for a week, for a cool ten grand. Easy-peasy, right? Wrong! The job lands Dix in the middle of a murder investigation - with her as the prime suspect and her arch-enemy Detective Richard Head (a.k.a., Dickhead, one of the cheating husbands she'd nailed) gunning for her.Dix will need all her ingenuity, as well as the help of Dylan and her oddball cast of supporters to extricate herself from this one.

Mind Your Manors


CeeCee James - 2018
    She's got a lot on her plate, trying to figure out her crazy, stubborn family, the hidden secrets that caused her grandfather's estrangement from her dad, and starting out as a real estate agent. Throw in a dead body found in what used to be the town's "royalty" family manor, and she's neck deep in a mystery.She may be sweet, but she's pretty stubborn herself.As Stella's curiosity leads her from one town resident to the next, a dramatic tale of family secrets starts to appear, but is she getting too close to the truth? A scary car chase in the dark has her nerves on edge, but she won't give up until she finds out who the skeleton once was. She's so close... but someone... maybe more than one person... will do anything to stop her.

First Case


Kathi Daley - 2017
    The fact that she had been murdered on Friday October 13th exactly eleven years after she’d been one of five teenagers to survive the Friday The 13th Massacre, made her passing worthy of notice by the national news agencies Jillian Hanford used to work for. When an old editor of Jillian's offered her the chance to write a human interest piece about Katrina’s life and subsequent death, she jumped at the chance to re-launch her currently defunct career. Of course in order to make the sort of impact she was after, she’d not only need to write about Katrina’s unusual life, but she’d need to answer the question of who was responsible for her death. She knew she'd need help so she decided to enlist the help of the five writers currently living at the writer's retreat on Gull Island. Jillian would soon discover a decade old secret covering a shocking truth that was better left unrevealed.

White Satin & Murder


Harper Harris - 2018
    A clingy Yorkie. And a dead Maid of Honor. It’s the first wedding Valerie Masters has ever planned and the start of her new business.There’s money flowing in Buckingham Downs, California, a small coastal town largely taken over by the rich, where weddings are a billion-dollar business. Val works tirelessly to make sure this one- the very first that she’s been hired to plan- is perfect, juggling a temperamental florist, a diva cake baker, and a self-obsessed DJ who’s threatened to walk off the job if the Chicken Dance is requested.Not to mention the biggest Bridezilla Val has ever seen, the bride’s “unique” family and snooty Maid of Honor.Starting a new business is hard, and this first wedding is turning out to be more than Val bargained for. Right before the wedding, Val finds the Maid of Honor dead and the expensive, one-of-a-kind wedding dress missing!Now, on top of getting a hitch-filled wedding to go off without a…well…you know, she has no choice but to solve this mystery. No wonder half of all new businesses fail!The stakes couldn’t be higher. This socially influential family has already threatened to ruin Val if any part of the wedding is ruined.But who among this motley cast of characters could be a murderer and a dress thief? And will Val figure it out in time to pull off the perfect wedding? Or will her business crash before it’s even started?White Satin & Murder is a full length cozy mystery novel full of humor, intrigue, and an adorable furry friend named Buttons. It's the first book in the Val Masters Wedding Planner series, which can be read in any order and are best enjoyed together.

Calico Confusion


Katherine Hayton - 2019
    A property developer is building a rival store on the section in front, blocking out the wonderful view. However, her concern is soon replaced with a more serious problem when a new calico kitten turns out to be a witness to a murder! When the police investigation into the killing points an accusing finger at her friend, Marjorie feels compelled to help. Especially as the sergeant in charge is overlooking a chief suspect—the same rogue land developer who's the bane of her existence. Soon she has break-ins, upset kittens, and an eligible bachelor to contend with. But with investigators looking in the wrong direction, Marjorie must rely on her wits and community knowledge to solve the murder and bring the true perpetrator to justice before they can strike again. Marjorie's Cozy Kitten Cafe 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 show that makes you roll your eyes! They are chock-a-block full of kittens but I promise there's no swearing, no cliffhangers, and no graphic scenes.

The Snowman Killer


Wendy Meadows - 2017
    It is perfect for those moments when you are waiting at an appointment or want to enjoy a quick read.Sarah Garland, a retired homicide detective who’s gone through a painful divorce, seems to have found her peace at last, as a coffeeshop owner, in the sleepy (and freezing) small town of Snow Falls, Alaska. What she didn’t expect, was for her past life to catch up with her. Or, for her new life as a mystery writer to inspire a deadly killer to target her. Yet, when the killer leaves a frightening clue-a creepy snowman, donning a leather jacket and eating a peppermint candy cane, left in front of her cabin-Sarah begins to suspect Conrad Spencer, the new detective in town, who is pursuing a murderer of his own. Soon, it becomes obvious that the sleuths would have to join forces, in order to catch the killer. Sarah and Conrad must put their tragic pasts behind them and find out who’s after her…before the trail becomes frozen.

Dog Collar Crime


Adrienne Giordano - 2013
    A move that brings her back into the tempting arms of Frankie Falcone, the ex that never fails to make her heart sit up and beg.When Lucie parlays her temporary dog-walking gig into a career making fancy dog accessories, Frankie becomes her number one supporter. Life starts to look like a walk in the park…until three of her bling-wearing clients are dogjacked. Despite help from the on-again, off-again Mr. Fix-It in her life, Lucie is thrown into an investigation that’s more Goodfellas than good doggie. One that could shatter her new life and her second chance at love.

Murder Under the Magnolias


Charmain Zimmerman Brackett - 2016
    After the murder of a young woman with a mysterious tattoo, Grace finds herself in the middle of an investigation and wonders if these parties she's beautifying are actually fronts for something more sinister.