Book picks similar to
Gumboots, Gumshoes & Murder (Murder She Wrote meets Fargo) by Laura Hesse
mystery
cozy-mystery
fiction
hh
Panic at the Pier
Mel McCoy - 2019
They head down to Cascade Cove, Florida, where her eccentric grandpa, Larry, and sassy cousin, Emma, run a pet boutique on the boardwalk. Antics between Rugby and Emma’s feisty cat, Misty, quickly ensue, but that’s just a small price to pay to spend quality time with her family while preparing the boutique for the busy season. But then her plans are quickly capsized… Soon after arriving, a mystery unfolds, starting with the washed-up body of a local landowner, a lost corgi carrying an antique locket, and a family secret that may hold the key to the puzzle. Will Sarah be able to wade through the wave of suspects in order to piece the puzzle together? And will she solve the mystery before peak season ends up being a flop? Join Sarah and the rest of the gang at Larry’s Pawfect Boutique in this fun Whodunit Pet Cozy Mystery Series. So, get nestled in your favorite chair, put on a pot of tea, and escape into the cozy beachside town of Cascade Cove!
Seaside Secrets
Cindy Bell - 2014
With her best friend, Mary, going through a messy divorce, the two decide to get away and go to the small town of Garber to see the house. Despite the stunning setting, the house has been neglected for years and is in a terrible state of disrepair. Suzie and Mary make the decision to refurbish the house together. But then, Suzie and Mary start finding evidence that maybe Uncle Harry didn’t die of natural causes. Suzie’s investigative background as a journalist takes over and the ladies go on a search to discover what secrets the house holds. Will these secrets reveal a dark side to Suzie’s strange cousin, Jason? Was the decision to refurbish Dune House the worst mistake of their lives? Or is this the beginning of an exciting new chapter?
Death Checks Inn
Sara Robbins - 2013
Everything is perfect except for two problems. First,the dead man at the bottom of the stairs actually died seven years ago. Second, Lacey had sworn off men forever so why is she so interested in the handsome sheriff investigating the murder. This is a novella of approximately 25,000 words and the first book in the Aspen Valley Inn Series. A beautiful Colorado location, interesting characters and just enough love and murder.
Knitted and Knifed
Tracey Drew - 2021
A smarter woman—smarter than me, anyway—wouldn’t jump out of that same frying pan and return to Cape Discovery, a seaside village where her family is the nuttiest of all the nut-ball residents.I’m a former high school counsellor, middle-child peacemaker, and current curator of lots of squishy/fuzzy goodness at my granddad’s little yarn store. Temporary assistant. Until I decide what to do with the rest my life. There’s only one knotty problem to untangle first. The knife sticking out of the most unpopular man in town, and the police detective trying to pin the murder on the donkey—otherwise known as my younger brother. With a pair mischievous cats determined to be underfoot and a craft group of Serial Knitters and Happy Hookers wanting the inside scoop, a girl could lose her mind. And if the killer has their way, maybe even my life...Tessa Wakefield has her hands full juggling a cozy craft store, her crazy family, and two men who’d rather poke out their eyes than describe themselves as cute. Which they totally are. Cute, charismatic, and occasionally on her mind when she’s not stumbling over dead bodies and using her newfound sleuthing skills to track down murderers. Lucky she’s an excellent multi-tasker because digging beneath Cape Discovery’s surface can unearth secrets that kill.
Sign Off
Patricia McLinn - 2012
TV journalist Elizabeth “E. M.” Danniher will tell you she committed two sins — she didn’t stay young, and she made an enemy of a powerful news executive — her ex. She used to break national news. Now her top story as the “Helping Out!” reporter at dinky KWMT-TV in Sherman,Wyoming is getting a refund for a defective toaster. Tough, funny and determined, Elizabeth wrestles with isolation, keeping a professional edge, and an evolving self-image. Is Wyoming — the land of cattle, cowboys, tumbleweeds, and fewer than six people per square mile — her new home or a road to permanent obscurity? Soon she’s in a battle of wills with ex-football player turned journalist Mike Paycik, who sees her as a handy rung on his career ladder. And there’s the matter of a deputy sheriff—missing or murdered? Elizabeth finds herself investigating at the insistence of a girl who’s set on proving her father’s innocence. Not that enigmatic rancher Thomas David Burrell makes investigating easy. But Elizabeth won’t fade to black without a fight, no matter how final some might want to make her SIGN OFF. Don’t miss any of the Caught Dead in Wyoming series by USA Today bestselling author Patricia McLinn:Sign OffLeft HangingShoot FirstLast DitchLook LiveBack StoryCold OpenHot Roll
Micah Goes On a Date: A Micah Reed Thriller Short Story
Jim Heskett - 2018
Beef Stroganoff? Micah Reed finds himself in a fancy restaurant, in a suit and tie, waiting on a blind date. Should be in for a good time, right? A nice, quiet evening? If you know Micah Reed, you know things usually aren't what they seem. Micah might not survive the night... A FREE short story in the award-winning Micah Reed series. Grab this quick, fun thriller now to read it all in one sitting!
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.
Bradley Farm: ...a legacy of love! (Bradley Farm Cozy Mystery Series Book 1)
Mary Jane Forbes - 2015
Hidden secrets. It may just take a city girl to save the family farm… Jane dreams of marrying her high school sweetheart and raising a brood of kids on his beloved family farm. Despite her parents’ disapproval and her boyfriend’s draft card, she exchanges hurried vows before he ships off to Vietnam. Back on the farm, Jane must fight her own battle with a mother-in-law who frowns on her big city upbringing. Determined to prove she’s cut out for country living, the fiery redhead rolls up her sleeves to explore every inch of the family business. Beneath creaking floorboards and layers of dust, she unearths ghostly secrets… and a rising mountain of debt that threatens to tear her dreams for the future apart. To save the homestead, she schemes up a plan to bring the old farm into the modern age and out of the hands of the collectors. Under the shadow of unsolved mysteries and the critical eye of her mother-in-law, can she hold on to a home-sweet-home worthy of her heroic husband… if he ever returns at all?Bradley Farm is the first standalone romantic mystery in a sweeping family saga series. If you like touching tales of young love, strong-willed heroines, and rustic country backdrops, then you’ll love Mary Jane Forbes’ story of finding your way home.
Buy Bradley Farm to sow the seeds of a heartwarming family history today!
Death by Didgeridoo
Barbara Venkataraman - 2013
Rarely leaving the house, she shares most of her days with her late mother's cranky cat.But soon, Jamie is forced into action by a frantic call from her Aunt Peg, whose autistic son Adam is in police custody and suspected of murdering his music teacher, a once-famous rock star named Spike.It's up to Jamie to find the real killer. The problem is, Spike seems to have had more enemies than he had friends, and Adam had confessed to the murder already. Can Jamie piece together the evidence and bring the murderer to justice before it's too late?A delightful, light mystery set in the small town of Hollywood, South Florida, Death By Didgeridoo is the first book in Barbara Venkataraman's Jamie Quinn Cozy Mysteries series.
Maui Widow Waltz
JoAnn Bassett - 2011
But then Pali learns the lavish wedding must take place on Valentine’s Day—only nine days away. Oh, and one other little hitch—the groom’s been missing at sea for more than a week. But no worries, the bride assures Pali, with or without the groom the wedding will take place. She’s struck a deal with the groom’s best friend to be his proxy, if necessary. Two days before the nuptials, a male corpse floats ashore on a South Maui beach. Looks like the groom’s shown up just in time. But what’s it gonna be—a wedding…or a funeral?Show More Show Less
Body at the Crossroads
Cate Martin - 2020
Her career as a book illustrator not yet exactly launched, Ingrid faces two options: live in her battered old Volkswagen, or go back to her mother's small town in northern Minnesota.The small town that still haunts her dreams more than a decade since she last visited it. Or rather, not the town but the grandmother.All of the drawings she fills notebooks with witches and the trolls that do their bidding? Not as whimsical in her nightmares as she sketches them in the bright light of day.If not for her beloved cat Mjolner, living in the Volkswagen just might tempt her.But the cat wants four walls and a door, so north she goes. And finds trouble in the form of a dead body before she even finds her grandmother's little town. How much can a town of stoic fishermen possibly be hiding?As Ingrid is about to find out, quite a lot.
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.
For Love of Livvy
J.M. Griffin - 2007
But, having cleared the package of explosives, the local cops are dumbounded by the precious stones which came without an explanation, just an address, her Aunt Livvy's. Frustrated by the cops' refusal to share their theories, criminal justice instructor Lavinia Esposito, a.k.a. Vinnie, takes investigation matters into her own hands. Vinnie is soon dragged into situations beyond her control, finding herself in hot water with the law, the crooks, and her Italian father. Willing to put her life at risk to find out what really happened to her beloved Aunt Livvy, and why jewels would be addressed to her aunt, Vinnie plunges ahead with her usual tenacity, bravery, and keen wits to solve and survive this mystery.
Peril in Paradise
Deb Graham - 2016
Not another theft. Depressed over her youngest son leaving two years early for college– across the country no less!– Jerria takes up her husband Will’s offer of a relaxing Hawaiian cruise. But, a series of ominous events onboard the Ocean Haven squashes any idea of a calm tropical vacation. Soon Jerria’s very life is in danger, and she can’t blame the mythical Pele for this one. If you love cruising, you’re going to love this debut novel by The Cruise Addict’s Wife! Warm characters and rich descriptions of beautiful Hawaii bring this cozy mystery to life. If you’ve ever dreamed of the enchantment of a cruise ship vacation, Peril In Paradise is for you!
Treasure Borrowed and Blue
S.W. Hubbard - 2018
She knows first-hand that funerals are family events that bring out the worst in people.Now Audrey is just six weeks away from a joyful family event--her wedding. The band has been hired, the invitations mailed.Wedded bliss is right around the corner.Then a thief strikes and destroys Audrey's happiness. As she narrows the list of possible culprits,her suspicion falls on the family she's about to join.Will catching the thief ruin Audrey's shot at the ideal family she's always dreamed of?When the crime is solved with one final twist, Audrey learns a lesson about the bonds that tie families together and the expectations that can drive them apart.A note from the author: In the chronology of Audrey's life, this short mystery novella fits between the events in This Bitter Treasure (which ended with Audrey's engagement) and Treasure in Exile (which begins with Audrey already married).Loyal readers let me know that they wanted to see Audrey's wedding. So I wrote Treasure Borrowed and Blue because I want to keep my readers happy! Nothing ever goes quite as planned for our Audrey, so the tale of her wedding takes quite a few twists and turns (but no murders!).