Book picks similar to
Pancakes and Pleas by Gretchen Allen


mystery
cozy-mysteries
cozy-mystery
mystery-suspense

He said, She said "Murder"


Jeramy Gates - 2015
    Her husband Joe is a rugged but somewhat broken ex-cop. Together they share the struggles of running a detective agency, maintaining a solid marriage, and raising a baby. The results may be funny, suspenseful, romantic, and sometimes frightening—but they always end with a surprising twist.In book one, the Shepherds take on a cold case hoping to make a quick buck and pay some bills. With a baby on the way, they need every penny they can get. Their investigation into the mysterious death of a murdered teen deepens when they learn she wasn't alone: There was a second victim. Worse yet, the trail of bodies may go back decades, and the killer is still on the loose. As the bodies pile up, so does the danger. Someone knows what they're up to and will do anything to stop them - even if it means killing again. The Shepherds are starting to wonder if they should have taken this case. Unfortunately, it's too late now...

Splendid Summer's Grace, Jack & Magical Cats Boxed Set


Mary Matthews - 2012
    In Splendid Summer, when Grace Wentworth loses her last living relative and all her money, hot Detective and WWI Aviator Jack Brewster gets the case. Grace is learning to lead her own life instead of just following it around. Startled by Grace's lack of deference to him, Jack recognizes his romantic equal.In Emeralds, Diamonds and Amethysts, Jack, Grace, and magical Tatania battle bootleggers to find a special collection of jewels. Emeralds, Diamonds, and Ametheysts is about a code known only to women who fight for the rights of all women.One reviewer called A Christmas Feral a story that would do Charles Dickens proud. Judge Scrooge won't even heat his home for Christmas in this Roaring Twenties' short story. Judge Scrooge says that when you pay the bill, you don't feel the cold. When Judge Scrooge rules incorrectly in a cat dispute, Tatania and her companion Zeus teach him the meaning of keeping Christmas and cats.In Cher Ami, two people drop dead within minutes of each other. They appear unrelated. Grace, Jack, Tatania and Zeus reveal the story of Cher Ami, a WWI carrier pigeon with the heart of a lion. With his heart still beating in a badly wounded body, Cher Ami soared above bullets and saved a lost battalion.

Gone with the Wings


Leena Clover - 2017
    Mystery readers will enjoy this culinary cozy murder mystery featuring plenty of yummy recipes like Masala Fried Chicken and Shish Kabob Blue Plate Special. Meera Patel is back home with the family after she dropped out of graduate school. Now she shelves books for a living and rustles up fusion recipes at Sylvie's Cafe & Diner. Everything is fine until her old nemesis Prudence Walker floats up in the local pond. Meera is accused of murder! Well, she did publicly declare Prudence would drop dead. Meera cries foul and screams police harassment. But she has no defense when she is accused of a second crime. Flanked by pals Tony and Becky, Meera puts in the leg work, trying to solve clues and discard red herrings. Fall in Oklahoma has never been more exciting. Cozy mystery fans will love this new mystery series featuring an Asian American amateur sleuth. There is a full cast of characters with a professor father, young sibling, old grandparents, loyal friends and a candid glimpse into South Asian culture.

Prescription to Die For


Bridget Bowman - 2015
    Deanna Devlin is a thirty-two year old reporter who dreams of tackling hard-nosed stories, but is stuck writing puff pieces for the local paper. When a murder strikes Desert Palms, Deanna suddenly gets her chance to cover some hard-hitting news. Unfortunately, one of Deanna's good friends is wrongly suspected as the killer by the local police detective. To prove her friend's innocence, Deanna has no choice but to take matters into her own hands and find the real killer herself.

If the Curse Fits


Kennedy Layne - 2019
    Unfortunately, the consequences of being hexed by the only immortal Lich Queen has kept Lou a little too busy to find a solution to her problem.What's the hex, you ask? In Lou's tragic case, her curse gives her the foresight of murders yet to be committed. It's the ultimate race against time--can she discover the culprit prior to the actual deed or can she save the victim and catch the murderer in the act?This poor hexed witch is going to need all the help she can get. Unfortunately, her help comes in the form of a warlock who is obsessed with conspiracy theories, an overly optimistic yet naïve healer, and a rather pretentious familiar who has an obsession for proper etiquette. Come join this traveling mystery band while they try to solve another murder as they're faced with powerful druids, two odd magical hares, and a mysterious man who definitely knows more than he's willing to say.

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.

Passport to Murder: A Collection of Travel Cozy Mystery Shorts


Traci Andrighetti - 2020
    Enjoy!Titles include:Mirto Magenta by Traci AndrighettiTo escape a hellish New Orleans summer, PI Franki Amato takes a dream case investigating a theft in Sardinia’s Gulf of Angels. Will she find the culprit and get her slice of beach heaven? Or will dark forces on the island send her to the bottom of a watery inferno?Jewel of the Aisle by Laura DurhamA destination wedding at a historic Bahamian hotel. A missing diamond ring. A wedding planner who’s vowed to unmask the thief.Death In The Dormitory by Nikki HaverstockArchery coach and occasional amateur sleuth Di is looking forward to a relaxing weekend chaperoning a tournament with her Great Dane, Moo. But when a rival's team coach is taken away in an ambulance, Di suspects foul play. How will she prove her suspicion when everyone thinks it’s an accident? Goats in the Machine by Lucy JacksonMysterious ghosts from the present evoke ghosts from Fancy's past when she joins a friend on a culinary Caribbean adventure.Darby O’Kill by Zara KeaneChaperoning a group of seniors around Ireland, I expected a weekend filled with ceilidh music and incontinence pants. Instead, I got whiskey-swilling hard rock devotees…and a corpse.The Larceny in the Luau by Shea MacLeodA priceless jewel is stolen during a luau. Can Viola find the culprit before the police arrest the wrong person?Death In Venice by Sara RosettWhen honeymooning location scouts Kate and Alex visit Venice, they find romance . . . and murder.Vangie Vale and the Full Metal Frangipane by R.L. SymeEven after crossing a border, somehow, trouble finds Vangie. The mountains of Western Canada aren’t safe from the full-metal frangipane...

Sweet Revenge


Maisy Morgan - 2019
    What she didn’t plan on was bringing Tripp, her less than thrilled fourteen-year-old grandson with her. Soon after their arrival, things start happening fast. First, Tripp gets attacked by a cat named Sweet Feet. Then the town reveals some of it’s deep, dark secrets, and, to Mary’s surprise, Preston, a local police officer, asks her out on a date. But, halfway through their date, they get interrupted…by a murder. And it wasn’t just any murder…it was the beloved local pastor. Turns out Mary and Preston make quite the detective duo. Even Tripp gets in on the detective work. But now he’s in danger. Who would want revenge on the local pastor? And will Mary be able to get to Tripp before he becomes the next victim? And how does Mary get that rainbow cake to taste so darn good?

Vanilla Bean Vengeance


Agatha Frost - 2020
    She has always dreamed of one day opening a quaint candle shop in her home village of Northash, but at thirty-five, she still can't afford to take the risk. Stuck in a dead-end job at the local candle factory, and back living with her parents, Claire knows her life needs a shakeup.The last place she expected change to come from was the factory itself, but when the owner is shockingly pushed to her death, Claire's life is flipped upside down. She isn't the only person in the village depending on the factory, so when the murder plunges the business's future into uncertainty, Claire feels compelled to solve the crime.With the help of her retired-detective father and closest friends, Claire uncovers a tangled web of conspiracies, cover-ups, secrets, and lies, but can she uncover the truth before her candle shop dream slips through her fingers forever?Book 1 in the Claire's Candles Cozy Mystery series! Can be read as a standalone. A light, cozy mystery with a candle-loving British amateur female sleuth, in a small village setting with quirky characters. Written in British English. No cliffhanger, swearing, gore or graphic scenes! Contains mild peril.

Fowl Play


P. Bodi - 2016
    All of her customers and their pets are like family. It had been a typical day at Pet Palace. Leah was going to meet some friends for dinner where she suddenly finds out one her customers had been found dead at home. Was it from natural causes or could it have been murder?

Pumpkin Spice & A Body On Ice


Willow Monroe - 2015
    She owns the best diner in Virginia, has the best friends in the world, and she's the reigning Cupcake Queen of Sugar Hill's annual dessert festival, which is only a couple of weeks away. Life is pretty darn good until she finds Nadine Krump, her arch-nemesis, dead on the railroad tracks behind her diner.Now she's famous for something besides her cupcakes, and everyone's pretty sure that Nadine's death was no accident. With the the sexy new police chief breathing down her neck and a possible killer among her close group of friends, Starla has to figure out what happened, prove herself innocent, and win a cupcake contest before the real killer gets away with murder. A fun holiday mystery for everyone!

Too Many Crooks Spoil the Plot


Sarah Osborne - 2018
    So when a childhood friend asks Ditie to babysit her kids for a few days, she jumps at the chance. She never imagined she’d be solving a murder too . . .   Despite growing up together, Ditie hasn’t seen Ellie Winston in two years, and she didn’t even know Ellie was living in Atlanta. But when Ellie asks her to take care of Lucie and Jason for the weekend, she thinks nothing of it. They’ll bake cookies together, play with her dog—it’ll be fun! Until the police call with terrible news . . .   Ellie may not have been the best friend, but who would want her dead? Could it have something to do with the vague get-rich-quick scheme she mentioned to Ditie? Or the men in a black truck following her and breaking into her home? Not sure who to trust other than her best friend, Lurleen, Ditie’s buried maternal instincts kick in to protect the kids and find their mother’s killer—before they’re orphaned again . . .   Includes Family-Friendly Recipes!

Magically Murdered: A Witch Cozy Mystery (Paranormal Bed & Breakfast Mysteries Book 1)


Joynell Schultz - 2020
    

Welcome to Seascape Cove


M'Lissa Moorecroft - 2019
     When Cressi Harris got dumped by her husband Huxley for a woman half her age, she changed everything. She left New York City for Seascape Cove, a tiny village almost a hundred miles north of San Francisco. She stopped ghost writing Huxley’s very successful mystery series and started expressing her creativity in the kitchen of her new restaurant, The Dockside Cafe. Cressi made the transition painlessly. So did Jacko, her lively black spaniel. Both of them preferred fresh ocean breezes to the traffic fumes of New York City. She never even thought of New York, except when Huxley phoned, which he did too often because he wasn’t a very good writer without Cressi’s help. Cressi was smart and good at what she did. The Dockside Cafe flourished, even in the winter, and so did her growing friendship with good looking Police Chief, Trent Marlow and crusty retired banker Kevin Rodgers. Life was pretty darned good... ...Until her troubles started. Somebody had it in for Cressi, but who? She hadn’t been in town long enough to upset anybody, had she? Apparently she had... because somebody really had it in for her. Trent Marlow wasn’t about to let anybody get away with destroying the new life and business Cressi was building. He was determined to discover who was trying to destroy her business, and why. Welcome to Seascape Cove is Book One of The Seascape Cove Cozy Mystery Series. If you like strong women who take charge of their lives and handle whatever life throws at them, you’ll love Cressi Harris and the friends and family who support her. Download the book now and welcome Cressi to your Library. I know you’ll like her.

Asking Fur Trouble


Ally Roberts - 2018
     Back home on Sweetwater Island after a decade long absence, Wendy is looking to start anew. Armed with a place to live and her trusty dog, Trixie, all Wendy needs is…well, everything. Money. A job. A plan. When one of the locals on the island assumes she’s a dog walker, she jumps at the chance to make a little money. But walking dogs leads her directly into the path of Caroline Ford. Or, rather, the body of Caroline Ford. An unfriendly police chief soon suspects that Wendy might be involved in the crime and she immediately sets out to prove her innocence. As she works to clear her name, she meets several islanders who already have the wrong impression about her…and who might be the one responsible for Caroline Ford’s murder. The situation turns dire when Wendy realizes she’s not just a suspect…she might soon be a victim, too. She knew coming back home wouldn’t be easy. She just didn’t expect it to be deadly, too.