Book picks similar to
The Curse of Hollister House by Kathi Daley
mystery
cozy-mystery
cozy
first-in-series
Staging is Murder
Grace Topping - 2019
But when a body falls from a laundry chute and lands at Laura’s feet, replacing flowered wallpaper becomes the least of her duties. To clear her young assistant of the murder and save her fledgling business, Laura’s determined to find the killer. Turns out it’s not as easy as renovating a manor home, especially with two handsome men complicating her mission: the police detective assigned to the case and the real estate agent trying to save the manse from foreclosure. Worse still, the meddling of a horoscope-guided friend, a determined grandmother, and the local funeral director could get them all killed before Laura props the first pillow. - - - - - - - - - - - - - STAGING IS MURDER by Grace Topping | A Henery Press Mystery. If you like one, you’ll probably like them all.
Murder is a Family Business
Heather Haven - 2011
But the 34-year old Latina, WASP and 100% detective has her work cut out for her when the man is murdered on her watch. Of all the nerve. Set in the present, Murder is a Family Business is the first in a series of humorous mysteries revolving around Lee Alvarez, and rest of the Alvarez Family, detectives all. Seemingly light and frothy on the surface, the novel nevertheless explores familial love, the good, the bad and the annoying.Completing the family is Lee's Never-Had-A-Bad-Hair-Day aristocratic mother, Lila; computer genius brother, Richard; beloved uncle "Tio;" and her energetic orange and white cat, Tugger. When this group is not solving murders, they run Discretionary Inquiries, a successful Silicon Valley agency that normally deals with the theft of computer software. The love, humor and camaraderie shared within this family are what set this series apart from others.
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.
Murder Between the Lines
Thea Cambert - 2020
All three live in tiny apartments above their shops.The trio of friends share a charming rooftop garden, where they meet in the mornings for coffee from Franny’s coffee shop, and sweets from Owen’s bakery. When a new yoga studio, Bliss, opens up across the street, Alice reluctantly agrees to take a class to promote relaxation in her life, and it actually works, much to her relief.A fire breaks out in town, resulting in a tragic death, and Alice’s brother, Blue Valley PD Officer Ben Maguire, and newcomer, Detective Luke Evans—who has an irritating way of making Alice blush—lead the investigation. When it is determined that the death was no accident, Alice, Franny, and Owen get pulled smack dab into investigating the case.Will they solve it before you do?Find out in this fun and fast-paced Cozy Mystery!
Murder at Catmmando Mountain
Anna Celeste Burke - 2016
When they find a dead body at the foot of Catmmando Mountain in Marvelous Marley World's Arcadia theme park it's a PR nightmare! Still, Georgie loves working at the "Cat Factory," but when someone frames her for murder more than her job is at stake. Who's out to get Georgie? Can she and the handsome detective, Jack Wheeler, figure it out before there's more trouble at Marvelous Marley World? Read Murder at Catmmando Mountain, meet Georgie, Jack, and Georgie's beloved Siamese cat, Miles, to find out whodunit.
Catnapped
Patricia Fry - 2013
Beloved neighborhood cats are missing—the community can only guess at their fate—and Aunt Margaret’s life is being threatened. Is it because she has a clue to the missing cats or is it something more sinister?If you like light mysteries with only a little terror, if you’re infatuated by interesting cats and if you love a love story, you must read this book.
A Killer Ending
Karen MacInerney - 2020
and bodies.Bookseller and recent divorcée Max Sayers has risked her life savings to start a fresh chapter with the purchase of Seaside Cottage Books in cozy Snug Harbor, Maine. But she's barely opened the shop's doors when her new storybook life takes a dark turn. The morning after the grand opening--featuring a famous author who shows up at the store on the arm of Max's ex-husband--Max's rescue dog Winston finds a dead man on the beach behind the shop. The murder weapon? One of Max's antique bookends. Will Max solve the case before the murderer strikes again?Or will her bright new beginning turn into a killer of an ending?
Three Dogs in a Row
Neil S. Plakcy - 2017
In IN DOG WE TRUST, Steve Levitan has returned to his hometown of Stewart's Crossing, in picturesque Bucks County, Pennsylvania, after a bad divorce and a brief prison term for computer hacking. While he’s getting his life back together, trying to start a new career in technical writing and reporting regularly to his parole officer, he becomes friendly with his next-door neighbor, Caroline Kelly, and her golden retriever, Rochester. When Caroline is killed, Steve’s high-school pal, the local police detective, asks him to become the dog’s temporary guardian. With canine charm and doggy love, Rochester begins to win Steve over, and these two unlikely sleuths work to uncover the mystery behind Caroline’s death. The second book in the series is THE KINGDOM OF DOG. When his mentor, Joe Dagorian, director of admissions at prestigious Eastern College, is murdered during a fund-raising event, Steve Levitan feels obliged to investigate. He and his golden retriever, Rochester, go nose to the ground to dig up clues, including a bloody knife and some curious photographs. But will Steve’s curiosity and Rochester’s savvy save them when the killer comes calling? It’s almost time for graduation in book three, DOG HELPS THOSE, and Eastern College is in trouble. A prominent alumna is dead, and a faulty computer program is jeopardizing student records and financial aid. It’s up to Steve and Rochester to dig into the situation and retrieve the culprits! Rita Gaines wasn’t a nice person—but she did love her dogs, and most of her clients respected her financial acumen and her talent in training dogs for agility trials. When she’s found dead, there’s a long line of potential suspects from Wall Street whiz kids to doting doggie daddies-- including one of Steve’s former students. Felae is an art prodigy now studying with Steve’s girlfriend, Lili, chair of Eastern’s Fine Arts department, and Rita hated his controversial senior project. When she tried to have his scholarship cancelled, he threatened to kill her. But is he the villain behind her death? In between helping Steve’s high school friend Rick track the killer, Rochester practices darting around weave poles and jumping over limbo poles while Steve helps shepherd the college toward the completion of another academic year. It’s spring in Stewart’s Crossing, and old friends – and their dogs—gather together to investigate and eventually, to celebrate.
Brewing Up Trouble
Constance Barker - 2020
Her family lives near the lighthouse, which her uncle operates. Her cousin Blanche helps her at the botany store and a flaming drag queen ghost interrupts her on a daily basis. Moira, the ghost, was Marvin in real life. After death she barged out of the closet with a martini in one hand and a long sleek cigarette holder in the other.When Ivy's regular customer ends up missing, she becomes entangled with a private investigator who is also searching for her. Everette has hot cars and a tight ass as Moira describes it. But Ivy's not that easily swayed by good looks and his weird charm.Can they discover what has happened to the woman or will they be next on the missing list?***Find out in the first book in the Ivy Botany Shop Cozy Witch Mystery Series***
Teepees & Trailer Parks
Hope Callaghan - 2015
90 MINUTES). If you prefer longer cozy mysteries, be sure to check out Garden Girls and Cruise Ship Cozy Mystery Series of books."Teepees & Trailer Parks" - Episode 1 in the Sweet Southern Sleuths Short Stories: A Cozy Mysteries Women Sleuths Series.Loretta Sweet and her identical twin sister, Lacy, have recently inherited a home in Misery, Mississippi, from their distant relative, (Aunt) Tess McCoy. Their aunt's attorney insists that the girls meet him at the property to discuss the specifics of the will.When the sisters arrive for the meeting, they discover that there is more...much more to the will than just inheriting a home.As the attorney prepares to go over the details of the will, one of the "stipulations" makes a dramatic appearance, along with a body that is found in the bathtub.Will the Sweet sisters turn tail and run or will they stick around to help solve the murder?
BBQ, Bikers, and Murder
Summer Prescott - 2016
Faced with the reality of starting a new life with her teenage son, after her heroic husband is killed in the line of duty, she knows that she has to do whatever it takes to survive.Irresistibly drawn to a mysterious little building in a small town, the determined single mom uses every dime she's got to buy it, with plans to turn it into a diner that her late husband would have loved. When Rossalyn finds herself caught up in the middle of a murder investigation, however, she begins to wonder if the challenges she faces will defeat her.A body is found on her property, the sheriff in town suspects Rossie of the murder, and it looks like her world is falling apart. It's up to this determined mom to prove her innocence and save her small family. Can she do it?
Deadly Deals and Donuts
Cindy Bell - 2017
They love working together and despite a few hiccups things are running along smoothly. That is until business comes to a grinding halt when the owner of the hot dog truck is found murdered. Wanting the murder solved as quickly as possible so justice can be served and business on Green Street can return to normal, the friends decide to do a little digging of their own. But things go from bad to worse when it looks like the murderer is targeting the food truck owners on Green Street. It is a race against the clock to find the killer before Joyce and Brenda become the next victims. Recipe Included: Chocolate Glazed Donuts with Sprinkles
Deadhead and Buried
H.Y. Hanna - 2019
Hanna! City girl Poppy desperately wants to pay off her debts, quit her dead-end job, find her father… oh, and keep a plant alive. But she knows these are just hopeless dreams—until the day the letter arrives. Suddenly, Poppy is on a train heading deep into the English countryside, to collect a mysterious inheritance. And the last thing she expects to receive is a cottage garden nursery—complete with romantic climbing roses, fragrant herbs, a ginger cat with attitude… and a dead body. Now she must solve the mystery or risk losing her new home and the chance for a fresh start. But who would want to murder a gardener in a sleepy little village? Could the reclusive inventor have something to do with the killing? What about the brooding crime author next door? And why is her long-lost cousin so desperate for her to sell the cottage? Poppy might not know her pansies from her petunias but that doesn’t stop her digging for clues. The only problem is, she could be digging her own grave too… This book follows British English spelling and usage. Clean read: no graphic violence, sex, or strong language. Genre: cat cozy mystery series / gardening cozy mystery / women amateur sleuth / British detective mystery THE ENGLISH COTTAGE GARDEN MYSTERIES Deadhead and Buried (Book 1) Silent Bud Deadly (Book 2) ~ more coming soon!
Sprinkles of Suspicion
Kim Davis - 2020
Unfortunately, that was only the beginning of her troubles.Distraught after discovering the betrayal by her husband and best friend, Tori, cupcake caterer Emory Martinez allows her temper to flare. Several people witness her very public altercation with her ex-friend. To make matters worse, Tori exacts her revenge by posting a fake photo of Emory in a compromising situation, which goes viral on social media. When Tori is found murdered, all signs point to Emory being the prime suspect.With the police investigation focused on gathering evidence to convict her, Emory must prove her innocence while whipping up batches of cupcakes and buttercream. Delving into the past of her murdered ex-friend, she finds other people had reasons to want Tori dead, including Emory’s own husband. Can she find the killer, or will the clues sprinkled around the investigation point the police back to her?
Dead in the Dining Room
Leighann Dobbs - 2021
It will be no easy task, as there is no shortage of suspects... including the butler.But Araminta soon finds herself with more questions than answers. What was the mysterious phone call about? Who has been removing heirlooms and why? How did they manage to get poison into Archie’s dinner and not poison everyone at the table? Who was the mystery man that Daisy met in the garden? And why does Harold, the butler, never answer the door?As Araminta and the cats follow the clues, it becomes clear that she will have a hard decision to make because the clues are pointing in one unmistakable direction - someone in the Moorecliff family is a cold-blooded killer.