Book picks similar to
Mary-Alice Moves In by Frankie Bow


mystery
mary-alice-files
fun-adventure
short-story

Holly and the Framed Friend


Dianne Harman - 2019
     Family secrets. A murdered mother. An estranged aunt. A diary. A vandalized high school. Holly knows nothing about her biological family living in Missouri. When her aunt invites her to stay with them for two weeks after her mother’s murder, she has mixed feeling but decides to accept the invitation. Once she’s there, she’s determined to find out why her mother chose to live alone and at a distance from her family. What happened, and why won’t her aunt talk about it? Does the diary she finds hold the key? And who’s been vandalizing the high school? Her cousin’s friend has been accused, but is she guilty? Holly has to use her skills solving mysteries both at the high school and in her family.

State of Terror


Hilary Clinton
    

The Body in the Bookseller's: A Sherlock and Lucy Short Story


Anna Elliott - 2020
    An evil plot. And a race against time to save England from disaster.London, 1899—When a mysterious packet is stolen from a diplomatic courier, Sherlock and Lucy are called upon to recover it, before its ominous contents fall into the wrong hands. Their best hopes for success lie with a pretty young bookstore attendant, and her father, the kindly old bookstore owner. As they work to recover the stolen packet, the Baker Street gang uncovers a dark, tangled web of intrigue, and an evil plot that could very well bring all of England to its knees. When a notorious criminal is found dead in the bookstore basement, and the bookseller is arrested for the crime, the danger becomes very real, and very personal. Can Holmes and Lucy find the perilous packet, catch the murderous mastermind, and foil the fiendish plot? Or will the case of the bookseller prove to be the Baker Street team’s final chapter?

Murder Most Fowl: A Libby Sarjeant Short Story


Lesley Cookman - 2017
    Once again, local butcher Bob is playing the dame, but the whole production is put under threat when someone sabotages his business. Libby Sarjeant recruits Fran Wolfe to help find the culprit and restore the Steeple Martin pantomime.

Baskerville for the Bear


C. Rysa Walker - 2019
    She takes off through the woods to confront him but stumbles upon more than she bargained for--a bear trap, complete with a dead bear.Even though the sheriff and others advise her not to make waves, Ruth isn't inclined to let it go, especially after she finds an injured and abandoned cub in her shed. Will Ruth track down the bear's killer or find herself caught in his trap?

Murder Above the Silver Waves


Blythe Baker - 2021
    

Field of Dead Horses


Nick Allen Brown - 2012
    Georgetown, Kentucky, 1939...soon after dawn on a February morning, Elliott Chapel discovers an unconscious, bloodied, young woman lying face up in the cold waters of Penny Creek. Days later, awakening from her hypothermic coma, Ellie Evans finds herself on the Chapel Farm. Once she explains her plight as the abused wife of a powerful man, Elliott offers her and her son a place to stay and vows to keep them from harm. For both Ellie and Elliott, life under the same roof is a challenge--with the cantankerous Paul Chapel, Elliott's father who spends his retirement days drinking whiskey with his aging coonhound by his side. Elliott has taken over the daily operations of the horse farm with his assistant, Booley. Unusual for the time--when blacks were subservient to whites--Booley manages a small staff and helps Elliott attempt the impossible with the newly-acquired horse of a high-profile client. Ellie pitches in and helps out when she can and helps change the mood of the busy farm with her sweet charm and culinary skills, even getting on the good side of the bad-tempered Paul Chapel. Just when daily life settles into an enjoyable rhythm, a violent struggle erupts when the malicious Mayor Evans descends on the farm with the county sheriff and two deputies. Armed with shotguns, they remove Ellie and her son from the farm, against her will. Narrated by Elliott five decades later, he recalls the incident on the Chapel Farm and subsequent events which ultimately reveal the long-kept secret...hidden in a small town since 1939.

Dead Man's Trench


Keith Finney - 2020
    DISCOVER THIS SIZZLING SERIES OF COZY MYSTERIES SET IN THE SWEEPING LANDSCAPE OF NORFOLK.  A man lies dead, deep in an excavation trench, an angry villager's signature on a damming piece of evidence, and a race against time to discover the truth. When the corpse of a hated local man is discovered, smelling of whiskey and with his head split open, the police conclude its suicide.Ant and Lyn aren't convinced, and as they uncover disturbing clues that point to murder, the amateur sleuths have only days to prove their theory before DI Riley closes the case - and leave a killer on the loose. Set in the evocative landscape of Norfolk, this baffling cozy murder mystery with its thread of humour and hint of romance between our two lead characters, will keep you on the edge of your seat until the very end. Dead Man's Trench is the first book in the Norfolk Cozy Mystery series that features fast-paced action, surprising plot twists and compelling characters.If you like the Faith Martin, Joy Ellis or Betty Rowland's Mysteries, then you'll love Keith Finney's Norfolk Cozy Mystery thrillers. Pick up Dead Man's Trench to discover this exciting series today! This book was published initially under the pen name, Nigel Lockwood.

Brown Bread


Pete Brassett - 2015
    I couldn't put this book down." Donald Heathcote "If you liked the films The Ladykillers or Arsenic and Old Lace, you will love this book!" Damon Martin "Deliciously dark comedy, blacker than the polish on a good inspector's boot." Susan Freeman A hilarious dark comedy about a family who seem to get away with murder Most families have a problem with their freezer at some point or other. So too the Benardinos. Yet their problem is of a very unusual nature. Despite running out of places to store the bodies of previous unwelcome guests, gin-soaked mother Virginia has organised a party to celebrate her fifty-fourth birthday. Will anyone get out alive? BROWN BREAD is a laugh-out-loud light-hearted satirical take on a genre that the whole family can enjoy. Not literally of course! Pete Brassett is also the author of the thrillers KISS THE GIRLS and THE WILDER SIDE OF CHAOS, the murder mystery PRAYER FOR THE DYING, the personal memoir YELLOW MAN and the heart-warming romance CLAM CHOWDER AT LAFAYETTE AND SPRING, all available on kindle.

Murder on the Menu


Liz Turner - 2016
    Except her words seem to have run dry, and nothing she does can get the spark back.When tragedy strikes and the beloved town Mayor is found dead in his home under mysterious circumstances, Victoria’s instincts tell her there’s more to his death than meets the eye. The local RCMP don’t seem interested in the case- and it’s up to her and her friends to identify the murderer.With a list of suspects ranging from the Mayor's entitled son to his long-time political rival, it's not as obvious as she would have hoped. Armed with her insider information of the town and its long-time residents, Victoria sets out to solve the strange mystery.This new culinary, cozy mystery features an amateur woman sleuth determined to create a new life for herself, her kids and their lovable lab puppy, Vanilla.

With This Ring


Margaret Maron - 2012
    Hart and Martin Harry Greenberg (1993) and republished in “Shoveling Smoke: Selected Mystery Stories by Margaret Maron”, Crippen & Landru (1997).“The whole subject of bridesmaid’s dresses amuses me immensely. No one dress could be equally flattering to any bride’s six best friends, so someone’s nose is always out of joint. And as for their usefulness as a party/cocktail dress? In my lifetime, I have only seen two that might actually be worn after the wedding.”

The Milburn Big Box Set: Two Complete Series: "A Murder In Milburn" & "Return To Milburn"


Nancy McGovern - 2020
    

The Chocolate Magic Cozy Mystery Box Set Books 1 to 7


Olivia Swift - 2021
    No cliff-hangers. Although each book can be read as a stand-alone, the reader’s experience is enhanced by reading the books in order. The Chocolate Magic Café – The beginning. - Successful chocolatier Magda Caraganic decides to convert an old stable into a chocolate shop and café. The work sparks off spirit activity marked by the appearance of a mysterious ghost cat. At the same time Magda’s beautiful Birman cat, Crystal, starts to act strangely. This is a story of friendship, friendly ghosts, cats, chocolate and true love. Spirit Magic - Spirit Magic is a light-hearted, entertaining tale with a happily-ever-after ending! - When Magda decides to make some extra-special truffles using imported whisky, strange events start to occur. Her cat, Crystal, always seems to sense when things aren’t quite right. As Magda and her fiancée Sam plan their wedding, they are plagued by a strongminded Scottish spirit. Celtic Spirits - A honeymoon in Ireland! What more Magda and her husband ask for? - When Sam’s aunt Alison contacts them about the possibility of Sam buying her cottage, it’s an easy decision to spend their honeymoon in romantic Ireland. Once there, they find themselves immersed in family history and mystery. The discovery of an old well stirs up trouble, murder and witchcraft. Add in a magical pendant, hidden places, new friends … and of course, a mysterious cat … for another delightful story from the pen of Olivia Swift!Lonesome Spirits - Join Sam and Magda on their latest adventure! A must-read about chocolates, a psychic cat, séances, a ghost town … and murder! - While helping their friends Merle and Branston plan a feature for their dude ranch, they are visited by the spirit of a young woman. Never ones to let things be, they rally their psychic friends for a séance to try and determine who she is and why she’s so sad. Meanwhile, Magda’s cat, begins to act strangely … well, not so strange for this cat! Christmas Spirits - It’s Christmas at the Chocolate Magic Café! - Part of Magda’s Christmas plan are to install a model train in the café. Trains seem to be a theme as Crystal keeps giving clues which include trains. When one of the customers says she hears noises in her house, naturally Magda and her friends need to investigate. They encounter the spirit of a sad little girl and her dog. Will Magda, Sam and their friends be able to enjoy the holiday spirit of the café and the glitter of the Christmas dance at the ranch, especially when there’s a robbery, murder and some very naughty elves!Kindred Spirits - Nothing stays buried forever. - Magda, Sam, and their friends pool their resources to purchase an old bank building. Problems arise with an angry spirit during the renovations. Meanwhile, Magda’s cat keeps pushing a magazine to the floor – opening to a page about family ancestry. To their surprise, the spirit appears again when Magda and Sam take a trip to Ireland and the spirit’s mood hasn’t improved. Painted Spirits - Cowboy dreams, séances, painted horses, a rodeo and a mystery . . . they all happen in a new adventure for Magda Barnes and friends of The Chocolate Magic Café. - Magda’s best friend Rula seems to have a cowboy spirit in her stable. Imagine the surprise when an artist paints the same cowboy, which he has seen in his dreams. Will the friends be able to determine the connection between the two when they come together for a séance? Meanwhile, in her usual manner, Crystal is knocking books to the floor opening to pages providing hints about family . . . and danger.

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.

Killer Cocktail: Patricia Fisher Mysteries 2.5 (A Humorous Cruise Ship Cozy Mystery)


Steve Higgs - 2019
    That's right, isn't it? Patricia Fisher's unconventional response kick starts the adventure of a lifetime as she throws off the shroud of her unfulfilling marriage and discovers the woman she ought to be hiding beneath. Killer Cocktail is a short story introduction to a unique cozy mystery series full of relatable characters and unsolvable crimes.  Invited to a party as a guest of a friend, Patricia realizes her mistake when she discovers all the other guests are 30 years her junior. But when the obnoxious online celebrity birthday girl drops dead in the middle of the event, Amateur sleuth Patricia has to swing into action. If you are a fan of cozy mysteries by Cee Cee James, AR Winters, Hope Callaghan, and others, then you will love Patricia Fisher!