Book picks similar to
Marry and Bright by Laura Durham


mystery
christmas
cozy-mystery
cozy-mysteries

Dying To Win


Eve Craig - 2017
     Holly Bridges had always dreamed of having her own stable. While out for a drive in the country, she found a farm with a large indoor arena and several outdoor arenas. Even though it looked like it hadn't been used in years, it was the perfect location for holding equestrian shows and stabling horses. Shortly after opening, Holly managed to acquire a prominent local's horse as her first boarder. With the new tenant it looked like Happy Hollow Stable's first equestrian show could be a huge draw for the locals. Well, that is until a dead body showed up in a nearby field. Will the show go on or will Holly have to give up her lifelong dream?

Frozen Fear: Murder In Season - Book 1


Anne Shillolo - 2020
    But injured cop Claire Beckett is right in the path of a killer. The death of a look-alike friend brings murder right to the front door of Claire’s quaint log cabin. After being shot in the line of duty she’s spending the winter in cottage country to recover, but it’s more than a vacation. Much more. The picturesque village of Falcon Lake serves up murder, kidnapping, a mysterious new neighbor, and a blizzard of clues and suspects. When Detective Constable Claire Beckett decides to spend the winter up north with her partner’s dog, Kojak, mistaken identity leads to a web of death and corruption that may lead all the way back to the city where Claire is still on the payroll. For the moment. An evening visit to Marina’s Café brings more than latte and dessert. Claire visits with her artist friends and enjoys some music, but by the end of the night, one person is dead. The local police are working hard, but Claire thinks the ‘crime of opportunity’ theory is all wrong. Falcon Lake just doesn’t seem like the kind of place where thugs wait outside the local businesses to rob them. She’s determined to find out who killed her friend Kayla, and why. Her neighbor is newcomer Miles Gallagher, and he’s distant and as chilly as the winter weather. But helping Claire stay alive and stop a killer may thaw his heart. Meanwhile things aren’t adding up for Claire at work. The tragedy of her boss’s ambush, where she herself was injured, is being laid at her doorstep. How can she clear her name and get back to work? Book 1 of the Murder In Season cozy mystery series.

Keepsake Crimes


Laura Childs - 2003
    New Orleans scrapbooking shop owner Carmela Bertrand delights her customers with the sophisticated looks she achieves with their scrapbooks.  But among her client's keepsakes she finds a tip of her own-about a murder...

Crime Chowder


Hillary Avis - 2018
    So when her real estate developer boyfriend offers her a sweet catering gig, she jumps at the chance to cook for his gala and rub elbows with the town’s elite. The problem? That fancy gala is only happening because her best friend’s home was burned down by an arsonist. And the more Bethany learns about her boyfriend’s planned development, the more she suspects that he might have had something to do with it.Determined to uncover the arsonist’s identity, Bethany cooks her way through the gala, listening to the secrets, lies, and gossip swirling around Hosanna Street. But when someone close to her is killed during the party—and the murder weapon is found in her pot of clam chowder—Bethany finds herself in more than a little hot water.---------------------------------------If you like smart culinary mysteries with quirky characters and quaint seaside towns, you’ll love the Death du Jour series that follows Bethany Bradstreet as she builds her career and solves crimes with the help of her friends. Crime Chowder is the first book in the Death du Jour series. This book has clean language and mild suspense with no cliffhangers. It contains depictions of an LGBT relationship.P.S. – There’s a dog in it.

Designer Dirty Laundry: A Samantha Kidd Mystery


Diane Vallere - 2012
    She wasn't prepared for it to turn deadly.​Ready to redesign her life, style expert Samantha Kidd accepts a job in her Pennsylvania hometown as a trend specialist. But her first day goes completely A-line when she stumbles across her legendary boss dead in the elevator. And after the body disappears, she can't help but pull on the mystery's thread and unravel an entire wardrobe of suspects.​Supervising her deceased employer's vogue competition, Samantha tries to hem in a sexy shoe designer and countless ego-driven creatives to stitch together the clues. But when her own name appears on the police's suspect list, the sleuthing fashionista's days on the catwalk could be numbered.​Can Samantha put a killer in the spotlight before she's sewn up for a crime she didn't commit?​Designer Dirty Laundry is the first book in the feel-good Samantha Kidd mystery series. If you like witty protagonists, clever dialogue, and fashion-forward drama, then you'll love Diane Vallere's chic story.

On the Chopping Block


Jenny Kales - 2016
    The 36-year-old Greek-American proprietor of “Callie's Kitchen,” a meals-from-scratch business in an idyllic small town, has been busy creating a post-divorce life for herself, her young daughter and her Yorkie, Koukla. After a lot of hard work (including staving off her father’s continual advice), she’s got the locals and tourists clamoring for her delicious Mediterranean dishes and Midwest comfort food classics. Recently, she’s started a budding romance with a fellow foodie, the wealthy owner and chef of Crystal Bay’s most popular bistro. However, success is as fleeting as one of Wisconsin’s glorious autumn days. As local businesses begin to shut down due to a slow economy, Callie is struggling not to become another statistic. A contest with a hefty cash prize seems like the perfect chance to fix her financial woes, until a shocking murder threatens not only her livelihood – but her life. When she’s targeted as a prime suspect by an attractive expat British detective, Callie’s situation becomes more delicate than her Greek egg-lemon soup. She’s got to find the killer and fast if she wants to protect her daughter, save her business and stay alive.

Coconuts and Crooks: A Clean Funny Mystery (Mom and Christy's Cozy Mysteries Book 5)


Christy Murphy - 2018
    Mom vows to find out what happened, and Christy promises her new beau she won’t be away for long. But when Mom’s prime suspect Judge Hernandez winds up dead, the entire island thinks Mom killed him. Justice moves slow on a small island and Christy’s new relationship and Mom’s freedom hang in the balance.With the help of old and new friends, Mom and Christy must battle bumbling bureaucrats, crashing coconuts, and a cadre of crooks to find the truth. The stakes are higher than ever. But has our favorite mom and daughter amateur sleuthing team finally found a case they can't crack? Find out in Book 5 of Mom and Christy’s Cozy Mysteries. Hit the order button to get your copy.

Mooved to Murder


CeeCee James - 2019
    When her best friend Tilly asked her to stay at her place to watch her six-year-old daughter and pets for a while, Chelsea didn't hesitate to say yes. What she didn't realize was that "Tilly's place" was a micro-farm and "a few pets" included a cow and two goats as well as a child who was too smart for her own good.Chelsea was already in over her head before the dead body turned up.When the local community, instead of offering support, tries to run her out of town, Chelsea suspects something is going on. Something big and rotten. The mayor makes it clear she's not wanted and the townspeople give her the cold shoulder, but that only makes Chelsea more determined to uncover their secrets.But no one expected the repercussions those secrets would have, especially Chelsea. Now life on the farm is hanging in the balance. Will Chelsea ever be able to wake up from this nightmare?
 These cozy mysteries are wrapped up by the end of the book even as Chelsea's life continues on to the next. Sweet, clean, funny reads with a little suspense and a lot of animal cuddles thrown in make these mysteries a fan favorite.

The Slay of the Santas


Kacey Gene - 2019
     It’s Christmas time in the snowy, quaint town of Middlebridge, Wisconsin, and Jennifer Hunter -- a sweet, organized second-grade teacher who has a mind for sleuthing -- is ready to spend her Christmas break crocheting, baking, and relaxing. But before the school bell can ring for Christmas break, her best friend and Middlebridge’s Lieutenant, Jake Hollow, shows up in her classroom, but he’s not there to bring a cup of Christmas cheer. There’s a murder in town, and he needs Jennifer’s help solving the crime. Jennifer soon discovers that not only is the killer targeting retired Santa Clauses, but he’s also staging his victims like scenes from the Charles Dickens novel A CHRISTMAS CAROL. As Jake and Jennifer follow the clues, more questions than answers start to arise: What is this Society of Santas they keep hearing about? Why is the killer leaving behind empty pudding packages at each crime scene? And what in the world does the book A CHRISTMAS CAROL have to do with the victims? Add to that a tight-lipped orphan boy who’s housing a pack of puppies in one of the victim’s buildings, a quirky book store owner who lies about ever having sold a copy of A CHRISTMAS CAROL and Jennifer’s date with a fellow school teacher that ends in total disaster. In between holiday parties, family obligations, baking, and creating handmade Christmas presents, Jennifer must craft together an investigation that catches the killer and saves the Santa Clauses in town. Otherwise, the night before Christmas might be their last. This clean, cozy mystery will captivate readers with Jennifer’s amateur sleuthing that entangles her in snow-deep shenanigans, cryptic car chases, and more chocolate pudding than she ever imagined. Readers will fall in love with the quick-witted and craft-loving Jennifer Hunter, who is down-to-earth and has a heart as warm as a crackling fire on a cold winter’s night. The charming friendship between Jennifer and Lieutenant Jake Hollow epitomizes the quaint, familial feel that lives in small towns, especially those sleepy hamlets with snow-capped houses and a love for Christmas. THE SLAY OF THE SANTAS is an exhilarating page-turner with cliffhangers around every corner, and it will bring the joy of the holiday season all year round. Readers who love cozy mysteries like Jessica Beck’s PUMPKIN PLEAS, Betty Hechtman’s BY HOOK OR BY CROOK, and Joanna Campbell Slan’s KIKI LOWENSTEIN SERIES and readers who have holiday favorites like Charles Dickens’s A CHRISTMAS CAROL, Louisa May Alcott’s LITTLE WOMEN, and O’Henry’s “THE GIFT OF THE MAGI,” will be enchanted by Kacey Gene’s THE SLAY OF THE SANTAS.

Bells and Blazes: A Novella


Karen Musser Nortman - 2019
    It's the season of good will and Max and Lil come to visit, expecting a warm and pleasan experience. But when the Mystery Sisters are around, it can be anything but!

Julia Blake Cozy Mysteries - The Collection #1-8


Gillian Larkin - 2015
     Julia Blake runs her own cleaning business. She also has the unfortunate knack of finding murdered bodies. Virtually Scared To Death – Short Story The first time she sees a dead body is when she discovers one of her clients, Mark Castle, lying dead on the floor of his luxury apartment. Julia soon suspects that Mark was murdered. He was a good friend and she is determined to find out who killed him. A Deadly Restoration – Short Story Julia’s neighbour, Leo Kennedy, is having restoration work done to his house. One night, Julia hears the sound of something breaking next door. She goes to investigate and finds Leo dead in his front room. A Party To Die For – Short Story Julia Blake has been working for Fiona Doyle for a few years. Fiona is in a bad mood as she tries to organise a party. Julia suggest that Fiona has a lie down. An hour later Julia discovers that Fiona has been suffocated in her bed. A Secret Killer In this story Julia visits one of her clients, a genealogist called Hugo Barnes. Hugo has uncovered a family secret during the course of his work. It’s a secret that gets Hugo killed. Death Takes A Trip When one of Julia’s elderly clients, Douglas Pedley, is found dead at the bottom of his stairs, it is soon obvious that he was murdered. A Fair Murder Julia helps out at the local school fair. The new head teacher, Deborah Paignton has made herself unpopular by implementing changes to the school and continually upsetting members of staff. Julia discovers Deborah’s dead body after the fair has finished. Death Shows Up Julia provides moral support for her friend, Louisa, as they go to a slimming club meeting. They are shocked to discover that the slimming club venue has been taken over by the local amateur dramatics group. The am-dram group are performing a play written by the enigmatic Brandon Briggs. Julia soon suspects that Louisa and Brandon have a secret past. At the next meeting, Julia finds Brandon’s murdered body hidden in a costume room. Murder Makes A Claim Julia agrees to cover some cleaning work for a friend. The cleaning work takes her and her colleague, Cain, to the offices of Inkwell’s Insurance in Leeds. It isn’t long before Julia and Cain discover the dead body of Karl Rayburn, the manager at Inkwell’s Insurance. They find out that everyone has a secret when it comes to their relationship with Karl. Julia is reluctant to get herself involved. But she soon realises she has no option but to make her own enquiries to find out who the killer is.

A Lime to Kill


Summer Prescott - 2015
    Bad becomes worse when the shop owner's daughter is suspected.

Merry Little Mystic Murder


Patti Larsen - 2021
    Trust me on that.Still, this was my favorite part, despite the subject and content, the endless chatter around me trying to pull my focus, scent of pumpkin spice and pine dominating the air thanks to the real, live Christmas tree someone donated to the police department. Maybe that meant something about me, how enjoying the process of uncovering things people thought hidden through the power inside brought me joy and peace, far more than carols or the holiday season or eggnog lattes.And maybe it just meant I was good at what I did.I tried not to think about it.Phoebe Monday’s unusual birth into a triunity of wonderworkers always left her feeling a bit like an outsider. At least the unusual power she (sort of!) controls makes working as a sketch artist for the police department the perfect fit. Still, diving into memories of victims while altering the luck of those around her seems trivial in comparison to what her Maiden, Mother and Crone family are capable of. But when homeless victims come under attack and a normal human’s murder puts the Monday magic at risk, it’s up to Phoebe and her odd talents to save the day.

Black & White & Dead All Over (Lost Hat, Texas Mystery #1)


Anna Castle - 2015
    Things are going great. She's got a few clients, some friends, even a hot new high-tech boyfriend. But when Penny submits some nude figure studies of him to a contest, she gets hit with a blackmail letter in her inbox. "Do what I want or your lover's nudie pix get splattered across the Internet." The timing couldn't be worse, so Penny is forced to submit to the blackmailer’s demands. Then people start dying and all the clues point to her. She has to rattle every skeleton in every closet in Lost Hat to keep herself out of jail and find the real killer.

A Trifle Dead


Livia Day - 2013
    Which was fine when she was a tearaway teen, but not so useful now she’s trying to run a hipster urban cafe, invent the perfect trendy dessert, and stop feeding the many (oh so unfashionable) policemen in her life.When a dead muso is found in the flat upstairs, Tabitha does her best (honestly) not to interfere with the investigation, despite the cute Scottish blogger who keeps angling for her help. Her superpower is gossip, not solving murder mysteries, and those are totally not the same thing, right?But as that strange death turns into a string of random crimes across the city of Hobart, Tabitha can’t shake the unsettling feeling that maybe, for once, it really is ALL ABOUT HER.And maybe she’s figured out the deadly truth a trifle late…