Book picks similar to
The Final Bet by Gillian Larkin


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cozy-mystery
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A Cue to a Kill


Lilian Watts - 2015
    but can it, when one of the actors has a cue to a kill?Backstage at the last night performance of the murder-mystery play "Bone Chiller," a real life killer is stalking the corridors of the theater.The Goose Meadow Bay Players' Halloween production has been declared an artistic success by enthralled audiences, but onstage and backstage the cast and crew are just a little bit bored.On the last night, one of the actors has a great idea to liven things up and everything seems harmless enough, but then an attempt is made on one actor's life. Not long after that, another goes missing.With the audience's laughter ringing in their ears, the cast are more intent on stardom than finding the potential murderer lurking amongst them. Can Kath keep the show running, the cast safe and make sure the killer sticks to the script?This is a cozy mystery short read in the Stage Door series.

Curse of Rasputin


Daisy Thurbin - 2014
    Samantha is part Miss Marple, part Lara Croft and all business in this fast paced mystery. This superbly crafted and researched page turner incorporates the mystique of Rasputin with the very topical search to restore the Imperial Romanov treasures to Mother Russia. The action moves between London, Moscow and St Petersburg as the intrepid Ms Duncan fights off villains with the help of her ex-priest brother-in-law and her much married American cousin. This is the first in what promises to be a terrific new mystery series with characters the reader will want to meet again and again.

Rear-View Murder


Willow Monroe - 2015
    The used car salesman he finds sells her more than a Honda, though, and now Gemma has a dead body in the trunk, a sneaking suspicion of murder, and an entire police force who thinks that the victim is just another hooker. Gemma knows better, and her search for answers takes her to the roughest part of town and inside the world of pimps, dirty senators, and one oddly threatening blues singer. Somebody murdered poor young Opal, and Gemma is determined to catch her killer.Genre: Cozy MysteryLength: 30,000 wordsRead the series in order:Rear-view MurderMall Santa MurderMansions can be MurderCupid’s Corpse

Sunbaked Snowbird


Molly Dox - 2014
    One of her guests, a snowbird from Pennsylvania, just turned up dead at her family’s small, retro camper resort. Paradise Cove and Mini Golf was a quiet vacation destination, popular with retirees looking to get away from cold winters up north.As a one-time paramedic, Poppy missed the adrenaline rush of the challenging medic job. Channeling her unused energy, and with help from a friend, Poppy can't help but get herself involved in the case. Tangled in details, Poppy finds herself faced with multiple suspects and not enough clues.

Sniffing Out a Crime


Lisa Shea - 2015
    A fluke Google search revealed that her partner of seven years, Diana, had traded her in for a newer, younger model. Seeking to retreat from her grief, Cindy signed up to be a dog foster mommy. Duke, an elderly basset hound, was just the salve she needed to soothe her jagged wounds. His big, soulful eyes reminded her that life offered much to appreciate. Every new rose bush held beneath it the hope of a playful chipmunk or elusive acorn.And then, strolling with Duke along a sunny bike path, Cindy got the call that lifted her spirits. The Worcester Art Museum needed her help. At long last, her dreams of becoming an art detective were coming true!But could Cindy shake off the shadowy tendrils of her failed relationship to focus on her very first case?* * *Sniffing Out a Crime is the first book in the Dog Fosterer Museum Mysteries series. These short stories are about 15 pages each and feature museums of all shapes and sizes. Author Lisa Shea goes to each museum personally to write up its sights, sounds, and exhibits. That way you, the reader, can take a virtual vacation to these museums! Visit Lisa's webpages to see photos and write-ups of the museums. All of the Dog Fosterer Museum Mysteries series contain no violence, no swearing, and no intimacy, so they are suitable for teens and up. You can read the books one-by-one as they are released, or you can wait for the boxed sets to be published once the series gets enough books in it. It's your choice!A portion of all proceeds benefits battered women's shelters.

The Long, Wrong Trailer


Karen Musser Nortman - 2014
    But the used trailer they purchase from a shady dealer and their first weekend of camping on Halloween bring them more adventure than they bargained for.

The Mysterious Kidnappings


Amma Lee - 2015
    Wendy always wanted to be a detective and she was overjoyed when her cat, Black, had the same dream as her so they started to work together. They’ve solved many cases together, but the disappearance of successful business women had left her in a slump because Black believed it was someone who Wendy loved. The two of them investigates the mystery behind the disappearances and discovers something darker than any one of them could have ever imagined.

Colorful Death


S.Y. Robins - 2015
    Her little cottage has a leaking roof, her car broke down, and she’s managed to lose her favorite hat while walking back home. So far, this trip to England has not been so much the restful country retreat she wanted. So far, it has pretty much sucked. And unfortunately, it’s about to get worse. When she catches attractive neighbor Maddox out in a horrible rainstorm, Jade invites him in out of the cold, only to see scratches on his arms. Maddox is pleasant and polite, but even Jade can see that something is wrong. When she learns the next day that an old lady was murdered in her cottage, Jade has a sinking feeling that she knows who’s to blame. When another body crops up soon after, Jade sets out to find the truth. After all, how much worse could this vacation get? She might as well tramp over the heath and figure out what’s going on. But all this poking about is going to put her squarely in the killer’s sights. And now that they’ve murdered twice, they’re not going to stop until all of their enemies are dead.BONUS FREE story included in this book!

Wine Astray


K.J. Emrick - 2015
    She packs up her meagre belongings and heads back to her childhood hometown.Moving into her sister's house while wondering what on earth she is going to do with her life she soon finds that Christina is having problems of her own.Wine shipments for the Spirit of the Soul, her sister's wine store, are going missing and Rysen soon finds herself in the middle of investigating the mystery.Complicating her life is her building attraction to the handsome security consultant her sister has hired to help out and old feelings rising to the surface for her high school sweetheart who still lives in town.Torn between feelings for the two men will she be able to find out what's happening to the wine shipments and help her sister save her store while keeping her heart intact?

The Hope Diamond


Julie Sarff - 2015
    It’s been three long years since her Italian husband cheated on her, and she is facing financial ruin. In desperation, she teams up with fellow housemaid, Francesca -- an irascible Italian fashionista and self-proclaimed psychic. Together they search Villa Buschi for some of the most famous gems in the world, the diamonds that were cut away from the French Blue to make the infamous Hope. But when Lily can’t find the diamonds, and nothing seems to go her way, she briefly contemplates running around ranting drivel and frightening the whole reserved population of Arona, Italy. Follow Lily and several rambunctious rescues kittens on her quest for precious antiquities; a journey which may lead to something far better than long lost gems. Learn more about Julie’s books at www.JulieSarff.com

Small Town Filly


Bethanie Cushman - 2015
    It sounds like a dream come true, but the name of her benefactor remains a mystery. And the man who'd been taking care of the place was just found dead in the barn aisle. With the help of a handsome horseman named Lance Donovan, Alex works to solve the mystery of who left her the place and who killed the caretaker – and the two of them have their hands full when mysterious things begin happening around the barn that make it clear somebody wants her gone – if not dead.

Bewitched, Bedeviled and Bewildered (Sister Witchcraft #1)


J.D. Winters - 2016
    “Or maybe a pony,” agrees teenager Lucy. Mimi seems to be the only one of the three sisters who appreciates what they’ve had left to them by their grandmother, a widely-known and once-powerful witch. Now if she could just get the others on board with saving the world—or at least their little corner of it. She’s got a black cat familiar on her side—and maybe some interest from handsome newsman Max Ransom. Other than that, she’s on her own. Maybe what she ought to find is a good ancient how-to book on world saving. She’s going to need it.

Trouble at Happy Trails


Minnie Crockwell - 2014
    By night’s end, a death in the park finds her consoling the deceased man’s widow...or his killer. Whether the dearly departed died by his own hand or whether someone murdered him remains to be seen. It seems the deceased had a lot of character flaws. A lot! Peregrine Ebenezer Alvord, otherwise known as Ben, is tagging along with Minnie on her travels. That he is an early 19th century ghost is only a minor complication. Ben has the ability to venture unseen where others cannot. Minnie never imagined herself as an amateur sleuth, but with Ben’s help, she might just be able to discover the source of the Trouble at Happy Trails! Trouble at Happy Trails is Book 1 of a series of short stories featuring Minnie and Ben. Each story can stand alone, but to avoid extensive repetition of the back story, the stories would be best read in order. Look for Book 2 soon!

Death Wore Brown Shorts


Audrey Claire - 2015
    They enjoyed the view when he wore those brown shorts every spring and summer. But someone is less appreciative of Paul’s muscular legs. Annie Holloway, mystery writer and lover of a good challenge, finds Paul strangled to death in his truck. She is determined to finger the murderer. Annie enjoys the excitement of what she does for a living, especially when it comes to research. Nothing is better than the hands-on approach. The task is that much harder because of Annie’s dark family history. Then there’s the fact that she’s self-diagnosed as having borderline obsessive-compulsive disorder. Not that anything can stop Happy Holloway! A new cozy mystery series.

Murder in Wonderland


Leslie Leigh - 2015
    Things go worse than she could possibly imagine when, at the very first meeting, wealthy socialite Victoria Cardinal drops stone dead onto the floor – poisoned. Allie immediately sets out to find out whodunit and why. Meanwhile, standing in her way is a motley assortment of characters, all residents of tiny Verdenier, Vermont, a quaint little town that holds a great deal of secrets. Also hindering her progress is Detective Harry Tomlin, a hard-nosed cop who has his eye on Allie as suspect number one. Could the answer to the mystery lie within the pages of her beloved Alice?Join smart, sassy Allie Griffin as she dons her sleuth hat for the first time, determined to solve the case, and save her good name.