Book picks similar to
Winter Whodunnits by Stacey AlabasterB.R. Snow
mystery
cozy-mystery
spbp
box-sets
Murder in Blue Moon Bay (Posey Moon Murder Mystery Book 1)
Constance Hope - 2017
Every book will be a stand-alone with its own story and ending, but will be set in Blue Moon Bay---a sleepy little town on the coast of South Carolina, and its inhabitants. In this book, Posey and Suze play amateur sleuths when a murderer strikes too close for comfort. They soon find themselves on the trail of the killer; not a cold trail, but one so hot they may get burned. If you like cozy mysteries filled with interesting and sometimes eccentric characters, plenty of humor and enough twists and turns, thrills and chills to satisfy any mystery lover, you'll like the Posey Moon Murder Mystery series. BONUS RECIPES in every book!
Claus For Alarm
Gretchen Allen - 2019
Charlotte Claus, not to be confused with the ever-popular Mrs. Claus, volunteers to house-sit for a friend of the family while he is out of the country on business. She arrives in Partridge Point on her own, as this time of year is a very big one for her husband, Kris, not to be confused with the even-more-popular, Santa Claus. Things heat up fast, when Charlotte finds herself in charge of the town’s prestigious cookie exchange. Baking one’s way into oblivion, while keeping track of all of the other cookie participants would set anyone in their right mind on edge. Anyone but Charlotte, that is. With the patience of a saint, she brings the Claus-doubting town of Partridge Point jingling its way right onto the nice list. Except, unfortunately, for her neighbor, Hannah, the mayor of Partridge Point, who is accused of murder. Refusing to let the sweet woman end up in jail, Charlotte promises to rein in the crowds of people that are positive that Hannah is a criminal. Partridge Point will never be the same, after Charlotte brings the joy and spirit of the season back to everyone’s hearts, even in the midst of the town’s largest scandal, and a murder that threatens to ruin the Christmas magic that she’s worked so hard to spread. Can Charlotte save the day and solve the crime of the season before the cookies burn, and goodwill goes up in smoke?
Murder Goes to Church
C.D. Jarmola - 2011
Kool-Aid and kids. Will the stains on the carpet ever come out? Is it contagious? But the most desperate thought churning through Chrissy Chronister’s mind was a hysterical mantra of “Please, don’t die. Please, don’t die. Please, don’t die.” But she did anyway.When Chrissy Chronister agrees to help in her small community church’s vacation Bible school she knows that it will be a hectic week of making crafts, telling stories and singing songs. However, she never expects it to land her in the middle of a murder investigation with her friends, fellow church members and possibly even herself being the prime suspects.Chrissy is a spunky, petite blonde (all adjectives she hates) mother of eleven-month-old, Lukas, along with her husband, Luke, living in south Georgia.As the newest church member Chrissy is stuck with the team teacher from hell, Ramona Snyder, a self-centered thorn in the flesh at United Community Church. However, she also is the richest woman around and her tithe is all that keeps the church solvent.The theme for the week is “God’s Beautiful World,” emphasizing saving our ecology. Thus, everyone has his/her own labeled eco-cup to be used each day during snack time. Day one Chrissy is already hearing Ramona making threats that she will be withholding her money from family members and causes if things do not change to her specifications.By the end of the second day Chrissy is holding a dying Ramona in her arms.The evidence shows that Ramona’s eco-cup has been poisoned. The only people with access are fellow members of UCC including Bro. Michael, the pastor accused of embezzling, his wife Melanie, John, whose farm Ramona foreclosed on, his pregnant teenage daughter Peggy, who Ramona disdained, Scott the youth minister, who Ramona had accused of having inappropriate relations, Emilie Anne the church secretary, Deacon Melvin, Ramona’s own children, Suzanne and Rick, and her husband Max.Chrissy is unwillingly drawn into the investigation. She tries to distance herself, but motherhood forces her back where she unintentionally finds clues through the help of her mischievous son. Due to Lukas’ baby monitor, blankie, tipping over trash cans, getting into ladies’ purses, crawling places he shouldn’t and destroying the story of Abraham and Isaac from his storybook, Chrissy finds skeletons that her fellow parishioners thought were deeply buried.Will Chrissy and baby Lukas solve the crime before the uncovered secrets tear their little church apart?
Agnes Barton In Tawas Box Set
Madison Johns - 2014
Trouble in Tawas Agnes Barton has been waiting years for this day. She’s always told Sheriff Peterson he would rue the day when his re-election time came around and now — it’s finally here. What will Agnes do? Will she cause conflict or support the other candidate? When the sheriff’s father Hal goes missing, Agnes and Eleanor Mason are on a mission to find him, leading them to the Soaring Eagle Casino. But when they haul him home it’s only to find that his companion, Raul Perez, is dead at the bottom of the stairs. When the cops show up it doesn’t look good for Hal who is in possession of the dead man’s credit card. With Hal now as a suspect, and Sheriff Peterson off the case, the sheriff hires Agnes and Eleanor to clear his father’s name. Will Agnes be able to clear Hal’s name in time to save Peterson from failure at the polls or is this case too bizarre as a tenant claims aliens are involved? Treasure in Tawas The last thing Agnes Barton expected was to be slapped in cuffs alongside her best friend, and fellow-sleuthing buddy, Eleanor Mason. All they had wanted to do was to verify if a painting at the Butler Mansion had indeed been stolen. How were they to know that they had tripped off a silent alarm—or that Agnes’ nemesis Mildred Winfree’s body would be discovered when the cops showed up? It didn’t help that they had entered the mansion illegally—using a key Agnes had pilfered from her daughter Martha who was working as a real estate agent to sell the old place. Word has it that a treasure map was hidden in the back of a painting at the Butler Mansion, and it was just too juicy a story not to investigate. So here Agnes and Eleanor sat in jail as prime suspects as they were brought in for questioning. The tabloid, Tall Tales, printed a treasure map in its most recent addition, and soon, East Tawas becomes a point of interest as treasure hunters began tearing up the town looking for treasure. Agnes and Eleanor join in the foray, but she wondered just who was behind this tall tale, and what did it have to do with Mildred’s murder? Bigfoot and Tawas Agnes and Eleanor embark on their most challenging case to date, finding Bigfoot! Agnes isn’t sure what to say when Billy Matlin, hires her to find Bigfoot, and it doesn’t help that Eleanor is hiding in the car. Who is she to say that Bigfoot isn’t real, and lord knows she sure could use a paying gig. Armed with a baggie full of brown hair, Agnes and Eleanor march into the sheriff’s department, but Sheriff Peterson is reluctant to test the hair. Outright refusing to use county resources for a DNA analysis. Before long, the Department of Natural Resources and the United States Fish and Game Service also both refuse to test the hair. Suggesting that the only way they would investigate is if an endangered species is involved. Never one to be told no, Agnes does the only thing she thinks will get them to change their minds by planting evidence in the form of a road killed Bald Eagle on Billy’s property. East Tawas is not only overrun with Bigfoot sightings, but it would seem just about everyone they question claims to have seen something mysterious in the woods. When big game hunters roll into town, and with the DNR and U.S.
The Murder Pit
Jeff Shelby - 2014
A new husband. A bunch of kids. A charming old house. What she doesn't want is a dead body. When a frozen pipe in the basement of her century-old home leads her and her husband downstairs into a newly discovered crawl space, they find a coal chute they didn't know they had. And a corpse inside of it. Things become complicated when Daisy realizes she knew the victim. And things get even worse when it becomes increasingly clear that the body was placed there to make Daisy look like the killer. Against her husband's advice and her own common sense, Daisy makes it her mission to prove to the denizens of Moose River that she is innocent. But doing so may be more dangerous than she planned.
Cold Around the Heart
Michael Prescott - 2013
Bonnie Parker is a small-town private detective on the Jersey shore who just happens to be named after America's most notorious female outlaw, the distaff half of Bonnie & Clyde. And though no one can prove it, she's an outlaw in her own right, willing to supplement her PI duties by acting as a professional assassin. For a price, and when circumstances warrant it, she'll take extreme measures to solve her clients' problems - permanently. Bonnie is experienced and tough – but she's never gone up against a man like Pascal, a globetrotting hit man who has raised murder to the level of a fine art. During a turbulent summer night, while Bonnie struggles to untangle a web of deception that stretches to the jungles of South America, she and Pascal face off in a blistering battle for survival - a battle only one of them can win. Michael Prescott is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of 23 thrillers.
Wilde Murder
Ruth Rowland - 2015
When the chance to purchase the Cosset Cove Advertiser, a small weekly newspaper in the New England seaside town she'd spent many happy childhood vacations, it seemed too good an opportunity to turn down. Charlotte soon settles in to her new role as owner, chief reporter and general gofer of the Advertiser. Life is sweet, her new friends and colleagues Clara, Abigail and Amy, along with Barney, the huge Maine Coon cat, can both delight and frustrate in equal measure. This idyllic new life is disturbed when Charlotte has to interview a blast from her past. It is completely shattered when that interview leads to murder. Things only go from bad to worse as Charlotte is suspected of being the culprit. Can Charlotte, and her new found friends, clear her name and bring the real murderer to justice? Or will being on the trail of a cold blooded killer only put their own lives at risk? “A charming traditional cozy mystery in a modern day setting. Contains plenty of light witty humor and will keep you guessing right to the end!”
The Way the Cookie Crumbles: Ginger Burnet Cozy Mysteries Prequel
Clementine Moore - 2021
Recently returned from big city life, and in an attempt to reconnect with her roots and restart her life, she takes up the job of school baker at the esteemed Chiswick Park Academy. Further turning her back on her recent past and following her true aspirations as an amateur baker, stars seem to finally align in Ginger’s life.When a mysterious invitation to a bake-off challenge for a new TV reality show comes up, Ginger takes the opportunity to further cement her presence in the small town. She still has a month until her new job starts, so what harm could possibly be done?As the contestants gather at the highly gated Manor, things take a bloody turn, and all of a sudden ten strangers will need to work together to get out of their host’s murdering sight.Can Ginger solve the mystery and save her life in time? Will her natural instincts protect her from the mansion’s death traps?Find out in this page-turning mystery full of wild turns and family secrets that will rock Little Chiswick to the core, and announce the arrival of a new amateur sleuth in town!*If you like quirky characters, witty dialogue, heart-wrenching twists and turns, and lots of mystery, then you’ll love “The Way the Cookie Crumbles”
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.
Eve Lloyd's A Deadline Cozy Mystery
Sonia Parin - 2017
Paying her aunt, Mira Lloyd, a.k.a. Elizabeth Lloyd, renowned historical romance author, a long overdue visit, she plans on spending a month on Rock-Maine Island lounging around and plotting the launch of her new life. Her ex-husband, however, has other ideas. As for her aunt… she’s gone missing. And now there’s a dead body to contend with and a murder weapon with her fingerprints on it. A mantle of suspicion hangs over Eve and everyone she encounters has a reason to want her out of the way. Unwilling to leave matters in the hands of swoon worthy Detective Jack Bradford… only because it’s her civic duty to provide a new perspective, Eve Lloyd engages the assistance of her new friend and fellow suspect, Jill Saunders. They both stumble their way through a long list of possible motives and suspects in a race to find the killer before either one turns into the next victim. Snuffed Out Eve Lloyd, a death knell? Eve refuses to believe her choice of words had something to do with inviting a killer to the island, but just to be on the safe side, she agrees to avoid all use of any and all words related to killing. However, it might already be too late… Her run in with a local artist, Reginald Bryant Burns, has put her in an awkward position. Trying to make amends, Eve resorts to bribery, but that only makes matters worse and now…She’s a prime suspect in a murder investigation. The timing couldn’t be worse. She has a date with Detective Jack Bradford and the killer is threatening to ruin it for her. All Tied Up It’s no accident. Eve Lloyd is a magnet for trouble. On the brink of settling into an uneventful existence, Eve Lloyd turns her attention to a new venture. She’s going to open an inn and she thinks she’s found the perfect house. It should all be smooth sailing from there, but she’s developed a knack for landing right in the thick of it. This time, she stumbles on a body in the least likely place and her fingerprints are all over the handcuffs found on the murder victim. As the suspects list grows, and the dream of running an inn evaporates, she becomes a target of the killer’s rage.Despite trying to keep her nose out of other people’s business, it seems the only way she can get her life back on track is if she sets a trap for the killer. The Last Bite Eve Lloyd’s childhood nemesis, Charlotte McLain, is getting married. Nothing will induce Eve to attend. Nothing except… blackmail.From the start, everything about this wedding rings alarm bells for Eve. The location, the groom, the guests. The bride. But that’s nothing unusual. The odds of everything going right are stacked in the bride’s favor. There have already been several deaths on the island. Lighting surely wouldn’t strike again…When the groom suddenly dies, all fingers of blame are pointed directly at Eve. After all, she had opportunity and plenty of motives.She’s been framed and despite trying to keep her nose out of trouble, she’s now been dragged right back into the thick of it. The list of suspects is extensive, but she’s sure she can narrow it down to… at least a half dozen people. The Final Cut “…What sort of business person would I be if I start killing off my guests?” Eve Lloyd has settled into her new life in Rock-Maine Island and is about to open up an inn - a costly venture now that she has her heart set on getting an expensive custom made stove.
Life Without Shoes: The First Father Ambrose Mystery
Emma Cyrus - 2017
So why would anyone dump a body in their orchard? Can the visionary Father Ambrose hold onto his own peace of mind, help his fragile community survive, and assist the police to catch a murderer? Life Without Shoes is a gentle newcomer in the world of clerical mysteries--welcome!Donna Fletcher Crow, The Monastery Murders SeriesIn the tradition of Grantchester, the Rabbi Small mysteries, the Cadfael Chronicles, and The Monastery Murders Series, Life Without Shoes confronts a modern-day monastic with a horrifying crime.It's late summer and Father Ambrose is looking forward to an abundant and joyful harvest at New Life Ecumenical Retreat. That dream is shattered when someone dumps a body in one of their orchards.As Abbot, Ambrose is forced into the role of protector of New Life and, eventually, private investigator, working alongside Sheriff Charlie Cormley to identify and bring the perpetrator to justice. He has no fondness for the world beyond the gates, but now he must put all that aside and do what's best for his community.Through meditation and his commitment to compassionate service, Father Ambrose finds himself engaged with the outside world in ways he couldn't have predicted, and in the process, must prove the innocence of the New Life community or see it crumble around him.
Sign Off
Patricia McLinn - 2012
TV journalist Elizabeth “E. M.” Danniher will tell you she committed two sins — she didn’t stay young, and she made an enemy of a powerful news executive — her ex. She used to break national news. Now her top story as the “Helping Out!” reporter at dinky KWMT-TV in Sherman,Wyoming is getting a refund for a defective toaster. Tough, funny and determined, Elizabeth wrestles with isolation, keeping a professional edge, and an evolving self-image. Is Wyoming — the land of cattle, cowboys, tumbleweeds, and fewer than six people per square mile — her new home or a road to permanent obscurity? Soon she’s in a battle of wills with ex-football player turned journalist Mike Paycik, who sees her as a handy rung on his career ladder. And there’s the matter of a deputy sheriff—missing or murdered? Elizabeth finds herself investigating at the insistence of a girl who’s set on proving her father’s innocence. Not that enigmatic rancher Thomas David Burrell makes investigating easy. But Elizabeth won’t fade to black without a fight, no matter how final some might want to make her SIGN OFF. Don’t miss any of the Caught Dead in Wyoming series by USA Today bestselling author Patricia McLinn:Sign OffLeft HangingShoot FirstLast DitchLook LiveBack StoryCold OpenHot Roll
The First Stella Cole Boxset: The Revenge Trilogy: Hit and Run, Hit Back Harder, Hit and Done
Andy Maslen - 2018
Forget the law. She wants revenge Meet Stella Cole. An ambitious detective inspector with the Metropolitan Police Service. Her career and her life look rosy until a hit and run driver kills her husband. Grief drives her to booze and pills. Back at work after a year’s compassionate leave, Stella secretly re-investigates his death and begins to suspect a cover-up. The legal conspiracy she uncovers rocks her faith in everything she holds dear, from the law itself to the people enforcing it and those dispensing justice. But the people running Pro Patria Mori have no intention of giving up. They want Stella dead. But they’ve reckoned without Stella’s determination, fighting skills and powerful but increasingly violent alter ego she dubs “Other Stella”. Thriller fans have awarded this nail-biting trilogy hundreds of five-star reviews. This boxset gives you all three novels – over 1,000 pages of unputdownable action. Book 1: Hit and Run Detective Inspector Stella Cole was a rising star in London’s Metropolitan Police. Then a hit-and-run driver killed her husband, Richard, a human rights lawyer. Freelance journalist Vicky Riley was working with Richard to expose corruption buried deep inside the legal system. Unaware that powerful people are out to stop her, she contacts Stella. Vicky’s research confirms Stella’s worst fears. The people who should be upholding the law are turning it on its head. Stella thinks she’s closing in on the truth. Then a horrific discovery threatens her very sanity. What began as a search for justice is now a raging thirst for revenge. “OMG! You don't want to get on the wrong side of this lady. Found this book absolutely riveting. Honestly struggled to put it down. Read it over two days. You'll love it.” Sheila Riddoch, Amazon 5-star review Book 2: Hit Back Harder Detective Inspector Stella Cole only has one case. To find, and kill, the remaining members of a legal conspiracy who turned her world into ashes. But their leader’s pulling in friends from the underworld to take the fight to Stella. Chief among them, an Albanian drug lord nicknamed, The Shark". Regrouping in Spain, Stella makes contact with an old adversary. A retired gangster named Ronnie “The Razor” Wilks. He proposes a deal that tests Stella’s resolve to the limit. “Noooo! That ending twist was so unexpected and that's what I exclaimed when I read it! This book kept me awake at night... it didn't give me nightmares although I suppose the graphic detail could have done. No, it was its gripping storyline that was the problem. I like to read for a short while before settling to sleep at night, but I couldn't put the book down and ended up with some very, very late nights.” Carol E. Bentley, Amazon 5-star review The only problem? Stella is losing her mind to a second, unrelentingly brutal version of herself she’s dubbed “Other Stella”. As the violence escalates, the question is, which one will win? Book 3: Hit and Done Stella has almost completed her bloody quest to avenge the hit and run killings of her husband and daughter. Only one member of the legal conspiracy who murdered them remains. But he’s not going to go down without a fight. Even if it means having Stella sectioned and trying for the third time to murder her.
The Hummingbird Wizard
Meredith Blevins - 2003
AND SO HELPFUL IN A FAMILY MURDER! Once you marry into a gypsy clan, just try to get out! Annie Szabo loved her husband, but after his death, she was only too happy to leave his outrageous clan behind, especially her pushy mother-in-law, Madame Mina. But Mina wasn't just any pushy relative. As the heart of the close-knit Szabo family, she was also powerful, stubborn, and devoutly to be avoided. Well, too bad for Annie! When her oldest friend, Jerry, turns up dead, she’s plunged back into the family she tried to leave behind. She knows Jerry was murdered, but how is she supposed to prove it? Easy, if you’ve got a gypsy family. Or anyway, easier. So before you know it, Annie’s knee-deep once again in ancient curses, petty theft, and, everyone’s favorite--love magic. All thanks to Madame Mina’s psychic skills and a certain wildly sexy gypsy and his shady P.I. father.
Bennett Sisters Mysteries Volume 5 & 6
Lise McClendon - 2019
That’s the delicious underpinning of this sprawling, exuberant, generous-spirited cozy mystery series with a yummy side of international adventure. A little bit chick lit, a touch of cozy mystery, a whole lot of humor, romance, suspense—all in one box set! These two books continue the adventures of the five lawyer sisters that started with Blackbird Fly. On to The Girl in the Empty Dress, Give Him the Ooh-la-la, and The Things We Said Today... (also available in box sets) to these two stories that follow Merle Bennett's journey from the US to France, with her French boyfriend, Pascal. THE FRENCHMAN Ooh-la-la, who doesn't love a Frenchman? Merle Bennett goes back to France -- and her Frenchman -- in this fifth installment of the Bennett Sisters mysteries. Sure that La Belle France will cure all her ills, and help her write a novel about the French Revolution, she sets out to prove her theory correct. Pascal, her Frenchman, scoffs at this. As a policeman he knows France is pretty to look at but not all that pretty under the surface. While Merle writes and renovates her stone cottage, Pascal encounters an old enemy, a man he put in prison years before. When Pascal disappears Merle isn't sure if their relationship is over, or something terrible has happened. A soupçon of danger, a brush with 'madame guillotine,' and the quirky characters of the French countryside, all collide in this installment of the Bennett Sisters Mysteries, set in la belle France-- where, obviously, wine, sunshine, sunflowers, and Frenchmen cure all ills. Or do they? ODETTE AND THE GREAT FEAR A Gothic Romance by 'Merle Bennett' Deep in the French countryside-- as the country reels through rebellion, beheadings, and starvation-- a goat-herder named Odette is trying to survive. Just that-- survival is on her mind. Since she marched to Versailles with a group of Parisian women to protest the high prices of wheat, her life has spun out of control. She's fled the capital for the countryside. But what will happen to her? Can she stay in the Dordogne where the kindly farmers have taken pity on her? 'Odette and the Great Fear' is a novella from the novel, 'The Frenchman,' by Lise McClendon. Merle Bennett, the main character, is writing a novel. Here the story is fleshed out, characters come into focus, and outcomes are decided. Will Odette and her handsome stranger find each other? How did the Count get his horrible scar? Will the villagers burn out the nobles for good? All these delicious details, mixed with a terrifying and exhilarating time in history, make 'Odette and the Great Fear' a quick but intriguing read. Next up in the series is 'Blame it on Paris,' Bennett Sisters Mystery #8, after the Sister's French Cookbook, filled with delicious recipes inspired by the series. Get the cookbook for free by signing up for the newsletter at the author's website: LiseMcClendon.com - I hope you enjoy the books.