Book picks similar to
The Missing Motive by Nova Nelson


bookfunnel
correctly-checked
got-it-ebook-mh
short-stories

A Tell-Tale Treasure


Megan Marple - 2017
    With her talking pet raven, Poe, and a new kid in town named Bigfoot, she's on the hunt for a treasure that's sure to change their lives. Maybe then she can stick it to all the mean girls in school... Armed with her wits, a couple of shovels, and the map, Edie and Bigfoot try their best to uncover the clues hidden under the blazing Lowcountry sun. But trouble has a funny way of finding Edie, and the only thing that might save her from it is a friend of the ghost variety... *You're reading a prequel to the Tell-Tale Tavern Mystery series, which includes a bonus chapter of "GIN & GHOSTS" (book 1). This is a novella length book that can be read in any order with the other books in the series. It is a clean read, with no graphic violence, sex, or profane language.*

Magically Poisoned


Joynell Schultz - 2020
    There’s no way I could have snuck a murder into my busy schedule, but obviously, someone I know did. They stole a plant from my garden and poisoned the Mayor. It couldn’t be my hard-working assistant, the delivery driver, or my gardener, could it be? And I’m sure it wasn’t the sexy water witch who spends an absurd amount of time staying at my little Bed & Breakfast…but he does know way more than he should about magical plants. When the police ask for my cooperation, I begin to investigate myself. Who would steal from me? Frame me? None of my friends look like they could murder anyone…but what does a murderer look like? But don't worry, I have this all under control. I’m a potion witch and have a few tricks up my sleeve. You’ll love this new paranormal witch cozy mystery because it has everything you want to read about: magic, witches, potions, murder, and romance. Download it now. This is a novella prequel to a new series coming this June. Books in the series: Magically Poisoned (Prequel Novella) Magically Murdered (Book 1) Magically Attacked (Book 2) & More!

Let Sleeping Witches Lie


Mara Webb - 2020
    And you thought ghost towns were supposed to be quiet…When a mysterious dream leads Morgan Jones to discover a dead body, she is plunged head-first into a real mystery. Unfortunately for Morgan a dead body isn’t the most unsettling part of her day. A family dinner has been planned, and all her aunts are going to be there.Yikes.When a strange curse takes hold of Vanish Valley things seem to get even worse. Dark magic has plunged the town into eternal night and all the humans have fallen into an unwakeable sleep.With everyone else asleep it’s up to Morgan and her witch family to solve the murder, but when more bodies start appearing the long night seems all the more sinister. Rumours of a doomsday cult whisper through the wind, are the murders ritualistic killings?As the cursed night continues on Morgan and her family find themselves racing against the clock to save the town from complete ruin. All Morgan has to do is make her aunts stop squabbling, make some ghost witnesses start talking, and avoid getting murdered by the killer.Easier said than done, right?

The Witch Who Killed Christmas


Jeannie Wycherley - 2018
    The Witch Who Killed Christmas can be read as a standalone or as part of the Wonky Inn series.

Out of Options


Dianne Ascroft - 2019
     A dry district, a shocking secret, a missing person. When Lois Stone’s friend, Beth Darrow, arranges to meet her to reveal an astonishing discovery, Lois’s curiosity is piqued. Then Beth doesn’t keep their lunch date and Lois becomes worried. What has happened to her friend? Middle-aged widow Lois is settling into life on her own in her neighbourhood and in the library where she works, and she is just about coping with her fear of strangers after her husband was mugged and died in the park at the end of their street. But her quiet existence is rocked when her friend and fellow local historical society researcher, Beth, arranges to meet her to reveal an exciting and shocking discovery she has made about the history of prohibition in West Toronto Junction, the last dry area in Toronto, and then goes missing before she can share her secret with Lois. There isn’t any proof that Beth is missing so the police won’t actively search for her. Only Lois and Beth’s niece Amy are convinced that Beth’s disappearance is very out of character, and they are worried about her. Where has Beth gone? Is she in danger? And, if she is, who might want to harm her and why? Lois knows she must find the answers to these questions fast if she wants to help and protect her friend. And so begins a weekend of skulking in the park, apple and cinnamon pancakes, familiar faces staring out of old newspapers, calico cats, shadows on the windowpane, and more than one person who might want Beth to disappear from the quiet, leafy streets of the historic and staunchly dry West Toronto Junction neighbourhood. A tale for fans of Cindy Bell, Leighann Dobbs, Dianne Harman and Kathi Daley.

A Murder in Hope's Crossing


Brooke Shelby - 2019
    Relocating to the idyllic New England town of Hope’s Crossing, where her family has settled since its founding, should be a welcome refresh. Aunt Clara is eager to retire and hand Maggie the keys to her store. And her new home might even help Maggie awaken her family’s rumored witchy powers. Maggie’s plans have all the makings of a spell for success—until the sorcery turns sour. Not long after the move, Aunt Clara is murdered in retaliation for an act of charity. Since Maggie inherits Clara’s small fortune, shop, and home, all eyes turn to her. With no witnesses and no suspects with an obvious motive, Maggie is framed as the perfect killer. Proving her own innocence is an uphill battle, especially when other descendants of Salem Witch Trial survivors like her are under constant threat and persecution in the pious town. To clear her name, Maggie will have to draw on the kindness of a few quirky residents, her aunt’s crafty cat, and her own blossoming supernatural powers. With a deadly criminal on the loose, the newest witch in town might be the best chance Hope’s Crossing has to defeat murder with magic…

Absolute Zero: Misadventures From A Broad


Margaret Lashley - 2017
    But almost no one actually does...Well, Val Jolly feels like she's almost no one. Invisible to her husband and dissatisfied with her life, deep in her soul Val yearns to be someone else. Someone sexy. Someone happy.With only her favorite romance novel to guide her, Val decides Italy is the perfect place for some relaxation, romance and reinvention. But she soon finds out that handsome men, like life, have plans of their own.Will Val score a home run? Or will she just want to run home? In the race to rediscover herself, what awaits Val at the finish line may be a completely unexpected type of victory. That's up to you to decide.If you've ever dreamed of ditching your life and running off to Europe, now’s your chance! Join Val on a roller-coaster ride through Europe that will leave you gasping! From gut-busting hilarity to gut–wrenching gaffs, finding yourself again is always worth the price of admission. Get your ticket now!Absolute Zero is not a mystery per se. (Unless you count the mystery of why we do the crazy things we do!) It is a stand-alone novel, and the funny, yet often heart-wrenching prequel to the hilarious Val Fremden Mystery Series. Just like life, this satirical look at starting over after forty is full of ups and downs. It's told through the eyes of a sharp-witted, reluctantly redneck woman who’s always played it safe – until now. Freedom comes at a great price for Val. Will it be worth it in the end?Pick up a copy and come along for a tour of Italy, Germany and the human heart.Praise for Absolute Zero:“Loved it. Couldn’t stop, had to see what happened next.”“This character makes you proud to be a woman.”“Want a good laugh and a new friend? Grab this.”“Her characters are lovable and believable and you cheer, and cry, along with them.”“Wonderful book. Had me at the first paragraph.”

Maybelle's Secret


Terri Reid - 2018
    When she is able to see the ghost in the old Victorian house across the street, she wonders if her abilities have returned. Investigating the house, she discovers that the ghost, Maybelle Finders, has a family secret that is keeping her from moving on. Will Mary be able to help Maybelle repay old debts? And is Maybelle really telling Mary all there is to know about the secrets in the old house?

Witching for a Miracle


Tegan Maher - 2018
    Shelby Flynn’s tired of being treated like a kid and when she finds herself in trouble for yet another simple mistake, she wishes for a perfect life. Unfortunately, she has a lot to learn about perfection and finds out the hard way that growing up has nothing to do with age, and being independent doesn’t mean that you don’t occasionally need a little help. Now it’s going to take a miracle to get her home to the ones she loves so she can prove she’s the witch they know she can be. Lucky for her, that’s what Christmas is all about.

A Stately Murder


Kate P. Adams - 2020
    Stunning architecture, beautiful gardens – and murder most foul …A light-hearted ghost tour around the darkened rooms of a stately home is the perfect setting for thrills and chills. But the thrills and chills turn into very real terror when a new member of the phantom team starts haunting the rambling halls of the grand old house.Taking a break from managing the three cafés of Charleton House, nestled deep in the beautiful Derbyshire countryside, Sophie Lockwood joins the tour, expecting an evening of fun and banter with her friend, charismatic tour guide Mark Boxer. What she’s not expecting is to stumble upon the victim of the first murder the historic house has ever known.Determined to get to the bottom of this brutal crime, Sophie enlists the help of the sweet-toothed Mark and newly promoted Detective Constable Joe Greene. It will take an extra dose of caffeine along with the help of her colourful collection of friends to solve the mystery. Can Sophie stop the cold-blooded killer before they strike again? Or will the next ghost to haunt Charleton House be her own?Fans of T E Kinsey and M C Beaton will love A Stately Murder. Join Sophie as she attempts to solve the mystery, find the killer and save the day. But first, coffee …

The Florist and the Funeral


Ruby Loren - 2018
     The police think it was an accident caused by the champion’s advancing age. Diana Flowers, his allotment next door neighbour, isn’t convinced. She knows someone has poisoned the dead man’s prized pumpkin plant. And if the dead man dug the pit in which he met his doom, where did he leave the spade? A scientist like Diana knows you should never underestimate evidence… and in this case, she thinks the evidence points to murder. Buy your copy right now and discover your next favourite British amateur sleuth! *This is the prequel short story to the Diana Flowers Floriculture Mysteries. Look inside the book to discover how to claim your free copy!*

Tide Dance


Danielle Garrett - 2018
     Tourist season is underway in the coastal community of Beechwood Harbor. Holly Boldt is up to her eyebrows in work. Between the coffee shop and her potion business, things are moving at a break-neck pace. But when a teenage runaway starts causing trouble around the harbor, she has to step in, especially when she realizes the terrified girl isn’t just another out-of-towner on summer vacation. With her posse of magical misfits, Holly’s ready to kick up some sand and get to the bottom of the guarded teen’s dilemma. After all, summer in Beechwood wouldn’t be any fun without a little magic mystery. **Previously published in the Spell or High Water Anthology.** ***Fits in the timeline after the events of Lucky Witch, book five in the Beechwood Harbor Magic Mystery series.**

A Fairy Situation


Misty Bane - 2020
    It’s where I live and where a lot of other fairies live too. Yup, fairies.Cute, right? Except most of what you think you know about fairies is wrong. We aren’t sweet little things that flutter around singing songs and throwing fairy dust around. Okay, okay … some fairies fit this stereotype— not me. It might be because of the whole curse thing, but I’ll explain that later. Right now, I’ve got a dead body on my hands.Someone killed our mayor. And since I’m an agent for the Fairy World Bureau of Investigations, I kind of have to deal with it as part of the job description.Add in my best friend who owns the local salon, my eccentric grandmother and her doubly eccentric twin sister, and my oldest friend—a vampire cursed to live out the rest of his existence as a bumblebee bat—and you can see my life has all of the promises of a typical cozy paranormal story … except it’s a little more complicated than that.I’m Jade Honeyblossom: half witch, half wicked, full fairy. Welcome to my world.

A Friend in Death


K.J. Emrick - 2017
    A Pyschic/Medium and Crime Novelist who inadvertently gets tangled up in Murder! From the author of the Darcy Sweet Mystery Series. Miranda Wylder is on her way up. Life is good for the Psychic/Medium Crime Novelist with one successful novel already and a second on its way up the charts. But then her best friend, Kyle Hunter, is murdered right in her own backyard and the detective in charge of the investigation seems determined to put her in the frame. She has to convince the police of her innocence so she must use her intuition and deduction, along with help from Kyle's ghost, to discover the truth behind the murder and to see the true Killer behind bars. In this Psychic Mystery, can Miranda overcome this terrible truth to see justice done?

Down on the Charm


E.L. Wilder - 2019
    Several, really. There’s her knack for stealing the limelight. The one for working the red carpet. For charming producers and audiences alike. And the one she’d rather not talk about. The Knack. The one for magic. She’s been ignoring her destiny as a witch since she ran away to Hollywood, but when one very public slip of magic derails her career, she returns to idyllic Vermont. Only it’s true you can never go home again, and Hazel finds the twenty-first century is fast encroaching upon Bennett Farms, threatening its status as a haven and gateway to the magical world. To top it off somebody is murdered before Hazel can even unpack—crushed by the business end of an antique tractor. Now Hazel must prove her sister’s innocence without the faintest idea how. There is no script. No direction. And improv has never been her strength. And that Knack she’s been ignoring all these years? It could be the key to saving both her sister and the farm before all its secrets become tabloid fodder. ​Down on the Charm is the first in the Farm to Fable Paranormal Mysteries, a cozy mystery series that is packed with spell casters, mythical creatures, and all the things that make Vermont the quirky little state it is. Sometimes deadly serious, sometimes deadly funny, and sometimes just deadly.