Book picks similar to
Birthdays Are Murder by Cindy Sample


mystery
_-next-read-must-find
family-moms-dads-sibs
amateur-sleuth

Identical Death


Alexa Padgett - 2018
    The women weren't just twins; they were identical.Yes, were.Cici knew the exact moment her sister had died because Cici had passed out in her apartment. She'd swear until the day she died her sister said her name in a soft, broken voice as her own mind had switched off.Now, Cici must learn to live without her sister . . . ...and deal with an unsolved murder and a cold trail.Identical Death is the first book in, A Reverend Cici Gurule Mystery. Please note: This is a companion novella that should be read prior to A Pilgrimage to Death as it offers further insights into Cici, Sam, and the murder of Anna Carmen. It ends on a cliffhanger. Although these books are best read in order, as a series, the rest (after A Pilgrimage to Death) can be read as a standalone.A Pilgrimage to DeathA Heritage of DeathAn Artifact of DeathA Revelation of Death

Booked for Death


Victoria Gilbert - 2020
    Built in 1770, the newly renovated inn hosts a roster of special events celebrating books, genres, and authors. It's the perfect literary retreat--until a rare book dealer turns up dead in the carriage house during a celebration of Golden Age mystery author Josephine Tey.The victim's daughter points the finger at forty-two-year-old widow and former schoolteacher Charlotte Reed, who inherited the B&B from her great-aunt Isabella. Charlotte is shocked to discover that the book dealer suspected Isabella of being a thief who founded Chapters on her ill-gotten gains. Charlotte has successfully learned the B&B business in a year, but nothing has prepared her to handle a death on the premises. Armed with intelligence and courage and assisted by her vibrant older neighbor, a visiting author, and members of a local book club, Charlotte is determined to prove her innocence and to clear her great-aunt's name. But the murderer is still at large, and equally determined to silence anyone who might discover the truth behind the book dealer's death. Now, Charlotte must outwit an unknown killer--or end up writing her own final chapter.

Gluten-Free Murder


P.D. Workman - 2017
    The grand opening is marred by just one thing, the death of her business rival, Angela Plaint. It appears that Angela was poisoned by one of Erin’s cupcakes, making her a prime suspect.Equipped with cupcakes, her desire for the truth, and new bakery assistant Vicky’s help, Erin goes head-to-head against Detective Terry Piper to solve the murder. Rumors of treasure hunting, drug dealing, and a missing boy swirl around Bald Eagle Falls as Erin tries to sort the clues from the red herrings and find the killer before the killer can take care of her.Like baking mysteries? Cats, dogs, and other pets? Award-winning and USA Today Bestselling Author P.D. Workman brings readers back to small town Bald Eagle Falls for another culinary cozy mystery to be solved by gluten-free baker Erin Price and her friends. Have your gluten-free cake and eat it too. Sink your teeth into this sweet treat now!

The Big Lead


Libby Kirsch - 2015
    Being on live TV in a small town has never been so funny, until Stella covers the town’s first murders in years.When the prime suspect’s girlfriend enlists Stella to help clear his name, she uncovers another shocking crime that could expose a handful of powerful insiders.Who is honest, who can’t be trusted, and who committed the murders? Stella is on a tight deadline to find out. Can she help free an innocent man, or will the real culprit get away with murder?

The Missing Ink


Karen E. Olson - 2009
    When a girl makes an appointment for a tattoo of the name of her fiancé embedded in a heart, Brett takes the job but the girl never shows. The next thing Brett knows, the police are looking for her client, and the name she wanted on the tattoo isn't her fiancé's...

Daddy Soldier Bear


Meg Ripley - 2019
    Drake Sheridan has his hands full. Being called away to covertly diffuse the most complex issues amongst clans—ones that even the shifter conclave can’t handle—can be tough, but this Special Forces Medical Sergeant is always up for the challenge. When he gets a call about an Alpha who’s supposedly been brainwashed by her three mates, Drake knows he has to step in. Nikki’s triad of mates treats her like a queen—or so she thinks. She doesn’t see a problem in her Eureka, California bear clan, but her sister won’t stop telling her otherwise. When a newcomer named Drake shows up in town looking for a clan to join, Nikki knows he’s a good fit, but her inner bear goes berserk whenever he’s around. She’s already found her mates, so what’s going on with her bear? As soon as he encounters Nikki, Drake’s bear craves to claim her as his. But his mate died in childbirth years ago; he still beats himself up for not being able to save her and never thought he’d love again. But the way his bear yearns for Nikki now has him thinking otherwise. No matter what his bear wants, he’s in Eureka on a mission and won’t give up until he gets to the bottom of the mystery behind Nikki’s devious mates. He can’t let his heart get involved. Or can he? Steamy shifter scenes inside! Readers 18+.

Death by a Honeybee


Abigail Keam - 2010
    They are not cozy or fuzzy, but they do try to be humorous and witty. Sometimes they succeed. Each novel/novella has a stand-alone mystery, but the stories are also about the continuing life saga of a middle-aged Southern woman as she faces many serious obstacles. Josiah faces the world with sarcastic humor and a number of quirky, oddball friends that can only be found in the Southern town of Lexington, the heart of the Kentucky horse country. Some mysteries end with a bang, some are not solved at all and the first one ends with a cliff hanger, but they always entertain in the sassy, humorous and suspenseful world as Josiah goes about sleuthing. The Josiah Reynolds Mystery Series is just like fried chicken . . . finger-licking good! Add some sweet tea and a piece of chocolate pecan pie with a scoop of ice-cream and you got yourself some tasty reading. Description Josiah Reynolds is a beekeeper trying to stay financially afloat by selling honey at the Farmers' Market. She finds her world turned upside down when a man is found dead in her beeyard, only to discover that the victim is her nemesis. The police are calling the brutal death murder and Josiah is the number one suspect! Josiah makes the rounds of quirky characters that can only be found in the lush Bluegrass horse country. Fighting an unknown enemy in the glamorous world of Thoroughbreds, oak-cured bourbon and antebellum mansions, Josiah struggles to uncover the truth in a land that keeps its secrets well. Death By A HoneyBee is the first of an episodic series and as such ends in a cliff-hanger which is crucial to the rest of the series. Attached to HoneyBee is a bonus chapter from Death By Drowning which continues our heroine's story in linear time. I hope you enjoy reading Death By A HoneyBee as much as I have enjoyed writing it. It was a labor of love.

Tea & Treachery


Vicki Delany - 2020
    . .   As the proud proprietor and head pastry chef of Tea by the Sea, a traditional English tearoom on the picturesque bluffs of Cape Cod, Lily Roberts has her hands full, often literally. But nothing keeps her busier than steering her sassy grandmother, Rose, away from trouble. Rose operates the grand old Victorian B & B adjacent to Lily’s tea shop . . . for now. An aggressive real estate developer, Jack Ford, is pushing hard to rezone nearby land, with an eye toward building a sprawling golf resort, which would drive Rose and Lily out of business.   Tempers are already steaming, but things really get sticky when Ford is found dead at the foot of Rose’s property and the police think she had something to do with his dramatic demise. Lily can’t let her grandmother get burned by a false murder charge. So she starts her own investigation and discovers Ford’s been brewing bad blood all over town, from his jilted lover to his trophy wife to his shady business partners. Now, it’s down to Lily to stir up some clues, sift through the suspects, and uncover the real killer before Rose is left holding the tea bag.

If She Only Knew


Alexandria Clarke - 2021
    When the local sheriff blackmails her into helping with a missing persons case, Cal can’t say no. Using her unique gift, sharp wits, and even sharper tongue, Cal flirts with death to solve the case. In Red River, the dead talk, and Cal is the only person who can hear them.

Deja Brew


Natalie Summers - 2019
    Moving a thousand miles after inheriting an apartment in her Mom’s hometown was one thing. Finding out that she comes from a family of witches was another. Surprise? Still reeling from the new information, Lou finds herself at odds with the owner of the local coffee shop. No big deal, right? Until the owner shows up dead, right outside Lou’s front door. Now the prime suspect, Lou’s got to hurry and solve the murder before she’s tried in the court of public opinion. When the victim turns out to have ties to a drug ring, the whole case gets more complicated. Especially when the same drugs are found in Lou’s new apartment. Between the talking dog, her new magic lessons, gaining a family, and the ridiculously handsome, single-father ex-cop who seems to pop up wherever she goes, Lou’s got more than enough to keep her busy. When the police chief decides she’s guilty and will go to any lengths to prove it, Lou has to hurry and figure out who actually ‘dunit’ before she’s locked up for good.

Hazardous Duty


Christy Barritt - 2006
    Claire dropped out of school and started her own crime scene cleaning business. Now, when a routine cleaning job leads her to a murder weapon the police overlooked, she realizes that the wrong man is in jail. With the help of her new and attractively single neighbor, Riley Thomas, Gabby plays the detective to make sure the right man is put behind bars.

Rough Justice


Brad Smith - 2016
    Carl is determined to get justice for Kate, whatever it takes. But with few allies, he finds himself incurring the wrath of powerful enemies as he attempts to uncover the truth.

Assault and Pepper


Leslie Budewitz - 2015
    Her aromatic creations are the talk of the town, and everyone stops by for a cup of her refreshing spice tea, even other shopkeepers and Market regulars. But when a panhandler named Doc shows up dead on the store’s doorstep, a Seattle Spice Shop cup in his hand, the local gossip gets too hot for Pepper to handle—especially after the police arrest one of Pepper’s staffers, Tory Finch, for murder.Tory seems to know why she’s a suspect, but she refuses to do anything to curry favor with the cops. Convinced her reticent employee is innocent, Pepper takes it on herself to sniff out some clues. Only, if she’s not careful, Pepper’s nosy ways might make her next on the killer’s list…

Dead Is the New Black


Christine DeMaio-Rice - 2011
    He's fashion designer Jeremy St. James, and not only is he her boss, everyone knows he's gay.-When he's arrested for murder, secrets come to light and nothing is what it seems. If Laura can just solve this crime, keep the cops off her tail, break up a counterfeiting ring, and get the show on the runway by Friday, she might stop being Seventh Avenue's perpetual loser.-Edited by Lynn O'Dell of Red Adept.----------

Deadly Secrets


O.M.J. Ryan - 2019
    He’s been setup. Someone wants to destroy him.Things go from bad to worse when tenacious DCI Jane Phillips is assigned to his case, determined his celebrity won’t get in the way of justice. Even Marty’s powerhouse lawyer, Nicolette Johnson, fears this is a case she simply can’t win.Desperate to clear his name, Marty is propelled into a dark world of danger, corruption and depravity, and with the media world he once ruled now baying for his blood -- the hunter has become the hunted.Not knowing who to trust, or where to turn, Marty fights alone against a powerful criminal network as he tries to save his reputation, his job…and his life.