Preternatural Affairs, Books 1-3: Witch Hunt, Silver Bullet, and Hotter Than Helltown


S.M. Reine - 2014
    I'm a witch working for a division of the government you've never heard about. The world's not what everyone thinks it is--unless you think that our world's a pawn in a game of chess between Heaven and Hell, and riddled with as much magic and wonder as it is with evil. In that case, the world is exactly what you think. My place of employment--the Office of Preternatural Affairs--takes a modern approach to an ages-old problem. It used to be that inquisitors would burn demons and the people in league with them. Now we get warrants, perform arrests, put the suspects on trial, and send guilty parties back to the Hell from whence they came with the travel forms filled out in triplicate.  This stuff I do with the OPA, it saves lives on most days.  Most days, I said. ABOUT WITCH HUNTThere are scratches on Cèsar Hawke's arms, a discharged Glock on his coffee table, and a dead woman in his bathtub. Yeah, maybe he brought the waitress home for some fun--he was too drunk to remember it--but he knows for a fact that he didn't kill her. He's an agent with the Office of Preternatural Affairs. He doesn't hurt people. He saves them.  The cops disagree. Now Cèsar is running. Isobel Stonecrow speaks with the dead. She brings closure to the bereaved and heals broken hearts. But when she talks to the wrong spirit, the OPA puts a bounty on her head. Tracking down Isobel is the last case assigned to Cèsar before he bolts. If he finds her, he can prove that he didn't kill that waitress. He can clear his name, get his job back, and bring justice to all those wronged families. She's just one witch. He's bagged a dozen witches before. How hard can one more be? ABOUT SILVER BULLETFormer private investigator Cèsar Hawke has one rule: He doesn't deal with dead bodies. That's why he enlisted with the Magical Violations Department in the Office of Preternatural Affairs. He's happy tracking down witches that commit petty crimes, but he leaves the homicides to other agents.  Except that he's been assigned to a new team--a team that handles special investigations--and the job has suddenly changed. Now Cèsar has to deal with dead bodies. He also has to deal with necromancers, murderous cults, and demons that can stop a man's heart with fear.  This isn't the job he signed up for, but it's the job he needs to do.  If he survives the first week.  ABOUT HOTTER THAN HELLTOWNA killer is mutilating bodies in Los Angeles. Agent Cèsar Hawke is on the case, but the murderer is ahead of him--way ahead of him.  Wiping the memories of the dead so that the team's necrocognitive can't talk to them? Done. Preventing magical reconstruction of the crime scenes? Oh yeah. And the murders keep getting more brutal while Cèsar struggles to catch up. The best way to heat up a cold case is to go to Helltown, where Los Angeles's most powerful evil hides out, but even those demons are afraid of the murderer. Their fear adds one more question to the growing pile of unknowns:  What kind of bad guy is too hot for Helltown?

Murder Is Homework: A Susan Wiles Schoolhouse Mystery


Diane Weiner - 2017
    Her birth mother, Audrey Stirling, has been arrested for killing her husband! Richard Stirling had no shortage of enemies, all with viable motives, but the evidence points directly at Audrey. To make matters worse, the judge puts Audrey, whose relationship with Susan has been volatile, on house arrest while awaiting trial. She will be living 24/7 with Susan, making Susan extra motivated to find the real killer and send her mother back to Florida. Along the way, Susan backslides on her promise to her family by once again putting herself in danger. Surrounded by her detective daughter, her lawyer father who agrees to come out of retirement to represent Audrey, and her mysterious half-brother, Susan must do her homework to maintain family relationships while searching for Richard's killer.

Holly Anna Paladin Mysteries Book Bundle, Books 1-3: Plus a Bonus Christmas Novella!


Christy Barritt - 2016
    But one of her extreme good deeds goes horribly wrong, implicating Holly in a string of murders. Holly is suddenly in a different kind of fight for her life. Only two other people know Holly was at the site of the murder, and one of them is the killer. Making matters stickier is the fact that the detective assigned to the case is her old high school crush and present day nemesis. The clock is ticking as Holly is forced to play a dangerous game. Will Holly find the killer before he ruins what’s left of her life? Or will she spend her final days alone and behind bars? Random Acts of Deceit: "Break up with Chase Dexter, or I’ll kill him.” Holly Anna Paladin never expected such a gut-wrenching ultimatum. But the man threatening her makes it clear he’s dead serious. With home invasions, hidden cameras, and bomb threats, Holly must make some serious choices. Whatever Holly decides, the consequences will either break her heart or break her soul. She tries to match wits with the masked man, but he’s always a step ahead of her. The more she fights, the deeper she’s drawn into the perilous situation. Dealing with the ultimatum, her sister’s wedding problems, and riots that have broken out in the city, Holly’s nearly at her breaking point. She must discover the identity of this mystery man before someone she loves dies. But the deceit is threatening to pull her under . . . six feet under. Random Acts of Malice: When Holly Anna Paladin’s boyfriend, police detective Chase Dexter, says he’s leaving for two weeks and can’t give any details, she wants to trust him. But when she discovers Chase may be involved in some unwise and dangerous pursuits, she’s compelled to intervene. Holly gets a run for her money as she’s swept into the world of horseracing. The stakes turn deadly when a dead body surfaces and suspicion is cast on Chase. At every turn, more trouble emerges, making Holly question what she holds true about her relationship and her future. Just when she thinks she’s on the homestretch, a dark horse arises. Holly might lose everything in a nail-biting fight to the finish. Random Acts of Scrooge: Christmas is supposed to be the most wonderful time of the year, but a real-life Scrooge is threatening to ruin the season’s good will. Holly Anna Paladin can’t wait to celebrate Christmas with family and friends. She loves everything about the season—celebrating the birth of Jesus, singing carols, and baking Christmas treats, just to name a few. But when a local family needs help, how can she say no? Holly’s community has come together to help raise funds to save the home of Greg and Babette Sullivan, but a Bah-Humburgler has snatched the canisters of cash. Holly and her boyfriend, police detective Chase Dexter, team up to catch the Christmas crook. Will they succeed in collecting enough cash to cover the Sullivans’ overdue bills? Or will someone succeed in ruining Christmas for all those involved?

An Aunt Bessie Collection - ABC


Diana Xarissa - 2016
    Elizabeth (Bessie) Cubbon, aged somewhere between free bus pass (60) and telegram from the Queen (100), has lived her entire adult life in a small cottage on Laxey beach. For most of those years, she's been in the habit of taking a brisk morning walk along the beach. Dead men have never been part of the scenery before. Aunt Bessie assumes that the dead man died of natural causes, then the police find the knife in his chest. Try as she might, Bessie just can't find anything to like about the young widow that she provides tea and sympathy to in the immediate aftermath of finding the body. There isn't much to like about the rest of the victim's family either. Aunt Bessie assumes that the police will have the case wrapped up in no time at all, then she finds a second body. Can Bessie and her friends find the killer before she ends up as the next victim?Aunt Bessie Believes that Moirrey Teare is just about the most disagreeable woman she's ever had the misfortune to meet. Elizabeth Cubbon, (Aunt Bessie to nearly everyone), is somewhere past sixty, and old enough to ignore the rude woman that does her best to ruin the first session of the beginning Manx language class they are both taking. Moirrey's sudden death is harder to ignore. Aunt Bessie believes that Moirrey's death was the result of the heart condition that Moirrey always complained about. The police investigation, however, suggests that someone switched some of the dead woman's essential medications for something far more deadly. Aunt Bessie believes that she and her friends can find the killer. But with Doona suspended from work and spending all of her time with the dead woman's long-lost brother, with Hugh caught up in a brand new romance and with Inspector Rockwell chasing after a man that might not even exist, Bessie finds herself believing that someone might just get away with murder. Aunt Bessie Considers it an honour to be giving a presentation about her research at a conference at the Manx Museum. Miss Elizabeth Cubbon is known as “Aunt Bessie” to nearly everyone in her hometown of Laxey. While she never earned a college degree, she’s become something of an expert in the history of the island that she’s called home for all of her adult life. Once she turned sixty, she stopped counting how many years that includes. Aunt Bessie considers it unfair when the entire conference schedule is thrown into disarray by Mack Dickson’s sudden arrival. Mack promises that what he has to say is important enough to warrant the upheaval. But even more turmoil follows when Bessie discovers Mack’s body only a short time after he’s finished giving his speech. Aunt Bessie considers Police Inspector Peter Corkill a poor substitute for her friend, John Rockwell. But the Manx Museum is out of Rockwell’s jurisdiction and that means Corkill is in charge of the investigation, no matter what Bessie thinks. With Corkill insisting that Mack’s death was probably an unfortunate accident, Mack’s slides that shocked the conference disappear. Bessie finds herself drawn into another investigation, and she’s determined to drag her friends, Rockwell, Doona and Hugh, in with her.

Doubt on a Limb: The Leafy Hollow Mysteries, Book 8


Rickie Blair - 2020
    

The Devil Drives A Jaguar


Suzanne Downes - 2014
    His latest case is intriguing and he gets perhaps a little too involved. Libby Richmond doesn’t believe in ghosts, messages from beyond the grave or any other superstitious nonsense – but when she returns to the old Derbyshire farmhouse to nurse her Great Aunt Lillian through the last stages of terminal illness, she finds all her beliefs turned upside down. Lil wants to discover the truth behind a long-ago family scandal before she dies – and Libby finds herself being drawn in until she too is obsessed with the outcome. Decima Watkins was hanged in 1859 for poisoning three of her older sisters. Now it seems she wants revenge! Libby realizes that there can be no happy ending to this story. Either Decima was a pathetic victim of her father’s fury and a gross miscarriage of justice, or she was the cold-blooded murderess of her own siblings. Whatever the truth, she appears to be taking out her anger on Libby, even managing to inflict physical harm on her hapless descendant. But what is really happening at Hill Farm? Libby has upset quite a few people by supporting Lil when the general opinion is that she should go quietly to a hospice and die there. Is the culprit one of those angry with Libby’s interference? Is it Brendan, the boyfriend she dumped to run off to Derbyshire to be with Lil? Or is Libby simply losing her grip on reality? DI Piper is the one who has to discover the truth when he arrests her and listens to her incredible tale.

The 9 Lives Cozy Mystery Boxed Set, #1-3


Louise Clark - 2018
    . .BOOK 1: The Cat Came Back - Young mother Christy Jamieson just learned her husband, Frank, embezzled his trust fund, sold their Vancouver mansion, and ran off with a socialite. Worse, Frank's trustees are telling Christy to let them handle it. But they aren't doing anything, and Frank's enemies are coming after her and her daughter. Desperate to find Frank and fend off his enemies, Christy asks Quinn for help. His price: the dirt on Frank. But the closer Christy and Quinn get to the dangerous truth, the more convinced they become that only the one who knows where Frank is at, is Stormy the Cat.BOOK 2: The Cat's Paw - Christy Jamieson has just confronted the person who murdered her husband Frank, when Frank's wealthy Aunt Ellen arrives unexpectedly, suitcase in-hand. Ellen's home has become a crime scene and she intends to stay with Christy. No one is happy, but the most furious member of the Jamieson household is Stormy the Cat. Wanting the woman out of her hair, Christy investigates with journalist-friend Quinn, only to discover the body on Aunt Ellen's terrace was the woman who alibied the person complicit in Frank's murder. But the deeper Christy and Quinn dig into the connection between the dead woman and Aunt Ellen, the clearer it becomes that the only one who can unravel the truth is Stormy the Cat.BOOK 3: Cat Got Your Tongue - When the rock concert Christy and Quinn are enjoying ends in a murder, the sleuthing couple are pulled into the case. Hot on the trail of a primary suspect, they discover the band's manager has also been found dead. Are the two murders connected, or are there two killers? Unfortunately, the only eye-witness--Stormy the Cat--is holding his tongue.Publisher Note: The 9 Lives Cozy Mysteries, while containing some mild profanity, will be enjoyed by readers of clean and wholesome cozy mysteries.

Falling Forward: A Man's Memoir of Divorce (Kindle Single)


Chris Easterly - 2014
    When Hollywood screenwriter Chris Easterly's wife came clean about her affair, his mind went blank. And so began the long, unimaginably difficult reconstruction of his life after marriage. Relentlessly honest and profoundly moving, 'Falling Forward' explores the emotional journey of one man's divorce, from his wife's affair to the seemingly bottomless grief that followed to his eventual healing and the realization that he would survive." -- Amazon synopsis

Style: The Basics of Clarity and Grace


Joseph M. Williams - 2012
    A guidebook for those who want to write well.

Cursing Up a Storm


Samantha Silver - 2021
    So, the local mayor trying to kill her after she exposes him as an embezzler in the local paper? All in a day's work. But when the mayor in question is found stabbed to death the next morning, Storm quickly realizes she's suspect number one, and that's a problem.Knowing she has to do some investigating before she ends up doing hard time instead, Storm rounds up a rag-tag group of other local witches who all have something to gain from the murder being solved, and voila—the Witches Murder Club is born.With the help of her new friends, and her snarky cat familiar, Storm sets about clearing her name. But Storm has her own secrets, and as she delves deeper into the investigation, she also finds herself digging into her own past. Is this a blizzard Storm is going to be able to weather, or is she about to get snowed in?

Death by Didgeridoo


Barbara Venkataraman - 2013
    Rarely leaving the house, she shares most of her days with her late mother's cranky cat.But soon, Jamie is forced into action by a frantic call from her Aunt Peg, whose autistic son Adam is in police custody and suspected of murdering his music teacher, a once-famous rock star named Spike.It's up to Jamie to find the real killer. The problem is, Spike seems to have had more enemies than he had friends, and Adam had confessed to the murder already. Can Jamie piece together the evidence and bring the murderer to justice before it's too late?A delightful, light mystery set in the small town of Hollywood, South Florida, Death By Didgeridoo is the first book in Barbara Venkataraman's Jamie Quinn Cozy Mysteries series.

The Psychic Cafe Mysteries - Box Set 1


April Fernsby - 2018
     A Deadly Delivery Things are changing rapidly for Karis. As well as filing for divorce from her unfaithful husband, she decides it’s time to make peace with her estranged sister, Erin. With trepidation, Karis visits the café which Erin owns. To her great relief, Erin welcomes Karis back into her life with open arms. During their reconciliation, a young woman, Carmel, calls into the café with a bread delivery. As Karis watches Carmel, she experiences a strong psychic vision. She sees two shadows following Carmel. Only one of the shadows belongs to Carmel — the other belongs to the person who is going to murder her later that day. With help from her sister and an old neighbour, Karis does all that she can to find out who murdered Carmel. It doesn’t help that the investigating officer is an ex-boyfriend who broke up with Karis because he couldn’t cope with her psychic abilities. Despite this, Karis won’t rest until she finds the killer. A Fatal Wedding Using money from her divorce settlement, Karis invests in her sister’s café. Not only are Karis and Erin planning to extend the café premises, they are going to hold regular craft evenings there too. A young woman, Bryony, asks if Karis and Erin can help her make a batch of wedding favours for her upcoming wedding. The sisters decide to use this as an opportunity to host their first craft evening, much to Bryony’s delight. During the craft evening, Karis receives a vision concerning Bryony and the wedding favours. It unsettles Karis to know Bryony has an enemy who wishes her harm. Things get worse when Karis foresees a murder taking place at Bryony’s wedding. Will Karis be able to stop the murder? Or will she be too late? Tea And Murder Karis suspects something is wrong when her morning cup of tea has an unusually foul taste. She dismisses that thought and goes to the café which she co-owns with her sister. There, she meets a builder called Howie McGarry. Shortly after meeting Howie, Karis has a vision which shows him being murdered by poisoned tea. To Karis’ dismay, Howie’s wife is someone who went to school with her. Once the vision is made known, Vanessa McGarry ridicules Karis and calls her by the vicious nickname she gave her at school – Krazy Karis. Vanessa tells Howie not to believe a word Karis says. Despite Vanessa’s hateful words, Karis knows she has to do something to prevent Howie’s murder. Will she stop his untimely death in time? The Knitting Pattern Mystery A knitting class is held at the café which Karis co-owns with her sister, Erin. An old knitting pattern is brought into the café and Karis is immediately drawn to it. It’s not long before Karis starts to experience visions which are brought on by the pattern, and some of those visions reveal a murder will take place soon. With a sense of urgency, Karis tries to find out who owned the knitting pattern, and if that person is linked to the murder she witnessed. As more visions come to her, Karis realises she is also dealing with a mystery from the 1950s. Is this mystery somehow linked to the murder which will occur?

Sinister Cinnamon Buns


J. Lee Mitchell - 2018
     Recipes included in each book. In Castle Creek West Virginia, rivalries run deep, but has this tiny town’s biggest rivalry finally led to murder? When widely disliked socialite Macie Dixon is found dead on the set of her cooking show, suspicion falls on her rival, elderly family matriarch, and owner of the Red Herring Inn, Liddy Lou Cormier. As the investigation heats up, friendships will be tested, and long buried secrets will come to light. With the evidence stacking up against Liddy Lou, her granddaughter Q’Bita will risk her relationship with Sheriff Andy Hansen, and her own life, to clear her Nana’s name. It will take every ounce of Q’Bita’s culinary cunning, and a little help from her best friend Jamie and brother-in-law Rene, to figure out who’s behind the sinister cinnamon buns that killed Macie Dixon. Sign up for the Red Herring Inn newsletter using the link on the About J Lee Mitchell page to get access to contests, freebies, and an inside look at upcoming books. New subscribers will receive BONUS CONTENT as a thank you for signing up.

Culinary Cozy Murder Mystery Collection


Susan Gillard - 2016
     Was her former assistant Christa murdered and if so, why? Follow Heather as she searches for clues to get to the bottom of this sweet caper. Book 2 - Maple Frosted Murder A professional and very public rivalry with the owner of the corporate cookie cutter donut shop owner, leaves Heather as the prime suspect in his murder, when his body is discovered. Health inspectors, shady business practices and a tangled web of intrigue unfold as Heather dives headfirst into the case, determined to clear her name and uncover who is the cold storage killer. Book 3 - Cadbury Creme Murder It’s springtime in Hillside, Texas, which means tornado season. A tornado rips through town, damaging property here and there. Fortunately, the damage is reparable, and only one person is found dead—Verna Dixon, an elderly widow who lived on the edge of town. At first, everyone assumes that Verna was killed by flying debris from the tornado (she was found outside, halfway between her house and her chicken coop) as she was trying to bring her chickens inside. But Detective Ryan Shepherd realizes there’s more to this death than meets the eye when he discovers that Verna was not killed by a flying piece of wood, as was originally suspected. Why would anyone want to kill Verna? That’s the question bothering Ryan and Heather. There’s no apparent motive, and no one knows seems to know where to begin looking for suspects. Did Verna know something about someone she was trying to decide whether or not to reveal? What could Verna have known? Join Heather, Ryan, and all the regulars of Hillside, Texas, as they try to figure out who killed Verna and why. The answer may surprise you! Book 4 - Tricky Blueberry Murder While visiting her grandmother's friend at Hillside Manor, Heather learns that one of the nursing home's employees, aide Betty Shivers, was found dead outside the back door earlier that morning apparently as she was arriving for her shift. Could the killer have been one of the other aides, who had recently--and very publicly--threatened to kill Betty? Could it have been Betty's ex-boyfriend, who had told her that their relationship wasn't really over? Only time and a little poking around will tell. Join Heather and Ryan as they sift through the possibilities and crank out some delicious baked goods along the way. Book 5 - Chocolate Frosted Murder After accepting Maricela’s and Angelica’s invitation to join them and their family for their Tia Teresa’s 75th birthday party, Heather is enjoying herself. But the party is interrupted by two uniformed policemen who bring bad news: Tia Teresa’s grandson, Gustavo, a beloved family member, has been shot and killed in the park. The police think it looks like a drug deal gone bad, but Gustavo’s family insists he never would have been involved with drugs. Maricela and Angelica beg Heather to investigate, and she promises to do what she can. When she discovers that the shooter’s story couldn’t have taken place the way he said it did, she becomes suspicious. But she has no proof.

The Mystery of Schroon Lake Inn: the Chronicle of a Lady Detective (Chronicles of a Lady Detective Book 2)


K.B. Owen - 2017
    Rumors of ghosts are bad enough, but when expensive jewelry disappears, the owner's livelihood is at stake. A woman's touch is needed. Pen's boss, William Pinkerton, thinks he has given her the perfect cover. She is to play the part of an eccentric spirit medium, eager to experience the purported ghostly manifestations. Unfortunately, her cover will not remain intact for long, and there are those behind the scenes who are desperate to keep the secrets of Schroon Lake Inn from coming to light. Will Pen's discoveries prove fatal? She would have to be truly clairvoyant to know....