Book picks similar to
Playing At Murder by Gillian Larkin
cozy-mystery
mystery
mystery-cozy
first-in-series
The Christmas Heist
Landis Wade - 2015
Several people want Edmonds in jail, including a man who says he works for an international toy company. Witness by witness the facts come out but who is to be believed and are there any True Believers? As the courtroom clock ticks down on Christmas Eve, it becomes clear that the fates of the defendant and Christmas are inextricably intertwined. A local newspaper reporter stirs things up by blogging about what he calls the “Trial of the Century” and tweets that the “Court’s Ruling Could Halt Christmas for Thousands.” Can an irascible judge looking toward retirement find it within himself to save Christmas?
Fowl Play
P. Bodi - 2016
All of her customers and their pets are like family. It had been a typical day at Pet Palace. Leah was going to meet some friends for dinner where she suddenly finds out one her customers had been found dead at home. Was it from natural causes or could it have been murder?
Murder on Lot B
London Lovett - 2019
The land of movie stars and perpetual sunshine has a stylish new force to be reckoned with—
Poppy Starfire, Private Investigator
. Poppy recently moved out on her own and is eager for a taste of independence and to prove to her retired Uncle Sherman that she is capable of running the Starfire Detective Agency. Her brother Jasper has also joined the agency. Poppy prides herself on being a skilled investigator but so far the cases have been scarce and to say the least uninspiring. But that all changes when Anna Colton walks through the door. Anna’s brother Roger, a famous stuntman for the local movie studio has died in a well publicized accidental fall. Only Anna’s not convinced it was an accident. It’s up to Poppy and Jasper to peel away the layers and uncover the truth.
Who killed Roger ‘Rowdy’ James?
Transport yourself back to the golden age of Hollywood in book 1 of London Lovett's brand new historical Starfire Cozy Mystery series.
Murder in the Manor
Fiona Grace - 2019
She needs to quit her job, leave her horrendous boss and New York City, and walk away from the fast life. Making good on her childhood promise to herself, she decides to walk away from it all, and to relive a beloved childhood vacation in the quaint English seaside town of Wilfordshire.Wilfordshire is exactly as Lacey remembers it, with its ageless architecture, cobblestone streets, and with nature at its doorstep. Lacey doesn’t want to go back home—and spontaneously, she decides to stay, and to give her childhood dream a try: she will open her own antique shop.Lacey finally feels that her life is taking a step in the right direction—until her new star customer turns up dead.As the newcomer in town, all eyes are on Lacey, and it’s up to her to clear her own name.With a business to run, a next-door neighbor turned nemesis, a flirty baker across the street, and a crime to solve – is this new life all that Lacey thought it would be?
Splendid Summer's Grace, Jack & Magical Cats Boxed Set
Mary Matthews - 2012
In Splendid Summer, when Grace Wentworth loses her last living relative and all her money, hot Detective and WWI Aviator Jack Brewster gets the case. Grace is learning to lead her own life instead of just following it around. Startled by Grace's lack of deference to him, Jack recognizes his romantic equal.In Emeralds, Diamonds and Amethysts, Jack, Grace, and magical Tatania battle bootleggers to find a special collection of jewels. Emeralds, Diamonds, and Ametheysts is about a code known only to women who fight for the rights of all women.One reviewer called A Christmas Feral a story that would do Charles Dickens proud. Judge Scrooge won't even heat his home for Christmas in this Roaring Twenties' short story. Judge Scrooge says that when you pay the bill, you don't feel the cold. When Judge Scrooge rules incorrectly in a cat dispute, Tatania and her companion Zeus teach him the meaning of keeping Christmas and cats.In Cher Ami, two people drop dead within minutes of each other. They appear unrelated. Grace, Jack, Tatania and Zeus reveal the story of Cher Ami, a WWI carrier pigeon with the heart of a lion. With his heart still beating in a badly wounded body, Cher Ami soared above bullets and saved a lost battalion.
Shaking the Tree (The Man with Three Names)
Michael Donohue - 2011
Out of prison, but still on parole, the only thing he wants is to keep his head down, go to work and maybe grab a cold beer at the end of his shift. He doesn't even care that the program stuck him in Essex - a nice, but nowhere small town. With his head already full of bloody and painful memories, he'd like it just fine if his past and future stayed nice and quiet.Too bad the present just got really messy.A body in a tree. A missing briefcase. A Russian hit man. A DEA agent bent on revenge. A corrupt mayor. Not to mention a sheriff with dangerous ambition. A meth lab in the woods. And some pissed off bikers. Things are suddenly very interesting in sleepy Essex county. Bodies are turning up. Secrets are coming out. Questions are being asked. Fingers are being pointed. It's not good being the new guy in a small town.
Red Picket Fences
Daphne McLean - 2019
As a stay-at-home mom, the only danger she comes across is in the true-crime novels she devours at night.But when a house fire results in the death of her two neighbors, Jennifer discovers that things are not always what they seem.By poking her nose in where it doesn’t belong, she puts herself up against a local police chief eager to close the case, a husband desperate to keep her safe, and a killer who wants her out of the way.This cozy mystery begs the question, “How well do you know your neighbors?”Get your copy today!Book One: Red Picket FencesBook Two: Body in the BegoniasBook Three: Death at a Dinner PartyBook Four: Death on Rugosa Bay
Taking the Fall
Laney Monday - 2014
Now, she’s just burned out—and burned by love. She’s ready to retire from competitive judo and pursue a new dream in a new town, with her biggest supporter, her recently divorced little sister, Blythe. But on their first day in town, Blythe falls for local sleaze-bag reporter, Ellison Baxter, and their small-town welcome is stained by Baxter’s murder. The weapon—Blythe Battle’s hair brush. In this fast-paced, fun cozy mystery, Brenna, the proud new owner of the building that formerly housed Bonney Bay’s lone recreational opportunity for kids, Little Swans Ballet, is ready to turn tutu-clad powder-puffs into little warriors by opening a judo school for kids in its place. But now she must clear her sister’s name and save her new dream from ending even more disastrously than her Olympic hopes. Brenna must deal with one crazy member of the local police force, who’s determined to see the sisters pay—and another cop, whose deep brown eyes just might drive Brenna crazy—in a way her battered heart just can’t take.
Sweet Revenge
Maisy Morgan - 2019
What she didn’t plan on was bringing Tripp, her less than thrilled fourteen-year-old grandson with her. Soon after their arrival, things start happening fast. First, Tripp gets attacked by a cat named Sweet Feet. Then the town reveals some of it’s deep, dark secrets, and, to Mary’s surprise, Preston, a local police officer, asks her out on a date. But, halfway through their date, they get interrupted…by a murder. And it wasn’t just any murder…it was the beloved local pastor. Turns out Mary and Preston make quite the detective duo. Even Tripp gets in on the detective work. But now he’s in danger. Who would want revenge on the local pastor? And will Mary be able to get to Tripp before he becomes the next victim? And how does Mary get that rainbow cake to taste so darn good?
Nuts and Dolts
Marc Jedel - 2020
See Marty before he becomes the super-sleuthing, crime-busting hero of the Silicon Valley Mystery series. In this short read, you’ll meet the lovable hero, an amateur sleuth who constantly frustrates and astounds everyone around him.Can Marty complete the retelling of a story without bumbling into yet another mystery? Nuts and Dolts is the humorous prequel novella in a refreshingly modern cozy mystery series set in Silicon Valley. If you like quirky sleuths, wacky side characters, and laugh-out-loud moments, you’ll love this offbeat whodunit.Try Nuts and Dolts to log in to a great mystery series today!
Up in Smoke
Shannon VanBergen - 2017
Geraldine is her quirky grandmother. Mix in a bunch of gun-toting grannies, an outrageous retirement home, and an unsolved mystery and there's bound to be some excitement. Follow along as Nikki and the cast of retirement home vigilantes work to solve the mystery before everything goes up in smoke. Specially priced at $0.99 for a limited time only Always FREE on Kindle Unlimited Up in Smoke is part of the Glock Grannies Cozy Mystery series. If you like fun cozy mysteries and outrageous characters, you are going to love Up in Smoke. Buy Up in Smoke and start solving your next mystery today! Always FREE on Kindle Unlimited
Undercover On The Calypso: Book One: The Cozy Cruise Mysteries
Lizzie Josephson - 2020
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”
Macaron Murder
Harper Lin - 2014
She’s dog-sitting for her parents in the posh 16th arrondissement and overseeing the family patisserie, a famous franchise known for their delectable gourmet pastries and sweets in Paris and around the world. To get off on the right foot with la gardienne, the caretaker of the apartment building, Clémence gives her a box of their luxury macarons. The next morning however, the half-eaten box of macarons is found near la gardienne's dead body. An incompetent inspector accuses Clémence of being the killer, which prompts her to clear her name and solve the case herself. Join Clémence and her friends as they solve murder cases, bake macarons and other treats, and fall in love in The City of Lights. If you like Joanne Fluke's Hannah Swensen mysteries or Leighann Dobb's Lexy Baker series, you'll also enjoy The Patisserie Mysteries. Macaron Murder is the first book in this new cozy series with an international twist, featuring delicious recipes of French pastries and desserts.
Peonies and Peril: A Cozy Animal Mystery
Sue Hollowell - 2020