Book picks similar to
Kidnappers and Killers by Summer Prescott


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Routine Murder (Cozy Mystery Tails of Alaska #4)


Patti Benning - 2019
    Every Tuesday morning, a local woman, her husband, and her husband’s best friend walk into Lost Bay Burgers, in the small town of Lost Bay, Alaska, and every Tuesday morning Angie Seaver serves them their breakfast. When one of the men dies suddenly, Angie seems to be the only one who is suspicious that murderous mischief is afoot. She’s convinced that he didn’t die from natural causes, and is willing to do whatever it takes to prove that she’s right. Alone, but determined, Angie digs deeper and deeper into the secrets of the town, it’s people, and their relationships. What she finds might prove her right, but it also might get her killed. Will she find out the truth, before she finds herself in a deadly situation?

Cakes and Pains (Raised and Glazed Cozy Mysteries Book 4)


Emma Ainsley - 2021
    

Sisterly Screams


Carolyn Q. Hunter - 2017
    Life takes an unexpected turn when Anna has to return to their hometown of Sunken Grove, Louisiana, and fate throws the contentious pair back together again. Unfortunately, the already-tense situation goes from bad to worse for the sisters, when a ghost appears at Sarah-Belle’s drive-in theater and restaurant, pleading with them to help bring his murderer to justice. Will the sisters be able to settle their differences and work together again in order to solve this case, or are the strange sounds of jungle drums coming from the bayou signaling their doom? Find out in this new spooky cozy mystery series by popular author Carolyn Q. Hunter.

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?

Culinary Cozy Mystery Box Set


Carol Durand - 2015
     As the town gets stirred up over what looks to be their very own version of a murder mystery tv show they can’t believe what’s happening in their little town. If it wasn’t enough that they think Ben’s a suspect, now someone has been lurking around her home after dark. Could she be next? Follow Missy and Detective Beckett as they try to figure out who real the killer is. Book 2-A Pinch of Murder With $50,000 up for grabs in a cupcake competition, Missy Gladstone has to be on her A-game, if she plans on expanding her business, but that doesn't prevent her from deciding to use the competition as an excuse to unwind in Las Vegas while she's there. When she arrives, Missy quickly learns that the reason she's been invited to compete has less to do with her culinary skills and more to do with her old childhood frenemy, who is now a big time celebrity baker with TV shows, a line of bakeware, and a chain of cupcake shops across the country. Knowing that her old rival always had a few tricks up her sleeve, it's no surprise when Missy discovers that the invitation came with ulterior motives. A sticky proposal puts them at odds once again, only this time Missy's business will be on the line. Before Missy knows what's happening, her frenemy is found dead in her hotel room and all eyes are on her. Alone, far from home, Missy will have to reach out to the only ally she has, Detective Becket, and hope that he could help her out of this confectionery mess before its too late. Book 3-Half Baked Murder Missy and Detective Becket are back in Louisiana and after all the hoopla in Vegas Missy has become so popular that she's expanding all the way across town to Darryl "The Donut Man" Davis's old shop. However Missy smells something fishy and suspects foul play when one a fellow shop owner is murdered. Could it be that the same country thugs who tried to strong-arm her into using their suppliers got a little too carried away and now someone is dead? Book 4-A Mouthful of Murder Missy is up and running again - her new store in Dellville is successful and her old shop in LaChance is being rebuilt. She’s delighted when a woman her age from California buys the ice cream shop across the street, after a few slips of the tongue, the odd hours she keeps, Missy catches on that her new friend may be hiding something that may be deadly. Book 5-Cupcakes and Murder Detective Beckett and Missy didn't bank on becoming murder suspects only a few days after arriving in sunny Cozumel. Pitted against the wild accusations of the locals, the two foreigners must discover the true motive for the crime and track down the real killer before time runs out for them both! Click the “buy now with 1 click” button at the top of the page OR Read it for FREE with Kindle Unlimited.

Thirty and a Half Excuses / Falling to Pieces / Twenty Nine and a Half Reasons / Twenty Eight and a Half Wishes


Denise Grover Swank - 1999
    

Murder on Display


Thea Cambert - 2021
    Like murder.Esme Gardner isn’t a trend setter—or a trend follower, for that matter. She likes her comfortably messy apartment, insists on a reliable internet connection at all times, and has never baked a loaf of sourdough bread or knit a pair of mittens in her life. Esme is a potato chip loving artist who appreciates a good walk-in closet.When her new friend, Ethan MacKinnon, proposes that she join him to spend Christmas in a tiny house in the middle of nowhere so that they can make money blogging about their ‘tiny house experience,’ Esme is not the least bit interested. Unfortunately, she needs money, and the job pays well, so with a little push from her friend Charlotte, Esme heads out to the tiny house on Big Wolf Lake with Ethan—a man she barely knows.Pretending to be into minimalism isn’t easy, but their job is to demonstrate the joys of hygge—the Danish art of coziness—so Esme and Ethan press on and things are actually going pretty well . . . until they discover a body. Things take a turn for the worse when the pair realizes that they’re snowed in…with a murderer on the loose.Can they solve the crime and nab the killer in time for Christmas?

Mystic Notch Boxed Set: Books 1-3


Leighann Dobbs - 2017
    Join Willa Chance bookstore owner and the cats of Mystic Notch in three magical twisty mysteries. Book 1 Ghostly Paws Middle age can be murder ... At least that’s how it seems to former crime journalist, Wilhelmina Chance, whose near-fatal accident has given her a strange side effect ... she sees ghosts. After a messy divorce sends her fleeing back to her hometown of Mystic Notch, nestled in the White Mountains of New Hampshire, Willa finds herself haunted by the tenacious ghost of the town librarian who insists Willa solve her murder. Luckily, she has lots of help, including a quirky cast of small-town characters, the cat she’s inherited from her grandmother, and her best friend, Pepper, who claims her herbal teas can work magic. But just when Willa thinks she’s discovered who the killer is, she finds out that things are not what they seem in Mystic Notch, and the case takes a strange turn that has Willa adding even some of her long-time friends to her suspect list. Can Willa find the real killer in time to keep the magical balance in Mystic Notch on the side of good, or will evil prevail? Book 2 - A Spirited Tail Middle-aged bookstore owner Willa Chance is looking forward to the opportunity of appraising a valuable private library that hasn't seen the light of day for fifty years ... until she finds a dead body in the backyard and the ghost of the home's previous owner anxiously waiting for her inside. Hampered by the persistent ghost who insists on keeping secrets from her, Willa navigates a sea of confusing clues as she struggles to uncover the connection between the recent murder and two murders fifty years ago. Is the answer contained in the secret she found in the library? Or the unusual bequest left by the long-dead owner of the house? Or maybe it has something to do with the mysterious journal that everyone seems to be after. Once again, Willa's cat Pandora has to help her figure out the clues, while she and the other cats of Mystic Notch try to keep vital mystical knowledge from getting into the wrong hands. Can Willa discover the identity of the killer in time or will she end up being the fourth victim? Book 3 - A Mew To A Kill When the ghost of a murder victim appears in Last Chance Books, middle-aged bookstore owner, Willa Chance, must find the ghost's killer or risk being haunted with its unwanted advice forever. Too bad the ghost suffers from amnesia and only has a few scant clues as to the identity of the killer. That's okay, though, because Willa has a pretty good idea who did it ... until her investigation turns up additional suspects with curious motives. Meanwhile her cat, Pandora, is on the hunt for a mystical kitten that the cats of Mystic Notch must bring into the fold before the kitten is enticed to the side of evil by a powerful foe. When Willa's own life is threatened, she enters into a race against time to figure out the identity of the killer before she becomes the next victim.

Sweet Southern Sleuths: 12 Book Box Set


Hope Callaghan - 2016
     Their aunt's attorney insists that the girls meet him at the property to discuss the specifics of the will. When the sisters arrive for the meeting, they discover that there is more...much more to the will than just inheriting a home. As the attorney prepares to go over the details of the will, one of the "stipulations" makes a dramatic appearance, along with a body that is found in the bathtub. Will the Sweet sisters turn tail and run or will they stick around to help solve the murder? Plus 11 more stories!

Zoe Donovan Boxed Set Books 1-3


Kathi Daley - 2014
    With the help of her best friends, Levi and Ellie, and her dog Charlie, she delves into a mystery as complex and multilayered as the feelings she develops for her ex-nemesis Zak Zimmerman. Halloween Hijinks is the perfect recipe, combining holiday fun with a touch of humor, a pinch of romance, and a dollop of murder. The Trouble With Turkeys: Zoe becomes entangled in a complex murder case involving a dead miser, tipsy turkeys, and an eclectic cast of edacious heirs, when she agrees to help Jeremy in his temporary job at a nearby turkey farm two weeks before Thanksgiving. Christmas Crazy: Every year between the dates of December 1 and December 24, a strange and wonderful insanity hits Ashton Falls. Most refer to this phenomenon as Christmas Spirit, but Zoe has been around long enough to know that spirit usually translates to insanity, which brings on a phenomenon she likes to refer to as Christmas Crazy. After Hometown Christmas is threatened when Santa is killed four days prior to the annual event, Zoe is pulled into a murder investigation with more twists and turns then the narrow road leading to the valley below.

Eclairs and Escapes (No-Bake Cozy Mysteries, #1)


Ramona Ransom - 2021
    In the midst of adversity, she realizes that she doesn’t have to bake in order to help her grandfather’s bakery keep going. She can pitch in by creating No-Bake items. Or can she?Nessa meets up with old friends, and makes some new ones along her way, showing her that maybe, just maybe, she can actually have a great life in Lake Wilawalo…if she can solve the murder, and successfully help save the bakery.Will she catch the killer and launch her new business?Find out in this delicious Cozy Mystery!

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.

Truffles and Troubles: Book 1 in The Chocolate Cafe Series


Valley Sams - 2016
     After the death of her beloved grandfather, Catharine “Mac” Mackenzie opens a chocolate shop in her sleepy little New England bayside town with her best friend Sabrina. Things are going well for the daring duo, until Sabrina’s landlord, one of the wealthiest women in town, is murdered. Toss in a British detective with a wicked sense of humor, a shudder-worthy encounter with a childhood friend, and you’re in for a delectable mystery experience that’ll have you on the edge of your seat!

Pineapple and Poison


Allyssa Mirry - 2019
    Ever bitten off more than you can chew? Sticky sweets can lead to a sour case of murder. Lydia Doherty is about to achieve her dream by opening up her very own saltwater taffy shop on the Jersey Shore boardwalk. A sweet dream soon turns into a nightmare, however, when a prominent local realtor is poisoned, apparently after consuming one of Lydia’s free samples. Determined to clear her name and save her business, Lydia dives into investigating, despite the potential danger. Who would have wanted the realtor dead? What was the real motive behind his murder? And why did the killer choose her delicious pineapple taffy as the way to commit this crime? Lydia is determined to get to the bottom of it all – no matter how sticky the situation becomes!

Brown Bag Murder


Evalynne Shaw - 2016
    After a local foodie, Chet Hurst, is found dead, with a bag from The Fancy Food Truck on his head, truck owner Meredith Malam instantly becomes a person of interest in the case. Refusing to let this horrifying turn of events take her out of the food truck game, Meredith dives into the mystery with the same gusto she uses to attack a new recipe. But can she find the missing ingredient in this bizarre case that hits way too close to home?