Book picks similar to
A Twisted Riposte by Alyn Troy
cozy-mystery
fiction
fantasy
mystery
Perils in Provence
Carolyn L. Dean - 2018
A dangerous past life. A new mysterious boss. An old chateau with some very suspicious characters. Jennifer was happy working as a baker at the Ravenwood Inn, but when fate comes calling in the form of Gable Landon, she’s ready to jump at the new career he offers. Soon she’s globetrotting from Oregon to Bruges, then on to Provence to assess a rundown property her boss might want to buy. The charm of southern France and its food and landscape is almost intoxicating, and it doesn’t hurt that she’s made a new friend, a French bulldog named Orly. What Jennifer hadn’t expected, though, was stone cold murder. Clean language, and only rated PG because hey, there’s a murderer running around in this book.
Heard It Through the Grapevine
Lizbeth Lipperman - 2013
The problem is that Tessa is not in the coffin. Dealing with the wisecracking ghost of her sibling, Lainey and her three surviving sisters set out to fulfill Tessa's wish from beyond the grave--to find out who killed her.But hidden among the vines of the dead sister's multi-million dollar wine-making business lurks a killer who will stop at nothing to get what he wants.
Familiar Territory
Sam Cheever - 2017
She’d made a promise to herself it would never happen to her. For centuries her family has worn the badge of Familiar proudly, serving a long line of powerful Witches and becoming as formidable as the ones they served. But LA doesn’t believe she needs a Familiar alliance to be strong. Until people she cares about begin disappearing…turning up dead. Until a powerful and handsome male Witch walks into her life and forges an inadvertent magic bond while trying to save her life. Now she finds herself in exactly the position she never wanted. But she quickly realizes she can’t save her friends and family alone. So it comes down to losing her independence or watching everyone she cares about die. Will LA find a way to keep her independence and still save the people she cares about most? Or will her burning need for freedom be the cause of their deaths?
Money, Murder and Mayhem
K.P. Stafford - 2016
In twenty-four hours her world is shattered. She loses her parents and her job. Rummaging through the attic she discovers her “dead” grandmother is very much alive. She returns to her hometown; a quiet, sleepy little town perched above the sea. The disappearance and death of an elderly couple sets the town on edge. Accusations fly. The past is dredged up. Bodies are found. Some even question her return and the timing of the murders. As she joins the town constable to help solve the case, she finds herself attracted to her main suspect, Jake Donovan. Jake is handsome, charming, and secretive. Is he a threat to her or just a threat to her heart?
Murder in the Aisle
Kris Pearson - 2019
That’s until Vicar Paul and I find Isobel Crombie lying dead in a sea of flowers in the aisle of Saint Agatha’s church. Who’d kill a harmless old girl like her?In no time flat I’ve scored a house-and-pet sitting gig – Isobel’s remote seaside cottage and her two darling dogs. It comes complete with hollyhocks and seagulls and a SEAL from California who looks a lot like a younger Jon Bon Jovi. He's certainly cute, but aren’t his questions about Isobel's house a bit – well, suspicious? Then I find a secret office stuffed with alarming files about car thefts and Black Ops assassins. Maybe Isobel wasn't as harmless as we all thought? Sleuthing’s more fun than I’ve had in ages, but how safe am I on my own now things are unraveling? Little white Bichons are hopeless attack dogs.
Chicken Culprit
Vikki Walton - 2018
Discovering an old Victorian for sale in the small mountain town of Carolan Springs may be just what she needs. The beauty of Colorado beckons, so Anne heads west to start her new life.Yet, before Anne'scompletely settled in, her neighbor is found dead in his compost pile. What’s worse is that Anne’s quirky young neighbor, Kandi Jenkins, could be the killer. When Kandi begs for her help, Anne feels she has no choice but to help the young woman. However, she finds herself quickly at odds with the local sheriff. And while she uncovers more of the community's secrets, she's also exploring her awakening feelings for Sam Powers, the town's deputy coroner. Once Anne starts looking at who could be the real killer, the suspect list keeps getting longer and longer. It seems that Carolan Springs is a place of many secrets. But who would want to murder Ralph and who’s willing to kill again to keep their secret? Cast of Characters
Stewart Rogers: Ralph’s nephew who’s always turning up unexpectedly.
Hope Boswell: Doctor and herbalist who’s come home to care for her ailing mother.
Faith Boswell: Dealing with early onset dementia, she still has what some call second sight.
Eliza de French: An Ethiopian woman whose beauty hides an ugly secret.
Jeff Jenkins: Kandi’s goal-oriented husband who often travels for work.
˃˃˃ First Book in The Backyard Farming Cozy Mystery Series Chicken Culprit introduces us to Anne Fremont, a divorcee starting over in the fictional town of Carolan Springs, Colorado. With a diverse cast of characters, the locale isn’t short of personalities and suspects. With a bit of tongue-in-cheek humor that women of a certain age can relate to, Chicken Culprit takes a look at love, loss and the impact of the past in our lives. ˃˃˃ Q&A with the Author 1. Why did you decide to write a mystery series around homesteading?Mysteries have always been my favorite genre since I received my first set of Nancy Drew books. When I finally decided to write my own I knew I wanted to write about something I love and that’s homesteading or backyard farming. I live in the suburbs but our landscaping is a combination of permaculture food guilds, gardens and Xeriscape. We have chickens and are beekeepers. My chicken, Rusty, was a character in her own right. Now she’s one in my first book. 2. What advice would you give to someone who wants to start backyard farming? Decide what you want the most and do that first. Then add to it. Don’t do too much at once. You can use the simple quiz on my website to help determine the top three things for your havenstead. 3. What’s a havenstead? I believe that your home should be your haven. Homesteading has been around for hundreds of years. Now you can create your own havenstead. 4. Can you give us a glimpse into the next book? Sure! Someone and possibly a couple of someone’s are going to die. It will feature another part of homesteading and that’s around the food production side of things. In this case the main star will be the elderberry plant. The book after that will feature bees. 5.
The Return of Betty Snickerdoodle
Pepper Frost - 2021
Bea's made millions off those syrupy holiday romance novels — and now Cash wants a piece of the action! What Cash doesn’t know is that Bea’s no ordinary septuagenarian millionaire. She’s a fearless, wily ex-poker pro who loves nothing more than being underestimated. And now she’s concocted a high-stakes plan to teach Cash a lesson. It’s a gamble that just might blow up in Bea’s face. Luckily, she has a friend in her corner — Angela Garcia, the brilliant, beautiful marketer who used social media to make Betty Snickerdoodle a publishing phenomenon. Cash will stop at nothing to get what he wants. Can Bea and Angela stop him – and save their publishing enterprise – before it’s too late?
Wicked for Hire
Lotta Smith - 2016
Being cleared of any wrongdoing didn’t stop the medical school from expelling her, and it didn’t rid her of the unfortunate nickname Grim Reaper. Luckily, having a rep as the harbinger of death isn’t a total resume killer. Rick Rowling, Special Agent for the FBI’s Paranormal Cases Division recruits her to work for the Bureau. But the sexy, brilliant, outrageous loose cannon proves to be just as untouchable as the mysterious creature or creatures that may be responsible for the seemingly unsolvable murder that becomes their first case together. Instead of treating patients, Amanda’s life becomes a test of her patience and a wild ride into the wicked paranormal world where her new boss runs the show. Together they face a ghoulish force that could destroy the entire city and a grueling family dinner that could leave Amanda contemplating harakiri. It’s a battle of life and debt [student debt, that is] and saving the world has never been so funny.
Risky Relics
E.Z. Pennington - 2017
The strange thing is that Pauline had been gone for years, simply disappearing from the face of the earth. Then one day, Becky received a letter via her aunt's lawyer, telling her she'd inherited an antique shop. She wasn't a very impulsive person, but Becky took up the offer, packed up her life and moved to Rose Hollow. Rose Hollow was a tiny town in Maine, wildly wealthy and full of strange residents: there was always something going on. An uncomfortable chill runs just below the surface, belying a community that plays for keeps but plays it closer to the chest. The residents are nice, but nosy and Becky feels sort of out of place after she moves in and re-opens the store that that been closed for years. Then, after one late night, a dead body turns up in Becky's store, and it is up to her to find out who did it or risk losing her store and the new life she's just begun! This Cozy Mystery Novel is packed with quirky characters, rousing romps and a whodunnit that wraps up cleanly. No cliffhangers, no curse words and no obscenity.
Pixie Me Up
Willow Mason - 2020
Welcome to Pixie-hood! When I arrive in Oakleaf Glade to claim an inheritance, I imagine it'll run to a few hundred in a savings account. Instead, I receive an entire house! I'd thank my lucky stars except for the experiences that come part and parcel with the arrangement. Things like my hair turning bright pink and trending skywards, or a kitten who I swear can understand me when I talk. But when a ghost shrieks me awake at night, warning that if I stay I'll die just like my great aunt Esmerelda, I'm ready to put my boots on. Except my inheritance runs deeper than a title deed, it's lodged in my DNA. As the youngest daughter of a youngest daughter, I'm a Pixie, pink hair and all. Luckily, I've made some fast friends in town already because I'll need all the help I can get!
The Inconvenient Corpse (A Maggie & Jasper Caper Book 1)
Barbara Cool Lee - 2021
Cupcakes and Cyanide
P.L. Harris - 2018
One sweet taste could be her last. Charlotte McCorrson has spent her entire life building her business, CC’s Simply Cupcakes. The town of Ashton Point is her home and she’s garnered a reputation of stellar service and delightful pastries, one nibble at a time. But everything isn’t as sweet in the sleepy, coastal town as Charlotte would like to think. She is in for a rude awakening and no amount of sugar will make this medicine go down any smoother. After catering a large town-wide event, Ashton Point’s morning newspaper fills Charlotte McCorrson with an icy sense of dread. The headlines scream Cupcake Killer! and put the blame squarely on CC’s Simply Cupcakes. When bodies begin to pile up behind her confectionary goodies, Charlotte must prove that while her cupcakes are delicious, they aren’t literally to die for—before she ends up in jail for a crime she didn’t commit. This is Book 1 in The Cupcake Capers Series and may contain elements of humour, drama and danger. However, it will definitely not contain any of the following potentially lethal substances: Swearing or profanity. Gore or graphic scenes. Cliff-hangers or unsolved endings.
A Maryland Witch (Witches of Crabtree Bay Book 1)
Catherine Mesick - 2019
While the town is still reeling from the news, Chloe’s high school rival is attacked and another young girl is placed under the infamous Sleeping Beauty Curse. Suspicious eyes soon turn to Chloe, and the whole town believes she is guilty. As Chloe investigates the attacks, with a little help from the handsome but irritating Professor Mike Fellowes, she discovers that there may be a deeper and deadlier plan afoot—one that’s focused on her. Can Chloe unravel the mystery in time? Or will she fall prey to the malevolent figure lurking in the shadows?
Mischief in Dog Town - The Complete Series
Sandy Rideout - 2020
In “Dog Town,” the furry rascals and rescues are at the center of every mystery, every love story, and every small-town scandal.Each book stands alone, telling a complete pet-focused mystery, along with a clean and comic romance. One story builds on another as we follow this lovable, makeshift family of daring rescuers through a year-in-the-life of a dog-crazy town. Can this small army of strong women, good men and clever dogs bring down a corrupt mayor--and have fun doing it?Dive into the complete 11-book series and immerse yourself in nearly 2,000 pages of heartwarming hilarity.Warning: Mystery, mayhem and mischief may abound in Dog Town but no one ever dies!