Roots of Murder


Janis Harrison - 1999
    But for the newly svelte Bretta, the flower business in River City, Missouri, is more than just wreathes, zinnias, or roses. It's about people, joy, grief, and love. And now, it is also about murder...Isaac Miller was a quiet Amish farmer found dead in his own field of carmine asters, baby's breath and statice. When Isaac's brother, suspicious of the authorities, asks Bretta to intervene in the investigation, she enters the world of the devout, isolated Amish, their not always-so-understanding neighbors, and a thorny patch of deals between flower growers and purveyors. Soon, Bretta knows that someone wanted something that Isaac had kept secret. But finding out what that is will mean weeding out some dangerous truths from some deadly lies-and cutting a killer down to size...

Deadly Appearances


Gail Bowen - 1990
    All of the key people in Boychuk’s life – family, friends, enemies – are there. Boychuk steps up to the podium to make a speech, takes a sip of water, and drops dead. Joanne Kilbourn, in her début as Canada’s leading amateur sleuth, is soon on the case, delving into Boychuk’s history. What she finds are a Bible college that’s too good to be true, a woman with a horrifying and secret past, and a murderer who’s about to strike again.

Bad Housekeeping


Maia Chance - 2017
    So when her glamorous, eccentric Great Aunt Effie arrives in town and offers a job helping to salvage the condemned Stagecoach Inn, what does Agnes have to lose? But work at the inn has barely begun when the unlikely duo find the body of manipulative Kathleen Todd, with whom Agnes and Effie both have recently had words. Words strong enough to land them at the top of the suspect list.The pair have clearly been framed, but no one else seems interested in finding the real murderer and Agnes and Effie's sleuthing expertise is not exactly slick. Nevertheless, they're soon investigating a suspect list with laundry dirtier than a middle school soccer team's and navigating threats, car chases, shotgun blasts, and awkward strolls down memory lane.In Bad Housekeeping, the first novel in the Agnes & Effie cozy mystery series by Maia Chance, danger mounts, deadlines loom, ancient knob-and-tube wiring is explored, and the ladies learn a thing or two about the awful, wonderful mistake that is going back home.

Margarita Nights


Phyllis Smallman - 2009
    In a small Florida beach town, Sherri Travis is a bartender with attitude and a woman with an inconveniently murdered husband who turns out to be as much trouble to her dead as he was alive. Sifting through the debris of Jimmy's life, Sherri finds more than a few people who wanted her lying, scheming, scam artist husband gone but which one actually did the deed?"

Cast Iron Will


Jessica Beck - 2015
    Introducing CAST IRON WILL, Book 1 in the brand new cozy mystery series, the Cast Iron Cooking Mysteries, from New York Times Bestselling Author Jessica Beck! When a customer is murdered on the front porch of the Cast Iron Store and Grill with one of their favorite skillets, fraternal twins Pat and Annie must solve the crime, or they just might be next items on the killer’s to-do list.

Fudge-Laced Felonies


Cynthia Hickey - 2008
    This discovery sets Summer and her candy-making aunt on a search for a killer. As Summer gets closer to the truth-not only of the theft but of her true feelings for Ethan-the diamond thief hatches a plan to hush the feisty sleuth.

The Corpse with the Silver Tongue


Cathy Ace - 2012
    All of the guests fall under suspicion, including Welsh-Canadian professor Cait Morgan. A criminologist who specializes in profiling victims, Cait sets out to solve the murder—and clear her name. Add to this the disappearance of an ancient Celtic gold collar said to be cursed and there you have the ingredients for a Nicoise salad of death, secrets, and lies. Will Cait find the killer before she, too, falls victim to a murderer driven by a surprising and disturbing motive?The Corpse with the Silver Tongue is the first in the Cait Morgan mystery series, a classic whodunit series featuring the eccentric Professor Cait Morgan.

Murder at Markham


Patricia Sprinkle - 1988
    When another body turns up, Sheila knows something has to be done. Will she be able to handle the academic infighting in time to prevent another murder?

A Pint of Murder


Alisa Craig - 1980
    Accident, says Dr. Druffitt. Murder, says neighbor Janet Wadman. And says it again when she finds the doctor dead, too. Detective Inspector Madoc Rhys, of the royal Canadian Mounted Police, agrees. But who's the killer...the town miser, who wants the one thing only Mrs. Treadway could have given him? The miser's son who's panting for the doctor's daughter? Widow Druffitt, who's holding secret meetings with unlikely people? The hired girl who listens at keyholes? The hired man who hides in haylofts? It's an awful mess...and when Rhys gets it sorted out, he faces an even tougher problem of his own. This is #1 in Madoc & Janet Rhys Series.

Decked in the Hall


J. New - 2022
    But tragedy strikes when one of the villagers dies. Mobile librarian Penny Finch, an avid mystery reader, immediately suspects foul play.With bumbling PC Bolton out of his depth, and Inspector Monroe new to the area, it’s up to Penny and her rescue puppy Fischer to help solve the crime. But under the surface of this idyllic English village lurk secrets and lies.Will Penny be able to dig beneath the shine to get to the murky truth? Can Fischer help sniff out the red herrings and unearth the clues they need to catch a murderer?Or will their nose for trouble lead them down the wrong track entirely?Get your paws on the first cozy mystery featuring sleuthing duo Finch & Fischer, and follow them as they attempt to solve a serious of crimes in the six villages and hamlets that make up Hampsworthy Downs.

Confession Is Murder


Peg Cochran - 2012
    When her brother-in-law's body falls out of the confessional at church, everything she holds dear is threatened, especially when the police arrest her husband for the murder. Plagued by hot flashes, a thickening waistline, a mother addicted to the home shopping channel and tempted by a sexy old flame come back to town, Lucille really has her hands full. But while Lucille may not know much about solving crimes, she does know her patron saints. With some prayers, fast thinking and even faster talk, Lucille manages to nail the killer and restore order to her life.Lucille's number one favorite patron saint: St. Jude, patron saint of lost causes. Because Bernadette is pregnant and unmarried, her boyfriend is in jail, Lucille's husband might be playing around, her best friend could be a murderer, and Lucille has gained ten pounds thanks to her latest diet.

How to Murder a Millionaire


Nancy Martin - 2002
    They gave me the land--and a property tax bill for two million dollars. Which is why I, Nora Blackbird, a former socialite who never really held a job in all of my thirty-one years, found myself in dire need of a paycheck. . ."Now Nora has a job as a society page columnist for a Philadelphia paper. This down—and almost,—out former debutante is happy to reclaim her place within the city's elite. Until her first party assignment, when she stumbles upon the murdered body of the host—a millionaire art collector and old family friend. Her sisters—sexy, hard-edged Emma and flaky earth mother Libby, who has her hands full with husband number two and four kids—only complicate matters as Nora investigates. And meanwhile the son of a rumored New Jersey crime boss is pursuing her with bone-melting come-ons she can barely resist. Priorities, Nora, think priorities...

A Killer in King's Cove


Iona Whishaw - 2015
    When she finds herself happily settled into a sleepy hamlet nestled in the idyllic interior of British Columbia surrounded by a suitably eclectic cast of small-town characters she feels like she may finally be able to put her past to rest.But then a body is discovered, the victim of murder, and although she works alongside the town’s inspectors Darling and Ames to discover who might have possibly have motivation to kill, she unknowingly casts doubt on herself. As the investigation reveals facts that she has desperately tried to keep a secret, it threatens to pull her into a vortex of even greater losses than the ones she has already endured.A clever postwar mystery that will appeal to fan of historical mysteries with women sleuths like the Maisie Dobbs series by Jacqueline Winspear or the Bess Crawford series by Charles Todd.

Drawing Conclusions


Deirdre Verne - 2015
    When Teddy is found dead at the lab where he worked for their father, CeCe's efforts to mourn the tragic loss are interrupted by several attempts on her own life.CeCe is naturally drawn in to the investigation, teaming up with Detective Frank DeRosa, the officer assigned to protect her. Together, they begin looking into the circumstances surrounding Teddy's death, only to discover the truth may be found closer to home than they think--in CeCe's own paintings.Praise: Verne's mystery is a winner, with plenty of twists and turns, an intriguing heroine and an ending that shocks in more ways than one.--Kirkus ReviewsDeirdre Verne imbues CeCe with intelligence and humor, and the snappy repartee between characters is delightful.--Mystery Scene[An] exciting series debut.--Library JournalThe amazing plot twist and memorable characters in Drawing Conclusions will leave you thinking about this book long after you've put it down. Deirdre Verne is a writer to watch!--Jess Lourey, author of the Murder-by-Month MysteriesA mysterious murder, a gutsy heroine, a determined cop, and a villain you would not want to cross in a dark alley--everything you want in a mystery, it's all here. A fun read, right down to the eye-popping final twist.--Mary Louise Kelly, author of Anonymous Sources

Misfortune Cookies


Linda P. Kozar - 2008
    They share a passion of food and fun. But one day, over lunch in a Chinese restaurant, Lovita opens a fortune cookie with a sinister message: “Your father was murdered. . .” a clue that leads them to God, an international spy ring and several devastatingly handsome strangers. A most unlikely pair of detectives, these girlfriends “Comb” the countryside with style, sarcasm, and lots of Szechwan. This tale is like good take-out food–definitely worth bringing home.