Book picks similar to
The Calling by Amber Foxx


cozy-mystery
mystery
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Bath Bombs & Beyond: A Fanny Doyle Cozy Ghost Mystery


Violet Patton - 2019
    Opening a bath shop on Bathhouse Row wasn't fun, it was deadly. Patti swipes the shop's plate-glass window one last time. Tumbles off the stepladder and cracks her noggin on the sidewalk. She wakes with the ability to communicate with Fanny Doyle, Al Capone's former seamstress. Will Patti and Fanny must solve the poisoned bath bomb mystery and save the shop's budding reputation before it's too late? Bath Bombs & Beyond, is the first book in Violet's trilogy: A Fanny Doyle Cozy Ghost Mystery,. If you like ghosts, historical towns, and edge-of-your-seat mysteries, then you'll love this fun new series.

Raining Men and Corpses


Anne R. Tan - 2014
    Raina Sun is a typical graduate student trying to keep her head above water as the bills roll in from a lawsuit disputing an inheritance from her dysfunctional family. Then her dashing college adviser cons her out of several months of rent. Her quest to get her money back sets into motion a streak of bad luck. First, she finds the dead body of an ex-lover and becomes the prime suspect to his murder. The only man she ever loved reappears as the lead detective to the case and wants to reignite their passion (or at least he’s sending out smoke signals). Her life careens out of control as her best friend does whatever it takes to get the inside scoop for the town’s newspaper. And her grandma moves into Raina’s postage-stamp-sized apartment, dragging a red suitcase and trouble. The family secret Raina has been running away from is now staring at her across the dining room table every morning.Raina must figure out how to extract herself before things get dicey. There is no place for an amateur when it comes to murder. The eclectic cast of characters in this amateur sleuth mystery will have you scratching your head and laughing until the end.

Admit to Mayhem


D.J. Adamson - 2014
    We prefer the charade that we are in control. Lillian Dove, however, is constantly reminded she has very little control over her life and only has the ability to move to the choices that come her way. The Lillian Dove Series is a journey in recovery. While Lillian is a recovering alcoholic, like many who struggle with addictions come to understand, stopping drinking does not mean life returns to normal. However, as this series begins, Lillian does realize she has compulsions and addictions to many things, not just Absolut. How we handle dependency and denial is what allows for choice. In Admit to Mayhem, Lillian needs to admit her life has become unraveled again when she becomes an eyewitness to arson. Probing into a cold case of arson sixty years ago and the arson she witnessed at the beginning of this novel helps her admit to some of her own life’s challenges and successes. Admit to Mayhem, offering comedic dysfunction, is not only a suspenseful mystery but an important step for Lillian’s self-identity--and possibly for the reader’s.Admit: I admit that my life has become unmanageable.

Craks in a Marriage


Barbara Barrett - 2018
    A few days later, the husband is found dead, his head bashed in. Fearing she’ll be considered the most likely suspect, the widow prevails upon Sydney and her three friends—Marianne, Kat and Micki—to find out who really killed him. Though none of these four fun-loving, take-charge retirees has any training as detectives, the women agree to launch a secret investigation. As they dig under the happy veneer of their community’s social life, they find more than enough suspects, from shady ladies to resentful golf buddies, to keep them looking over their shoulders. Could the murderer be lurking among the talent in a chaotic production put on by Sydney’s husband, who will do anything to keep busy in retirement? Could the sheriff, who may have more than a professional interest in chanteuse Kat, end up pinning the crime on the women instead? Each discovery during their investigations and their weekly mah jongg game keeps them running as they close in on the killer—but the killer may also be closing in on them. This cozy mystery, the first in the Mah Jongg Mystery series, features four retired amateur sleuths who live in the small Florida town of Serendipity Springs, all female and all friends who play the game of mah jongg together. Though they don't set out to investigate murder, after their first experience in this story, others start looking to them to help investigate subsequent homicides and questionable accidents. In this first book, Sydney Bonner takes the lead, although she turns to her three friends for help. Though this series features four protagonists, the others will take the lead in subsequent stories. Two are married, one is divorced and the fourth, who has been single all her life while she tended to her ailing mother, now finds herself the object of the sheriff's attention in this series. The four don't seek out murder; somehow the circumstances and those affected drag them in. Meanwhile, as they attempt to gather information, life goes on in their community in such activities as a women's club, a social group for those over 50, real estate transactions, numerous stops at the local coffeehouse, and even a shopping trip to Naples. Sydney's husband, Trip, and her friend Marianne Putnam's husband, Beau, are golf buddies who spend many a day on the course. When not there, Trip is busy seeking to build a new post retirement life, and Beau is often prevailed upon to join in Trip's latest activity, which in this first book is a town follies. Kat Faulkner has lived a frugal life until winning big in a lottery shortly after her mother's death; suddenly, Kat has money and doesn't know how to spend it. But her divorced friend and freelance writer, Micki Demetrius, does, even if it's to guide Kat through a makeover and wardrobe change for her lounge act. This cozy mystery is the first book in the Mah Jongg Mystery series. Barbara Barrett is already published in contemporary romance. She is a member of the Mystery/Romantic Suspense chapter of Romance Writers of America. Like her protagonists, she is retired and is a resident of Florida, although she spends her summers in her home state of Iowa. She spent over three decades as a human resource management analyst with Iowa state government. She can be contacted at barbarabarrett747@gmail.com. Check her website at barbarabarrettbooks.com.

American Goth


Cyn Mackley - 2016
    Trinity’s ready to lace up her Doc Marten boots to be a church lady and bake pies for the county fair, but is her hometown ready to welcome her back? With some help from her old friend Deputy Bobby Grace, she tries to solve the mystery of her Grandfather’s death and track down just who has been hell-bent on ruining her reputation. What she finds out could get her killed. You can take the girl out of the country, put red streaks in her hair, and dress her all in black, but you can’t take the country out of the girl. Pitchfork in hand, this American Goth is ready to find a killer, save the farm, win a blue ribbon for jam, and just maybe snag herself a good ole country boy.

Vetted for Murder: A Tori Mulligan Mystery


D.W. Earnhardt - 2021
    But when a real-life murder mystery lands at her feet, she discovers that everyone has secrets—some more deadly than others. The sticky situation is further complicated by a handsome widower, an adorable dog, and a slew of sketchy characters. Can the sassy southern sleuth find “whodunit” without adding herself to the body count?

The Case of the Power Spell


Amorette Anderson - 2018
     Business is slow for Penny, the only PI in a small box-canyon town nestled in the mountains of Colorado. When the town mayor offers Penny a case, she can’t turn it down. While Penny struggles to unravel the case, she also has to figure out if she’s really capable of working magic. An ancient book told Penny that it was her destiny to become a witch, but if that’s true wouldn’t she be better at it? It’s a good thing Penny’s knitting circle is willing to lend a hand! A hunky vampire, a blue-haired rival witch, and a high-maintenance Chihuahua named Blueberry Muffin help (and hinder!) Penny along the way.

The Lucky Cat


Lisa Shea - 2014
    She turned in her badge, moved up north, and set up shop as a private investigator in historic Salem, Massachusetts. Now she's surrounded by wiccans and herbalists, by crystal shops and psychic pizza-deliverymen. And her first client has just stepped in the door. The Lucky Cat is the very first entry in the Salem Massachusetts Mini Mystery series. These short stories will be written and loaded one a day from October 1 through October 31, 2014. Lisa has lived in scenic Massachusetts since 1986, with only two brief forays out of state. One of Lisa’s ancestors was Ann Foster, who died during the Salem Witch Trials. Ann Foster was a grandmother by that time and sacrificed herself to protect her daughter and granddaughter. Ann had been born in England, came over in 1635, and was 75 by the time of the trials. Salem reached its dark depths during those trials from 1692-1693 - but since then has healed, blossomed, and shines. It now features the amazing Peabody Essex Museum, a plethora of gorgeous historic architecture, and a beautiful coastline. It's well worth a visit. If you can't go in person, take a virtual trip through Lisa's first-hand descriptions!

One Tequila


Tricia O'Malley - 2015
    The original cover edition is here.Tequila Key is just like any other small town and I'm just like any other small town psychic. Scratch that. Tequila Key is a world onto itself and some people might think that I am one crayon short of the box. And, if we're being totally honest, Tequila Key is just like any other small town – if that town boasts a voodoo priestess and a few white witches for flavor. Turquoise blue water and the best margaritas this side of Mexico make it hard to leave. I'm Althea Rose, co-owner of Luna Rose Potions & Tarot Shop, and I've just stumbled into a love triangle while trying to save my best friend from being accused of murder. See? Just like any other small town.

Pooches, Pumpkins, and Poison


Carolyn Ridder Aspenson - 2020
    Widow Missy Kingston takes on the job of a lifetime—and it’s not the one at her town’s animal shelter. It’s Halloween season, and the local animal shelter’s pooch adoption manager, Missy Kingston, is excited to show off the available dogs at her town’s Halloween festival!But when she discovers the festival’s organizer dead in a pile of pumpkins, Missy’s convinced there’s more to the story than meets the eye.When Missy sets out to investigate the murder on her own, what she discovers could solve the case—but only if the killer doesn’t get to her first.

Tail Wagging Trouble


Leona Fox - 2016
    Now, Ellen is fully invested in finding the murderer. With handsome police chief Andy, her precocious friend Kelly, and Scampy the dog by her side, Ellen is determined to find the killer before he or she goes free.

Annabelle Archer Box Set


Laura Durham - 2018
    When it comes to solving murders, she always closes the case. 4 books. 800+ pages of wedding cozy mysteries that are dressed to kill. Annabelle Archer is D.C.’s premier wedding planner for happy couples and marital bliss… until a string of murders puts a bloody blemish on her otherwise spotless record. In all her years in the marriage business, she’s never confronted a wedding day disaster as daunting as her guest list’s climbing death rate. Armed with nothing but her impeccable taste and an eye for detail, she’s determined to take down any killer who dares to ruin her client’s big day. From socialite circles to catering kitchens to drag queen competitions, there’s no place Annabelle won’t go to bring the culprits to justice. With danger lurking behind every picture-perfect gazebo, Annabelle must catch the culprits or the next ceremony she’ll attend will be her own funeral.Annabelle Archer Wedding Planner Box Set contains three books and one novella from an award-winning cozy mystery series PLUS two never-before seen bonus epilogues. If you like lighthearted humor, eccentric characters, and a peek behind the veil of high-society wedding celebrations, then you’ll love Laura Durham’s bridal bonanza. Get Annabelle Archer Wedding Planner Box Set to uncork a series of fun whodunits today!

Amanda Cadabra and The Hidey-Hole Truth


Holly Bell - 2018
     After all, her family’s bus went over a Cornish cliff. Now the presentable but irritating Inspector Trelawney is dogging her footsteps as he investigates the unexplained deaths. But that’s the least of her problems. Amanda has just got a furniture restoration job at the old English Manor of Sunken Madley with its murky past. Armed only with a wand and Tempest, her grumpy reincarnated cat, she’s going in. A body, ghosts, hidden tunnels, chills and unexplained lights; can Amanda solve the mystery in time and save the village from the scandal of murder?Please note that to help the reader to be immersed in Amanda's world, this British-set story uses British English spelling, grammar and usage, and includes accents, dialects and a magical language.

Maciek's Story


Ian C.P. Irvine - 2013
    Thanks to modern medicine, they are given a second chance. A second chance to live, and another chance to kill. Haunted From Within is a fast paced contemporary suspense medical thriller, based upon a true medical mystery that scientists and doctors do not yet understand. It is based upon fact: a true medical phenomena that defies belief and almost everyone is unaware of! Be one of the first to discover it! Warning: This is just a story, a fast-paced thriller written to entertain you...but because it is based upon fact, - which you can verify for yourself -, it will leave you wondering and talking about the definition of 'life' itself! The Story When Peter Nicolson, a reporter with the Edinburgh Evening News, is the 'lucky' recipient of a kidney transplant that saves his life, he is one of the first people in the world to be treated with the new genetic wonder drug 'SP-X4'. Yet as he recovers, his personality begins to change, and he discovers that he can see visions of unsolved killings committed by a murderer that no one has ever caught. Peter sets out to solve the murders, to track down the killer, and find out the truth behind his visions. As he uncovers a trail of death that stretches across the United Kingdom and Europe, the makers of 'SP-X4' watch his actions from afar, anxious that he will uncover the incredible truth behind their new drug treatment, and conspire to make sure he does not succeed in revealing it to the world. In Peter's vision, there are seven knives. So far, there have only been six murders. Can he solve the case before a seventh life is taken? If he can't, who will be last to die? Haunted From Within culminates in a surprise ending that few will predict.

A Dash of Peach


Wendy Meadows - 2017
    But what fewer people know is that Momma is also a bit of an amateur detective.One bright morning, her friend Michelle Chan pays her a visit and tells her that a strange man has been poisoned by her famous pie. Of course, Momma Peach wants nothing more than to find the culprit. But it is a lot harder than it looks.As Michelle and Momma's investigation goes on, more bodies begin to drop. Momma Peach and her loved ones are threatened by a dangerous killer with an agenda. It is up to the two ladies to keep the townsfolk safe from a murderer whose roots go deeper than either of them could ever imagine.Can Momma Peach, Michelle and their friends uncover the truth about the murders? Or will their faith and determination not be enough and they find themselves faced with even more deaths? Find out in this gripping cozy mystery by Wendy Meadows - and make sure to stock up on sweet tea and cobbler!