Book picks similar to
Happiness is a Smoking Gun by Alaine Allister
cozy-mystery
mystery
paranormal
fantasy
A Charming Crime
Tonya Kappes - 2012
Bubble...June Heal has nothing to lose when she relocates her homeopathic cure shop, A Dose of Darla, from the flea market booth in her home town, to a quaint shop in the cozy but unusual little town of Whispering Falls, Kentucky. Or so it seems. Cures and trouble... Whispering Falls has a lot of secrets. From talking snow globes to whispering animals not to mention a few sprinkles of fairy dust, June realizes Whispering Falls is more magical than she thought. . .literally.
Scent of a Killer
Lisbeth Reade - 2015
Which turns out to be a nice surprise, after all.But just as she’s getting to know her eccentric Aunts and learn to harness her newfound magic, a shocking murder threatens the entire world she’s just uncovered. Her mother’s best friend is found dead, with her Aunts’ fingerprints all over the murder weapon, and Ella must act to save her family.Combining forces with Rory, the cute mailman she’s been crushing on, Ella uses her skills of scent and sense to track the killer. But when clues cross social classes, Ella realizes that catching the killer could alienate Rory.Will Ella catch the killer and still get her man?
A Witch Too Late
Paula Lester - 2019
. .
For Cascade Lorne, getting out of a messy marriage was supposed to be the ticket to starting over.On the brink of her big five-oh birthday, a special delivery transforms everything she knows and plunges Cascade into a bewitching world of unexpected delights, phenomenal power, and legendary creatures turned real.But before she has time to adjust, Cascade becomes the number one suspect in the murder of a powerful figure in this strange new world.With only a sarcastic talking cat and a mysterious but totally hot neighbor to help, Cascade must unravel a decades old mystery even as the killer plots to use her as the last piece in a lethal puzzle.
Gone With The Ghost
Erin McCarthy - 2017
Except that’s exactly what happened. Ryan is very much dead, having shot himself with his own police-issued gun. Guilt and grief shouldn’t cause hallucinations though, but six months after Ryan went into the ground, Bailey is freaking out and swearing his ghost is standing in her kitchen. Which he is… Ryan claims he didn’t commit suicide, but was murdered, and he needs Bailey to help him find his killer so he can earn his ticket out of purgatory. Ryan’s counting on a stairway to heaven, as opposed to wings, since that might be a little unmanly for a cop, even a dead one. An expert in home design, with her own staging business, Bailey can tell you where to place a couch to improve flow and comfort, but solving a crime? Not her area of expertise. But with help from Ryan’s former partner, Marner, she is unraveling the mystery of what happened to Ryan that day… and unwittingly putting herself in grave danger. Murder By Design Series Book 1- Gone With The Ghost Book 2- Silence of The Ghost Book 3- Once Upon a Ghost Bestselling author Erin McCarthy offers her signature humor in this fun series about an uptight fashion-conscious home stager who finds herself stiletto-deep in murder...
Sweet Masterpiece
Connie Shelton - 2010
But her real dream is to open her own pastry shop, Sweet's Sweets.Life is a little crazy for Sam right now. At one of her break-in properties a dying woman insists that she take a small wooden box. Sam doesn't realize that the old woman was known locally as a bruja, a witch, until she begins to feel some strange effects from the box, herself.Meanwhile, at another property, she finds an unmarked grave and the authorities come to investigate. The property owner disappeared a few months earlier and Sam wonders--who is the body in the grave? A small mural in the house leads to a connection with a famous artist; a bogus will points to possible fraud; and the handsome deputy investigating the case seems completely enchanted with Sam.While Sam scrambles to fill bakery orders and keep her properties in order, she's equally intrigued with the idea of a new romance. It all makes for a delightful romantic mystery with elements of the paranormal.
Witch Is When It All Began
Adele Abbott - 2015
Private investigator, Jill Gooder, has been hired to find a serial killer because, as usual, the police can't buy a clue. Jill, the not so proud owner of a crazy, one-eyed cat, probably can't expect too much help from her PA/Secretary, Mrs V, who spends all day knitting. And just in case all of that wasn't bad enough, Jill's just about to discover she's a witch. ...break out the custard creams.
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.
Somebody Tell Aunt Tillie She's Dead
Christiana Miller - 2011
At least, that's what her cards tell her and they've never been wrong. She's evicted from her apartment, loses her job and is banned from Beverly Hills. So when the tarot cards predict her imminent demise, she uses a little magic to make her world right.Suddenly, an aunt she's never met dies, leaving Mara as her sole heir. But when Mara moves into her inherited home, she discovers Aunt Tillie never moved out. She's still one pissed-off old lady, even post-mortem, and she blames Mara's magical meddling for her death.When Mara accidentally releases a demon and awakens the spirit of the most powerful witch in history, Tillie's ready to kill her -- literally. It's the only way she can think of to save the girl from herself. The witch and the demon, however, have other plans for Mara's body.
Of Murders and Mages
Nikki Haverstock - 2017
Now she’s drawn into a madcap investigation at the casino where she's managed to snag a job. She must navigate learning her new mage abilities, a topless burlesque show, a jealous girlfriend, gamblers of all varieties, and magical chocolate cake, all while not setting herself or others on fire before the murderer makes her the next victim. A humorous adventure! "Ella's new job turns out to be more than she bargained for when she finds herself immersed in a world of mages, spells, and murder. This imaginative and addictive read is sure to please fans of mystery and magic!" Kristina B., Proofreader, Red Adept Editing
The After Hours Deception
Patti Larsen - 2019
But when an unexpected encounter with an old friend leads her to the kind of job she never expected, she not only uncovers her talents, but a dead body to boot. Deception has never been so lucrative... Welcome to Masquerade Inc. Cozy Mysteries!
Lost Souls ParaAgency and the Three Witches of Burberry
K.M. Waller - 2018
The Assignment—stop witches from creating magical chaos in the small town of Burberry, South Carolina. There’s no dead body… yet. And there won’t be if Lex Dimas takes this assignment. Forced to take on the occasional paranormal case by his manipulative grandfather, he’d prefer to spend his days striking deals in the boardroom. Instead, he’s stuck in small town Burberry searching out witches who intend to harm the unsuspecting townspeople. Only, he doesn’t come upon a group of hateful witches—instead he finds a sweeter-than-peach-pie tea shop owner who wouldn’t harm anyone. Amira Walker and her two sisters come from a long line of witches who harness the power of emotional manipulation. But the Walker girls aren’t interested in fulfilling their witchy destinies, much to the chagrin of their three powerful aunts. When Lex shows up, Amira mistakenly believes he's spelled by the aunts in a love match attempt. To her mixed delight and disappointment, she discovers he’s there to apprehend a paranormal villain. As Burberry becomes a hotbed of magical activity, Lex is sure Amira’s youngest sister is to blame. It’ll be up to Amira to prove her sister’s innocence and help Lex find the true culprit. Can they survive malicious witchcraft and come together as a paranormal investigative team before it’s too late?
Forever Charmed
Rose Pressey Betancourt - 2013
Yes, her name is Halloween. The cosmic universe is definitely playing some kind of sick joke on her. She’s the ultimate witch cliché, complete with a black cat and spooky house. Thank heavens she’s missing the warts and flying broom.When Halloween inherits her great-aunt’s manor, she decides to put the house to good use as a bed-and-breakfast. Her first guest is the sinfully good-looking Nicolas Marco, but he’s not here for the continental breakfast. Halloween discovers a ratty old book in the attic. It’s written in an unfamiliar language, and unknown to her, the tome is cursed.Halloween soon learns there’s a link between the book and her newfound talent as a necromancer. But her new skills come with a catch: the reanimated dead aren’t as cupcake-sweet as they were when they were alive. When a rival witch comes after the book, Halloween doesn’t know who to trust–the sexy vampire who says he wants to save the day, or the warlock who says he can destroy the book once and for all.Halloween had better learn fast. Because when the dead start rising, only a powerful witch can put them back under.
Haunted on Bourbon Street
Deanna Chase - 2011
What she doesn't count on is making friends with an exotic dancer, attracting a powerful spirit, and developing feelings for Kane, her sexy landlord. Being an empath has never been easy on Jade's relationships. It's no wonder she keeps her gift a secret. But when the ghost moves from spooking Jade to terrorizing Pyper, the dancer, it's up to Jade to use her unique ability to save her. Except she'll need Kane's help to do it—and he's betrayed her with a secret of his own. Can she find a way to trust him and herself before Pyper is lost?
Destiny's a Witch
Lucy May - 2018
Nothing is ever as it seems, at least not in Charm Cove, Maine. Moira Wicked—yes, that’s actually her name—moves away in the hopes she can escape her fate, or destiny, or something along those lines. She yearns to lead a normal life. A few years away teaches her one glaring lesson. It’s incredibly difficult to be normal when your first name means destiny, your last name is Wicked, and you actually do come from a family legendary for its witchy ways. Trying to keep her powers under wraps in the real world is a tad tricky. A love spell gone sideways sets in motion her return to Charm Cove for a spell. As bad luck would have it, or fate if you’d rather, she’s home for one single day when a body turns up floating in the town fountain. The oh-so-charming Charm Cove is turned upside down. Meanwhile, tourists are crowding its picturesque streets, and magic is being bottled up and sold as health remedies. Moira finds herself in the thick of the murder investigation, all the while trying to hold her nosy family and destiny at bay. Destiny comes in the form of Liam Good. A Wicked is fated to fall in love with a Good once every century. No pressure or anything. Take a visit to Charm Cove, where Wicked meets Good and where you just might find there’s almost always more than meets the eye.
Southern Spirits
Angie Fox - 2015
When out of work graphic designer Verity Long accidentally traps a ghost on her property, she’s saddled with more than a supernatural sidekick—she gains the ability see spirits. It leads to an offer she can’t refuse from the town’s bad boy, the brother of her ex and the last man she should ever partner with. Ellis Wydell is in possession of a stunning historic property haunted by some of Sugarland Tennessee’s finest former citizens. Only some of them are growing restless—and destructive. He hires Verity to put an end to the disturbances. But soon, Verity learns there’s more to the mysterious estate than floating specters, secret passageways, and hidden rooms. There’s a modern day mystery afoot, one that hinges on a decades-old murder. Verity isn't above questioning the living, or the dead. But can she discover the truth before the killer finds her?