Book picks similar to
Northwest Cozy Mysteries #1 by Dianne Harman


book-first-in-series
book-second-in-series
contemporary
mystery-thriller-suspense-cozy

The Knitty Kitties Mysteries Books 1-3


Tracey Drew - 2021
    Included are:Knitted & Knifed: I’m a former high school counsellor, middle-child peacemaker, and current curator of lots of squishy/fuzzy goodness at my granddad’s little yarn store. Temporary assistant. Until I decide what to do with the rest my life. There’s only one knotty problem to untangle first. The knife sticking out of the most unpopular man in town, and the police detective trying to pin the murder on the donkey—otherwise known as my younger brother. With a pair mischievous cats determined to be underfoot and a craft group of Serial Knitters and Happy Hookers wanting the inside scoop, a girl could lose her mind. And if the killer has their way, maybe even my life…Purled & Poisoned: The Serial Knitters and Happy Hookers in the store’s Craft for Calmness group have been busy creating booties and baby blankets for a christening fit for a prince. But when I stumble onto the little prince’s fatally poisoned mother, a right royal mess ensues. The kid’s paternity is in question and I’m tasked to sniff out the baby daddy as a favour for a frenemy—don’t ask. I did, and now the bodies are piling up and a killer just might use my cupcake addiction against me.Hanks & a Hitman: More exciting than a delivery of rainbow colored wool is the news of movie location scouts in the area, though not everyone believes all publicity is good publicity. Game on between landowners to secure such a lucrative deal. I can’t help being caught up in movie fever, until I stumble onto one of those landowners, face down in a kitty litter tray. Deader than dead thanks to an unknown assailant. With dating disasters aplenty both online and in-real-life and a hitman on the loose, things couldn’t get much more murderously crazy in Cape Discovery. If only that were true…

The Orbs Series: Books 1-4


Nicholas Sansbury Smith - 2021
    Sophie Winston and her team of scientists find themselves cut off from the rest of the world. Trapped inside a biosphere deep within the confines of Cheyenne Mountain, Sophie and crew discover they are the survivors of a brutal alien invasion. But as they struggle to stay alive, they realize their safe haven is far from safe and that they must team with other survivors around the world to defeat the aliens before it's too late for humanity, and the Earth.

Signs of Life Series Boxed Set, Books 1 - 3


Creston Mapes - 2021
    

Raina Sun Mysteries: Books 1-3


Anne R. Tan - 2016
    For readers who like cozy mysteries, quirky characters, a dash of humor, and Chinese-American culture. Raining Men and Corpses  Graduate student Raina Sun is trying to keep her head above water as the bills roll in when her dashing college adviser cons her out of several months of rent. But her quest to get her money back sets into a 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 grandma moves into Raina’s postage-stamp-sized apartment, dragging a red suitcase and trouble. Raina summons her sleuthing skills to extract herself before things get dicey. There is no place for an amateur when it comes to murder. Gusty Lovers and Cadavers Graduate student Raina Sun thought she knew what she was getting herself into when she volunteered to take the new foreign exchange student shopping on the last weekend before Christmas. But between a riot for the last hot toy of the season and an abandoned baby, the holiday is a season for mayhem, and sometimes it doesn’t pay to be a Good Samaritan. She wants to reunite the infant with his family, but calling the mysterious phone number in the diaper bag leads to more questions than answers. A strange man claims to be the child’s father, and his alleged mother turns up dead. Raina summons her sleuthing skills to protect this baby and soon discovers everyone has a few skeletons in their closets. With her pimp-cane-toting grandma, she faces an ex-boyfriend bringing sexy back as well as a murderer determined to hide the truth. Breezy Friends and Bodies Raina Sun thought cleaning her grandma's house in San Francisco to prepare for Chinese New Year would be a breeze. Instead, she finds her deceased grandfather’s secret journal and ends up French kissing the train tracks in a mugging incident. After putting the move on her grandma, her grandfather’s BFF took an elevator ride straight to the Heavenly Gates. And the second time Raina ends up flat on her back without a man in sight, she suspects the Year of the Monkey would leave her skulking in cold damp places where family secrets are better off dying with the dead.

Kiki Lowenstein Cozy Mystery Books 7-13


Joanna Campbell Slan - 2019
    It’s enough to make a scrapbooker see red. Determined to save the man she loves, Kiki vows to track down the real killer.BOOK #8 – GROUP, PHOTO, GRAVETHE WEDDING WAS WONDERFUL, EXCEPT FOR THE CORPSE IN THE PUNCH BOWL. Kiki has knocked herself out to make her mother-in-law’s wedding picture perfect, but a dead body is always a disaster. When the bride gets blamed, Kiki relies on her nose for clues as she sniffs out the killer.BOOK #9—KILLER, PAPER, CUTA HALLOWEEN HACK JOB CUTS DOWN ONE OF KIKI’S FRIENDS. When an event at a spooky historical mansion becomes a venue for a stabbing, Kiki refuses to let the slasher get away with carving up one of her dearest friends.BOOK #10 – HANDMADE, HOLIDAY, HOMICIDEA PREGNANT KIKI WATCHES IN HORROR AS A WOMAN DIES UNEXPECTEDLY IN A HOLIDAY CLASS. When one of Kiki’s besties is unfairly blamed, the intrepid (and very pregnant) amateur sleuth pulls up her big girl maternity panties and discovers someone has been not nice and very naughty indeed. BOOK #11 – SHOTGUN, WEDDING, BELLSKIKI’S WEDDING IS INTERRUPTED BY GUNSHOTS AND HER NEW HUSBAND GOES DOWN. Two weeks from her due date, a pregnant Kiki traces the hired hitman to a “gentleman’s club.

Whisling Island Series Books 1-3: Inspiring Women's Fiction


Julia Clemens - 2021
    Sunset on Whisling Island - Meet Bess, Olivia, Deb, and Gen as they endure and overcome loss. A visit to the beautiful island just off of the coast of Washington State will change you. You'll laugh, cry, and rejoice with these wonderful women as they navigate through life.New Beginnings on Whisling Island - After darkness, there will always be light. A new beginning. Join the women of Whisling on this next thrilling and lovely chapter of their lives as they find purpose, love, and discover who they really are.Sisters and Sunrises - The women of Whisling are back! Through the mess and craziness of life's ever-present changes, the women continue to rely on each other. And they're reminded that even after the longest of nights, the sun always rises again.

Lieutenant Kane Thrillers


E.H. Reinhard - 2016
    His day-to-day consists of decomposing dead bodies and removing murderers from the general public. But when two women’s bodies are found under similar circumstances, it quickly turns into more than your average case. The killer is clearly looking to make a name for himself, and his plans for these women go far beyond death. When the media runs with the story, the killer’s moment in the spotlight arrives. It’s up to Lieutenant Kane to bring the man the press has dubbed the Psycho Surgeon to justice. However, being the lead on the case has its drawbacks—like becoming the focus of the killer yourself. As Lieutenant Kane closes in on his suspect, he soon realizes the case has become far more personal than he could have ever imagined. Requite: Book Two in the Cases of Lieutenant Kane Series Tampa homicide lieutenant Carl Kane is enjoying a new work schedule, a budding romance off duty, and a lull in recent murders—that is, until he’s requested to a murder scene in a neighboring district. A seemingly normal husband and wife are found bludgeoned to death with words carved into their flesh. The partial message left in the victims ensures more bodies will follow. It doesn’t take long before they do. Kane quickly realizes that this is revenge in its most sinister form. He must bring the man behind the murders to justice before the message is complete, the body count rises, and the killer disappears forever. A tall task when everyone involved is either dead or deceitful. Determinant: Book Three in the Cases of Lieutenant Kane Series On duty, Tampa homicide lieutenant Carl Kane hunts for the killer of a woman found floating in the Hillsborough Bay. As he tracks down leads, more and more pieces of the suspect’s description trickle in. When evidence from a seemingly unrelated double homicide points to the same suspect, Kane is at a loss to explain the connection. It doesn’t take long before the lieutenant gets some answers—answers that could put everything in the life he now enjoys into immediate jeopardy. Between life-changing news, an ex-wife who wants him back, and one of the most ruthless men he’s ever been up against, Lieutenant Kane is tasked with more than bringing a killer to justice. He must keep a loved one, as well as himself, alive long enough to have a chance. Cases of Lieutenant Kane Series: Note: All books are standalone stories. They are best enjoyed chronologically, but can be read out of order. #1 Malevolent #2 Requite #3 Determinant #4 Perilous #5 Progeny #6 Denouement Cases of Lieutenant Kane Categories: Mystery, Thriller, Suspense > Mystery > Police Procedurals > Police officers Mystery, Thriller & Suspense > Thrillers & Suspense > Crime > Murder Mystery, Thriller & Suspense > Thrillers & Suspense > Suspense Mystery, Thriller & Suspense > Thrillers

Cavendish & Walker: Volume 1


Sally Rigby - 2020
    and winning.DCI Whitney Walker’s in trouble. She’s threatened with demotion if she screws up another case. So, when a killer starts murdering female students, it’s a chance to redeem herself.Forensic psychologist, Dr Georgina Cavendish, has spent her life inside the university walls, but when one of her students is murdered, she steps out from behind the text books and puts her skills to the test.The two headstrong women join forces to stop the killer. But sparks fly when real world policing meets academic theory, and it’s not a pretty sight.FATAL JUSTICEA vigilante’s on the loose, dishing out their kind of justice…A string of mutilated bodies sees Detective Chief Inspector Whitney Walker back in action. But when she discovers the victims have all been grooming young girls, she fears a vigilante is on the loose. And while she understands the motive, no one is above the law.Once again, she turns to forensic psychologist, Dr Georgina Cavendish, to unravel the cryptic clues. But will they be able to save the next victim from a gruesome death?DEATH TRACKCatch the train if you dare…After a teenage boy is found dead on a Lenchester train, Detective Chief Inspector Whitney Walker believes they’re being targeted by the notorious Carriage Killer, who chooses a local rail network, commits four murders, and moves on.Against her wishes, Walker’s boss brings in officers from another force to help the investigation and prevent more deaths, but she’s forced to defend her team against this outside interference.Forensic psychologist, Dr Georgina Cavendish, is by her side in an attempt to bring to an end this killing spree. But how can they get into the mind of a killer who has already killed twelve times in two years without leaving behind a single clue?

Miss Pink Investigates: Part One


Gwen Moffat - 2019
    From apparently accidental deaths on the craggy mountains of Scotland to a classic closet mystery in a remote Lake District village, amateur sleuth Melinda Pink is on the case. Lady with a Cool Eye (Miss Pink #1) The warden of the Plas Mawr Adventure Centre, Charles Martin, is a weak man whose unfaithful wife, Bett, has driven him to drink. Then Bett is found dead in her husband’s crashed Jaguar, at the foot of a cliff. At first, it is assumed to be an accident or suicide, but further developments show that it is a murder case. Tough, middle-aged Miss Pink, one of the Centre’s directors, proves herself to be a shrewd amateur detective. She puts two and two together and realises that the Centre is being used as a cover for something very serious. Miss Pink at the Edge of the World (Miss Pink #2) When two climbers die mysteriously on The Old Man of Scamadale — a stack off the Scottish coast — the police, who know nothing of climbing techniques, would accept the deaths as accidents. It’s Clive and his climbing friends who convince them, from their own knowledge of the stack, that both men were murdered — and in doing so they put themselves under strong suspicion, for they alone appear to have the expertise needed to perform the killings. An ironical situation, but amateur sleuth Miss Pink handles it with her usual subtle detection. Over the Sea to Death (Miss Pink #3) At the little hotel in Glen Shira, in the Cuillin of Skye mountains, professional guides and dedicated climbers gather—among them Melinda Pink, J.P., an amateur detective. Miss Pink has two murders to contend with, each ingeniously camouflaged, and to reach the solution takes all of her climbing expertise and her understanding of what makes people tick. A Short Time to Live (Miss Pink #4) Gwen Moffat gives her latest thriller a Lake District setting: the remote village of Sandale which, when torrential rain causes a landslide, is temporarily cut off from the rest of the world. This is the splendid background to a tale of blackmail, anonymous letters, conspiracy, a large-scale robbery, kidnapping and murder. Of course, not all these crimes are the work of the same person, and it’s Miss Moffat’s now well-known amateur detective, Miss Pink, who sorts out the puzzle—but aided this time by the enigmatic Daniel Cole, who claims to be Press but whose interest in Sandale may be more sinister.

Travel Can Be Murder Cozy Mysteries: Books 1-3


Jennifer S. Alderson - 2021
    Was it an accident or a murder? For Lana Hansen, the answer will mean freedom or imprisonment for someone close to her…

The Sandy Bay Cozy Mystery Series: Box Set 1


Amber Crewes - 2018
    The town's local detective, Jack Irvin, has an eye for Meghan but will she find time to build a romance while she tries to clear her name? 3 complete BESTSELLING cozy mystery series in 1 boxset! Apple Pie and Trouble (Book 1) Meghan Truman always had a dream to become a Hollywood actress. Hollywood decided she wasn’t good enough. She left Hollywood broken but with a burning desire to start afresh in the Pacific Northwest, pursuing her second dream – opening a bakery. She never expected that the owner of a rival establishment would be found dead and all eyes would be focused on her as the prime suspect. As the new girl in town with a new bakery store, she’s determined to clear her name and find the murderer; otherwise she’ll have to leave Sandy Bay penniless and pitiful and possibly the murderer’s next victim. Brownies and Dark Shadows (Book 2) When Sandy Bay’s crème de la crème congregate to raise money for charity, Meghan Truman is proud to have her tasty desserts the talk of the party. She’s not so proud when the wealthiest couple in Sandy Bay are discovered dead and rumors circulate around town that her brownies are the cause of this tragedy. This murder case casts a dark shadow over Meghan’s budding romance with handsome Officer Irvin who’s disappointed that she’s once again at the center of another murder investigation. With everything to lose, Meghan must work hard to clear her name, restore broken relationships and solve this murder mystery before everything she’s worked so hard to build comes crumbling down. Cookies and Buried Secrets (Book 3) When a beautiful stranger sashays into a birthday party, Meghan Truman, along with other guests, is surprised to discover her relationship to the birthday celebrant. This beautiful stranger attracts more shady characters to Sandy Bay. When one of these characters is found dead in an alley, the whole town is set on edge. Will Meghan’s attempt to link the owner of a golden antique gun to the murder prove helpful to handsome Officer Irvin’s investigation or will the discovery of a buried secret lead to more murders? The first 3 books in the Sandy Bay Cozy Mystery series! Perfect for a lunchtime read or on a commute to/from work. If you want to enjoy a quick light-hearted read, with an amateur female sleuth, mouth-watering culinary desserts and a gripping murder mystery with a touch of romance, then you'll love Meghan Truman and all the quirky characters in Sandy Bay. No cliffhanger, swearing or graphic scenes! THE FULL SANDY BAY READING ORDER: 1. Apple Pie and Trouble 2. Brownies and Dark Shadows 3. Cookies and Buried Secrets 4. Donuts and Disaster 5. Eclairs and Lethal Layers 6. Finger Foods and Missing Legs 7. Gingerbread and Scary Endings 8. Hot Chocolate and Cold Bodies 9. Ice Cream and Guilty Pleasures 10. Jingle Bells and Deadly Smells

Majestic Cove Mysteries Complete Series Books 1-12


Meredith Potts - 2020
    This cozy mystery set features twelve stories from the Majestic Cove series including:- Chocolate, Clues, and Catastrophe- Pretzels, Problems, and Peril- Cake, Coincidences, and Casualties- Truffles, Tirades, and Trouble- Shortcake, Surprises, and Secrets- Cookies, Curiosity, and Craziness- Donuts, Death, and Dread- Tarts, Tears, and Tragedy- Honey Cake, Heartbreak, and Hazards- Cupcakes, Conundrums, and Calamity- Caramels, Custody, and Cruelty- Brownies, Bistros, and BetrayalWhen Melody Clue loses a friend suddenly, she is devastated.Unfortunately, things only get worse from there.After Melody discovers that her friend died under suspicious circumstances, she feels compelled to investigate what happened.Can Melody handle the shocking truth?

The Charlie Cooper Mysteries


Deany Ray - 2020
    A light read with no gore or foul language, these books are perfect to unwind at the end of the day.GLAZED:Charlie’s life in her hometown, Springston, is not by far as dull as she expected it to be. Stumbling over dead bodies, being held at gunpoint or getting kidnapped in the back of a van would actually qualify as a pretty exciting life. If you like to live on the edge.Still, Charlie hopes her next case would not include dead people, guns or exploding cars. Well…one could at least hope.When Celeste’s nephew, Lucas, is suspected of attempted bank robbery and CMC Services – a.k.a. Charlie and her best friends, Marge and Celeste – is called in to help, the girls launch into crime-fighting mode yet again. Apparently, Lucas could be a key witness in what seems to be the new crime wave in Springston.Charlie soon finds herself trying to solve another murder, causing a small explosion involving one particular item in Marge’s black hole of a purse, dodging the advances of Celeste’s cousin, Eddy, and trying to get on board with her mom’s new healthy diet. All the while with Alex, Springston’s hot detective, right on her heels.Running low on caffeine and running out of time, Charlie has to step up her game and out-step a killer.DAZZLED:Charlie, Marge and Celeste are back! This time in Las Vegas. Las Vegas? That’s right. What better way to celebrate a milestone birthday than to fly to Sin City?When Marge and Celeste surprise Charlie with tickets to Vegas, she decides it’s going to be the best weekend ever. I mean, how often does a gal turn 30?But Charlie wouldn’t be Charlie, if she didn’t stumble into a hot mess in the most unlikely place. She comes to realize that finding a small velvet bag full of diamonds does not mean you’ve hit the jackpot playing slots. Neither does finding a dead body when you at least expect it. Nor being chased by presumably some bad dudes for finding said body.Talk about bad luck in Vegas.How do you survive illicit bus rides, surprise guests and bachelor parties all while trying to stay alive…and getting rid of those darned diamonds?There is only one answer in Vegas: you either win…or you lose.BERRIED:Charlie Cooper, former secretary for the Boston PD, chocolate enthusiast and private investigator extraordinaire takes on her most puzzling case yet. Having to work for the grumpiest man in town, Edgar McMillan, the only clues she gets to solve her next case are a lurking shadow, a gunshot blast, possibly a Tony winner, some Ponies and Betty’s crew. Needless to say, nobody knows who Betty is. Or her crew.Oh, and there’s the dead body too. Charlie hates when that happens. Found in no other place than the client’s backyard just seconds after he was shot. But what was he doing there in the first place?Adding to the stress is Charlie’s mother, who’s current project is redecorating the house, meaning there are more cans of paint in the kitchen than a batch of fresh baked cookies. To top it off, Charlie’s love life takes a hit when her boyfriend, Detective Alex Spencer, is assigned the same case as she is.Together with Marge and Celeste, her best friends and business partners, Charlie sets out to find the killer and reinstall peace in her life.

Rebecca Schwartz Series: Complete Set


Julie Smith - 2014
    You can't read just one, they're like chocolates! DEATH TURNS A TRICKA rollicking tale of murder, romance, and bordellos…Rebecca Schwartz, nice Jewish lawyer with a few too many fantasies, is happily playing the piano in a whorehouse when she suddenly finds herself assigned to make sure a near-naked state senator escapes a police raid. That dirty job done, a lovely evening turns even more delightful when she’s picked up by the cops and spends the next two hours at the Hall of Justice. Could this day get any worse? Of Course! Guess who arrives home to find a dead hooker on her living room floor? Fans of Janet Evanovich, Joan Hess, and Elizabeth Peters will get a kick out of this one.THE SOURDOUGH WARSTO YOU, IT’S JUST A FROZEN LUMP OF DOUGH; BUT TO SOME, IT’S LIFE AND DEATH…Especially to handsome Peter Martinelli, who wants to auction off the fabled sourdough starter from his family’s famous bakery. But who’d buy a frozen hunk of flour and water? Only, it turns out, every bakery in San Francisco, a national food conglomerate, and an upstart ringer with a mysterious backer.Someone would even kill for it. And does.A tasty treat of a San Francisco mystery. A crisp, tangy story you’re sure to get a rise out of. You won’t find it a bit crumb-y. TOURIST TRAPFear stalks the streets! reports the San Francisco Chronicle. It also stalks these pages, and so do a lot of laughs.You just know the Easter sunrise service is going to be a bummer when the San Francisco fog lifts to reveal a body nailed to a landmark cross. Next: mass shellfish poisoning at Pier 39. A very different kind of serial killer is operating here—one who seems to have a grudge against the whole city.And this is a very different kind of serial killer tale—a funny one. Well, actually, what serial killer’s funny? But lawyer sleuth Rebecca Schwartz is warm and witty, never takes herself too seriously, and on one occasion offers closing testimony with green hair.DEAD IN THE WATERTHAR SHE FLOATS! Deader than flotsam, right in the thirty-foot kelp tower at the Monterey Aquarium.She’s the aquarium director herself, beloved by all except Marty Whitehead, lawyer Rebecca Schwartz’s weekend hostess, now cooling her heels in the county clink.

Blue Moon Investigations: Boxed Set Part 1


Steve Higgs - 2019
    In the brooding, dark landscape of England, with its rolling hills and forgotten castles, the dark breeds evil in every shadow. With millions of pages read and thousands of books sold, the Tempest Michaels paranormal investigation series will grip you from the start and rob you of sleep as you continue turning pages until well after your bedtime. It is action-packed, but funny, fast-paced yet intriguing and there are 13 stories already published. Get the first 5 excitement-filled stories in this omnibus edition and save a pile against buying them individually. Paranormal Nonsense – Falsely advertised as a paranormal investigator, Tempest Michaels has a serial killing vampire to track down and a poltergeist to catch and all because his client is just too gorgeous to turn down. He’ll need to keep his mind on the job though as his investigation soon attracts unwanted attention from the police and a local gang of vampire worshippers. They won’t be the biggest problem though as his friends, his mum, and his dogs are going to help! The Phantom of Barker Mill – A hundred-year-old mystery proves irresistible for England’s only paranormal P.I. It looks like the perfect case, but someone, or perhaps everyone is lying to him, and as he closes in on the truth, he is led into a race against time that may cost him more than he is willing to pay. Oh, and his mum wants him to organise a baby shower. Zombie Granny - Tempest Michaels has a zombie problem. Crazy people craving human flesh have been appearing without warning in hoards in towns across Kent. He is just as mystified as everyone else, but when the elderly husband of the recent viral internet sensation known as Zombie Granny asks him to prove she is no such thing, he has to take the case. Then outside his office, people start screaming... Amanda Harper Paranormal Detective - When hysterical customers claim their shopping has been stolen by a ghost, the shopping mall manager calls the only paranormal investigation agency in the book. Meet Amanda Harper, Paranormal P.I. But its Amanda’s first day and nothing in life has prepared her for the bedlam that will follow. What is the truth behind the mysterious missing shopping bags? Does she have any idea what she is doing? And why, oh why, did she invite sassy BFF Patience Woods to help out. The Klowns of Kent – Before the dust settles following a zombie outbreak, a plague of evil clowns descends on the towns and villages of Kent, bringing havoc and crime. When petty theft escalates to murder, Tempest knows he must get involved, but they come looking for him first. What is their motive? Are they from hell? To find out he’ll have to follow them into their trap and fight his way out. The paranormal? It’s all nonsense, but proving might just get him killed.