Book picks similar to
Pasta, Pirates and Poison by Paula Lester
mystery
paranormal
ghosts
fiction
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?
Haunted Hardbodies
Julia Derek
So, when the opportunity arises to buy Six-Packs for peanuts, she's thrilled. The fact that the previous owner claims the place is haunted doesn't bother her one bit--she doesn't believe in ghosts. With all her experience, she'll revive floundering Six-Packs!Unfortunately, Celeste soon discovers that the gym IS haunted by a feisty ghost named Lennie. Lennie used to own the building that houses Six-Packs, and he was a slumlord. Lennie approaches Celeste and tells her he must solve five crimes before he can enter the next world to atone for being a terrible person in life.At first, Celeste ignores Lennie's badgering ways. But then one of the gym members suffers a mysterious death--and only Lennie seems to know who's behind it. Celeste has no choice but to help Lennie solve his first crime or it's over for Six-Packs, leaving not only Celeste broke, but her employees without a job.NOTE: Haunted Hardbodies is a cozy murder mystery for people who like to laugh.
Deadly Spells and a Southern Belle
Amy Boyles - 2019
Only Witch’s Forge isn’t a supernatural paradise—here spells backfire, kudzu bites and magic is broken. That is, until Charming Calhoun arrives. Charming has everything a Southern Belle could ask for—a thriving matchmaking business and great employees. But when one of her employees goes missing in Witch’s Forge, she quickly realizes there’s something sinister afoot. Once she arrives, Charming discovers a world of strange. Her house has a mind of its own—adding rooms and coughing up objects. There’s also a broomstick that likes to spank and a pot-bellied pig with an appetite for chocolate. Then she butts heads with the local vampire chief of police. What? A handsome vampire cop in a town full of witches? Vampires and witches are mortal enemies. But Charming better stay on the vampire’s good side because when someone winds up dead, everyone’s a suspect. She’s got her work cut out for her. Can Charming solve the mystery and return to her old life? Or will she discover that in the Smoky Mountains her life truly begins? And if so, can Charming survive long enough to enjoy it, or will she become the murderer’s next victim? FIND OUT NOW!
Trouble at Happy Trails
Minnie Crockwell - 2014
By night’s end, a death in the park finds her consoling the deceased man’s widow...or his killer. Whether the dearly departed died by his own hand or whether someone murdered him remains to be seen. It seems the deceased had a lot of character flaws. A lot! Peregrine Ebenezer Alvord, otherwise known as Ben, is tagging along with Minnie on her travels. That he is an early 19th century ghost is only a minor complication. Ben has the ability to venture unseen where others cannot. Minnie never imagined herself as an amateur sleuth, but with Ben’s help, she might just be able to discover the source of the Trouble at Happy Trails! Trouble at Happy Trails is Book 1 of a series of short stories featuring Minnie and Ben. Each story can stand alone, but to avoid extensive repetition of the back story, the stories would be best read in order. Look for Book 2 soon!
Apple Die
Chelsea Thomas - 2018
All she wanted was hot cocoa, and apple pie. Then she found a dead body, face down in her favorite stream. Now she’s in the middle of a murder investigation, and a killer is on the loose in her quaint small town. Miss May is a former New York City lawyer, so she thinks she and Chelsea can catch the criminal on their own. Local business owner Teeny is nosy, opinionated, and convinced the murder was inspired by her favorite British mystery series. And Chelsea is caught up in the amateur investigation, a timid Watson on her first case. Will the stress of the amateur sleuthing be enough to break Chelsea for good? Or will it be exactly what she needs to get over her ex, and learn to be happy? Most importantly, will this rag-tag crew find the killer before he strikes again?
Dead Before The Wedding
Ruby Blaylock - 2015
Professional photographer and part-time bakery employee Carly Keene loves everything about her small hometown, except for the fact that there's a murderer on the loose. When one of Carly's photography clients is murdered just days before his wedding, it's up to Carly to prove that the most likely suspect isn't the culprit at all. With the help of her sassy best friend, Shell, and her clever cop cousin, Carly is determined to get to the truth, no matter what. Can Carly prove that the police are after the wrong woman? And are her feelings for the dead guy's twin brother more than just friendship and a shared love of their dogs? Find out in this first book of the Carly Keene Cozy Mystery series! Meet the colorful residents of Parker's Mill in the first-ever Carly Keene cozy mystery. ***Includes two mouthwatering recipe straight out of the Sweets & Eats Bakery!****
Cupcakes & Chaos
Lisa Siefert - 2020
After being ghosted at my own wedding, I decided to leave California and return home to Maine where I grew up. While my parents are enjoying an all expenses paid cruise, aka as my non-refundable honeymoon, I’m house sitting for them back in Clover Creek.My lifelong dream of owning my own bakery finally comes true but unfortunately, it’s only because the owner of the bakery turns up dead in the cupcake truck that I was driving. And to make things worse, I’m the prime murder suspect because she decided to leave both her bakery and her house to me in her will, despite the fact that I just met her two weeks ago.In the process of being arrested, I also became a kitty mom to an adorable ruddy Abyssinian who thinks he’s a dog and suffers from separation anxiety. Now, it will take of my mystery movie watching know-how to help solve this crime myself.
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?
The Case of the Missing Finger: A Cruise Ship Cozy Mystery
Cheri Baker - 2021
Two years later, with her children grown and the rest of her life ahead of her, she's ready to have the adventure she'd planned before her life was turned upside-down. She's excited to visit the U.S. Virgin Islands on her very first cruise.After boarding the most beautiful cruise ship she's ever seen, Ellie's surprised when she's assigned a cabin inside the cruise line's new singles club at sea, but she quickly sees that her new friends aboard could use some advice when it comes to romance. Unfortunately, Ellie's matchmaking efforts are interrupted when a fellow passenger finds a finger with a big diamond ring on it in her Sangria Surprise!Passengers are scandalized and tongues are wagging all around the ship. The ship's security chief seems eager to brush the crime under the rug while others are eager to point fingers at Ellie's favorite bartender. After thirty years married to a small town police chief, Ellie's picked up some sleuthing skills of her own, and she knows that justice demands honest answers to the questions rocking the ship. Who does the finger belong to? How did it end up in the boozy drink special of the day? And what other secrets lurk beneath the Caribbean sun?It's all hands on deck for adventure with this matchmaking sleuth.
Paper Phoenix
Mickey Friedman - 1986
Maggie Longstreet has plenty of them after slimy, ambitious Richard trades her in for a more recent model. She’s so depressed she can barely get out of bed when Larry Hawkins, a seemingly not-at-all depressed acquaintance, commits suicide out of the blue. Suddenly Maggie goes on high alert, remembering something her evil ex said about Larry—something highly suspicious. And from there, it's just a short segué to a bracing new development: “When some women get divorced they go back to school, I thought. Some do volunteer work at the hospital, or join communes and learn to birth calves. Some have affairs with inappropriate men. My new interest is burglary. Maggie Longstreet, former wife and mother, past president of the Museum Guild, now starting a career as a second-story woman.” Fortunately, Maggie isn’t alone in her adventure—a very attractive, much younger man proves a lot more fun than Richard ever was. In fact, the real delight of this witty, sly mystery is seeing Maggie come alive again after a suffocating marriage. Set in the’70s, it has a bit of that Mad Men feel of women on the brink of something big. And completely unexpected. You know Maggie’s going to be okay when she says: “I’d rather have had one of those cute little guns with a mother-of-pearl handle, but this (diamond pin) would have to do. I concealed it in my hand. At least now I was armed—or pinned.”
Death Comes to Town
K.J. Emrick - 2013
But she isn't ordinary. She has a connection to the other side that seems to draw her into mysterious situations more often than not. Add to the mix the antics of a rather naughty, slightly psychic cat and the eccentric ghost of her great-aunt Millie, and you have a recipe for anything but the ordinary.When Darcy's neighbor is murdered she is drawn into the mystery against her will when she finds the body. She tries to leave the investigation to the police, one of which is her sister, but an overheard conversation and a small nudge from the other side has her investigating the murder. The stakes are raised when the murderer strikes again. Who was killing the people in her life?Things are complicated even more by her building attraction to her sister's new cop partner, who makes it clear he does not appreciate Darcy's interference in the investigation. Sparks fly between the two of them as they get further into the mystery surrounding the deaths.With a town full of suspects how will Darcy work out who the murderer is? None of the pieces to the puzzle fit. Things become more complicated and dangerous as Darcy's own life is threatened. Will she survive to see justice served?
Sunny Side Up
Sonia Parin - 2016
Paying her aunt, Mira Lloyd, a.k.a. Elizabeth Lloyd, renown historical romance author, a long overdue visit, she plans to spend a month on Rock-Maine Island lounging around and plotting the launch of her new life. Her ex-husband, however, has other ideas. As for her aunt… she’s gone missing. And now there’s a dead body to contend with and a murder weapon with her fingerprints on it. A mantle of suspicion hangs over Eve and everyone she encounters has a reason to want her out of the way. Unwilling to leave matters in the hands of swoon worthy Detective Jack Bradford… only because it’s her civic duty to provide a new perspective, Eve Lloyd engages the assistance of her new friend and fellow suspect, Jill Saunders. They both stumble their way through a long list of possible motives and suspects in a race to find the killer before either one turns into the next victim. Clean read: no graphic violence, sex, or strong language.
Beach Blanket Homicide
Maggie March - 2018
Her rescue dog Paco is a ghost whisperer. Together, they solve crime in this laugh-out-loud cozy mystery series!Everyone agrees that Lucy McGuffin bakes the muffins in Whispering Bay, but she's got another talent, one that she's tried her whole life to hide. Lucy can always tell when a person is lying or telling the truth. Being a human lie detector isn't all it's cracked up to be. Especially when you really don't want the answer to the universal question, "Does this dress make my butt look too big?"When Lucy is hired to cater the grand opening celebration of the city's new community center, she stumbles across the dead body of Abby Delgado, a prominent member of the Sunshine Ghost Society. Lucy's brother, Father Sebastian, a local priest, is the last person to have seen Abby alive. Convinced he'll be breaking a confidence, Sebastian refuses to cooperate with the police, forcing Lucy to put her skills to the test to save her brother's good name.Enter the town's new hotshot deputy, Travis Fontaine. Travis doesn't want an amateur like Lucy snooping around his turf, so he offers her a deal. He'll stay out of her kitchen if she stays away from his crime scenes. But Lucy isn't about to let her brother's fate rest in the hands of an arrogant cop.Good thing she has her best friend, Will, and her new rescue dog, Paco, to back her up, because it's up to Lucy to figure out what everyone in the quaint little beachside town is hiding.NOTE: This book was previously published under the name Maria Geraci
Murder, Curlers, and Cream
Arlene McFarlane - 2016
Not only has she got a meddling mother, a wacky staff, and a dying business, but now she’s got a dead client who was strangled while awaiting her facial.With business the way it is, combing through this mystery may be the only way to save her salon. Until a second murder, an explosion, a kidnapping, death threats, and the hard-nosed Detective Romero complicate things. But Valentine will do anything to untangle the crime. That’s if she can keep her tools of the trade in her bag, keep herself alive, and avoid falling for the tough detective.In the end, how hard can that be?
Karma's A Bitch
Shannon Esposito - 2011
So she strikes out on her own and opens up a new pet boutique in St. Pete, Florida. When a local homeless man she befriends is found dead, and the police assume it’s a suicide, Darwin has no choice but to use her gift to help collar the killer. She adopts his grieving mastiff, Karma—and with the dog’s help—tries to piece together the events of that fatal night. Accepting the visions is one thing, but can she solve the mystery without revealing her powers to the jaded, yet drool-worthy, detective in charge of the case? Or will the killer put an end to her psychic sleuthing and bury the truth for good?