Book picks similar to
Murdering the Roses by Cindy Bell


cozy-mysteries
mystery
cozy-mystery
fiction

Cabs, Cakes, and Corpses


Jennifer Joy
    Not a murder. Jessica James is a twenty-three-year-old, work-at-home computer whiz content in her comfort zone … until her family conspires to send her to the jungles of Ecuador for a once-in-a-lifetime experience. When her taxi driver takes off with her bag in the trunk, her grand adventure begins. When that same taxi driver is found murdered minutes later, Jessica is forced into one catastrophe after another as she seeks to find the truth … and get her stuff back. With the help of the two most mischievous sisters old enough to know better, Jessica will either catch a murderer or end up in jail. But friendship and discovery come at a cost. Can Jessica’s newfound bravery help her survive her South American experience as she gets closer to the murderer? Or will this grand adventure be her last? *Recipes included

Strung Out to Die


Tonya Kappes - 2012
    Plus all the Divas would love to get their claws in some of Doug’s money.When Doug ends up dead on the floor of The Beaded Dragonfly with a string of cat eye beads around his neck, it’s up to Holly to figure out whose framing her.

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.

Dying to Get Published


Judy Fitzwater - 1995
    She's sure that if she can just get famous for something, someone will have to publish her books. Why not murder?She'll find a target so mean that she'd actually be doing the world a favor by bumping him or her off. And she knows just the person:Penney Richmond, a high-powered literary agent who's made it her job to ruin people's lives. All Jennifer has to do is frame herself, do the deed, and come out with an iron-clad alibi, and she'll be well on her way to getting a three book deal. So what if she chickens out at the last minute? A vegetarian good girl who rescued a greyhound could never actually kill someone. But when Penney is found murdered and the police think Jennifer did it, she’d better find the real murderer before she goes away... for life.Along with her eccentric writer's group, spunky old ladies with a nose for sleuthing, her neurotic greyhound, and a sexy, sarcastic reporter named Sam, Jennifer embarks on a journey filled with danger, deception, and disguises that could leave her Dying to Get Published...

Portrait of a Gossip


Melanie Jackson - 2012
    It comes as no great surprise when the small artists' colony of Bartholomew's Woods ends up with a dead resident. Harvey Allen was a professional gossip, hated the length and breadth of the state for his scandal-mongering in the press, and it seemed that one of Juliet's talented but idiosyncratic neighbors had finally had enough of his pernicious tale-bearing and decided to paint him out of the picture. Juliet may sympathize, but she also knows that once a person resorts to murder to hide a secret, chances are good that they may choose to kill again. Can she find the murderer before the killer paints the town red?Move over Miss Marple, there's a new slueth in town. If you are a fan of Ngaio Marsh or Agatha Christie you are going to love Juliet Henry and the residents of Bartholomew's Woods.

A Pattern for Murder


Ann Yost - 2018
    She is, after all, an Agatha Christie fan who has a year of law school under her belt!But as more bodies turn up and lies are revealed, it becomes clear that not everybody in Keweenaw is as innocent as Hatti thought.Publisher's Note: While you don’t need to be a knitter to enjoy this series, you just might pick up a fun and rewarding hobby in addition to enjoying a thoroughly delightful, clean and wholesome, mystery with a good dose of humor.The BAIT & STITCH SERIES:A Pattern for MurderA Double-Pointed MurderA Fair Isle Murder

Gone with the Wings


Leena Clover - 2017
    Mystery readers will enjoy this culinary cozy murder mystery featuring plenty of yummy recipes like Masala Fried Chicken and Shish Kabob Blue Plate Special. Meera Patel is back home with the family after she dropped out of graduate school. Now she shelves books for a living and rustles up fusion recipes at Sylvie's Cafe & Diner. Everything is fine until her old nemesis Prudence Walker floats up in the local pond. Meera is accused of murder! Well, she did publicly declare Prudence would drop dead. Meera cries foul and screams police harassment. But she has no defense when she is accused of a second crime. Flanked by pals Tony and Becky, Meera puts in the leg work, trying to solve clues and discard red herrings. Fall in Oklahoma has never been more exciting. Cozy mystery fans will love this new mystery series featuring an Asian American amateur sleuth. There is a full cast of characters with a professor father, young sibling, old grandparents, loyal friends and a candid glimpse into South Asian culture.

Murder at Morningside


Sandra Bretting - 2016
    But bless her heart, who knew creating stylish wedding veils would lead to murder? Hired to craft a veil for a socialite getting married at Morningside Plantation means Missy can bask in the height of antebellum atmosphere. But when the bride is found dead in a women's bathroom, Missy the milliner finds herself entangled in one unfashionable murder. With the list of suspects thicker than the sweltering Louisiana heat, including a gaggle of bridesmaids shedding nary a tear and a family with no shortage of enemies, it seems anyone at the mansion may have done away with the bride-to-be. While Missy has Southern charm to spare, she's going to need more than manners and a manicure to put a hat pin on this murderous affair . . .

Deadly Neighbors


Cynthia Hickey - 2012
    She enlists the help of her Cadillac driving mama, the man who ditched Marsha at her high-school graduation but kept her heart, and a bumbling police officer. Folks around River Valley are having things disappear while they are sleeping with their eyes open. Seems everyone has a dream and not enough funds. Someone is determined to kill for that dream. Will River Valley's cast of colorful characters live to see another day? Can Marsha find out who the thief is before she becomes one of the sleep walkers?

Buried By Buttercups


Joyce Lavene - 2012
    After two years of being on the ‘outs’ with the Charlotte Police, new homicide Lieutenant Al McDonald, asks for her help. The choice of weapon for the killer is flower poison, starting with angel’s trumpet. No one knows botanical poisons as well as Peggy.The investigation turns personal for her when she realizes the killer has used poison to draw her out. Two men with her dead husband’s name have already died.Is the killer working toward getting rid of Peggy too?

Playing With Poison


Cindy Blackburn - 2012
    But when a body lands on her couch, and the cute cop in her kitchen accuses her of murder, even Jessie isn't sure what will happen next. Playing With Poison is a cozy mystery with a lot of humor, a little romance, and far too much champagne.

Crime Chowder


Hillary Avis - 2018
    So when her real estate developer boyfriend offers her a sweet catering gig, she jumps at the chance to cook for his gala and rub elbows with the town’s elite. The problem? That fancy gala is only happening because her best friend’s home was burned down by an arsonist. And the more Bethany learns about her boyfriend’s planned development, the more she suspects that he might have had something to do with it.Determined to uncover the arsonist’s identity, Bethany cooks her way through the gala, listening to the secrets, lies, and gossip swirling around Hosanna Street. But when someone close to her is killed during the party—and the murder weapon is found in her pot of clam chowder—Bethany finds herself in more than a little hot water.---------------------------------------If you like smart culinary mysteries with quirky characters and quaint seaside towns, you’ll love the Death du Jour series that follows Bethany Bradstreet as she builds her career and solves crimes with the help of her friends. Crime Chowder is the first book in the Death du Jour series. This book has clean language and mild suspense with no cliffhangers. It contains depictions of an LGBT relationship.P.S. – There’s a dog in it.

A Pinch of Sea Salt and a Dash of Murder


Phoebe T. Eggli - 2015
    Part of her starting over meant opening her own bakery – Kill Devil Delicacies - that specialized in artisan breads. Already successful after a few short years, she looked forward to a number of things namely: her nephew, Logan, visiting for the summer and competing in the Outer Banks Regional Bake-Off for the chance to appear on a nationally televised cooking show. Although still mourning her husband, Melissa finally felt like life was getting back to some sense of normalcy. Her life in Kill Devil Hills was satisfying and peaceful…at least until she opened the bakery door on an early summer morning to discover a mystery that would rock the quaint seaside town to its core! Also available in Spanish under the title: "Una Pizca de Sal de Mar Y un Poco De Masacre!"

The Mournful Teddy


John J. Lamb - 2006
    But even here, stuff happens... The day is here-and Brad Lyon is helping his wife put the finishing touches on her best bears, just in time for the Shenandoah Valley Teddy Bear Extravaganza. The event will draw fur-ball fanatics from near and far to buy, sell, or simply ogle the bears. But the main event will be the showing of the Mourning Bear, made to commemorate the sinking of the Titanic-and worth a hefty $150,000. Then a local also meets a watery grave-and Brad Lyon spots the body floating in the Shenandoah. Old habits die hard, so Brad starts investigating like a homicide cop and finds the deceased might have had a connection to the Mourning Bear. But the local law would prefer that Brad keep his mouth sewn shut...

Twisted: A Tracy Turner Murder Mystery Novel


Keyla Hunter - 2014
    Tracy Turner is out to prove herself, but a pro golfer’s murder is not the kind of event that she’s prepared for. Just a day into Tracy’s promotion, Frank Walters is dead and her best friend Ryan Evans has been framed. The case against Ryan seems iron-clad—no one believes he’s innocent but her. The more she digs into the murder, the further from the truth she gets. And the closer she gets to the real killer, the closer she gets to dying. Tracy has to save Regency’s reputation, but first she has to clear Ryan’s name and stay alive. Twisted is a stand-alone murder mystery thriller novel and the first book in The Tracy Turner Mystery Series. Love juicy mysteries? Then get your copy of this murder mystery exclusive to the Amazon store NOW!