Show Time


Suzanne M. Trauth - 2016
    Now she’s further up the coast in sleepy Etonville, managing a restaurant that dishes dinners themed around the community theater’s latest productions. But Dodie just never imagined she’d land the starring role in a case of bloody homicide . . .   Intrigued by rumors of vanishing box office money, Dodie has agreed to help oversee the casting of Romeo and Juliet at the modest Etonville Little Theater. If nothing else, it’s a welcome escape from the thirty-something’s usual going-to-bed-with-a-mystery-novel routine. But when Jerome Angleton, a well-respected member of the theater company, is inexplicably found murdered on the loading dock, deadly drama transcends the stage—and the page. As a crime wave crashes over the small town, the spotlight is on Dodie to orchestrate her own investigation behind the scenes . . . before someone has a chance at a killer encore.

Flamingo Fatale


Jimmie Ruth Evans - 2005
    Things can't get much worse—until the next day when she finds her missing pink flamingo stuck in his very dead body.

Murder on the Rocks


Allyson K. Abbott - 2013
    That's great when someone's buying you a round, but not so hot when you find yourself atop a list of murder suspects--with your fingerprints on the bloody knife!Mackenzie "Mack" Dalton is a Milwaukee bar owner with a nose for trouble--literally. A neurological glitch has left her with extra perceptive senses. So when she stumbles upon a dead body in the alley behind the bar--the same spot where her own father was shot eight months earlier--she can tell right away there's something fishy in the air. The lead detective thinks there's a link between the two deaths, and he'll need Mack's help to sniff out the murderer amid the crowd of eccentric regulars. But when all the evidence points to her as the most likely culprit, it could be an early last call for Mack--and celebratory cocktails for a killer.Includes drink recipes

Death by Dog Show


Arlene Kay - 2019
    But when murder prances into the ring at a Massachusetts dog show, Perri must confront a cunning killer who’s a breed apart.   Accompanied by her bestie Babette and four oversize canines, Perri motors down to the Big E Dog Show in high style. Perri hopes to combine business with pleasure by also spending time with sexy DC journalist Wing Pruett. Until a storm traps everyone at the exposition hall . . . and a man’s body is found in a snow-covered field, a pair of pink poodle grooming shears plunged through his heart.   Turns out the deceased was a double-dealing huckster who had plenty of enemies chomping at the bit. But as breeders and their prize pets preen and strut, the murderer strikes again. Aided by her trusty canine companions, Keats and Poe, Perri must collar a killer before she’s the next “Dead in Show” winner.    Praise for Arlene Kay’s Boston Uncommons Mysteries   “Reminiscent of the comedy-mystery movies of the thirties…An entertaining first entry into the Boston Uncommons Mystery series.” —New York Journal of Books on Swann Dive   “Highly entertaining . . . I can't wait for the next book in the series!” —Jaye Roycraft, author of Rainscape

Murder is Elementary


Diane Weiner - 2014
    What a joy to be able to attend the holiday concert without worrying about how her chorus will perform. But wait. Where's the principal? Susan offers to check, only to find the principal lying dead on her office floor. Of course, now that she's retired she has time to help the local police (one of whom is her daughter) solve the mysterious crime. Did the principal die of natural causes? The bruise on her face doesn't seem severe enough to be fatal. What about that funfetti cupcake sitting on her desk? Could she have been poisoned? Susan has just found the perfect retirement activity, much to her daughter's chagrin. And when the principal's teenage daughter, one of Susan's all time favorite students, asks for help - how can she say no? Little does she realize that this crime will take her far from the schoolhouse doors, as she investigates a mystery that extends back into one family's painful past.

Them Bones


Carolyn Haines - 1999
    Unwed, unemployed, and over thirty, she's flat broke and about to lose the family plantation. Not to mention being haunted by the ghost of her great-great-grandmother's nanny, who never misses an opportunity to remind her of her sorry state--or to suggest a plan of action, like ransoming her friend's prize pooch to raise some cash.But soon Sarah Booth's walk on the criminal side leads her deeper into unladylike territory, and she's hired to solve a murder. Did gorgeous, landed Hamilton Garrett V really kill his mother twenty years ago? And if so, what is Sarah Booth doing falling for this possible murderer? When she asks one too many questions and a new corpse turns up, she is suddenly a suspect herself...and Sarah Booth finds that digging up the bones of the past could leave her rolling over in her grave.

One Foot in the Grape


Carlene O'Neil - 2015
    But someone’s about to pop their cork…After losing her job as a photojournalist, Penny Lively is trying to get her life back in focus. Inheriting the family winery from her late aunt may be the fresh start she needs. Thankfully she’s got her niece Hayley and her handsome winery manager Connor to help. But the person in need of more urgent assistance is Antonia Martinelli, the owner of the neighboring winery, who has her own barrel full of problems. Someone’s spoiling her wine, and with the upcoming Autumn Festival, she needs Penny’s nose for clues to sniff out the culprit.But Penny’s search for answers sours after the body of a staff member is found in a grape crusher. Since Hayley was the last to see him alive, she’s the prime suspect in the case. Now Penny must hurry to find the real killer before Hayley withers on the vine…

A Killer Plot


Ellery Adams - 2010
    But when murder joins this curious community, the Bayside Book Writers are there to get the story... Olivia Limoges is the subject of constant gossip. Ever since she came back to town-a return as mysterious as her departure-Olivia has kept to herself, her dog, and her unfinished novel. With a little cajoling from the eminently charming writer Camden Ford, she agrees to join the Bayside Book Writers, break her writer's block, and even make a few friends...But when townspeople start turning up dead with haiku poems left by the bodies, anyone with a flair for language is suddenly suspect. And it's up to Olivia to catch the killer before she meets her own surprise ending.Watch a Video

Pick Your Poison


Leann Sweeney - 2004
    It's the kind of situation that would get some girls down, but luckily Abby's got a heart the size of Texas-and a bank account to match. But when she discovers the gardener dead in her greenhouse, Abby realizes what she needs to do with herself: she needs to solve a murder...

Old Soldiers Never Die


Margaret Mayhew - 1999
    He moves to a quiet country cottage in Dorset, which he’d once visited with his late wife.He finds it easy to slip into local society and decides that Frog End’s upcoming annual fete will be the start of his mission to be a pillar of the community.But when Lady Swynford is found dead on the night of the fete, it becomes clear that Frog End has a darker side. And as Inspector Squibb investigates the case, the Colonel finds himself more involved than he could possibly have imagined.DISCOVER FROG END, A BEAUTIFUL ENGLISH VILLAGE WITH SOME DARK SECRETSPerfect for fans of Faith Martin, Agatha Christie and Stella Cameron.THE DETECTIVEAt the grand old age of 55, the Colonel had been put out to grass by the British Army. In the same year, his beloved wife, Laura, died after a long illness. He found himself facing a bleak and lonely future. There were the children, of course, but they were grown up and had busy lives of their own.One summer, years before, he and Laura spent their leave in England, touring the West Country. They stopped at a village in Dorset called Frog End which had a spit-and-sawdust pub called the Dog and Duck. Laura had fallen in love with a stone cottage seen across the village green. She had admired the thatched roof and the pink roses round the door. Years later, after her death, the Colonel had revisited the same village alone and seen Laura’s dream cottage had aged badly and that it was up for sale. Against his better judgement, he bought it.THE SETTINGThe cottage was called Pond Cottage and the Colonel soon discovered that he had made a big mistake. The two-hundred-year-old building had deathwatch beetle, rising damp, a falling roof, rot and decay throughout. There was no heating and the wiring was a dangerous disgrace. Logs for an open fire were kept in a tin bath in the scullery and the nettle-infested lavatory was housed outside in a jungle. There was no sign of any pond.But there were compensations: a view over the beautiful village green, clusters of other stone cottages, a Norman church built on Saxon foundations, a graveyard of ancient tombs leaning at perilous angles. And, of course, the Dog and Duck.

Murder, Plain and Simple


Isabella Alan - 2013
      With her snazzy cowboy boots and her ornithophobic French bulldog, Angie doesn’t exactly fit in with the predominantly Amish community in Rolling Brook, but her aunt’s quilting circle tries to make her feel welcome as she prepares for the reopening of Running Stitch.    On the big day, Angie gets a taste of success as the locals and Englisch tourists browse the store’s wares while the quilters stitch away. But when Angie finds the body of ornery Amish woodworker Joseph in her storeroom the next morning, everything starts falling apart.   With evidence mounting against her, Angie is determined to find the culprit before the local sheriff can arrest her. Rolling Brook always appeared to be a simple place, but the closer Angie gets to the killer, the more she realizes that nothing in the small Amish community is as plain as it seems....

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?

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 Sticky Inheritance


Emily James - 2016
    Her last serious boyfriend turned out to be married and her career as a criminal defense attorney is in tatters. When her uncle passes away and leaves her his maple syrup farm in Northern Michigan, she thinks it might be time for a career change—hopefully one that allows her to stay as far away from murderers and liars as possible.For half a day at least.Her uncle’s suicide quickly begins to look like it wasn’t a suicide after all, but the chief of police is reluctant to investigate and soil the reputation of his serene little tourist town. Murder’s bad for business. Nicole has no choice but to search for the killer on her own, with a little help from the handsome county medical examiner—who’s exactly her type and all wrong for her.And as she closes in, she not only risks becoming the murderer’s next victim but also starts to wonder if the truth is ever worse than the lie…A Sticky Inheritance is the first book in Emily James’ Maple Syrup Mysteries. If you love small-town settings, quirky characters, and a dollop of romance, then you’ll want to buy this new amateur sleuth mystery series today!

Portrait of a Dead Guy


Larissa Reinhart - 2012
    So when the well-heeled Branson family wants to memorialize their murdered son in a coffin portrait, Cherry scrambles to win their patronage from her small town rival. As the clock ticks toward the deadline, Cherry faces more trouble than just a controversial subject. Between ex-boyfriends, her flaky family, an illegal gambling ring, and outwitting a killer on a spree, Cherry finds herself painted into a corner she’ll be lucky to survive.“An entertaining mystery full of quirky characters and solid plotting...Highly recommended for anyone who likes their mysteries strong and their mint juleps stronger!” – Jennie Bentley, New York Times Bestselling Author of Flipped Out“The tone of this marvelously cracked book is not unlike Sophie Littlefield’s brilliant A Bad Day for Sorry, as author Reinhart dishes out shovelfuls of ribald humor and mayhem. It takes a rare talent to successfully portray a beer-and-hormone-addled artist as a sympathetic and worthy heroine, but Reinhart pulls it off with tongue-in-cheek panache.” – Mystery Scene Magazine“Don’t miss Portrait of a Dead Guy by Larissa Reinhart! Portrait is pure enjoyment, a laugh out loud mystery with some Southern romance thrown in. Five stars.” — Lynn Farris, National Mystery Review Examiner at Examiner.com“Laugh-out-loud funny and as Southern as sweet tea and cheese grits, Larissa Reinhart’s masterfully crafted whodunit, Portrait of a Dead Guy, provides high-octane action with quirky, down-home characters and a trouble-magnet heroine who’ll steal readers’ hearts.” – Debby Giusti, Author of The Captain’s Mission and The Colonel’s Daughter“A sweet, southern stroke of brilliance…Action, humor, mystery and a dash of romance all packed into one quirky creation. Trust me when I tell you—don’t miss this one.” — The Book Boost“Reinhart’s debut sparkles with wit. A fun, fast-paced read and a rollicking start to her Cherry Tucker Mystery Series. If you like your stories southern-fried with a side of romance, this book’s for you!” — Leslie Tentler, Author of Midnight Caller Related subjects include: cozy mysteries, women sleuths, murder mystery series, whodunit mysteries (whodunnit), humorous murder mysteries, book club recommendations, amateur sleuth books, small town humor, Southern humor, comic (humorous) crime and mystery, small town and rural.Books in the Cherry Tucker Humorous Mystery Series:QUICK SKETCH (novella in HEARTACHE MOTEL) PORTRAIT OF A DEAD GUY (#1)STILL LIFE IN BRUNSWICK STEW (#2)HIJACK IN ABSTRACT (#3) DEATH IN PERSPECTIVE (#4)THE BODY IN THE LANDSCAPE (#5)THE VIGILANTE VIGNETTE (novella)A COMPOSITION IN MURDER (#6)A VIEW TO A CHILL (novella)