Book picks similar to
The Sweet Smell of Murder by Cindy Bell
mystery
cozy-mysteries
cozy-mystery
cozy
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...
Deal Gone Dead
Carolyn Ridder Aspenson - 2020
Literally.I made a promise to my cranky client, Myrtle Redbecker. I swore I’d sell her house to the highest commercial bidder no matter what.And when I found her dead on her kitchen floor, I vowed to keep that promise, and find her killer.But there’s a catch—or two.The new sheriff in town is my ex-boyfriend, and the last thing I want to do is deal with him. I’m also not big on putting myself in dangerous situations, but a girl’s got to do what a girl’s got to do.Now I’m stuck in the middle of a murder investigation, and if I’m not careful... I just might end up the next victim.If you like charming, small town, Southern cozy mysteries, you'll love book one in the Lily Sprayberry Realtor Cozy Mystery Series.
If You Can't Stand the Heat
Robin Allen - 2011
Poppy's not sure if her dad will ever forgive her for leaving the family business to become a public health inspector-the most reviled figure in the restaurant industry-but when he asks her back into the kitchen to help out during the restaurant's grand re-opening, she can't refuse. Chaos ensues when the guest of honor, Michelin-rated chef Évariste Bontecou, is found stabbed to death with Ursula's knife. Sacrebleu!Sorting through everyone who had it in for the hot-headed, philandering French chef is worse than deboning a Coho salmon. Could it be the bad-boy sous chef eyeing his chance at the top or the conniving waitress rumored to be Évariste's paramour du jour? The closer Poppy gets to solving the mystery, the hotter things get. And as everyone knows: if you can't stand the heat, stay out of the kitchen.
No Filter
Heather Day Gilbert - 2020
She joins forces with her brother Bo in his crazy new venture—the Barks & Beans Cafe, which caters to dog lovers and coffee drinkers alike.When a golf instructor is murdered at the nearby spiritual center, Macy winds up adopting his Great Dane. Just after Macy finds a mysterious message sewn under the dog's collar, her Dane is dognapped. She launches into a relentless search for her newfound canine friend, but along the way, she digs up a cruel and confident killer.Join siblings Macy and Bo Hatfield as they sniff out crimes in their hometown...with plenty of dogs along for the ride! The Barks & Beans Cafe cozy mystery series features a small town, an amateur sleuth, and no swearing or graphic scenes.
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?
Killer Cupcakes
Leighann Dobbs - 2012
She's finally opened her dream bakery, gotten rid of her cheating boyfriend and settled into her grandmothers house with her perky dog Sprinkles at her side.But her blissful life doesn't last long. When her ex boyfriend is found poisoned with cupcakes from her bakery, Lexy finds herself in the middle of a murder investigation headed up by her hunky neighbor detective Jack Perillo.With the help of a gang of iPad toting, would-be detective grandmothers, Lexy decides to take it upon herself to find the real murderer in order to clear her name and get her bakery back in business. As things heat up on the murder trail, in the kitchen and between Lexy and the hunky detective, it's a race against time to put the real murderer behind bars and get back to baking.Will Lexy get her man?
Pains and Penalties
Sarah Biglow - 2016
A murder in plain sight at the annual Solstice Fair pushes Kalina to snoop where she doesn't belong, much to the chagrin of former high school sweetheart, Detective Christian Harper.As Kalina digs into the victim's past she uncovers a dark truth that the victim and her closest friends were hoping to take the grave. A truth the killer wants revealed.Will Kalina and Chris catch the killer before the killer's thirst for vengeance is sated?Pick up your copy FREE.
Candy Coated Murder
Kate Bell - 2017
But when the most hated woman in town is murdered, the police start looking in my direction and I have to wonder if moving home was a good idea.
In Pumpkin Hollow, Halloween is celebrated all year long. Mia Jordan has just moved home after being gone ten years, and when she discovers a neighbor has been murdered, it casts a shadow on the town's year-round Halloween theme. Can Mia find the killer and save the town's Halloween celebration before it's too late?
Sprinkles and a Situation
Emmie Lyn - 2021
Changed for the worst, that is, when the first thing I do is stumble upon a body.And the new detective in town happens to be the most eligible bachelor around. And my new boss’s grandson. I’ve signed on for way more than I’d ever wanted.With my job on the line, my black Lab at my side, and donuts in hand, my only choice is to follow the clues. But when footprints lead to evidence that doesn’t add up, I kick my natural nosiness into high gear.My life is a complete mess, but with my new passion for sniffing out clues, I might just solve this dirty whodunit before the wrong person is arrested.Grab yourself a huge helping of this clever new cozy mystery series. You’ll fall in love with Ellie Hart, her dog, and the cast of characters who keep her on her toes!
Arsenic in the Azaleas
Dale Mayer - 2019
… Controlling to chaos. … But murder … seriously? After her ex-husband leaves her high and dry, former socialite Doreen Montgomery's chance at a new life comes in the form of her grandmother, Nan's, dilapidated old house in picturesque Kelowna … and the added job of caring for the animals Nan couldn’t take into assisted living with her: Thaddeus, the loquacious African gray parrot with a ripe vocabulary, and his buddy, Goliath, a monster-size cat with an equally monstrous attitude. It’s the new start Doreen and her beloved basset hound, Mugs, desperately need. But, just as things start to look up for Doreen, Goliath the cat and Mugs the dog find a human finger in Nan’s overrun garden. And not just a finger. Once the police start digging, the rest of the body turns up and turns out to be connected to an old unsolved crime. With her grandmother as the prime suspect, Doreen soon finds herself stumbling over clues and getting on Corporal Mack Moreau’s last nerve, as she does her best to prove her beloved Nan innocent of murder.
Fowl Play
P. Bodi - 2016
All of her customers and their pets are like family. It had been a typical day at Pet Palace. Leah was going to meet some friends for dinner where she suddenly finds out one her customers had been found dead at home. Was it from natural causes or could it have been murder?
No Farm, No Foul
Peg Cochran - 2016
Working the farm is demanding but peaceful—until that peace is shattered when the minister’s wife is murdered on Shelby’s property during a fund-raiser for a local church. But the manure really hits the fan when Shelby’s good friend veterinarian Kelly Thacker emerges as the prime suspect. Shelby decides to dig in and find the murderer by herself. As more suspects crop up, she’ll have to move fast—before someone else buys the farm. . . .
Dying for Strawberries
Sharon Farrow - 2016
Between running the Berry Basket, dodging local gossip, and whipping up strawberry muffins, smoothies, and margaritas to celebrate the town’s first annual Strawberry Moon Bash, the twenty-nine-year-old hardly has time for her fiancé, let alone grim memories of her old life in New York . . . But unfortunately for Marlee, Oriole Point is muddled with secrets of its own. First her friend Irina disappears after an ominous dream. Next the seediest man in town threatens to crush her business. Then an unknown person nearly kills her on the night of the Bash. When she discovers a dead body while searching for Irina, Marlee realizes she’ll have to foil a killer’s plot herself—before the past permanently stains her future.
Reunion and Revenge
Karen Musser Nortman - 2018
Does that mean they are amicable companions? Not at all. But when, during a family reunion, the murder of a family friend throws suspicion on their shiftless younger brother, they put their heads together to try to save him.
Peaches and Scream
Susan Furlong - 2015
A poor harvest and rising costs are threatening to ruin the Harpers’ livelihood, and small-town gossip is spreading like blight thanks to Nola’s juicy reputation as a wild teenager way back when. But Nola really finds herself in the pits when she stumbles upon a local businessman murdered among the peach trees.With suspicions and family tensions heating up faster than a cobbler in the oven, this sweet Georgia peach will have to prune through a list of murder suspects—before she too becomes ripe for the killer’s picking…INCLUDES RECIPES