Posted May 24, 2023 by Marsha in Cozy Mystery, Kensington Books, Mystery, NetGalley, Paranormal Cozy Mystery, Series / 0 Comments
Josie is eager to show off Wilfred’s delights to her visiting sister, Jean—even though Josie must conceal her magic from her. In any case, Jean is excited to attend Cookie Masterson’s trademark “Ready-Set-Go!” workshop on becoming a life coach. Then there’s the grand reopening of Darla’s Café, where the doors are thrown open to reveal . . . a dead man, stabbed in the back. That was definitely not on the revamped menu…
Even more worrisome, the sheriff receives a report of a fresh corpse at the retreat center. Maybe murder isn’t so uncommon in Wilfred anymore, but two unfamiliar bodies within an hour certainly is! Josie’s willing to let law enforcement take the lead—after all, she’s gotten into some trouble from the hints the library’s spellbound books keep feeding her about the patrons. But when her sister receives the killer’s chilling calling card, she’ll use everything within her otherworldly powers to divine just who in town has homicide as his new slogan . . .
Titles in the A Witch Way Librarian Mystery series include — Bait and Witch —♦— Seven-Year Witch —♦— Witch and Famous —♦— Witch Upon a Star —♦—
NetGalley ARC
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Tags: A Witch Way Librarian Mystery #4, Angela M. Sanders, Kensington Books, NetGalley ARC, Witch Upon a Star
Posted March 9, 2023 by Marsha in Cozy Mystery, Crime, Kensington Books, Mystery, NetGalley, Series / 0 Comments
Winter in Sea Harbor is a feast for the senses. This year, the Seaside Knitters have a sackful of obligations in addition to their usual Christmas preparations. Izzy is so overloaded with knitting classes that she hires an extra salesperson. Cass, juggling the stresses of running her lobster fishery, has finally found a nanny for her active toddler. Molly Flanigan seems practically perfect in every way—until she suddenly disappears, taking Cass’s beloved rescue mutt with her . . .
Meanwhile, the holidays are kicking off in style at the mayor’s holiday party, with a celebrity chef catering the event. An additional treat for Ben and Nell Endicott at the festive affair is reconnecting with a dear college friend, Oliver Bishop. But it’s not just reunions and the appetizers that are to die for. Before the partygoers can toast the beginning of Sea Harbor’s festive season, the chef—and young wife of the Endicotts’ old Harvard friend—is found dead in the snow . . .
Izzy, Birdie, Nell, and Cass must uncover the pattern to these mysteries to remove suspicion from those they love, bring a murderer to justice—and keep Sea Harbor’s holiday magic from vanishing into the chill winter air . . .
Titles in the A Seaside Knitters Society Mystery series include — Murder Wears Mittens —◊— How to Knit a Murder —◊— A Murderous Tangle —◊— A Crime of a Different Stripe —◊— A Dark and Snowy Night —◊—
There are eleven (11) titles in the A Seaside Knitters Mystery series, a connecting set of stories to the “Society” mysteries. Some sites combine them all, while others do not. Yet they all are in the same “world,” so you make that judgment for yourself. 🙂
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Tags: A Dark and Snowy Night, A Seaside Knitters Society Mystery #5, Cozy Mystery, Kensington Books, NetGalley ARC, Sally Goldenbaum
Posted February 6, 2023 by Marsha in Author ARC, Booksprout ARC, Cliffhanger Ending (for now), Cozy Mystery, Series / 0 Comments
Magic in this witch’s family has a name: Trouble
The competition is heating up at the mini-golf invitational in Crystal Beach despite the deadly discovery on the 18th hole. With a golf course full of possible suspects, Sidney Grace is on high alert, trying to locate clues that might lead her to the murderer… or at least reveal a motive.
But when Officer Reece’s smoking hot deputy, who keeps his evenings tied up with “investigation stuff,” points the finger at Sidney as the leading suspect, she’s had it up to her witch’s hat. “I mean the nerve! I would make a better deputy than Ms. ‘I look amazing in a uniform!’”
And there’s more trouble headed this witch’s way. The fierce golf competition has everyone in a tizzy, including Sidney’s grandmother, Ada-Mae, who is sure that the leading contestant is playing under the influence of magic. To make matters worse, things keep getting stranger with Sidney’s mother, who could be under a spell of her own.
Can this young witch unlock her magical powers in time to save her mom? Who killed Sidney’s friend? And what secret is her cat, Mojo, trying to reveal about her new ghostly visitor?
The Crystal Beach Magic Mystery (a Paranormal Cozy Mystery) series include — Cat Scratch Murder —♦— Claw of Attraction —♦— Feline Like a Suspect —♦— A Meowing Suspicion —♦— Paws in Space —♦—
Booksprout ARC
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Tags: Booksprout ARC, Crystal Beach Magic Mystery #3, Feline Like a Suspect, Karen McSpade, Paranormal Cozy Mystery
Posted January 16, 2023 by Marsha in Cozy Mystery, Kensington Books, NetGalley, Series, Small Town Romance / 0 Comments
ʼTis the day after Christmas, following a wicked-busy time of year for Mac’s bike shop. It’s just as well her Cozy Capers Book Group’s new pick is a nerve-soothing coloring book mystery, especially when she has last-minute wedding planning to do.
But all pre-wedding jitters fade into the background when Mac and her fiancé, Tim, begin a cottage renovation project and open up a wall to find a skeleton—sitting on a stool, dressed in an old-fashioned bridal gown . . .
As Mac delves into the decades-old mystery with the help of librarian Flo and her book group, she discovers a story of star-crossed lovers and feuding families worthy of the bard himself. Yet this tale has a modern-day villain still lurking in Mac’s quaint seaside town, ready to make this a murderous New Year’s Eve . . .
Titles in the A Cozy Capers Book Group Mystery series include — Murder on Cape Cod —♦— Murder at the Taffy Shop —♦— Murder at the Lobstah Shack —♦— Murder in a Cape Cottage —♦— Murder at a Cape Bookstore —♦—
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Tags: A Cozy Capers Book Group Mystery #4, Cozy Mystery, Kensington Books, Maggie Day, Murder in a Cape Cottage, NetGalley ARC
Posted May 12, 2022 by Marsha in Cozy Mystery, Kensington Books, Mystery, NetGalley, Paranormal Cozy Mystery, Series / 0 Comments
Spirit Canyon’s annual Spirit Spooktacular weekend is on, and for local amateur sleuth Zo Jones, it’s boomtime for business at her Happy Camper gift shop . . . until a murderer drops in for a browse.
To celebrate Halloween at the Happy Camper, Zo schedules a talk by successful author and self-proclaimed witch Marianne Morgan. Although Marianne’s benign brand of witchcraft is more about feminine empowerment than black magic, her presence is still not welcomed by everyone. Then on a midnight stroll home, Zo spots what seems to be a new Halloween decoration propped up outside the Happy Camper. What she finds is not a mannequin but a dead Marianne, her lifeless body dressed in traditional witch’s garb. But why would someone send this good witch back to the spirit world permanently?
Soon Zo realizes that plenty of folks have motives for murdering Marianne. What’s worse, nosy TV newsman Justin Castle plans to broadcast a report associating Marianne’s murder with the Happy Camper. Zo calls on her partner in sleuthing, local forest ranger Max Harrington, to help her find the culprit before Justin’s report airs. Otherwise, Zo’s business just might go bust. But to catch this killer, Zo will have to risk much more than just her reputation . . .
Titles in A Happy Camper Mystery series include — Open for Murder — Midnight Spells for Murder — Mining for Murder —
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Tags: A Happy Camper Mystery #2, Cozy Mystery, Mary Angela, Midnight Spells Murder, Paranormal Cozy Mystery
Posted October 9, 2021 by Marsha in Author ARC, Cozy Mystery, Mystery, Series, Tule Publishing / 0 Comments
All the world’s a stage, and all the men and women merely killers…
Everybody’s talking about Hemlock’s annual fall festival headliner band, ShakesPierre. Everyone but Tess Harrison, whose breakup with Pierre, the lead singer, left them both singing the blues years ago. And now that Pierre is back, he’s publicly putting his feelings for Tess in the spotlight.
So when Pierre ends up stabbed in the alley outside Tess’s bakery, she’s the number one suspect—especially since she’s famously known for her quality kitchen knives. But the evidence strikes a false note with Maddie and Jenna Bell, who are determined to clear their friend’s name and make sure the real murderer plays…uh, pays for his crime.
The clues lead them out of Hemlock and into danger far outside of Sheriff Jackson Bradley’s jurisdiction. Can Maddie save everyone before the real killer strikes back and Tess goes down for a crime she didn’t commit?
Titles in The Wedding Bell Mysteries series include – Slay Bells Ring – A Crime of Fashion – Ending on a Die Note –
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Tags: Cozy Mystery, Ending on a Die Note, Nancy Robards Thompson, The Wedding Bell Mysteries #3
Posted September 4, 2021 by Marsha in Cozy Mystery, Kensington Books, NetGalley, Paranormal Cozy Mystery, Series / 0 Comments
Courtney Kelly has a shop full of delights, a cat named Pixie, a green thumb—and a magical touch when it comes to garden design. But in Carmel-by-the-Sea, things aren’t all sweetness and fairy lights . . .
When Courtney’s friend Wanda gets into a ponytail-pulling wrestling match in public with a nasty local art critic, Courtney stops the fight with the help of a garden hose. But Lana Lamar has a talent for escalating things and creating tension, which she succeeds in doing by threatening a lawsuit, getting into yet another scuffle—in the midst of an elegant fundraiser, no less—and lobbing insults around like pickleballs.
Next thing Courtney knows, Lana is on the floor, stabbed with a decorative letter opener from one of Courtney’s fairy gardens, and Wanda is standing by asking “What have I done?” But the answer may not be as obvious as it seems since Wanda is prone to sleepwalking and appears to be in a daze. Could she have risen from her nap and committed murder while unconscious? Or is the guilty party someone else Lana’s ticked off, like maybe her long-suffering husband? To find out, Courtney will have to dig up some dirt . . .
Titles in the Fairy Garden Mystery series include — A Sprinkling of Murder – A Glimmer of a Clue –
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Tags: A Fairy Garden Mystery #2, A Glimmer of a Clue, Daryl Wood Gerber, Kensington Cozies, Paranormal Cozy Mystery
Posted February 6, 2021 by Marsha in Cozy Mystery, Kensington Books, NetGalley, Series / 0 Comments
Welcome to a specialty shop in the Oregon tourist town of Oceanview, where it’s all things honey—from taffy to body scrub. But murder can make things sticky . . .
A BALMY WAY TO GO
With her Let It Bee honey boutique buzzing along nicely, life is as sweet as nectar for Wren Johnson—until she takes a morning walk along the Pacific beach with her Havana Brown cat, Everett, and stumbles upon the body of Agnes Snow, the cranky queen of the local craft fairs, stiff as driftwood.
More unfortunate? Clutched in the victim’s fist is a label from Wren’s homemade beeswax-and-honey lip balm. Which makes Officer Jim Hampton focus his dreamy-blue Paul Newman eyes on Wren as suspect number one.
With fabulous feline support from Everett, Wren must comb the town for clues and clear her name before someone else gets stung.
Titles in the An Oregon Honeycomb Mystery series include – Death Bee Comes Her –
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Tags: An Oregon Honeycomb Mystery #1, Cozy Mystery, Death Bee Comes Her, Nancy Coco
Posted December 6, 2020 by Marsha in Cozy Mystery, Kensington Books, Mystery, NetGalley, Series / 0 Comments
Christmas cheer has sent the griddle into overdrive at Robbie Jordan’s popular country store and café. And this year, there’s a new seasonal special to feast on — murder!
As December sweeps through South Lick, Indiana, Robbie’s life seems merry and bright like the string lights glistening around town. But strange happenings signal a bumpy ride into the holidays.
First, a man raises eyebrows at Pans ‘N Pancakes when he claims to be the long-lost half-brother of Robbie’s assistant. Then a fire destroys the home of a controversial anesthesiologist, exposing skeletal remains in his attic.
Helplessly intrigued, all Robbie wants for Christmas is to stop her winter wonderland from becoming a real nightmare. With a decades-old mystery taking shape, can she run as fast as she can in pursuit of a killer who’s harder to crack than a stale gingerbread man?
Titles in the Country Store Mystery series include – Flipped for Murder – Grilled for Murder – When the Grits Hit the Fan – Biscuits and Slashed Browns – Death Over Easy – Strangled Eggs and Ham – Nacho Average Murder – Candy Slain Murder – No Grater Crime –
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Tags: Candy Slain Murder, Country Store Mystery #8, Cozy Mystery, Maddie Day
Posted November 15, 2020 by Marsha in Cozy Mystery, Kensington Books, Mystery, NetGalley, Series / 0 Comments
A cold wind is blowing off Lake Michigan, and murder is scaring the dickens out of everyone . . .
Considering her name, Marlee Jacob is an obvious choice for the role of Jacob Marley in Oriole Point’s production of A Christmas Carol. It’s just sad that the role has opened up because of the death of the elderly actor who’d originally been cast.
But Marlee, the proprietor of The Berry Basket, will do her best to keep spirits high–that is until clues start mounting that there’s danger behind the scenes. There are accidents on set, the tree in the village square topples over, and worst of all, a body is found with a sprig of holly draped over it. If Marlee can’t wrap up the case, she may not have a berry merry Christmas . . .
Titles in the Berry Basket Mystery series include — Dying for Strawberries – Blackberry Burial – Killed on Blueberry Hill – Mulberry Mischief – Hollyberry Homicide –
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Tags: Berry Basket Mystery #5, Cozy Mystery, Hollyberry Homicide, Sharon Farrow
Posted November 15, 2020 by Marsha in Cozy Mystery, Kensington Books, Mystery, NetGalley, Series / 0 Comments
Not even her impending nuptials can keep Lucy Berberian, manager of her family-owned Kebab Kitchen, from the Jersey Shore’s annual Polar Bear Plunge. But her dive into the icy ocean is especially chilling when she finds a fellow swimmer doing the dead man’s float—for real . . .
Who would kill a man in cold blood during Ocean Crest, New Jersey’s most popular winter event? When Lucy learns the victim is Deacon Spooner, the reception hall owner who turned up his nose—and his price—at her wedding plans, she can’t help wondering who wouldn’t kill the pompous caterer . . .
Perhaps the culprit is the wedding cake baker whose career Deacon nearly destroyed? Or the angry bride whose reception he ruined? With her maid of honor, Katie, busily planning Lucy’s wedding without her, Lucy will have to get to the bottom of this cold-hearted business in time for Kebab Kitchen’s mouthwatering Christmas celebration—and before her hometown’s holiday spirit washes out to sea . . .
Titles in the Kebab Kitchen Mystery series include — Hummus and Homicide – Stabbed in the Baklava – One Feta in the Grave – On the Lamb – Mistletoe, Moussaka & Murder –
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Tags: Cozy Mystery, Mistletoe Moussaka & Murder, The Kebab Kitchen Mystery #5, Tina Kashian