Cozy Mysteries
The corpse who knew too much
Sennefelder, Debra, author
2020
"Building on her recipe for success with her food blog, Hope at Home, Hope is teaching her first blogging class at the local library in Jefferson, Connecticut. She's also learning about podcasts, including a true-crime one called Search for the Missing, hosted by Hope's childhood friend, Devon Markham. Twenty years ago on Valentine's Day, right here in Jefferson, Devon's mom disappeared and was never found. Finally Devon has returned to solve the mystery of what happened to her mother--and she asks Hope to help. The next day Hope discovers Devon's apartment has been ransacked. Her laptop with the research on her mother's cold case is missing, and Devon is nowhere to be found. When her friend's body is later discovered in a car wreck, Hope is convinced it's no accident. Clearly, Devon was too close to the truth, and the cold-blooded killer is still at large in Jefferson. Now it's up to Hope to find the guilty party--before the food blogger herself becomes the next subject of another true-crime podcast..."
A dark and stormy tea
Childs, Laura, author
2022
As she approaches St. Philips Graveyard, Theodosia sees two figures locked in a strange embrace. Wiping rain from her eyes, Theodosia realizes she has just witnessed a brutal murder and sees a dark-hooded figure slip away into the fog. In the throes of alerting police, Theodosia recognizes the victim--it is the daughter of her friend Lois, who owns the Antiquarian Bookshop next door to her own Indigo Tea Shop. Even though this appears to be the work of a serial killer who is stalking the back alleys of Charleston, Lois begs Theodosia for help.
Death on the night of lost lizards
Buckley, Julia, 1964- author.
2021
After a professor of Hungarian Studies at the local college is brutally murdered, Hana gets one of her visions that pulls her into the investigation and places her in the path of a killer.
For letter or worse
Conroy, Vivian, author
2020
"For a wealthy Tundish woman's birthday extravaganza, Delta and her stationery shop host a crafting event, hoping to drum up some extra business for their new Montana store. But cardstock isn't the only thing bent out of shape when the guest of honor's sister-in-law ends up dead before the cake is cut, and many suspects soon come out from the folds. With suspicious gifts appearing on the present table and enemies a mile long, Delta and her friends, including retired K-9 dog Spud, must take a second look at the evidence to try and find the killer. However, they soon discover there are more dimensions to the case than they could ever have imagined ..."-- Provided by publisher.
A killer edition
Barrett, Lorna, author
2020
Balancing a bake-off that's heating up with a frosty reception from the board of the local animal-rescue, Tricia stops by Joyce Whitman's romance bookstore looking for a book to get her fired up. She stumbles on something hot, but it's an argument between Joyce and her neighbor Vera Osborn instead of a steamy read. When Vera turns up dead in Joyce's garden hours later, Tricia has to wonder--could Joyce be the killer? Or is the culprit still lurking in town?
The Moonshine Shack murder
Kelly, Diane, author
2021
The Hayes family has made moonshine in Chattanooga since the days of Prohibition, and Hattie is happy to continue the tradition, serving up fun, fruity flavors in mason jars for locals and tourists alike. All signs indicate her new 'shine shop will be a smashing success. What's more, mounted police officer Marlon Landers has taken a shine to Hattie. But when a body ends up on her store's doorstep alongside a broken jar of her Firefly Moonshine, it just might be lights out for her fledgling business. The homicide detective can't seem to identify the person who killed the owner of a nearby bar. The only witness is Hattie's longhaired gray cat, and Smoky isn't talking. When the detective learns that the victim and Hattie had a heated exchange shortly before his murder, she becomes her prime suspect. Lest Hattie end up behind bars like her bootlegging great-grandfather a century before, she must distill the evidence herself and serve the killer a swift shot of justice.
Murder at the Pumpkin Pageant
Hannah, Darci, author
2023
"Lindsey prefers to keep her bakeshop's Halloween decor light and autumnal, rather than gruesome and ghoulish. But everyone knows her lighthouse home is haunted. Some intrepid teens have even tried to break in to witness the resident ghost themselves. Dreading Halloween night, Lindsey reluctantly allows her influencer and podcaster best friend, Kennedy, to host a live ghost-hunting investigation in the lighthouse, conducted by a professional team. Protective of her ghost, Lyndsey is understandably nervous about what they might uncover... The segment is uneventful--until things take a terrifying turn. The team freaks out. As Kennedy joins the mad dash outside, she bumps into what looks like the prankster teens' creepy clown costume hanging from a tree. But when Lindsey's dog, Wellington, begins to whine, they make a grim discovery: the clown is no dummy. It's a corpse. Now Lindsey and company will need to keep their cool if they want a ghost of a chance to solve the murder--and see another Halloween..."-- Provided by publisher.
Murder in the book lover's loft
Adams, Ellery, author
2023
Jane and her fiancé, Edwin, are headed to the North Carolina coast for a much-needed vacation. Their harborside loft has floor-to-ceiling bookcases and breathtaking views, but Jane's hopes of exploring the town with her man are stymied when Edwin steps on a stingray. Things take an even less romantic turn when Jane stumbles across a dead body... Instead of taking leisurely beach strolls, Jane is suddenly on a literary chase through time, unearthing a dark secret in her family tree that threatens all she holds dear back in Storyton. And it'll take a whole village to help her make amends for the past--and stop a madman bent on exacting justice in the present.
Murder with clotted cream
Smith, Karen Rose, author
2020
"Margaret Vaughn has hired Daisy to provide afternoon tea for her theater group. A local girl who left long ago for an acting career in New York, Margaret has returned home--with a multimillionaire husband in tow. But while Daisy bustles around Margaret's historic farmhouse, she senses that there's tension behind the scenes. Then she discovers the hostess on the floor of the pantry--dead and covered with clotted cream. Barely recovered from her previous sleuthing adventure, Daisy joins forces with the former detective she's been dating to help solve the case. Should she cast suspicion on the stars of the upcoming play? Can Margaret's sister shine a spotlight on potential culprits? Or are there clues to be found in the victim's past? With plenty of family stress of her own to deal with, all Daisy knows is she better act fast."--Page 4 of cover.
Smile Beach murder
Bessette, Alicia, author.
2022
From author Alicia Bessette comes an all-new mystery series featuring Callie Padget a former reporter turned bookshop clerk in the Outer Banks who is pulled into a deadly web of secrets when a mysterious fall at a lighthouse echoes a tragedy from her past.
Witch hunt
Conte, Cate, author.
2020
Violet Mooney owns The Full Moon crystal shop in quaint North Harbor, Connecticut. Still grieving her beloved grandmother's recent unexpected death, she takes comfort in her fat orange cat Monty and her work. Not everyone in town is thrilled with her business, however. When disagreeable town councilwoman Carla Fernandez picks a fight over Violet's "voodoo shop," the two have a very public confrontation. Of course, when Carla turns up dead, Violet gets little sympathy from the police as suspect #1. But the shock of two policemen showing up at her door pales in comparison to the sudden appearance of her estranged mother Fiona and a surprise sister, Zoe. What Fiona reveals will rock her world and her sense of self--and reawaken her long-dormant mysterious power. Good thing. She's gonna need it ...