Tuesday, January 5, 2016


Check out all the great titles 
releasing today!


Old rivalries heat up in the fourth Sweet Pepper Fire Brigade mystery from the national bestselling author of In Hot Water.

Fire chief Stella Griffin has been put in charge of judging the annual recipe contest, but Eric—her resident ghost and true culinary genius—has vanished. Before she can track down his latest haunt, she’s called in to investigate a local moonshine distillery that was set ablaze, making her realize there’s more than pies and cakes cooking in Sweet Pepper. 

As rumors of a revived whiskey war ignite, Stella turns to the town’s elders to help her find answers. The past might have some clues as to what has sparked the present fires. But when following a lead lands her in buried rubble, Stella realizes she must extinguish this case fast or she might be going down in flames.


The New York Times bestselling author of At the Drop of a Hat returns to her London hat shop with a fresh tale of milliners and murder.

For Scarlett Parker, part of the fun of living in London is celebrating the British holidays, and she’s excited to share her first Bonfire Night with her cousin Vivian Tremont. Invited to a posh party by their friend Harrison Wentworth, Scarlett and Viv decide to promote their hat shop, Mim’s Whims, by donning a few of their more outrageous creations. The hats prove to be quite the conversation starters as the girls mix and mingle with the guests—never suspecting that one of them is a killer. 

It’s a cold, clear night, perfect for the British tradition of tossing a straw stuffed effigy of Guy Fawkes, traitor to the crown, onto the bonfire. But instead of a straw man, they realize in the heat of the moment that the would-be Guy Fawkes is actually Harrison’s office rival and he’s been murdered. Before the smoke has cleared, Harrison is the Metropolitan police’s prime suspect, and Scarlett and Vivian must find the real homicidal hothead before their dear friend’s life goes up in flames.


The New York Times bestselling author of the Farmers’ Market Mysteries and the Country Cooking School Mysteries introduces readers to Star City, Utah, and a little shop called the Rescued Word...
Star City is known for its slopes and its powder. But nestled in the valley of this ski resort town is a side street full of shops that specialize in the simple charms of earlier eras. One of those shops is the Rescued Word, where Chester Henry and his adult granddaughter Clare lovingly repair old typewriters and restore old books. Who ever thought their quaint store would hold the key to some modern-day trouble?
When a stranger to town demands they turn over an antique Underwood typewriter they’re repairing for a customer, Clare fears she may need to be rescued. A call to the police scares the man off, but later Clare finds his dead body in the back alley. What about a dusty old typewriter could possibly be worth killing for?


The latest deliciously appealing mystery from the author of Death of a Chocolate Cheater...
 
Anxious to take a break from bustling San Francisco, Darcy and her Aunt Abby pack up the food truck and head for the apple festival at Apple Valley, California. Aunt Abby is sure her almond apple tarts will be a hit and Darcy wants to collect more recipes for her food truck cookbook.
 
But when a fellow guest at the Enchanted Apple Inn is pared-down—and the Inn’s owner ends up the prime suspect—Darcy must peel away the layers of the mystery. Because an apple a day certainly isn’t keeping the killer away...


From Bailey Cattrell—who writes the New York Times bestselling Magical Bakery Mysteries as Bailey Cates—comes the first Enchanted Garden Mystery featuring custom perfume maker Elliana Allbright...

The Enchanted Garden behind Elliana Allbright’s perfume shop draws people of all ages with its fragrant flowers and lush greenery. But when the magical serenity is interrupted, it’s up to Ellie to sniff out a killer.
 
Ellie’s life has blossomed in Poppyville, California, since she opened Scents & Nonsense, a custom-made-perfume store. Her skills with aromas and botanical essences—some from her very own garden—seem almost…supernatural. Her perfumes can evoke emotions,  bring about change, or simply make people happy. Customers are flocking to the store to buy her wares or just to sit in her beautiful garden, sip tea and enjoy homemade cookies. 
 
But she smells trouble when she learns that her part-time assistant Josie is dating her ex. And before she can tell the young woman to beware of his charms, she finds Josie dead in the Enchanted Garden. Now the prime suspect in Josie’s murder, Ellie must search for the real culprit in Josie’s past—because it’ll take a miracle to nip this problem in the bud....


White House executive chef Ollie Paras has served plenty of meals to foreign dignitaries from around the world. But someone is ready to serve her an ice-cold dish of revenge...
 
Things are about to really heat up for Ollie. News of a bombing and attempted breakout at a federal prison reveals that the brother of a terrorist she helped defeat is back with a vengeance. And after she gets mugged on her way home from work, the Secret Service won’t leave her side, fearing she is now a target.
 
When a White House staff member is murdered, officials rush to action over a possible security breach. It may be time for Ollie to trade in her apron for a bullet-proof vest as she becomes part of a bold strategy to make sure this terrorist gets his just desserts...


In the fresh new Piece of Cake Mystery from the national bestselling author of Rebel Without a Cake, a pastry chef becomes embroiled in a suspicious death as a mysterious curse casts a pall over an annual New Orleans ball.
 
Rita Lucero, co-owner of New Orleans’s Zydeco Cakes, is thrilled to be catering an annual ball held at the Monte Cristo Hotel. Designing the high-end desserts is her priority—until she stumbles upon a mystery long-buried at her shop. It’s an ornate ruby necklace, hidden underneath her staircase and rumored to be cursed. 
 
After the gem’s appraiser suddenly drops dead and Rita herself is targeted by a menacing stranger, she’s no longer laughing at local superstition. Now with five cakes on order and an investigation into the necklace’s past revealing layers of unsettling clues, Rita has reason to keep looking over her shoulder while she’s frosting. Because any way you slice it, the next victim of the legendary curse could be her.


Medium M. J. Holliday battles demons in the tenth Ghost Hunter Mystery from the New York Times bestselling author of No Ghouls Allowed.

M.J., Heath, and Gilley, are back home in Boston, where their new film is sure to be a monster hit!  To promote the film, the studio is sponsoring a special exhibit of supernatural artifacts at a local museum. Unfortunately, Gilley—whose mind is engaged with wedding plans—gets talked into donating to the exhibit the very dagger that keeps the dangerous ghost Oruç and his pet demon locked down in the lower realms. Before M.J. can recover the bewitched blade, there’s a murder and a heist at the museum, and the dagger is stolen.
 
Now Oruç is coming for M.J. and her crew, and he's bringing with him some fiendish friends from M.J.’s haunted past. She, Gilley, and Heath are certain to be in for a devil of a time. M.J. may even need to recruit a certain skeptical Boston detective to help stop the paranormal party crashers from turning Gilley’s wedding bells to funeral knells. . . .


A second dose of Scottish charm from the author of A Wee Murder in My Shop.
 
While business is booming at the ScotShop in Hamelin, Vermont, proprietor Peggy Winn doesn’t have time to toast her good fortune thanks to her hot-tempered, fourteenth-century Scottish companion. Being thrust into the modern world hasn’t been easy for Dirk, but Peggy is at her wit’s end trying to keep the ghostie galoot in line.
 
But when the local police chief finds the body of Peggy’s friend Karaline’s college professor in a deserted mountain cabin, everyone is thrown for a loop. It seems the secretive professor may have been killed over his ecological work, an idea that’s only reinforced when Karaline herself is shot. Now Peggy and Dirk must set aside their differences to put the cold-blooded killer under loch and key...


In the latest from the USA Today bestselling author of A First Date with Death, reality TV gets all too real with murder...

After Love or Money made them reality TV stars, former cop Georgia Thornton and her new boyfriend Scott were supposed to live happily ever after. Unfortunately as their fifteen minutes of fame came to an end, actual reality kicked in and their prize money quickly evaporated. 

So Georgia and Scott agree to appear in a new program, pitting them against other teams in an athletic journey across the countryside of Spain for a chance to win $250,000. But the fierce competition turns frightening when Scott disappears during an overnight camping trip in the Pyrenees Mountains, leaving only his bloody wristwatch behind—and a woman’s dead body.

With the Spanish authorities ready to convict Scott, Georgia must find him and prove his innocence in an amazing race against crime…


First in a delicious new mystery series about Eva Knox and her family’s Georgia olive plantation.
 
In the sweet Southern town of Abundance, Georgia, home of the Knox family’s olive farm, gossip isn’t the only thing that can kill you...
 
After leaving a man at the altar for the second time in her life, Eva Knox decides to head home to her family’s plantation to regroup and soak in some Southern charm. But hiding from her woes is a slipperier proposition than Eva imagined. For one thing, most people in town still haven’t forgiven her for leaving local boy Buck Tanner at the altar and hightailing it up north eighteen years ago. For another, a death on her family’s farm soon makes her the lead suspect in a murder case—and the sheriff investigating is none other than Eva’s old flame Buck.
 
With the police putting the squeeze on her, it’s up to Eva and her sisters, Pep and Daphne, to figure out who could have possibly left a dead body in their olive grove. And they’ll have to catch the greasy killer quickly—because it looks like Eva has been picked as the murderer’s next victim...

Which of the great titles are you looking forward to?

As always, please leave a comment and 
let me know what you think!

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Monday, January 4, 2016


THE POSTMAN IS LATE 
Book 1 in the Neighborhood Watch Mysteries 
by Vicki Vass


Known to the neighborhood as Grandma Jan, Janice Kustodia has a routine and keeps to it. Up at 6 a.m., a pot of Jewel Extra Bold coffee and then out the door to bring the garbage cans up from the curb, sweep the sidewalks and walk South Linden Avenue to make sure all is as it should be. But today it isn’t when she discovers the postman murdered. This isn’t supposed to happen on her watch. To discover the truth, she must unravel the red tape of corruption at city hall, track down a killer who is targeting her neighbors and discover why the postman is late.

MY REVIEW


There’s a new senior sleuth on the scene, and she’s absolutely delightful!

Author Vicki Vass has penned a perfect new cozy with her book, THE POSTMAN IS LATE. This story is a wonderful start to the Neighborhood Watch mysteries.

I just spent the day with seventy year old Janice “Jan” Kustodia, and I had a blast! Jan is one of those ladies we all have on our street (Mine’s name is Leona). She knows everyone, and keeps an eye on everything. But most of our “Grandmas” don’t stumble upon, and help solve a murder.

This is such an amazingly fun mystery! A well thought out plot, combined with excellent storytelling, THE POSTMAN IS LATE took me back to the days of early cozy “traditional” mysteries like the Mrs. Pollifax series. I eagerly turned the pages of this book anticipating each new chapter. From the discovery of the body early in the story, to the exciting conclusion that has a killer much different than those in most cozies, I was completely absorbed.

Vicki Vass is sure to have a hit series on her hands with the Neighborhood Watch mysteries!

AVAILABLE NOW!

As always, please leave a comment and 
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Sunday, January 3, 2016


THE CRACKED SPINE
Book 1 in the Scottish Bookshop Mysteries
by Paige Shelton


In need of a good adventure, Delaney Nichols takes the leap and moves to Edinburgh, Scotland to start a job at The Cracked Spine. She doesn't know much about what she's gotten herself into, other than that the work sounds exciting, and that her new boss, Edwin MacAlister, has given her the opportunity of a lifetime. Edwin has promised that she'll be working with "a desk that has seen the likes of kings and queens, paupers and princes," and Delaney can't wait to get started.
When she arrives, she meets her new Scottish family; also working at the Cracked Spine are Rosie, perpetually wrapped in scarves, and who always has tiny dog Hector in tow; Hamlet, a nineteen-year-old thespian with a colored past and bright future; and Edwin, who is just as enigmatic and mysterious as Delaney expected. An unexpected bonus is Tom the bartender from across the street, with his piercing eyes, and a rolling brogue -- and it doesn't hurt that he looks awfully good in a kilt.
But before she can settle into her new life, a precious artifact -- a previously undiscovered First Folio of Shakespeare's plays -- goes missing, and Edwin's sister is murdered, seemingly in connection to the missing folio. Delaney decides to do some sleuthing of her own, to find out just what the real story is behind the priceless folio, and how it's connected to the tragic death, all without getting harmed herself.

MY REVIEW


A rare tome you’ll truly treasure!

THE CRACKED SPINE is one of the most delightful mysteries I’ve read in 2015. I finished it on Dec. 31, and I can’t think of a better way to finish out the year.

I was immediately enamored with the characters in this captivating tale. Protagonist, Delaney Nichols is one of my new cozy heroes. Along with her new “family” Edwin, Hamlet, Rosie, Tom, and more, I can’t remember tie better spent with fictional friends.

Author Paige Shelton has brought to her new series the same excellent writing that has enchanted readers of her Farmers’ Market, and Southern Cooking School mysteries, the same masterful skill at creating a plot that all readers look for in a mystery, and the same sense of fun.

Rather you’re already a fan or a new reader of author Shelton, you are in for a real page turning treat with THE CRACKED SPINE! 

Available March 29, 2016

Pre-order now! 

As always, please leave a comment and 
let me know what you think!

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Saturday, January 2, 2016


Author 
Kathi Daley 
has a new book out! 

You know what that means don't you? 

!!!GIVEAWAY!!! 

Kathi is giving away one copy of her new book  
SHAMROCK SHENANIGANS
Book 19 in the Zoe Donovan Mysteries


Zak and Zoe travel to Ireland for their first Valentines Day as husband and wife. They have been invited to attend a murder mystery weekend in a real haunted castle. During their first night at the castle, they find one of the guests dead. Really dead. As they delve into the murder they begin to see that not only are things not as they appear, but several of the other attendees are not who they claim to be. During the course of her investigation Zoe discovers a secret about herself that is more than just a little shocking.

Giveaway is open to both US and CANADA
US winner - choice of print or Kindle copy
Canadian winner - Kindle copy only

Use the Rafflecopter form at the end of this post to enter 

MY REVIEW


SHAMROCK SHENANIGANS is one of the best Zoe Donovan mysteries to date!

Author Kathi Daley has brought a lot of fun to the cozy mystery world and its readers. Now she takes us to a haunted castle in Ireland for Valentine’s Day! See? Fun! Oh, and deadly. ;-)

I started SHAMROCK SHENANIGANS in the late morning and was finished by late afternoon. It was such a wonderfully written story that I just couldn’t put it down. The plot, as twisty as the roads of Ireland, was amazing, and led to an incredible ending that left me open mouthed in surprise.

I look forward to the next installment of the Zoe Donovan Mysteries. Long live Zoe & Zac!

Make sure to check out the back of the book for yummy recipes submitted by readers! 

Learn More about Kathi Daley





As always, please leave a comment and 
let me know what you think!

Follow my blog by 
clicking on the link in the 
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GOOD LUCK!


a Rafflecopter giveaway

Friday, January 1, 2016

 !!!!!!!HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!!!!


Welcome to the start of a 
whole new year of reading!














Those are just from 
January and February!
(And there are more from those two months!)


Thank you everyone for a great 2015!
I look forward to 
spending 2016 with you!
Happy New Year!