Recommendations based on "Cozy Case Files: A Cozy Mystery Sampler, Volume 6"

In the newest entry into the Nero Award-winning Pentecost & Parker Mystery series ("my new favorite sleuthing duo"— Sarah Weinman, The New York Times Book Review), Lillian and Will are hot on the trail of a serial killer whose murders are stranger than fiction. From the author of Fortune Favors the Dead and Murder Under Her Skin.New York City, 1947: For years, Holly Quick has made a good living off of murder, filling up the pages of pulp detective magazines with gruesome tales of revenge. Now someone is bringing her stories to life and leaving a trail of blood-soaked bodies behind. With the threat of another murder looming, and reluctant to go to the police, Holly turns to the best crime-solving duo in or out of the pulps, Willowjean “Will” Parker and her boss, famed detective Lillian Pentecost. The pair are handed the seemingly-impossible task of investigating three murders at once without tipping off the cops or the press that the crimes are connected. A tall order made even more difficult by the fact that Will is already signed up to spend her daylight hours undercover as a guileless secretary in the hopes of digging up a lead on an old adversary, Dr. Olivia Waterhouse. But even if Will is stuck in pencil skirts and sensible shoes, she’s not about to let her boss have all the fun. Soon she’s diving into an underground world of people obsessed with murder and the men and women who commit them. Can the killer be found in the Black Museum Club, run by a philanthropist whose collection of grim murder memorabilia may not be enough to satisfy his lust for the homicidal? Or is it Holly Quick’s pair of editors, who read about murder all day, but clearly aren’t telling the full story?With victims seemingly chosen at random and a murderer who thrives on spectacle, the case has the great Lillian Pentecost questioning her methods. But whatever she does, she’d better do it fast. Holly Quick has a secret, too and it’s about to bring death right to Pentecost and Parker’s doorstep.

‘Tis the season in Briar Creek, and this year festivities become fatalities in the newest Library Lover’s Mystery from the New York Times bestselling author of Fatal First Edition. During the most wonderful time of the year, famous author Helen Monroe arrives in Briar Creek to be the writer in residence, but her “bah humbug” attitude excludes her from the many local holiday celebrations. To try to spread some Christmas cheer, library director Lindsey Norris invites the new writer in town to join her crafternoon club. Helen politely refuses and when an altercation happens between Helen and another patron, Lindsey begins to suspect the author has been keeping to herself for a reason. Another newcomer, Jackie Lewis, reveals she’s visiting Briar Creek to be near Helen because she believes they are destined to meet. Having dealt with a stalker in the past, Lindsey feels compelled to tell Helen about Jackie, as she suspects that Helen is unaware her “number one” fan is in town. When Jackie’s body is later discovered in the town park beneath the holiday-light display with a copy of Helen’s latest manuscript in her hand, the reclusive novelist becomes the prime suspect in the murder of her self-proclaimed mega-fan. Helen’s frosty demeanor melts when Lindsey offers her help, and now the librarian and her crafternoon pals must prove the author innocent before "The End" becomes Helen's final sentence.

Someone s getting crossed off the register. Nora Blackbird may have been to the manor borne, but these days money is so tight, she can t afford to lose her job as a society columnist. So when her new boss at the "Philadelphia Intelligencer" Australian tabloid editor Gus Hardwicke tells her to work the celebrity gossip beat or start checking the want ads, the choice is easy. Now Nora s writing a profile on billionaire fashion designer Swain Starr, who recently retired to build a high-tech organic farm with his new wife, Zephyr, a former supermodel. But before Nora can get the story, the mogul is murdered. And now Gus wants her to snap up an exclusive on who killed Starr before the cops do. But solving a celebrity murder isn t easy with a home life as colorful as Nora s. Her sort-of-husband, Mick, a former mobster, is associating once again with unsavory characters. Her sister Libby is on a mission to get her diabolical twins on stage or screen with the help ofan unscrupulous former child star. And the youngest Blackbird sister, Emma, just got kicked out of the house by Mick who refuses to explain why. If anything can bring the blue-blooded Blackbird sisters together, it s a murder investigation involving high-society events, glamorous people, and the disappearance of a genetically perfect pig that may or may not be basking in the sun at Blackbird Farm. They ll all have to pull together this time, because if Nora can t bring home the bacon, she might have to exchange her bucolic estate for a cramped walk-up."

Dead in the Doorway is the second in a delightful cozy series from Diane Kelly set in Nashville—where the real estate market is to die for.A HOUSE WITH GOOD BONES. . .Whitney Whitaker has scored the perfect piece of real estate: a ramshackle white Colonial at the top of a hill with views of downtown Nashville. What more could a self-taught home-improvement maven and occasional house-flipper ask for? Ideally, the property of Whitney’s dreams would not have come with a dead body blocking the entrance to the foyer. But Whitney, always quick to take heavy-duty matters into her own hands, also happens to be a skilled amateur sleuth. So that helps.AND SKELETONS IN THE CLOSET.Who is this older woman—and how did her corpse end up at the bottom of the staircase of this locked, unoccupied house? That is what Whitney, along with the support of her wood-working cousin Buck, Detective Collin Flynn, and, of course, feline partner-in-crime Sawdust, intends to find out. Her friendly-neighbor investigation takes a sharp turn, however, when Whitney discovers that the house’s former owner was a gourmet baker whose secret recipe for peach pie was to die for—perhaps literally. Now it’s up to Whitney to learn the truth about what happened before she loses this killer real-estate deal . . . and the killer comes knocking at her door."Adorable...Whitney and Sawdust are a welcome addition to your home and bookshelf."—Kellye Garrett, Anthony, Agatha, and Lefty Award--winning author of the Hollywood Homicide series

Sarah Booth Delaney is heartbroken: her fiancé Graf Milieu has decided to move to Hollywood permanently, leaving their relationship in shambles. Sarah Booth has a perfect distraction, however, in the form of the Black and Orange Halloween ball her best friends are throwing in New Orleans. Sarah Booth plans to dance the night away to the swinging tunes of her old flame Scott Hampton's blues band. But just as the party gets going, Scott receives a mysterious message that threatens his life and the lives of his bandmates. Sarah Booth knows that a new case is just what she needs to take her mind off her failed relationship with Graf, and she's ready to help Scott investigate. And then the message turns from threat to reality when the bartender from Scott's club is gunned down in a drive-by. Enlisting Sheriff Coleman Peters and the rest of her friends from Zinnia, Mississippi, Sarah Booth is caught in a race against the clock as she tries to stop a killer from striking again.With a twist around every corner, Sarah Booth's zany adventures will delight readers in Carolyn Haines's latest Southern cozy, Bone to Be Wild.

Jodie ‘Nosey’ Parker is back to solve another Cornish murder mystery, perfect for fans of Richard Osman’s The Thursday Murder Club... 'Leitch crafts a Cornwall that I want to live in – vibrant, funny and dripping with mystery and mayhem. Brilliant’ Jonathan Whitelaw, author of The Bingo Hall Detectives ‘A terrific summer read... a thumping good whodunnit; this is a murder mystery that wears a flower in its hair and invites us to kick off our shoes’ J.M. Hall ‘The book equivalent of catching up with your favourite old friends over a glass of wine or three... the observational humour is spot on’ Jo Middleton ‘[A] fun, feel-good factor and an intriguing mystery to be solved. And pies. I loved it’ Stephanie Austin, author of the Devon Mysteries series *** Just along the coast from Penstowan, the local festival has filled the area. Former Met police officer Jodie ‘Nosey’ Parker has agreed to step in and help run the Pie Hard food truck, along with her rather reluctant fiancé, DCI Nathan Withers. As they prepare for a weekend of camping and being elbow deep in shortcrust pastry, Jodie hadn’t bargained on witnessing a fight between members of the lead band. But when the body of one of the band members is found not far from the campsite, Jodie finds it hard to believe it was an accident. Especially when the other members had so much to gain... Readers love Fiona Leitch: ‘This was a great cosy crime that kept me turning the pages. I can’t wait to see what Jodie and friends get up to next!’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘Love the characters and the plots. Such an easy cosy read.’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘Fiona is a great writer. No cheese, realistic dialogue, and great character development.’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘Another brilliant Cornwall visit.’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘Law-enforcement, verbal-humor, situational-humor, Cornwall, cozy-mystery, series, foodie, punny, relationships, relatives, murder, murder-investigation, small-business, small-town, caterer, family...’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Pantomime season has arrived in the brand new hilarious murder mystery from Fiona Leitch. Available to pre-order now! 'Murder and mayhem are rarely this enjoyable. Another fantastic entry in this brilliant series that solidifies Leitch as one of the very best and funniest writers around’ Jonathan Whitelaw ‘A wonderful seasonal romp’ Ian Moore It’s Christmas in Penstowan, and local amateur dramatics group the Penstowan Players are putting on their annual pantomime. This year it’s ‘Aladdin’, and half the town have been drafted in to help, including Shirley Parker, who only has a small part in the chorus but will no doubt upstage everybody, and Tony Penhaligon, who’s treading the boards as the baddie, Abanazar. Ex-Metropolitan police officer turned caterer Jodie Parker has managed to get away with not appearing, but only if she agrees to cater the opening night party. But it’s not just terrible jokes, quick costume changes and backstage chaos that wait in the wings... When the Widow Twankey (otherwise known as Tim, the mayor’s husband) trips over a corpse lying next to Aladdin’s bloodstained magic lamp, it’s time for Jodie and her partner, DCI Nathan Withers, to find the killer. Was it the genie of the lamp or an overly harsh theatre critic? Or does someone in the Penstowan Players have a dark secret they will do anything to protect? ‘Funnier than panto, more warming than a glass of mulled wine and a mince pie and completely gripping. Fun, festive and full of red herrings and clever clues, it's the perfect Christmas treat’ Andreina Cordani, author of The Twelve Days of Murder ‘A fun read to curl up with by the fireside this Christmas’ Debbie Young, author of Death at the Village Christmas Fair Praise for Fiona Leitch ‘An absolute joy to read... I read it in a day and highly recommend’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘I really love this cozy mystery series’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘Love the humour in this... this whole series is a pleasure to read’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 'Leitch crafts a Cornwall that I want to live in – vibrant, funny and dripping with mystery and mayhem. Brilliant’ Jonathan Whitelaw, author of The Bingo Hall Detectives ‘A terrific summer read... a thumping good whodunnit; this is a murder mystery that wears a flower in its hair and invites us to kick off our shoes’ J.M. Hall ‘The book equivalent of catching up with your favourite old friends over a glass of wine or three... the observational humour is spot on’ Jo Middleton ‘[A] fun, feel-good factor and an intriguing mystery to be solved. And pies. I loved it’ Stephanie Austin, author of the Devon Mysteries series

Denial ain’t just a river in Egypt…Maddie Kosloski is about to unveil her new, expanded museum. But when the corpse of a local building inspector is discovered inside her prized Egyptian sarcophagus, Maddie's plans are thrown into disarray. A modern mummy isn’t all she’s got on her hands. Running a non-profit paranormal museum is no get-rich-quick pyramid scheme. Maddie has stakeholders, more employees, and now donors to placate. Can she balance their demands and an off-the-books murder investigation?Maddie must race against the clock to unearth a criminal more cunning than the Sphynx. But will the cost of unveiling this killer be more than she’s willing to pay?  If you love laugh-out-loud mysteries with heart and a touch of the paranormal, you’ll love Sins of the Sarcophagus, book 9 in the Perfectly Proper Paranormal Museum series of novels. (Especially since it wasn’t written with AI). Get cozy with this puzzling mystery today!

“Smart, entertaining, and laugh-out-loud funny!” —Liliana Hart, New York Times Bestselling AuthorShe’s a beautician with a plummeting reputation. Can she catch a strangler before her salon is financially frizzed out? Valentine Beaumont is desperate to revive her dying business. Trying to recover from an infamous incident where she defended herself with a perm rod to her attacker’s privates, the last thing she needs is another scandal. So when a wealthy socialite is strangled with a steamer cord while awaiting her facial, Valentine has no choice but to start combing through clues.Battling a sexy, hard-headed detective who can’t tell pigtails from a pompadour, Valentine is convinced he’s pursuing the wrong suspect. And despite his warning not to meddle, the gutsy stylist vows to clear her name before the killer claims another client.Can Valentine tie up the culprit before more lives are cut short?Murder, Curlers & Cream is the first book in the hilarious Valentine Beaumont Mystery series. If you like ambitious heroines, laugh-out-loud dialogue, and unlikely romances, you’ll love Arlene McFarlane’s clever tale!Buy Murder, Curlers & Cream to detangle a deadly case today!

Never in my lifetime did I think I'd spend New Year's Eve knee-deep in mischief, magic, and murder! When my high-school nemesis, Prudence McAvoy, chooses The Melting Pot Café to host her New Year's party, I know I'm courting trouble by accepting her booking. The trouble begins with Prudence turning up dead, face down in a pond, and the finger for her murder is pointed directly at my shape-shifting best friend, Jordi. Determined to clear Jordi's name and bring the real killer to justice, I pool resources with Harriet, Tyler, and my cheeky familiar, Miss Saffron, to find out what happened to Prudence. As the clock counts down to midnight, time is running out in more ways than one. Can we find the killer before another body drops? Or will Jordi's new year begin in the pokey? If you like witty witches, talking cats, and magical murder mysteries, then you'll love Polly Holmes' light-hearted Melting Pot Café series.