Jane Austen Spinoffs

September 19, 2016September 9, 2016 / Kaitlin / Leave a comment

If one way to measure the popularity of an author is to note the number of spinoffs that his or her work has created, then Jane Austen is high on the popularity list!

Longbourn by Jo Baker
This is the story of Sarah, the Bennet’s housemaid in Pride and Prejudice, as she serves in their household while the events of the classic unfold. However, the downstairs is just as eventful as the upstairs, especially when a new footman arrives.

Pride and Prejudice and Zombies by Jane Austen and Seth Grahame-Smith
This is a retelling of Pride and Prejudice during a zombie apocalypse. Elizabeth Bennett is fighting off the zombie infestation after a plague has settled on the village. However, she also finds herself fighting Mr. Darcy after his arrival.

Jane Austen and the Unpleasantness at Scargrave Manor by Stephanie Barron
This is the first book in a mystery series about Jane Austen as a detective. In this book, Jane’s friend Isobel is newly wed to a man who is many years her senior. Then, during the night, her new husband dies. Soon after his death, Isobel’s maid accuses Isobel of murdering her husband and committing adultery with her late husband’s nephew.

An Assembly Such as This by Pamela Aidan
This is the story of Pride and Prejudice, told from the point of view of Fitzwilliam Darcy. This is the book to read if you wish to know more about the mysterious man and his view of the events in the classic novel.

The Mysterious Death of Miss Jane Austen by Lindsay Ashford
Anne Sharp was Jane Austen’s governess. Ever since Jane’s death twenty-six years earlier, Anne has held onto a lock of Jane’s hair. However, Anne is following up on a suspicion that she has carried with her all this time. Jane may have been murdered, and the lock of hair may prove it.

The Missing Manuscript of Jane Austen by Syrie James
Samantha McDonough finds a letter that laments a missing manuscript at an estate in Devonshire. The author of both the letter and the manuscript is thought to be none other than Jane Austen. All that that Samantha needs to do is figure out a way of working with Anthony Whitaker, the handsome owner of the estate.

Emma: A Modern Retelling by Alexander McCall Smith
As the title describes, this is the modern version of the classic novel about a young woman who interferes in the lives of those around her. Fresh from college, Emma is kept busy by running her own business, caring for her father, and playing matchmaker.

Northanger Abbey by Val McDermid
This is a modern retelling of Northanger Abbey. Cat Morland, who loves to read novels, constantly fantasizes about experiencing adventures. So, when she travels to Edinburgh to attend a festival, she begins to wonder about the mysterious Northanger Abbey and its seemingly perfect residents, one of whom is very handsome.

New Cozy Mysteries For Summer Reading

July 25, 2016July 13, 2016 / Linda / Leave a comment

cozy

The latest selection of cozy mysteries are ready for your summer reading!

Murder at Fontainebleau (An Elizabethan Mystery) – Amanda Carmack. Sent by Queen Elizabeth to the court of Mary Queen of Scots as a spy, Kate Haywood must navigate the unfamiliar French court where glittering balls and banquets disguise poisonous ambition and murder.

The Black Cat Knocks On Wood (A Bad Luck Cat Mystery) – Kay Finch.
When a local business owner is found dead right after a black cat was seen in her office, mystery novelist Sabrina Tate and her cat, Hitchcock, while dealing with her Aunt Rowe who has signed up for the upcoming Texas Hill Country Senior Pro Rodeo, must rope in a killer before he strikes again.

Dead End Street (A Museum Mystery) – Sheila Connolly.
When a member of a neighborhood rescue program is killed while showing her an abandoned row house in a rundown area of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Antiquarian Society president Nell Pratt is determined to find the truth before she herself becomes history.

Diva Serves High Tea (A Domestic Diva Mystery) – Krista Davis.
After the new owner of the antique store is poisoned after attending a literacy fundraiser at the new tea shop, domestic diva Sophie Winston gets into hot water when she decides to investigate the crime on her own.

Elcair And Present Danger (An Emergency Dessert Squad Murder) – Laura Bradford.
When her elderly neighbor, a widower named Bart, is found dead, smothered by a pillow, bakery owner Winnie Johnson, while comforting her frightened and grieving neighbors with baked goods, decides to stir things up to catch a killer who preys on the helpless.

The Calamity Cafe (A Down South Cafe Mystery) – Gayle Leeson.
When Lou Lou, her former employer—and bully of a boss—is found dead, Amy Flowers, who was about to purchase the restaurant from Lou Lou and open the café of her dreams, must clear her name of the crime by serving up the real killer.

Wedding Bel Blues (A Belfast McGrath Mystery) – Maggie McConnon.
When her cousin Caleigh’s last one-night stand before her wedding plunges to his death during the reception, Belfast McGrath, thinking that this was no accident, teams up with Detective Kevin Hanson, her long-ago love, to find the truth while avoiding a cold-hearted killer.

A Premonition of Murder (A Dream Club Mystery) – Mary Kennedy.
When Abigail Marchand, a reclusive heiress who had come to them about a dream foretelling her death, meets her demise down a flight of stairs, the Dream Club, along with Detective Sam Stiles, must catch a killer before another victim is laid to rest.

Grace Sees Red (A Manor House Mystery) – Julie Hyzy – When her assistant, Frances, is accused of murdering an elderly resident of an upscale assisted-living facility, Grace Wheaton, curator and manager of Marshfield Manor, must clear her name and find the real killer before another resident checks out before their time.

Cracked to Death (A Webb’s Glass Shop Mystery) – Cheryl Hollon – When a treasure hunt leads to deadly plunder, it’s up to glass shop owner Savannah Webb and her trusty investigative posse to map out the true motives of a killer.

Somethings’ Knot Kosher (A Quilting Mystery) – Mary Marks – Funerals can be patchy affairs for Martha Rose and her close-knit circle of friends–especially in the case of a missing body.

Final Fondue (A Five-Ingredient Mystery) – Maya Corrigan – Val Deniston certainly has her plate full running a café, dabbling with recipes, and helping her grandfather prepare for the town’s upcoming tri-centennial celebration, but she’s grown fond of her new life in the Chesapeake Bay town of Bayport.

Engaged in Death (A Wedding Planner Mystery) – Stephanie Blackmoore –
All appears peaceful in sleepy Port Quincy, Pennsylvania–but in this small town, old grudges die hard.

Take the Monkey and Run (Call of the Wilde Mystery) – Laura Morrigan – On her first “real” case, animal telepath Grace Wilde arrives in New Orleans, where she, while attempting to communicate with her client’s cat, gets distracted by a mysterious monkey who warns her that her client isn’t what she seems, forcing her to separate fact from fiction to find the truth.

Read to Death (Read ‘Em and Eat Mystery) – Terrie Farley Moran – When driver Oscar Frieland, who is known for his colorful stories and his love of their café’s fruit tartlets, is found dead in his van after taking their book club on a day trip, best friends Sassy and Bridgy must solve this puzzling crime before one of their members gets the book thrown at her.

Toasting Up Trouble (A Dinner Club Mystery) – Linda Wiken – When the hotshot caterer for the Italian princess party she is organizing for the 21-year-old daughter of a high-tech millionaire is murdered—and she becomes a suspect—event planner Jennifer Tanner must turn the tables on the real killer with the help of her Culinary Capers Dinner Club.

Gone With The Wool (A Yarn Retreat Mystery) – Betty Hechtman – During the annual butterfly festival at California’s Monterey Peninsula, Casey Feldstein, while setting up a yarn retreat, baking and helping out, must unravel the clues to catch a killer when a former butterfly queen is found with a knife in her back.

Dressed to Kilt (A Scottish Highlands Mystery) – Hannah Reed – When her date with Leith Cameron in Scotland takes a deadly turn, resulting in the discovery of a dead woman floating in a vat of alcohol, aspiring romance author Eden Elliott steps in as a Special Constable to help solve the case, only to discover that the killer could be connected to her own Scottish heritage.

A Toxic Trousseau (A Witchcraft Mystery) – Juliet Blackwell – When rival clothier Autumn Jennings, the woman whom her potbellied pig Oscar head-butted, winds up dead, Lily searches for a way to clear her name and discovers a cursed trousseau with a treacherous past among Autumn’s recently acquired inventory.

New Cozy Mysteries For Spring

May 9, 2016May 6, 2016 / Linda / Leave a comment

mystery

Just in time for Spring, a fresh batch of cozy mysteries. Pick your favorite series, or start a new one!

Cinco de Mayhem (A Sante Fe Cafe Mystery) – Ann Myers – When the local restaurateur who attempted to take over all of the food carts in town winds up dead under her friend Linda’s famous tamale truck, Rita—a chef preparing for Cinco de Mayo in Sante Fe, New Mexico—must turn up the heat on the real killer before her friend gets burned for the crime.

Rest In Peach (A Georgia Peach Mystery) – Susan Furlong -When the much-despised mother of the spoiled teenage Peach Queen is found murdered, Nola Mae Harper, who is coordinating both the cotillion dinner and the grand opening of her new shop, must prove that her friend, Ginny, is innocent of the crime by drawing out the real killer.

Reading Up A Storm (A Lighthouse Library Mystery) – Eva Gates -The librarian at Bodie Island’s Lighthouse Library, Lucy Richardson, after a shipwrecked seafarer dies a few days after washing ashore, is once again roped into a murder investigation and must navigate a sea of suspects, all of whom had motives to kill the deceased.

Vanilla Beaned (A Cupcake Bakery Mystery) – Jenn McKinlay – When they arrive in Las Vegas to open their first franchise of the Fairy Tale Cupcakes Bakery, Melanie Cooper and Angie DeLaura aren’t sure about turning their recipes over to brash former showgirl Holly Harzmark until a saboteur with a sweet tooth and a penchant for murder brings out a side of Holly that they both can relate to.

An Unhappy Medium (A Family Fortune Mystery) – Dawn Eastman – When one of the runners in the Zombie Fun Run is found murdered and her estranged sister, Grace, disappears, Clyde and her police-detective boyfriend must clear Grace’s name in the crime while becoming trapped in a tangled web of family secrets, grudges and stolen diamonds.

Crime and Poetry (A Magical Bookshop Mystery) – Amanda Flower – Returning home to Cascade Springs, New York to help her Grandmother Daisy run her magical store, Charming Books, where the books literally fly off the shelves, Violet Waverly must clear Daisy’s name when the body of a dead man is found clutching a book from her shop.

Moss Hysteria (A Flower Shop Mystery) – Kate Collins – When their idyllic new community is suddenly uprooted by murder, flower shop owner Abby Knight and her new husband, Marco, must weed through the suspects to catch a killer who is one bad seed.

Needle and Dread (Southern Sewing Circle) – Elizabeth Lynn Casey – To make her new sewing shop a success, Rose sponsors a series of do-it-yourself weekends for sewing enthusiasts, but her plan is unraveled by the murder of an argumentative guest and it is up to Tori and the gang to piece together the clues before Rose’s life is ripped apart at the seams.

Breach of Crust (A Charmed Pie Shoppe Mystery) – Ellery Adams – When she finds the body of Beatrice Burbank, the president of the high-society Camellia Club, floating in Lake Havenwood during their annual retreat, baker Ella Mae, who was hired to teach the members the tasty tricks of her trade, wonders what she’s gotten herself mixed up in.

A Clue in the Stew (A Soup Lover’s Mystery) – Connie Archer – When she hosts an event with a famous author, small-town soup shop owner Lucky Jamieson is unprepared for the trouble that boils over when a colorful cast of characters descend on the town resulting in a murder that is linked to another recent unsolved crime.

Bossa Novas, Bikinis, and Bad Ends (A Happy Hoofers Mystery) – Mary McHugh – Kicking off Carnival by entertaining the patrons at the most elegant hotel in Rio de Janeiro, the Happy Hoofers trade-in their dancing shoes and become samba-loving sleuths when their exotic Brazilian companion is found dead in her room, without a clue as to what killed her.

Braking for Bodies (A Cycle Path Mystery) – Duffy Brown – Starting a new life in Mackinac Island where she works at the local bike shop, Los Angeles transplant Evie Bloomfield finds herself cycling through her past when, after an old friend comes to the island, her former editor of a sleazy rag, who arrived unexpectedly, is found dead.

Newlywed Dead (A Perfect Proposals Mystery) – Nancy J. Parra – When a bartender at her sister’s wedding drops dead from a lethal nightcap, Pepper Pomeroy, determined to discover who would want to kill a virtual stranger at a county club wedding reception, must outsmart a clever killer who is wedded to the idea of murder.

Irish Stewed (An Ethnic Eats Mystery) – Kylie Logan – To save her aunt’s run-down greasy spoon in Hubbard, Ohio, Laurel Inwood cooks up a plan involving daily specials featuring ethnic cuisine, but must first solve the murder of a local reporter who was found slumped over a table with a receipt spike in his back. Includes recipes.

Gone With The Witch (A Wishcraft Mystery) – Heather Blake – Hired to keep an eye out for a saboteur at the Pawsitively Enchanted pet contest, Darcy, along with her dog Missy, is thrown off the scent when her lead suspect is found dead and someone begins stealing prize-winning pets, forcing her to sniff out both a killer and a thief.

Catch As Cat Can (A Sunny & Shadow Mystery) – Claire Donally – Former reporter Sunny Coolidge, with the help of her boyfriend, Chief Investigator Will Price, must get seafood shop owner Neil Garret off the hook when he is accused of murder before the case goes belly up.

Berry the Hatchet (A Cranberry Cove Mystery) – Peg Cochran – When the mayor turns up dead during the Winter Walk grand opening ceremony, cranberry farm owner Monica Albertson and her stepmother become the prime suspects in the case when it is discovered that he was dating both of them.

Seams Like Murder (A Crochet Mystery) – Betty Hechtman – When the discovery of a dead body interferes with the opening of a series of crafting classes called Yarn University, Molly, along with the Tarzana Hookers, must unravel the clues to solve this mystery. Includes recipes and crochet patterns.

Against The Paw (Paw Enforcement) – While trying to find a convicted burglar who has broken his parole, rookie cop Megan Luz, along with Sergeant Brigit, her K-9 partner, must stop a Neighborhood Watch group on Peeping Tom patrol before they take the law into their own hands.

New Cozy Mysteries are Here!

March 7, 2016March 5, 2016 / Linda / Leave a comment

mystery

Every month, we get a batch of new cozy mystery books. Here are some of the latest. Pick your favorite series or start a new one!

On Thin Icing (A Bakeshop Mystery) – Ellie Alexander – While catering a retreat at the nearby Lake of the Woods Resort, Jules finds things going from bad to worse when her estranged husband shows up determined to reconcile and she stumbles upon a dead body while going to pick up extra supplies.

Sweet Pepper Hero (A Sweet Pepper Fire Brigade Mystery) – J.J. Cook – Called in to investigate a local moonshine distillery that was set ablaze, fire chief Stella Griffin, while preparing to judge the annual recipe contest, turns to the town’s elders for answers and discovers a revived whiskey war that could cause her town to go down in flames.

One Foot in the Grove (An Olive Grove Mystery) – Kelly Lane – While licking her wounds on her family’s olive plantation after a personal scandal, Eva Knox is immersed in a murder investigation after a dead body is unearthed on her family’s farm and she becomes the prime suspect in the case.

Copy Cap Murder (A Hat Shop Mystery) – Jenn McKinlay – To promote their hat shop, Scarlett Parker and her cousin, Vivian, wear their most outrageous creations to a swanky soiree hosted by their friend Harrison Wentworth who, after his business rival is murdered during the festivities, needs their help to prove his innocence.

Foreign Eclairs (A White House Chef Mystery) – Julie Hyzy – When she becomes part of a bold strategy to make sure a terrorist gets his just desserts, White House executive chef Ollie Paras must stop a killer from serving up an ice-cold dish of revenge. Includes recipes for a complete presidential menu.

To Helvetica and Back (A Dangerous Type Mystery) – Paige Shelton – When the man who demanded that they give him an antique typewriter winds up dead, Chester Henry and his adult granddaughter, Clare, who repair old typewriters and restore old books, must discover which of the dusty, old typewriter’s secrets are worth killing for.

A Ghoul’s Guide to Love and Murder (A Ghost Hunter Mystery) – Victoria Laurie – When the very dagger that keeps the dangerous ghost Oruc and his pet demon locked down in the lower realms is stolen while they are promoting their new film, M.J., Heath and Gilley must enlist a skeptical Boston detective to help stop the paranormal party guests from crashing Gilley’s wedding.

A Disguise to Die For (A Costume Shop Mystery) – Diane Vallere – When her customer, wealthy nuisance Blitz Manners, is murdered and party planner Ebony Welles is accused of the crime, costume-shop owner Margo Tamblyn must unmask the real killer to save her friend.

For Cheddar or Worse (A Cheese Shop Mystery) – Avery Aames – When pretentious cheese critic Lara Berry is murdered during the annual Cheese Festival in Providence, Ohio, and her best friend stands accused of the crime, cheese-shop owner Charlotte Bessett must slice through the clues to carve out a clever killer to save her friend.

The Grim Steeper (A Teapot Collector Mystery) – Amanda Cooper – During the Fall Fling Townwide Tea Party in the quaint Finger Lakes town of Gracious Grove, Sophie Taylor, along with her Nana and their friends, the Silver Spouts, must clear her boyfriend’s name of murder after the dean who accused him of falsifying grades is found dead.

A Whisker of Trouble (A Second Chance Cat Mystery) – Sofie Ryan – The owner of a second hand shop in North Harbor, Maine, Sarah Grayson and her rescue cat, Elvis, must sniff out a killer when they stumble upon a dead body while searching for fabulous finds on the estate of collector Edison Hall.

A Turn For The Bad (A County Cork Mystery) – Sheila Connolly -When a farmer goes missing and a body washes ashore on the Cork coast, Boston expat Maura Donovan, after listening to the suspicions of her employee, decides to investigate on her own and gets in way over her head.

It’s A Wonderful Knife (A Comfort Food Mystery) – Christine Wenger – With a broken leg and busy diner during the holiday season, Trixie Matkowski also finds herself the prime suspect in the murder of Liz Fellows, the director of the local Christmas pageant who was found with Trixie’s butcher knife in her back.

Town In A Cinnamon Toast (A Candy Holliday Murder Mystery) – B.B. Haywood – To save her friend’s wedding, Maine blueberry farmer and occasional sleuth Candy Holliday must put her maid-of-honor duties to the test when the best man is found dead, which exposes a conspiracy that could change the quiet coastal town of Cape Willington forever.

A Familiar Tail (A Witch’s Cat Mystery) – Delia James – Artist Annabelle Britton, who is unlucky in love, arrives in the quaint seaside town of Portsmouth, New Hampshire, where she finds herself unexpectedly saddled with a witch’s wand, a furry familiar and a coven of witches who gather together to keep the town safe from evil.

On Our Shelves: New Cozy Mysteries

December 28, 2015December 23, 2015 / Linda / Leave a comment

The latest cozy mysteries for your reading enjoyment.

Rest Ye Murdered Gentlemen (A Year-Round Christmas Mystery) – Vicki Delany – When her holiday float is sabotaged, Merry Wilkinson, the owner of Mrs. Claus’s Treasures, must discover who the Scrooge is in Christmas Town after the dead body of a reporter is found and the evidence points to her best friend, Vicky.

Crowned and Moldering (A Fixer-Upper Mystery) – Kate Carlisle – While helping her new beau, Mac Sullivan, renovate his historic lighthouse mansion, contractor Shannon Hammer stumbles upon the remains of a missing young woman who disappeared 15 years earlier and must right the wrongs of the past and bring a killer to justice.

The Stitching Hour (An Embroidery Mystery) – Amanda Lee – A commercial haunted house next door threatens to scare away business at Marcy Singer’s Tallulah Falls, Oregon embroidery shop, Seven-Year Stitch, and soon things get even worse when a local waitress is found dead with mysterious markings on her neck—and one of Marcy’s festive trinkets in her possession.

Writing All Wrongs (Books By The Bay Mystery) – Ellery Adams – While attending the Coastal Carolina Crime Festival where Silas Black, a celebrity screenwriter and television producer is speaking, newlyweds Olivia and Chief Rawlings, along with the rest of the Bayside Book Writers, are faced with strange occurrences and a real-life murder.

Plot Boiler (A Black Cat Bookshop Mystery) – Ali Brandon – When the wife of the cantankerous owner of Perky’s Coffee Shop is found dead, bookseller Darla Pettistone and her cat, Hamlet, must throw the book at a killer who has a secret worth killing for. By the New York Times best-selling author of Literally Murder.

Nuts and Buried (A Nut House Mystery) – Elizabeth Lee – When her wealthy friend, Eugene Wheatley, is murdered after introducing his new bride to Riverville, Texas society, Lindy Blanchard launches her own investigation after the wrong woman and her unscrupulous kin are accused of the crime and turns to her meemaw Miss Amelia for help. Includes pecan recipes.

Claws For Alarm (A Nick & Nora Mystery) – T. C. LoTempio – When her sister, Lacey, is accused of killing her bullying professor over a bad grade, sandwich-shop owner Nora Charles goes undercover at the college, with her feline partner Nick, to expose the professor’s true nature and force the real killer out into the open.

White Colander Crime (A Vintage Kitchen Mystery) – Victoria Hamilton – When she discovers the battered body of local woman Shelby Fretter, who predicted her own murder at the hands of Cody Wainwright, food columnist Jaymie Leighton is not convinced that the troubled son of her beleaguered newspaper editor is responsible and decides to investigate on her own.

The Iced Princess (A Snow Globe Shop Mystery) – Christine Husom – When Molly Dalton, a rich socialite, begs them for a job, curio shop owner Camryn Brooks and her BFF, coffee shop owner, Alice Nelson, find a real-life mystery brewing in their shop after Molly is found dead, which submerges them both in hot water.

Pouncing on Murder (Bookmobile Cat Mystery) – Laurie Cass – When maple-syrup season is marred by the death of her favorite syrup provider, bookmobile librarian Minnie Hamilton and her rescue cat, Eddie, must tap into the clues to find the truth before someone else ends up in the same sticky situation.