Posts Tagged ‘women sleuths’
A Shot of Murder, the first book in the Lucky Whiskey Mystery series by J. A. Kazimer, is available now!
When it comes to murder, sometimes it’s better to be lucky than good . . .
When she put the stifling small town of Gett, Florida, in her rearview mirror ten years ago, Charlotte Lucky happily said goodbye and vowed never to return. But luck has never been on Charlotte’s side, and when the grandfather who raised her gets laid up recovering from a heart attack, Charlotte knows it’s her duty to return home to save the family distillery from going under. Learning the whiskey business turns out to be the least of her worries, though, when she discovers a pickled corpse in a barrel of Lucky Whiskey—and her grandfather is arrested for the murder.
Certain that the local Gett clan is behind the foul deed, Charlotte will have to jump head-first into a long-simmering family feud to prove her grandfather’s innocence. Following a trail of clues that’s as crooked as a drunk’s walk home, she’ll suffer through the town’s oppressive heat, smirking gossip, and even romantic attention from a tempting Gett son to clear her family’s name and nab the real culprit before the Lucky Whiskey stills run dry . . .
“An entertaining and riveting read with more plot twists than a bakery full of pretzels, A Shot of Murder showcases author J. A. Kazimer’s complete mastery of the genre.” —Midwest Book Review
The Black Cat Breaks a Mirror, a new Bad Luck Cat Mystery, is available now!
Mystery novelist Sabrina Tate and her cat Hitchcock are headed to a country music show, but there’s a killer on the loose who plans to end the evening with a deadly Texas two-step . . .
As the summer tourist season draws to a close in Lavender, Texas, Sabrina has invited her brother and nephews for the highly anticipated concert of Colt Jamison, whose hit song “Broken Mirror” is rising to the top of the Nashville charts. But their stay begins on a sour note when one of the boys stumbles upon the dead body of Jamison’s former public relations manager—a man who’d long ago burned his bridges in town, leaving no shortage of suspects in the murder.
As Sabrina is reluctantly drawn into the investigation, she’s confronted with a country singer who may be harboring more than a few dark secrets, an overzealous fan club president who may be up to her ears in criminal activities, and someone leaving shards of broken mirrors scattered all over town. Just as Sabrina narrows the list of suspects and closes in on the culprit, she realizes that seven years of bad luck may be the least of her worries . . .
Includes mouthwatering dessert recipes!
Praise for the Bad Luck Cat Mysteries:
“I loved every page of Black Cat Crossing, and I can’t wait for a return visit to Lavender.” —Miranda James, New York Times bestselling author
“Finch has, yet again, offered a great tale of female and feline that cozy readers will love.” —Suspense Magazine
“Hitchcock and Sabrina make a wonderful detective team, and I can’t wait to read about their next big case.” —TheBookReview.com
“Don’t miss out on this humorous well-written cozy! You’ll be turning pages as fast as you can to find out whodunit!” —MyShelf
Grave Consequences, a new Bay Island Psychic Mystery, is available now!
Cass Donovan is reminded that you can’t believe everything you hear, especially when it comes from the dead . . .
When stories begin circulating of a centuries-old ghost haunting the Bay Island lighthouse, Cass is caught up in mystical happenings of her own, with countless voices from the beyond all clamoring for her attention with dire warnings. But before she has a chance to learn whether there’s a connection between the rumored ghost and her restless visitors, the lighthouse keeper mysteriously falls to his death, and Cass’s reputation for communing with the dead lands her right in the middle of the police investigation.
Cass knows the victim was no saint, as he made little effort to hide his philandering ways from his wife or anyone else, and often acted out with no thought for the feelings of others. But had he finally gone too far, or were there more menacing motives behind his murder? As Cass begins building a list of suspects, including the man’s supposedly grieving wife and a mysterious new woman in town, she also turns her ear to those otherworldly voices, hoping for a clue. And as she begins to close in on the culprit, she realizes too late that if she’s not careful, she’ll soon be communicating with the dead in person . . .
Praise for the Bay Island Psychic Mystery series:
“The future shows much success for this series! Fun, vibrant characters (as well as a sexy smolder or two for good measure) give the novel just the right tone.” —RT Book Reviews on Death at First Sight
“I loved the protagonist, Cass. She and her friends were very well developed, and felt like a group of people I’d like to get to know.” —The Book’s the Thing
“I stayed up far too late into the evening because I couldn’t put it down. A well-crafted mystery with a quirky cast of characters, and plenty of twists and turns to keep you guessing to the end.” —The Mysterious Ink Spot on Death at First Sight
About the Author:
Lena Gregory is the author of the Bay Island Psychic Mystery series, which takes place on a small island between the north and south forks of Long Island, New York, and the All-Day Breakfast Café Mystery series, which is set on the outskirts of Florida’s Ocala National Forest.
Lena grew up in a small town on the south shore of eastern Long Island. She recently relocated to Clermont, Florida, with her husband, three kids, son-in-law, and four dogs. Her hobbies include spending time with family, reading, jigsaw puzzles, and walking. Her love for writing developed when her youngest son was born and didn’t sleep through the night. She works full-time as a writer and freelance editor and is a member of Sisters in Crime.
Divide and Concord, a new Wine Trail Mystery, is available now!
Norrie Ellington is a sucker for doing good deeds, but when she agrees to let a film crew use her winery as a backdrop and one of them turns up dead, she’ll have to act fast because this crew knows how to put on an act . . .
When screenwriter and winery co-owner Norrie Ellington agrees to let her producer film a movie scene at Two Witches Winery, her biggest concerns revolve around the crew trampling her precious vines and starstruck fans crowding the vineyard to spot the famous actors. But nothing had prepared her for the film’s director, an unbearable diva with a growing list of unreasonable demands—along with a growing list of enemies. And when the director turns up dead, apparently the victim of foul play, a very public altercation Norrie had with the victim the day before puts her in the spotlight as the lead suspect.
Knowing she’ll have to root out the killer herself to get off the narrow-minded local sheriff’s most-wanted list, Norrie compiles a large selection of potential suspects, including vengeful actors the director had once blacklisted and even the director’s estranged husband, a high-profile candy magnate trying to bring a burgeoning market for concord grapes to the region. Weeding out false leads and planted clues, Norrie knows it’ll take some quick thinking to track down the culprit, before she becomes the murderer’s next target in a deadly harvest . . .
Praise for the Books of J. C. Eaton:
“A sparkling addition to the Wine Trail Mystery series. A toast to protagonist Norrie and Two Witches Winery, where the characters shine and the mystery flows. This novel is a perfect blend of suspense and fun!” ―Carlene O’Neil, author of the Cypress Cove Mysteries, on Chardonnayed to Rest
“A thoroughly entertaining series debut, with enjoyable yet realistic characters and enough plot twists―and dead ends―to appeal from beginning to end.” ―Booklist, starred review, on Booked 4 Murder
“Filled with clues that make you go ‘Huh?’ and a list of potential subjects that range from the charming to the witty to the intense. Readers root for Phee as she goes up against a killer who may not stop until Phee is taken out well before her time. Enjoy this laugh-out-loud funny mystery that will make you scream for the authors to get busy on the next one.” ―Suspense Magazine on Molded 4 Murder
About the Author:
J. C. Eaton is the pen name of husband-and-wife writing team Ann I. Goldfarb and James E. Clapp. They are the authors of the Wine Trail Mysteries, the Sophie Kimball Mysteries, and the Marcie Rayner Mysteries. In addition, Ann has published nine YA time travel mysteries under her own name. You can learn more about Ann and Jim at jceatonmysteries.com, jceatonauthor.com, facebook.com/JCEatonauthor, and timetravelmysteries.com.
No Quiet among the Shadows, a new Mystery of Old San Francisco, is available now!
In a new Mystery of Old San Francisco, Celia and Nick must look for answers among the dead to stop a killer among the living . . .
“Skillfully brings 1867 San Francisco to life . . . intriguing!” —Anna Lee Huber, bestselling author of the Lady Darby Mysteries
With the city’s Fourth of July celebrations in full swing, Celia Davies has stolen a moment away from her nursing duties to take in the festive spectacle, but is stunned when she spots the one person she thought she’d never see again—her supposedly dead husband, Patrick. Moments later, the investigator who had confirmed Patrick’s death is killed when he suspiciously falls from a high window, and Celia begins to fear that the roguish man she married has returned to haunt her life once again.
Joining forces with Detective Nick Greaves to get to the bottom of the mystery, Celia is soon drawn into a murky séance group, where the voices of the dead suggest that everyone involved in the case is engaged in some sort of fraud or deception. Determined to discover which of them might be a murderer, Celia and Nick will find themselves following a trail of clues that leads them down dark alleys into a shadowy tangle of spiritualism, altered identities, traumatic pasts, and secrets worth killing for . . .
Murder in the Secret Maze, the first book in a brand-new cozy mystery series by Judith Gonda, is available now!
Landscape architect Tory Benning knows the lay of the land, but she’ll have to dig through the clues to unearth a killer . . .
After a whirlwind romance and a glorious wedding at the luxurious Hotel Santa Sofia, Tory Benning is ready to let down her hair, slip into her dancing shoes, and celebrate—until she discovers that her newly minted husband has vanished. The police suspect cold feet and second thoughts are behind Milo’s disappearance, but Tory’s certain he’s met with foul play. And since she designed the plush resort, she knows every nook and cranny of the grounds and adjoining secret maze, and wastes no time delving into her search.
As clues begin to emerge that Milo may have taken his last breath in the maze, Tory steps up her sleuthing, even as she learns she’s the prime suspect of a cop with a chip on his shoulder and is squarely in the sights of a menacing stalker. And when a second body is found on the grounds, Tory fears she’s up against a killer determined to silence any and all who get in the way.
Not to be deterred, Tory forges ahead, navigating a case with more twists and turns than the maze itself, until the labyrinth of clues leads her to shocking revelations about her husband, her family, and the identity of a killer who’s dead set on making her the next victim . . .
Cast Iron Alibi, a new Vintage Kitchen Mystery, is available now for pre-order!
In the new Vintage Kitchen Mystery from the author of Breaking the Mould, when an over-amorous handyman is found murdered, Jaymie will have to use every tool at her disposal to nab the culprit . . .
“I have loved this series from the first book . . . it’s like returning to a favorite nook for a cup of tea. It will delight, entice, and drive a reader to want to solve the murder.” —Goodreads on No Grater Danger
Looking forward to her girls-only college reunion vacation, Jaymie’s on cloud nine at the idea of lazy trips to the beach, dinner cruises on the nearby river, and snug sleeping in the vintage trailer she’s renovated. But no sooner does the group reconnect than her hopes turn to tension as petty squabbles and old acrimonies surface, along with tagalong friends, unexpected guests, and stalkerish ex-husbands. And when a local toolbelt Romeo with an eye for one of the women is found murdered, his home ablaze, the simmering hostility in the group suddenly shifts to secrecy.
Local law enforcement is zeroing in on the victim’s best friend and girlfriend as the most likely suspects, but Jaymie’s inquisitive instincts are telling her one of her former classmates may have been involved in the foul deed. Forced to navigate her fraught relationship with a local police detective and determined to uncover the myriad secrets her college friends are hiding, Jaymie knows she’ll have to dig deep to figure out whose alibi is cast iron, and whose is flimsy as tin . . .
Includes a vintage recipe!
Judge Thee Not, a brand-new Quaker Midwife Mystery from Edith Maxwell, is available now!
“Elegant and well-crafted, rich in period detail, Edith Maxwell’s latest foray is a stunner!” —Susanna Calkins, author of the award-winning Lucy Campion Mysteries and the Speakeasy Mysteries
Quaker midwife Rose Carroll must fight bias and blind assumptions to clear the name of a friend when a murderer strikes in nineteenth-century Massachusetts . . .
No stranger to judgmental attitudes in her small town of Amesbury, Quaker midwife Rose Carroll is nonetheless stunned when society matron Mayme Settle publicly snubs her good friend Bertie for her nontraditional lifestyle. When Mrs. Settle is later found murdered—and a supposed witness insists Bertie was spotted near the scene of the crime—the police have no choice but to set their sights on the slighted woman as their main suspect.
Rose is certain her friend is innocent of the heinous deed, and when Rose isn’t busy tending to her duties as midwife, she enlists the help of a blind pregnant client—who’s endured her own share of prejudice—to help her sift through the clues. As the two uncover a slew of suspects tied to financial intrigues, illicit love, and an age-old grudge over perceived wrongs, Rose knows she’ll have to bring all her formidable intelligence to bear on solving the crime. Because circumstantial evidence can loom large in small minds, and she fears her friend will soon become the victim of a grave injustice . . .
Praise for the Quaker Midwife Mysteries:
“Through Quaker Rose Carroll’s resourceful sleuthing—and her midwifery—we are immediately immersed in the fascinating peculiarities, tensions and secrets of small-town life in late-19th-century Amesbury.” —Susanna Calkins, author of the award-winning Lucy Campion Mysteries and the Speakeasy Mysteries
“Edith Maxwell’s latest Quaker midwife mystery teems with authentic period detail that fascinates as it transports the reader back to a not-so-simple time. A complex, subtle, and finely told tale, Judge Thee Not’s sensitive portraits and vivid descriptions, along with Rose Carroll’s humanity, intelligence, and—yes—snooping, make this a sparkling addition to a wonderful series. A sublimely delightful read.” —James W. Ziskin, author of the award-winning Ellie Stone Mysteries
“The historical setting is redolent and delicious, the townspeople engaging, and the plot a proper puzzle, but it’s Rose Carroll—midwife, Quaker, sleuth—who captivates in this irresistible series . . .” —Catriona McPherson, Agatha-, Anthony- and Macavity-winning author of the Dandy Gilver series
“Not only is it a well-plotted, intelligent mystery, it also shines light on how women were treated—and, in many cases, mistreated—by people they trusted for help in desperate situations. Highly recommended.” —Suspense Magazine
“Clever and stimulating novel . . . masterfully weaves a complex mystery.” —Open Book Society
“Riveting historical mystery . . . [a] fascinating look at nineteenth-century American faith, culture, and small-town life.” —William Martin, New York Times bestselling author of Cape Cod and The Lincoln Letter
About the Author:
Agatha- and Macavity-nominated author Edith Maxwell writes the Amesbury-based Quaker Midwife historical mysteries, the Local Foods Mysteries, and award-winning short crime fiction. As Maddie Day she writes the Country Store Mysteries and the Cozy Capers Book Group Mysteries. A long-time Quaker and former doula, Maxwell lives north of Boston with her beau, two elderly cats, and an impressive array of garden statuary. She blogs at WickedAuthors.com and KillerCharacters.com. Read about all her personalities and her work at edithmaxwell.com.