Searching for something to read? Check out some of the new titles releasing the week of April 27 – May 3, 2025 with six debut series. I hope a few of these books take you on a reading adventure!

APRIL 27
Swipe by R G Belsky and Bonnie Traymore (Psychological Thriller)
After a stressful day at work and a creepy first meetup, Sonya Romano goes on a mission: teach a lesson to the smarmy guys she’s meeting on her dating app. But when one of them falls to his death as a result of her confrontation–a married man posing as a single guy–she realizes she’s gone too far. Format: Print, Digital

APRIL 28
25 Alive by James Patterson & Maxine Paetro (Police Procedural)
SFPD homicide detective Lindsay Boxer knows her way around a crime scene. But nothing can prepare her for the shock of recognition: the victim is Warren Jacobi, Lindsay’s one-time partner who rose to chief of police. A top investigator until the end, Jacobi managed to leave Lindsay a clue. Following a trail of evidence along the west coast, the Women’s Murder Club pledges to avenge Jacobi’s death before the killer can take another one of their own. Format: Print, Digital, Audio

APRIL 29
A Tint Of Murder by Bailee Abbott (Cozy Mystery)
Trouble is stirring when murder comes wrapped in the guise of a seascape painting. The gift from a close friend who deals in art becomes a mystery to solve after Izzie and Chloe Abbington accidently discover that hidden behind the seascape is a priceless Vermeer which many would kill to possess. When the seascape with its hidden masterpiece is stolen, and a murder hits too close to home, their friend is accused of the crime. Format: Digital, Print

Taking Stock by Shannon Baker (Traditional Mystery)
During her visit to the bustling National Western Stock Show in Denver, Kate Fox’s business partner, Aria Fontaine, expresses a grave concern. She is worried about her cousin, Jefferson Hansford, an enigmatic billionaire, who recently went through a tumultuous divorce. When Kate finds that Jefferson has been drugged and is in the hospital, Aria’s worst fears are confirmed. Format: Print, Digital, Audio

Murder Runs in the Family by Tamara Berry (Cozy Mystery) *first book in a new series*
Former PI-in-training Amber Winslow has decided to flee her life in the dead of night, carrying nothing but the clothes on her back. Down on her luck and with no other choice, she heads to the sunny state of Arizona to the luxury accommodations of her grandmother’s retirement community. Never mind that Amber’s never actually met her estranged and eccentric Grandma Jade. Format: Print, Digital, Audio

A Fashionably French Murder by Colleen Cambridge (Historical Mystery)
If there’s one art the French have mastered as well as fine cuisine, it’s haute couture. Tabitha and Julia are already accustomed to sampling the delights of the former. Now fashion is returning to the forefront in Paris, as the somber hues of wartime are replaced by vibrant colors and ultra-feminine silhouettes, influenced by Christian Dior’s “New Look.” Format: Print, Digital, Audio

Off The Beaten Path by Eloise Corvo (Traditional Mystery)
Stone’s Throw State Park Ranger Maudy Lorso spends her days playing cards and sipping drinks with her millennial gal pals, hiking steep sand dunes with her scruffy dog, Martin Short, and trying to ignore the pain of a recent, devastating breakup. After building a quiet life in the Lake Michigan coastal village of Stone’s Throw, Maudy’s emotional safety net is turned inside out when her boss informs her of looming budget cuts that threaten to permanently close the park—and eliminate her job. Format: Digital, Print

Bearer of Bad News by Elisabeth Dini (Humorous Mystery)
For someone who hates secrets, Las Vegas hairdresser Lucy Rey is about to be faced with a whole bunch of them. After discovering that her fiancé has been cheating on her with someone from his improv class, she finds herself short on funds and desperate for a change of scenery. Enter a most unusual job opportunity: a Bearer of Bad News. Format: Print, Digital, Audio

Fatal Brouhaha by Emmeline Duncan (Cozy Mystery)
In addition to her beloved coffees, Sage is thrilled to be expanding her offerings in collaboration with the local whiskey company that is throwing the festival. And how better to launch their new product than with fellow entrepreneurs. But among the crowd of artists and creators, Sage is surprised to spot Left Coast Grinds owner Mark Jeffries, who has it out for Ground Rules. The distillery didn’t invite Mark and they apologize. But nothing can make up for the glare Mark aims at Sage and her co-owner, Harley. And that’s just a taste of what’s to come . . .Format: Print, Digital, Audio

Last Wool and Testament by Peggy Ehrhart (Cozy Mystery)
Fiber artist Ingrid Barrick has just been found dead in her ransacked house, but the fact that she’d seemed a bit troubled lately—and had been obsessively doodling pictures of bees—has the Knit and Nibblers wondering if this was really a burglary gone bad like the police think. There had been tension with a neighbor who was fuming (and sneezing) over the ragweed in Ingrid’s garden—but allergies don’t seem like grounds for murder. Format: Print, Digital, Audio

Peach Blossom Peril by Agatha Frost (Cozy Mystery)
Spring brings new beginnings to Northash, but for Claire Harris, it also brings a fresh mystery. As the town’s gallery prepares for a major exhibit featuring the works of the late Edith Roscoe, a prized painting vanishes under suspicious circumstances. With her boyfriend, Ryan, stepping into a new role as gallery manager, Claire is pulled into a tangled web of ambition, rivalry, and long-buried secrets among the local art scene. Format: Digital, Print

The Murder Machine by Heather Graham (Thriller)
This state-of-the-art smart home has everything: a next-generation entertainment system, an ultramodern kitchen where every appliance is online and even a personal AI to control it all. Standing above its owner’s lifeless body, FBI agent Jude Mackenzie is faced with the daunting task of discovering how the woman was killed by her own home. How do you catch a murderer that doesn’t leave any fingerprints? Format: Print, Digital, Audio

Death by Chocolate Pumpkin Muffin by Sarah Graves (Cozy Mystery)
Decorations of cobwebs and creatures are just being taken down across Eastport’s picturesque houses as the community says farewell to Halloween and ushers in winter with the unique confectionaries found only at the Chocolate Moose. Revelers have gathered on the waterfront for a party at local celebrity Hank Rafferty’s ramshackle mansion, known as Stone House. The home repair TV show star and his guests await a devilish dessert delivery from Jake and Ellie—who arrive just after Hank falls to his death from the house’s turret’s balcony. Format: Print, Digital, Audio

Vice and Virtue by Libby Klein (Women’s Fiction / Traditional Mystery) *first book in a new series*
Layla Virtue, a blue-haired, 30-something recovering alcoholic and former cop is trying to reinvent herself as a musician—between AA meetings, dodging eccentric neighbors at her trailer park, and reconnecting with her mysterious dad. Layla is taking her new life one day at a time from the Lake Pinecrest Trailer Park she now calls home. Being alone is how she likes it. Simple. Uncomplicated. Though try telling that to the group of local ladies who are in relentless pursuit of Layla as their new BFF, determined to make her join them for coffee and donuts. Format: Print, Digital, Audio

Cold Burn by A.J. Landau (Thriller)
National Park Service investigator Michael Walker is battling smugglers stealing priceless artifacts when he’s dispatched to Glacier Bay National Park in Alaska, where, in the first stage of a potential global disaster, a team of scientists has gone missing. Meanwhile, in Florida’s Everglades National Park, FBI special investigator Gina Delgado traces the murder of an environmental science intern back to another U.S. Geological Survey team’s ongoing experiments that are decimating the fragile ecosystem. Format: Print, Digital, Audio

How To Have A Killer Time in DC by Sam Lumley (Traditional Mystery) *first book in a new series*
For twenty-four-year-old Oliver Popp, autism is just another fact of life. As long as Oliver sticks to a comfortable itinerary planned well in advance, he gets by just fine as a staff writer for Offbeat Traveler magazine. But a curveball drops into Oliver’s budding career when his first feature assignment takes him to Washington, DC, to chronicle the latest tourism trends. Format: Print, Digital, Audio

If Two Are Dead by Rick Mofina (Domestic Thriller)
Driving alone at night in a wild rainstorm, Luke Conway strikes something—or someone. He and his wife, Carrie, recently moved back to Clear River to help take care of her ailing father, and after a tragedy at his previous job, this move is their last chance at a new life. Now, standing in the downpour on this Texas road, Luke, an off-duty cop, has a decision to make—and he has to make it fast. Format: Print, Digital, Audio

Bait and Swiss by Korina Moss (Cozy Mystery)
It’s been almost two years since Willa Bauer opened Curds & Whey in Yarrow Glen, and both cheesemonger and cheese shops are thriving in the Sonoma Valley. While Willa doesn’t eat chocolate, it’s true that life is like a box of chocolates. Unfortunately, life’s latest curveball is that Willa’s ex fiancé and ex-best friend—the reason for her chocolate aversion—are opening a chocolate pop-up shop across the street. By the end of the shop’s first day, the town’s newest reporter is the victim of death by chocolate. Format: Print, Digital

How to Seal Your Own Fate by Kristen Perrin (Cozy Mystery)
Annie Adams is just settling into life in Castle Knoll when local fortune teller Peony Lane shares a cryptic message only hours before being found dead inside the locked Gravesdown Estate. Annie has no choice but to delve into the dark secrets of her new countryside home in order to find out just what Peony Lane was trying to warn her about, before her brand new life comes crashing down around her. Format: Print, Digital, Audio

Serial Killer Games by Kate Posey (Suspense)
Dolores dela Cruz has been dying to spot one in the wild, and he fits the mold perfectly: strangler gloves, calculated charm, dashing good looks that give a leg up in any field . . . including fields of unmarked graves. The new office temp is definitely a serial killer. Format: Print, Digital, Audio

Booked For Revenge by Karen Rose Smith (Cozy Mystery)
The Gentleman’s Bake-off is not only good for the town’s tourism, it’s bound to boost business at Tomes & Tea. The celebrity judges of the contest—chefs, bakers, restauranteurs—will all be signing their cookbooks at Jazzi’s shop. But with all the big personalities and inflated egos, she’s starting to wonder if there are—as the saying goes—too many cooks. Format: Print, Digital, Audio

Such a Good Mom by Julia Spiro (Domestic Thriller)
With a healthy newborn baby, a devoted husband, a successful career, and a busy life on Martha’s Vineyard, Brynn Nelson should be the happiest she’s ever been. But Brynn is struggling. Her husband, Ross, grows more distant by the day, and the challenges and exhaustion of postpartum make Brynn feel like she’s slowly losing pieces of herself to motherhood. Pieces that she might never get back. Format: Print, Digital, Audio

An Unquiet Peace by Shaina Steinburg (Historical Mystery 1940s) *first book in a new series*
As an undercover operative for the Office of Strategic Services during World War II, Evelyn Bishop routinely embarked on deadly missions. By contrast, civilian life should be simple. Yet Evelyn, now back in Los Angeles, struggles with the responsibility of being the new president of Bishop Aeronautics, when people see her as nothing more than a beautiful socialite. Format: Print, Digital, Audio

Deadly Badlands Pursuit by Sharee Stover (Suspense)
When Deputy US Marshal Gracie Fitzpatrick checks on a government witness, she unexpectedly walks into an ambush at Cameron Holmes’s ranch. She and her K-9 partner, Bane, fight off the assailant—but to protect Cameron, they must escape into South Dakota’s treacherous Badlands. Tracking dangerous enemies is what Gracie does, and Cameron’s life in witness protection has left targets on his back. Format: Print, Digital, Audio

A Death On Corfu by Emily Sullivan (Historical Mystery) *first book in a new series*
Minnie Harper isn’t used to putting herself first. Not after she moved away from England only to be left raising two children alone on the Greek Island of Corfu following her husband’s unexpected death. But with her daughter begging to be sent to school abroad and her son grasping at his own independence, Minnie realizes she must prepare for the next stage of her life. Format: Print, Digital, Audio

The Cost of a Hostage by Iona Whishaw (Historical Mystery)
It’s a slow August morning in King’s Cove. Lane has a book to read and a lawn that needs mowing. At the Nelson Police Station her husband, Inspector Darling, and his team are tidying their desks during a rare lull. Then Lane receives a call with news that Darling’s brother Bob has gone missing from a mining camp in Mexico and the police station is visited by the frantic mother of a boy kidnapped from his bedroom. Format: Print, Digital

APRIL 30
The Seaside Murders by Helena Dixon (Historical Cozy Mystery, 1940s)
When Jane Treen is summoned to her boss’s office at the end of a long day, she smooths down her tweed skirt and makes them both another strong pot of coffee. Brigadier Remmington-Blythe slides a folded copy of the evening newspaper towards her, with one small article circled in red ink. A body has been found on an English beach in the little seaside town where she grew up, and he wants her to investigate. Format: Print, Digital, Audio

Bleeding Heart Librarian by Jackie Layton (Cozy Mystery)
Emma Justice is friends with the local librarian and brings her extra flowers once a week. On a hot July morning, when people are gathered outside the closed library past opening time, Emma calls the police. The librarian’s body is found in the building and beside the body is a pink and white bleeding heart plant. Format: Print, Digital

A Whale of a Crime by Mona Marple (Cozy Mystery) *first book in a new series*
After ten years away, Ryan Kennedy never planned on returning to Flamborough—the tiny Yorkshire village he once called home. But when his fiercely independent gran, Iris, needs him, he finds himself back behind the counter at her chaotic seaside bookshop, wrestling with jammed tills, nosy villagers, and the memories he’s spent years trying to forget. What Ryan doesn’t expect is to be swept straight into the heart of a murder investigation. Format: Digital, Print

MAY 1
The Boomerang by Robert Bailey (Thriller)
The president of the United States has terminal cancer. Chief of Staff Eli James, his faithful consigliere and best friend, is one of the few who know. But just as the president’s condition mysteriously improves, Eli’s hit with another blow: his daughter has cancer too. Hell-bent on helping her, Eli turns to Big Pharma’s top lobbyist for advice, but their encounter yields more questions than answers. As he races along a twisted trail to the truth, he stumbles upon a devastating cover-up worth billions of dollars—and millions of lives. Format: Print, Digital, Audio

Terminal Treatment by Paige Black (Thriller)
Officer Eden Mercer never backs down. With her loyal K-9 partner Shadow by her side, she patrols the fog-shrouded streets of Nightfall, Oregon—where danger hides in the most unexpected places. When a young woman turns up dead at the base of a hiking trail, what looks like a tragic accident quickly unravels into something far more sinister. The victim had no history of drug use—so why was her blood full of methadone? Format: Digital, Print

Widows and Orphans by Kate Hilton & Elizabeth Renzetti (Cozy Mystery)
Journalist Cat Conway is looking forward to an easy assignment covering a major wellness and self-actualization summit at the Pinerock Resort, featuring Bliss Bondar and Bree Guthrie, creators of the Welcome, Goddess empire and widows with attitude. Cat’s mother, Marian Conway, bestselling author and defiantly mediocre parent, is on the agenda—and so is murder. Format: Print, Digital, Audio

A Pawsome Summer For Murder by S.A. Kazlo (Cozy Mystery)
It’s summer in Wings Falls, New York and Samantha Davies is geared up for the annual trout tournament sponsored by Al Gorman, owner of the Sport’s Shop. Sam, along with her Southern Belle cousin, Candie Parker-Hogan, are determined to beat the pants off their significant others, Sam’s new fiancé, Hank Johnson, a detective on Wings Falls police force and Mark Hogan, Candie’s husband. The ladies feel they have a secret weapon-they learned from the best fisherman in Hainted Hollar Tennessee, Grandpop Parker. Sam once won a trophy for the largest fish in the Fins and Tails Fishing Derby. Format: Print, Digital

MAY 3
Patchwork Perils by Kathryn Mykel (Cozy Mystery)
A quilter turns up dead beneath a quilt on the opening night of the 10th annual Christmas Quilt Show. Alex must clear her own family and friends before the new mayor shuts the quilters down for good. Surprises and challenges intricately weave through Alex’s life, much like they do a holiday quilt. Can Alex crack the case in time to escape to Madras Island, or will the looming blizzard trap her in Salem for the holidays? Format: Print, Digital

Shudder Pulp by Vanessa Westermann (Cozy Mystery)
Leaves are turning red in cottage country, and Charley Scott is putting together a Halloween pulp art installation inspired by local lake monster legends. Life imitates art when Laura, a mercenary newcomer with a controversial agenda to upgrade the dam, claims she was attacked by Charley’s monster. Hours later, Laura is found dead by dry drowning. Format: Digital, Print, Digital

Note: in some cases, print releases for digital titles will be forthcoming.