Looking for something to read? Check out some of the new titles releasing during the week of February 2 – 8, 2025 with three debut series. I hope a few of these books take you to an exciting place. Have fun reading!
FEBRUARY 2
A Time for Murder by Paul Austin Ardoin (Traditional Mystery) *first book in a new series*
Everyone knows the first forty-eight hours are the most important after a homicide. But for Detective Luke Guillory, the first forty-eight hours are all he gets—over and over and over. Luke is a pariah in the Sacramento P.D.: the son of a disgraced police chief, he has the lowest close rate on the force. After a freak power outage, Luke finds himself reliving the same two days after a local real estate developer is murdered. With the help of a cynical retired detective, he discovers he must catch the murderer to escape the time loop. (Print and Audio to follow)
Murder in the Tuscan Hills by T.A. Williams (Cozy Mystery)
As grape harvest season rolls around, retired DCI Dan Armstrong and his beloved canine companion, Oscar, are looking forward to a nice quiet September. But when Dan is contacted about a mysterious death out in the Tuscan Hills, it seems that work must come before pleasure. Print, Digital, Audio
FEBRUARY 3
With Our Bellies Full and the Fire Dying by Deborah H. Goldstein (Short Story Anthology)
A collection of eighteen award-winning short mysteries, from cozy to dark, centering around family and friends, their sins and their sometimes redemption. Format: Digital
FEBRUARY 4
Bend, Don’t Break by Julie L. Brown (Traditional Mystery)
Drawing strength from their ancestor, Aisha, a slave born free on the west coast of Africa, four Black women will do whatever is necessary to succeed—and will do even more to protect their daughters. Aisha’s granddaughter, Dinah, a plantation slave, fends off the advances of the master’s son and vows to prevent the same mistreatment of her daughter, Sarah. During the Harlem Renaissance, Augusta, an aspiring teacher, falls in love for the first time. Format: Digital
Vows of Murder by Lynn Cahoon (Cozy Mystery)
Jill’s wedding to police chief Greg King is just days away, at a historic Spanish mission with a courtyard full of olive trees. But the folks in South Cove are more intrigued by what kind of ceremonies might be going on behind the walls of New Hope, the walled property where charismatic Kane Matthews and his followers reside. Jill isn’t fond of the man, but his followers seem nice, and they buy a lot of books. Format: Print, Digital, Audio
The Crime Brulee Bake Off by Rebecca Connolly (Cozy Mystery)
When Claire Walker is selected to be a contestant on the immensely popular cooking show, Britian’s Battle of the Bakers, she is thrilled. She can’t wait to spend eight enchanting weeks baking at the picturesque estate of Blackfirth Park. She can almost smell the fresh pastries wafting through the air as she and her fellow contestants use historical equipment to bring pre-1900s recipes to life. If she can win the fifty thousand pounds, she’ll be able to ditch her teaching job and launch her baking career. Format: Print, Digital, Audio
V in the Valentine by Kathi Daley (Cozy Mystery)
Abby and Georgia stumble onto a new clue in an old mystery while entertaining an inn full of guests on Valentine’s Day. Format: Print, Digital
The Wagtail Murder Club by Krista Davis (Cozy Mystery)
Holly Miller is on her way home to Wagtail, Virginia when she spots something in the grass not far from her car. It turns out to be an adorable black Labrador in a cage with a note attached to his collar. My name is Squishy. I am a very good boy. Please take good care of me. Holly takes Squishy home to the Sugar Maple Inn, which she owns with her grandmother, who also happens to be the mayor of Wagtail. They decide to foster Squishy at the Inn. Days later, Holly is surprised to see her ex-boyfriend Ben checking in with a group of his attorney colleagues who all seem to think that he and Holly are still an item! Format: Print, Digital, Audio
Robert B. Parker’s Buried Secrets by Christopher Farnsworth (Traditional Mystery)
Chief of Police Jesse Stone is on his way home from a long shift when a call comes in for a welfare check on an elderly resident of the wealthy seaside town of Paradise, Massachusetts. Inside a house packed with junk and trash is a man’s dead body. It’s a sad, lonely end, but nothing criminal . . . until Jesse finds the photos of murder victims strewn around the corpse, on top of a treasure trove of $2 million in cash. Format: Print, Digital, Audio
Open Season by Jonathan Kellerman (Thriller)
People come to Los Angeles to chase their dreams. Sometimes they find themselves cast into a nightmare. And sometimes, the most ardent dreamers turn out to be the most vicious monsters. The body of an aspiring actress is found dumped near a hospital emergency room. She’s been drugged and murdered and the motive for the callous crime remains maddeningly out of reach. Until, a prime suspect materializes. Format: Print, Digital, Audio
Medal for Murder by Leslie Langtry (Cozy Mystery)
It’s not news that the Iowa towns of Bladdersly (Home of the Raging Bladders) and Who’s There (the Fighting Who-rish) are rivals and have been for more than a century. And as everybody knows—the best way to deal with a rivalry is to exploit it! So Who’s There’s youngest mayor creates The WhoBla Olympics to settle things once and for all! Format: Digital
A Slant of Light by Kathryn Lasky (Historical Mystery 1930s)
Settling in for a harsh winter alone at her house at the Ghost Ranch, painter and occasional amateur sleuth Georgia O’Keeffe makes the most of the weather before a storm rolls in. But when she finds the ideal spot to capture a particularly nice sunset, Georgia discovers a boy – cold, exhausted and desperate . . . Joseph Reyes is a student at St Ignatius School, and he claims that sinister Sister Angelica and Father Raphael have raped and killed his sister. And she is not the only one who suddenly went missing! Format: Print, Digital, Audio
Death Upon A Star by Amy Patricia Meade (Historical Mystery 1930s) *first book in a new series*
Evelyn Galloway can’t believe her luck! On her first day in LA, she lands her dream job of script supervisor, and on the hottest film in town – Hitchcock’s adaptation of Rebecca. But her good fortune quickly changes when a legendary actor cancels their lunch the following day and is found murdered at home. Evelyn realizes she could be a witness to the crime, having passed the bungalow’s grounds on her way home the night before. Who was the man looking upset in a gazebo? And why was movie starlet Madeleine Nabors running wildly away from the scene? Format: Print, Digital
An Excellent Thing In A Woman by Allison Montclair (Historical Mystery 1940s)
Spirited Miss Iris Sparks and ever-practical Mrs Gwendolyn Bainbridge are called to action when Gwen’s beau Salvatore ‘Sally’ Danielli is accused of murder! Sally has taken a job at the BBC studios at Alexandra Palace, but when the beautiful Miss JeanneMarie Duplessis – one of the Parisian performers over for a new variety show – is found dead in the old theatre, a number of inconvenient coincidences make him Suspect No:1.Format: Print, Digital
Bonded In Death by J.D. Robb (Police Procedural)
His passport read Giovanni Rossi. But decades ago, during the Urban Wars, he was part of a small, secret organization called The Twelve. Responding to an urgent summons from an old compatriot, he landed in New York and eased into the waiting car. And died within minutes…Lieutenant Eve Dallas finds the Rossi case frustrating. She’s got an elderly victim who’d just arrived from Rome; a widow who knows nothing about why he’d left; an as-yet unidentifiable weapon; and zero results on facial recognition. Format: Print, Digital, Audio
Dead in the Frame by Stephen Spotswood (Historical Mystery 1940s)
Wealthy financier and ghoulish connoisseur of crime, Jessup Quincannon, is dead, and famed detective Lillian Pentecost is under arrest for his murder. Means, motive, and a mountain of evidence leave everyone believing she’s guilty. Everyone, that is, except Willowjean “Will” Parker, who knows for a fact her boss is innocent. She just doesn’t know if she can prove it. Format: Print, Digital, Audio
Puppied to Death by C.B. Wilson (Cozy Mystery)
A frantic plea from her sister sends Cat Hawl on a rescue mission to Hawaii. What should’ve been a simple mediation between Lani and their mother turns deadly. Not only is a tea sommelier murdered, but a puppy has turned the crime scene into a dog’s breakfast and Cat’s trouble-prone sister is nowhere to be found. Has Lani been taken by the killer or is she on the run? Format: Digital (Print to follow)
Seams Like the Perfect Crime by Lois Winston (Cozy Mystery)
When staffing shortages continue to hamper the Union County homicide squad, Detective Sam Spader once again turns to his secret weapon, reluctant amateur sleuth Anastasia Pollack. How can she and husband Zack Barnes refuse when the victim is their new neighbor? Format: Digital (Print to follow)
FEBRUARY 6
Murder at the B&B Sue Hollowell (Cozy Mystery)
A quiet morning erupts when a dead body is found at the Sunny Honey B&B. The victim’s connection to her grandmother, Iris, sends shockwaves through Honeyridge Falls. Reluctantly teaming up with the local detective, Moxie dives into a whirlwind investigation to clear her grandmother’s name and save the B&B. Format: Print, Digital
The Hidden Tomb by Ileana Muñoz Renfroe (Traditional Mystery) *first book in a new series*
When Dr. Isabella Cruz stumbles upon her grandfather Arturo Ramirez’s old journal, detailing his obsession with a mysterious artifact said to hold special powers, she can’t resist the allure of Egypt’s hidden treasures. Enlisting the help of her clumsy but loveable friend, blogger Cecilia Alvarez, and sharp-witted writer Patricia Fernandez, the trio heads off on an adventure of a lifetime. Format: Digital
Murder Has No Calories by Corinne Holt Sawyer (Cozy Mystery)
When a beautiful staff member at a California boot camp is found brutally murdered, the owner pleads with the plucky senior sleuths from Camden-sur-Mer to investigate. So Angela Benbow and Caledonia Wingate quickly join the edgy little party at The Time-Out Inn to check out their fellow guests: grumpy Marceline, face-lifted Carmen, dimpled Cracker, saggy Judy, and roly-poly Tilly, among others. Very nice ladies, too – on the surface. Format: Digital
Note: in some cases, print releases for digital titles will be forthcoming.