Looking for something to read? Check out some of the new titles releasing during the week of February 23 – March 1, 2025 with two debut series. I hope a few of these books take you to an exciting place. Have fun reading!
FEBRUARY 23
Killing Me Soufflé by Ellie Alexander (Cozy Mystery)
Amidst the rocky beaches of the Oregon coast, Torte’s beloved Sterling and Stephanie have been hired to take over the aging restaurant at the cliffside Whaleshead Resort. They’re nervous about striking out on their own, but excited by the opportunity to put their own spin a new menu. From fresh fish caught the very same day to vegan options and handcrafted pastries, they’re buzzing with ideas. What’s even better is that Jules and the team from Torte have come out for opening weekend to cheer them on. Format: Print, Digital, Audio
Not Who We Expected by Lisa Black (Thriller)
The two crime experts are enlisted by legendary rock star Billy Diamond to find his missing daughter. A level-headed student at Yale, Devon left six months earlier with her boyfriend, Carlos, for a career development retreat in Nevada. Her calls and notes became less frequent until they stopped. Billy wanted to give his daughter space—but after learning Carlos’ body was found a few miles upstream from the ranch, he needs answers. Format: Print, Digital, Audio
Battle Mountain by C.J. Box (Traditional Mystery)
The campaign of destruction that Axel Soledad and Dallas Cates wreaked on Nate Romanowski and Joe Pickett left both men in tatters, especially Nate, who lost almost everything. Wondering if the civilized life left him vulnerable to attack, Nate dropped off the grid with his falcons in tow to prepare for vengeance. Format: Print, Digital, Audio
The Next Deadly Chapter by V.M. Burns (Cozy Mystery)
All Sam wanted was to make a good impression on her fiancé Frank’s mother, the very proper Dr. Camilia Patterson. But when Nano Jo and the lively ladies of Shady Acres Retirement Village throw a surprise bridal shower for Sam at the Four Feathers Casino—watch out! Things spin out of control faster than a roulette wheel. Fortunately, Sam knows when to fold ’em and slips back to her room to work on her latest historical mystery set between the wars, in which a houseguest meets a grim end at an English country manor. Format: Print, Digital
I Died for Beauty by Amanda Flower (Historical Mystery 1850s)
The Dickinson family braves one of the worst winters in New England’s history. Trains are snowbound and boats are frozen in the harbor. Emily Dickinson and her maid, Willa Noble, have never witnessed anything like it. As Amherst families attempt to keep their homes warm, fears of fire abound. Format: Print, Digital, Audio
A Cold Dose of Murder by Emily George (Cozy Mystery)
Chloe still can’t believe the magic carpet ride her life has become. From a career-and-romantic crash-and-burn as a Parisian pastry chef, she turned things around by starting the Baked by Chloe cannabis café in her seaside hometown of Azalea Bay, California. Now one of the town’s hottest spots, the café has earned a coveted booth in the Bay’s famous summer ice cream festival and Chloe is excited to introduce her cannabis-infused flavors. Plus, a rave review by influential podcaster and food critic Calista Bryant is sending Chloe’s sales into orbit—with no bad vibes in sight . . .Format: Print, Digital, Audio
Big Name Fan by Ruthie Knox & Annie Mare (Cozy Mystery) *first book in a new series*
Bexley Simon and Sam Farmer aren’t detectives, but they play them on TV. Well, played, past tense. The iconic cult hit that was Craven’s Daughter ended five years ago, and their friendship died along with it. Fans were disappointed that the pair’s legendary chemistry went unfulfilled—and other fans were crushed that the actual spark between actressesBex and Sam didn’t pay off, either. The network never intended for two women to get romantic, in life or onscreen, despite the fans. But the bigger tragedy was the loss of their dear friend, makeup artist Jen Arnot, whose accidental death cast a pall over the series’ last episodes. Format: Print, Digital, Audio
Two Weddings and a Murder by Alyssa Maxwell (Historical Mystery 1920s)
The blessed day has finally arrived. Phoebe Renshaw and Owen Seabright are to be wed, and lady’s maid Eva Huntford could not be more delighted for her lady’s happiness. But she is disturbed by one notable absence from the ceremony—her beau, Police Constable Miles Brannock. When Miles finally does appear, breathlessly running into the reception at Foxwood Hall, he brings grim news: he’s found Chief Inspector Isaac Perkins murdered, shot in his home in his favorite parlor chair with his own gun. Format: Print, Digital, Audio
Famous Last Words by Gillian McAllister (Psychological Thriller)
It is June 21st, the longest day of the year, and new mother Camilla’s life is about to change forever. After months of maternity leave, she will drop her infant daughter off at daycare for the first time and return to her job as a literary agent. Finally. But, when she wakes, her husband Luke isn’t there, and in his place is a cryptic note. Then it starts. Breaking news: there’s a hostage situation developing in London. The police arrive, and tell her Luke is involved. But he isn’t a hostage. Her husband – doting father, eternal optimist – is the gunman. Format: Print, Digital, Audio
A Slash of Emerald by Patrice McDonough (Historical Mystery 1860s)
Among the genteel young ladies of London society, painting is a perfectly acceptable pastime—but a woman who dares to pursue art as a profession is another prospect, indeed. Dr. Julia Lewis, familiar with the disrespect afforded women in untraditional careers, is hardly surprised when Scotland Yard shows little interest in complaints made by her friend, Mary Allingham, about a break-in at her art studio. Mary is just one of many “lady painters” being targeted by vandals. Format: Print, Digital, Audio
Murder In An Irish Garden by Carlene O’Connor (Cozy Mystery)
While Siobhán studies for her Detective Sargeant exams, her brother, Eoin, prepares for the grand opening of his new restaurant, The O’Sullivan Six, and concocts a plan to enter Kilbane’s Top Garden Contest to boost business. But trouble brews when Eoin hires a mercurial landscape designer known for her killer designs. His new partner’s unflattering reputation and questionable practices nearly eclipse her talents—and plunge the prestigious competition into chaos. Format: Print, Digital, Audio
Colton’s Deadly Trap by Patricia Sargeant (Romantic Suspense)
Celebrity chef Maxwell Powell III is on a working vacation at the Coltons’ exclusive Arizona resort to write a cookbook. Although Alexis Reed’s assignment as his assistant could help her career, she cannot ignore the powerful attraction sizzling between them. Just as Max is drawn to both Alexis’s candor and her beauty. But when they become targets in a series of attacks, it’s Max’s protective instincts that kick into high gear. And the terrifying realization that it’s not clear who the perpetrator is really after—Max or the woman he’d guard with his life. Format: Print, Digital
Three Bags Full by Leonie Swann (Cozy Mystery) *first book in a new series, re-release*
Something is not right with George the shepherd. His sheep have gathered around him outside the cozy Irish village of Glennkill to assess the situation. George has cared for the sheep, reading them books every night, and now he lies pinned to the ground with a spade. His flock, far savvier about the workings of the human mind than your average sheep, sets out to find George’s killer, led by Miss Maple, the smartest sheep in Glennkill (and possibly the world). Format: Print, Digital, Audio
Close Your Eyes and Count to 10 by Lisa Unger (Psychological Thriller)
Charismatic daredevil and extreme adventurer Maverick Dillan invites you to the ultimate game of hide-and-seek. But as the players gather on Falcao Island, the event quickly spirals into a chilling test of survival. A storm rages as a deadly threat stalks the contestants, turning the challenge into something far more sinister than the social media stunt it was intended to be. Format: Print, Digital, Audio
FEBRUARY 25
Cookies & Chance Mysteries Novellas Boxed Set by Catherine Bruns (Cozy Mystery)
From USA Today bestselling author Catherine Bruns comes a boxed set of four tasty small bites featuring baker turned sleuth Sally Muccio. This boxed set includes four novellas—and delicious recipes!—from the Cookies & Chance Mysteries series, including: Formals, Fortune Cookies & Fraud; Cookies, Chamomile, and Corpses; A Drizzle Before Dying; and Planes, Candy Canes, and Hearses. Format: Print and Digital
Puzzled 4 Murder by J.C. Eaton (Cozy Mystery)
It’s a blistering hot summer in Sun City West, and members of the retirement community are happy to escape into the air-conditioned bliss of the library to work on a mammoth forty-thousand-piece jigsaw puzzle. But things begin heating up inside, too, when members clash with the domineering head of the puzzle committee over which puzzle to solve—until someone settles the matter by killing her. Now it’s up to Sophie “Phee” Kimball to put all the pieces of the murder plot together and catch the culprit responsible. Format: Print, Digital
A Side Dish of Death by T.C. LoTempio (Cozy Mystery)
With adopt-a-cat month in full swing in Fox Hollow, pet shop owner Shell McMillan decides that hosting a night of murder mystery dinner theater will be a fun way to raise funds for the cause. But she didn’t realize that the celebrity chef she’d hired for the event would turn out to be a tyrannical snob, or that her scoundrel of an ex-fiancé would turn up with his own shady agenda. Still, the show must go on, and as the lighthearted plot on-stage unfolds, the scene off-stage turns decidedly darker when the chef is found murdered.
FEBRUARY 27
Mutiny at the Manor by Nellie H. Steele (Cozy Mystery)
When Kelly Silverman wins a trip to an exclusive masquerade ball at an English manor, she’s convinced it’s the perfect opportunity for a glamorous getaway—after all, what could go wrong in the picturesque countryside? Jodi, however, is less impressed by the creepy Larkin Manor, the endless rain, and a butler straight out of a horror film. She’d much rather be sipping cocktails on a sunny cruise. Format: Print, Digital
FEBRUARY 28
Matcha Murder by Kirsten Weiss (Cozy Mystery)
A storm’s raging over the California coast. Abigail’s boyfriend has gone AWOL. And her most annoying acquaintance is the prime suspect in a business coach’s murder. Abigail and her quirky Tarot-reading partner, Hyperion, will have to sift through a whirlwind of lies to crack this twisty crime. But the power’s flickering, and emotions are boiling. Can they decipher the murderer’s bitter blend before it’s too late, or will this be their final cup? Format: Digital
MARCH 1
Twisted Pursuit by Paige Black (Thriller)
When K-9 Officer Eden Mercer enrolls in an elite search and rescue training course in remote Juniper Wells, Arizona, she has a hidden agenda. Her estranged father has finally offered a chance to reunite with her dying mother—if Eden agrees to meet his cult’s representatives alone at the Utah border. But when a former military K-9 handler is murdered before he can expose dangerous secrets, Eden and her loyal shepherd Shadow find themselves entangled in a deadly conspiracy. Format: Digital (Print to follow)
Wednesday Wicked Ways by Joanna Campbell Slan (Cozy Mystery)
In this small Midwestern town, everyone has something to hide, from Japanese business interests eyeing a piece of property to an angry sharpshooter harboring a murderous obsession. Meanwhile, working women struggle to make their way in a man’s world, and their primary opposition might well be…other women. Format: Print, Digital
Note: in some cases, print releases for digital titles will be forthcoming.