Looking for something to read? Check out some of the new titles releasing during the week of January 12 – 18, 2025 with two debut series. I hope a few of these books take you to an exciting place. Have fun reading!

JANUARY 14
Death in the Downline by Maria Abrams (Traditional Mystery)
Drew thought she was destined to become a star journalist in New York City. But now she’s back in New Jersey, pushing thirty, newly single, and living with her father. After a chance encounter, she reconnects with her former best friend, Steph, who married young and never left their hometown. But Steph looks . . . good. She’s tanned, glowing, and only wears designer labels. Her secret? A skincare sales opportunity called LuminUS. With nothing left to lose, Drew gets sucked into this glamorous world of downlines, sales parties, and girls’ trips. Format: Print, Digital, Audio

Deadly When Disturbed by D.M. Barr (Domestic Thriller)
When Dara Banks, Rock Canyon’s leading Realtor, searches for an assistant, finding someone as resourceful as Meryl “Merry” Rafter seems too good to be true. So good in fact, she neglects to run a reference check. Bad move. Before she knows it, Merry, a former “actress” trying to be “helpful,” has insinuated herself into Dara’s business, family, and charity, and may be the only person saving her from prison. Dara becomes suspicious and begins snooping into Merry’s past. Format: Digital (Print to follow)

The Ends of Things by Sandra Chwialkowska (Suspense)
Laura Phillips always wanted to travel the world but was too afraid to go it alone. So when her new boyfriend, Dave, invites her on a romantic getaway to the remote island of Eleuthera in the Bahamas, she jumps at the chance. As soon as they arrive at the Pink Sands resort, Laura and Dave are handed cocktails garnished with umbrellas and led to a luxurious suite. It’s a lovers’ paradise. But when they head down to the pristine beach, Laura notices an oddity among the sunbathing couples: a woman vacationing alone. Intrigued, Laura befriends the woman, Diana, and as they spend time together, Laura finds herself telling Diana secrets she’s never shared with anyone. Format: Print, Digital, Audio

Cross My Heart by Megan Collins (Psychological Thriller)
Rosie Lachlan wants nothing more than to find The One. A year after she was dumped in her wedding dress, she’s working at her parents’ bridal salon, anxious for a happy ending that can’t come soon enough. After receiving a life-saving heart transplant, Rosie knows her health is precious and precarious. She suspects her heart donor is Daphne Thorne, the wife of local celebrity author Morgan Thorne, who she begins messaging via an anonymous service called DonorConnect, ostensibly to learn more about Daphne. But Rosie has a secret: She’s convinced that now that she has his wife’s heart, she and Morgan are meant to be together. Format: Print, Digital, Audio

The Big Empty by Robert Crais (Private Investigator Mystery)
Traci Beller was thirteen when her father disappeared in the sleepy town of Rancha, not far from Los Angeles. The evidence says Tommy Beller abandoned his family, but Traci never believed it. Now, ten years later, Traci is a high-profile influencer with millions of followers and the money to hire the best detective she can find: Elvis Cole. Format: Print, Digital, Audio

The Really Dead Wives of New Jersey by Astrid Dahl (Traditional Mystery)
When Hope Bennett marries Carmela’s brother Leo she not only becomes a Fontana, but a Garden State Goddess—and not everyone is happy. Secrets will be revealed, decades-long rivalries will surface, and a sudden murder will lead to a reality reckoning no one is prepared for, least of all the show’s producer Eden who must race to catch a killer and save the most dramatic season of all time. Format: Print, Digital, Audio

Downstate by Jeffery Deaver (Crime Fiction Novella)
Special Agent Constant Marlowe is in pursuit of “Mr. X,” a key player in organized crime. Her mission is to collar him and flip him into a cooperating witness. The only problem? Marlowe doesn’t know who he is or even what he looks like. It doesn’t help that the trail has led her to a farming community in the nether land of Downstate, those stretches of Illinois where endless fields of late-season corn block the truth…and any sign of coming threat. When Marlowe stumbles on a teenage boy’s convenience store robbery, she suddenly finds herself in the crosshairs of a conspiracy that shatters the illusion of a sleepy small town. Format: Digital, Audio

The Incident of the Book in the Nighttime by Vicki Delany (Cozy Mystery)
Gemma Doyle and her friends have packed their bags and headed to London for her sister Pippa’s wedding. Waiting for her in the hotel lobby is none other than Gemma’s ex-husband, Paul Erikson. Paul has a rare book he wants her to see—calling it “the real deal”—so Gemma agrees to meet him at their old shop, Trafalgar Fine Books, the following day. But when Gemma arrives, accompanied by Grant, a rare book dealer, they find Paul dead in his office. Format: Print, Digital, Audio

The Business Trip by Jessie Garcia (Domestic Thriller)
Stephanie and Jasmine have nothing and everything in common. The two women don’t know each other but are on the same plane. Stephanie is on a business trip and Jasmine is fleeing an abusive relationship. After a few days, they text their friends the same exact messages about the same man—the messages becoming stranger and more erratic. Format: Print, Digital, Audio

Never Nap in a Casket by J.W. Hodge (Cozy Mystery)
Cary Grant Harrigan is a wanted man. Wanted for questioning by the Portneuf Gap Police Department about the bizarre murder of his fiancé. Wanted by the FBI regarding a couple of paintings in his possession which are either stolen originals or fabulous fakes. But Harrigan is MIA and sister/sleuth Sadie Harrigan wants to find him first before the get-rich-quick-scheme he’s involved in has him exchanging his surfer wetsuit for a prison jump suit. Format: Print, Digital

I’ll Tell You Everything by Rebecca Kelley (Psychological Thriller)
Amy Linden has a loving husband, an adorable son, and a glamorous career as the hotelier of a grand mountain lodge. Then Ramona Crawford, the daughter she gave up for adoption twenty years earlier, pays her a surprise visit. Ramona wants to know the identity of her biological father—and Amy completely understands. There’s just one problem: the truth would destroy Amy’s carefully curated life. Format: Print, Digital, Audio

Track Her Down by Melinda Leigh (Psychological Thriller)
A teenager returns home from work and finds her parents shot to death in their bed. Responding to the call, Sheriff Bree Taggert realizes the crime wasn’t a burglary gone wrong. The couple was executed. The sole survivor: their traumatized teenage daughter, Claire Mason. Bree teams up with investigator Matt Flynn to work the case, but together they uncover more questions than answers. When Claire is stalked at the park, it’s clear the killer isn’t finished—and she’s the next target. Format: Print, Digital, Audio

A Serial Killer’s Guide to Marriage by Asia Mackay (Thriller)
Hazel and Fox are an ordinary married couple with a baby. Except for one small thing: they’re murderers. Well, they used to be. They had it all. An enviable London lifestyle, five-star travels, and plenty of bad men to rid from the world. Then Hazel got pregnant. Now, they’re just another mom-and-dad-and-baby. They gave up vigilante justice for life in the suburbs: arranged play dates instead of body disposals, diapers over daggers, mommy conversations instead of the sweet seduction right before a kill. Format: Print, Digital, Audio

Murder in the Dressing Room by Holly Stars (Cozy Mystery) *first book in a new series*
By day, Joe is a hotel accountant, invisibly sitting behind their desk and playing by the rules. By night, donned in sequins, they take to the stage as Misty Divine, a star of the London drag scene. But when Misty’s drag mother, Lady Lady, is found dead in her dressing room beside a poisoned box of chocolates, Misty and her fellow performers become the prime suspects. Format: Print, Digital, Audio

A Tisket A Tasket Not Another Casket by Heather Weidner (Cozy Mystery)
Excitement is in the air as everyone in Mermaid Bay is preparing for the Christmas season. This year promises to be more dazzling than ever when the business council sponsors a competition for the town’s lucrative summer fireworks contract. The quaint little beach town is ready to be wowed with choreographed shows and drone action that light up the night sky. Format: Digital, Audio (Print to follow)

JANUARY 15
Stitched in Secrets by Barbara Howard (Romantic Suspense)
Harper Martinez, now an independent journalist, becomes suspicious when her boyfriend, celebrity chef Raphael Parera, gets involved with Robert Gaines through a high-profile cooking show. After receiving an anonymous tip about Gaines’ fashion empire, Harper uncovers a dangerous conspiracy. With the help of her best friend Amira, a health aide, Amira’s lawyer boyfriend Lionel, and Raphael, Harper discovers that Gaines is using nanotechnology in his clothing and media to manipulate people. As the investigation deepens and a major fashion show approaches, the group must risk everything to stop Gaines’ sinister plot before it’s too late. Format: Digital (Print to follow)

Carousels and Characters by Elizabeth Pantley (Cozy Paranormal Mystery)
This book club is whooshed right into the pages of a cozy mystery. The quirky group of brave members must solve the mystery and reach The End to get out of the book. The book club members travel to an enchanted amusement theme park. It’s a magical, wonderful place, but something is disturbing the park. Robberies are occurring from every ride. It began with little things, like props or costumes, but now the stakes are rising. Format: Digital (Print to follow)

Nightingale & Co by Charlotte Printz (Historical Mystery 1960s) *first book in a new series*
Since the death of her beloved father, Carla has been running the Nightingale & Co detective agency by herself. It’s a far from easy job for a female investigator. When the chaotic, fun-loving Wallie shows up at the door, claiming to be her half-sister, Carla’s world is turned upside down. Wallie needs Carla – the Berlin Wall has been built overnight, leaving her umable to return to her flat in East Berlin. Format: Print, Digital

The House of Hidden Secrets by Lauren Westwood (Historical Mystery)
Alex Hart loves her job as manager of Mallow Court, an historic Elizabethan house. But the discovery of an antique jewelled locket and a long-buried secret changes everything. From an old diary to a charismatic barrister, a mysterious clockmaker and the darkest hours of the London Blitz, Alex must follow a trail of clues to uncover the truth about her family and their wartime history. But someone is determined to stop her… Who can she really trust? Format: Print, Digital

JANUARY 17
The Antique Store Detective and the May Day Murder by Clare Chase (Cozy Mystery)
Everyone in Hope Eaton climbs the hill to Sweet Agnes’ Spring on May Day, to greet the dawn and leave tokens among the flowers. Antique store owner Bella Winter grumbles about the early start, but she has to admit that watching the sun rise over the flower-strewn grove is worth it. And her interest deepens when she sees that one of the offerings this year is a little doll stuck all over with pins… a perfect replica of Mary Roberts, who lives nearby. Format: Print, Digital

JANUARY 18
Murder on the Menu by Katie Marsh (Cozy Mystery)
Since Amber started the Bad Girls’ Detective Agency, she’s been feeling the pressure. So – when she and her best friends win a trip to a new luxury castle retreat on a remote island – she hopes it will be a chance to relax in style. The girls are all excited to experience world-famous chef Valerie la Fontaine’s tasting menu. Format: Digital, Audio (Print to follow)

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