Looking for something to read? Check out some of the new titles releasing during the week of June 25 – July 1, 2023 with two debut series. I hope a few of these books take you to an exciting place. Have fun reading!
Fatal Fudge Swirl by Meri Allen (Cozy)
Former CIA librarian and amateur sleuth Riley Rhodes is loving her fresh start as the manager of the Udderly Delicious Ice Cream Shop. The leaves are turning, tourists are leaf-peeping, and Penniman, Connecticut is putting finishing touches on the weekend long Halloween Happening. But the village is also buzzing. Former child star Cooper Collins is overseeing the production of a romantic comedy that’s filming on the town green and his domineering socialite mother, Diantha, is planning her lavish Halloween themed wedding at her Inn on the Green. Format: Print, Digital, Audio
Tuaca Tan by Traci Andrighetti (Cozy)
When PI Franki Amato was invited to watch her sixty-something landlady, Glenda, compete at the French Quarter’s annual kickoff to Mardi Gras weekend, she had reservations. After all, the event is called the Greasing of the Poles, and Glenda is an ex-stripper. But she never expected the fun event to turn her world upside down—and, literally, the victim’s. Now instead of hunting for a wedding venue with her honey, Franki’s hunting for a killer. The trail seems to lead to the wealthy board of the Krewe of Clotho, a carnival organization of women whose character is nowhere near as impeccable as their blonde hair, tan outfits, and old New Orleans ancestry. Format: Digital
Murder is a Piece of Cake by Valerie Burns (Cozy)
With small town New Bison’s Spring Festival just around the corner, the pressure is on Maddy to continue her late great-aunt Octavia’s legacy. That means scoring the top prize and transforming Baby Cakes into Southwest Michigan’s must-visit bakery, even though her inexperience in the kitchen brings nightmares of humiliating tagged photos and scathing reviews. Format: Print, Digital, Audio
Misfortune Cookie by Vivien Chien (Cozy)
Lana, now officially manager of her family’s restaurant, the Ho-Lee Noodle House, is headed to sunny Irvine, California to attend a restaurant convention with her sister, Anna May, along for the ride. The girls’ very Americanized Aunt Grace has asked them to stay in her posh rental, and as the trip begins, it seems to be just what they both needed. Even the restaurant convention proves to be worthwhile and entertaining, especially when Lana witnesses a dramatic cat fight between a fortune cookie vendor and a journalist. Format: Print, Digital
Desert Deadline by Michael Craft (Traditional)
Dante O’Donnell and Jazz Friendly make an unlikely pair of crime solvers, thrust together by iffy circumstances in the so-called paradise of sunny Palm Springs. He’s white and gay, a concierge at a vacation-rental outfit; she’s Black and straight, a private eye on the rebound from a failed marriage. Format: Print, Digital
A Newlywed’s Guide to Fortune and Murder by Dianne Freeman (Historical)
With her new husband George busy on a special mission for the British Museum, Frances has taken on an assignment of her own. The dowager Viscountess Winstead needs someone to sponsor her niece, Kate, for presentation to Queen Victoria. Frances—who understands society’s quirks and constraints as only an outsider can—is the perfect candidate. Format: Print, Digital
The Vapes of Wrath by Renee George (Cozy)
Gilly is engaged, and I have invited a couple of friends to help us celebrate her bachelorette vacation in wine country. We are leaving work behind for three days of good food, good friends, and good fun. Or so I thought. When the youngest of our group, Tippy Davenport, gets flirty with a local musician, his girlfriend is less than pleased. Some might even call her reaction homicidal. But when the woman turns up dead during a hiking tour, our vacation turns into an investigation. Format: Digital
Hiss Me Deadly by Miranda James (Cozy)
Charlie Harris remembers Wilfred “Wil” Threadgill as one of the outsiders during high school in Athena. Although Wil was a couple of years ahead of him and his friend Melba Gilley, Melba had a big crush on Wil, who dropped out after his junior year. An aspiring musician, Wil hit the road for California and never looked back. Wil eventually became a star, fronting a band and writing award-winning songs. Format: Print, Digital, Audio
A Murder Of Aspic Proportions by Amy Lillard (Cozy)
Twenty-something Sissy Yoder never imagined herself running her Aunt Bethel’s café, but her help is needed, so she’s making a go of it. And she must admit that life in tiny Yoder has been anything but dull–she’s already solved one homicide—after being named the prime suspect in the case! Enjoying a peaceful respite after all that excitement, Sissy just wants to write her advice column, hang out with her loyal Yorkie, Duke, and procure some of local farmer Walt Summers’ scrumptious “To Die For” tomatoes for the Sunshine Café’s menu. Format: Print, Digital, Audio
Death Steals The Spotlight by T.C. LoTempio (Cozy)
Desperate to find a director for their annual production, the Fox Hollow Players have a stroke of luck when Shell McMillan’s actress mother lands a prominent theater director for the job. He’s more gruff and demanding than the small-town cast and crew are used to, but his soft side for animals quickly endears him to pet shop owner Shell. Persuading her to let him use a shed on her property where he can work in peace, Shell is horrified when she finds his dead body there. And with obvious signs of foul play, she can’t help but investigate the murder. Format: Print, Digital
Evil For Evil by Deb Pines (Traditional)
When Emmy Diner, a true-crime podcaster who champions the cases of forgotten victims, is killed at a Chautauqua book club meeting, she could use her own champion. Everyone present seems harmless. They include: Emmy’s boozing brother-in-law, artsy best friend and an ex-love interest, plus a local minister, musician, nurse, preschool teacher and cleaner. Format: Print, Digital
A Sour Note by Jill Piscitello (Cozy) *first book in a new series*
On the heels of a public, broken engagement, Maeve Cleary returns to her childhood home in Hampton Beach, NH. When a dead body turns up behind her mother’s music school, three old friends land on the suspect list. Licking her wounds soon takes a back seat to outrunning the paparazzi who spin into a frenzy, casting her in a cloud of suspicion. Format: Print, Digital
Hidden Beneath by Barbara Ross (Cozy)
Julia and her mother, Jacqueline, have come to the exclusive summer colony of Chipmunk Island to attend a memorial service for Jacqueline’s old friend Ginny, who’s been officially declared dead half a decade after she went out for her daily swim in the harbor and was never seen again. But something seems fishy at the service—especially with the ladies of the Wednesday Club. Format: Print, Digital, Audio
Charlotte Illes Is Not A Detective by Katie Siegel (Cozy) *first book in a new series*
As a kid, Charlotte Illes’ uncanny sleuthing abilities made her a minor celebrity. But in high school, she hung up her detective’s hat and stashed away the signature blue landline in her “office”—aka garage—convinced that finding her adult purpose would be as easy as tracking down missing pudding cups or locating stolen diamonds. Format: Print, Digital, Audio
Please Don’t Push Up the Daisies by Diane Vallere (Cozy)
When interior decorator Madison Night finally meets the family of boyfriend and police captain Tex Allen, the circumstances are less than joyful. His sister’s broody botanist husband left Lily to raise their four rambunctious boys on her own, and she’s at wit’s end. The only bright spot is the mid-century ranch he gave her in their divorce settlement. Format: Digital
Of course, the Valerie Burns, and Vivian Chen, but Desert Deadline by Michael Craft sounds good.
Many good ones there, thank you