Searching for something to read? Check out some of the new titles releasing the week of June 8 – 14, 2025 with three debut series. I hope a few of these books take you on a reading adventure!
JUNE 9
Murder in the Lakes by Rachel Amphlett (Traditional Mystery) *first book in a new series*
Fledgling private detective Melody Harper is down on her luck and nursing a black eye when she’s approached by a new client who believes her daughter is in danger. There’s a wedding next weekend, and the client’s daughter is the bride. Except Melody’s client hasn’t told her the whole truth – the groom’s last fiancée seems to have disappeared, and nobody has any answers. Format: Print, Digital
Shadows in Chinatown by Jolie Tunnell (Historical Mystery 1880s) *first book in a new series*
Karine Kelly’s dream of a fresh start as a mail-order bride in booming San Francisco becomes a nightmare when her charming Irish husband is murdered on their wedding night. Waking to destitute widowhood and fiercely angry in-laws, she discovers a series of shocking secrets that her husband left behind. Format: Print, Digital, Audio
JUNE 10
Death of the Hula Girl by Catherine Bruns (Cozy Mystery)
After a brief brush with Hollywood and fame, Carrie Jorgenson is happy to be back in her adopted hometown of Aloha Lagoon, Hawaii, serving up pineapples and poi to her beloved regular customers and vacationing tourists alike at the Loco Moco Café. She’s once again surrounded by good friends, her fur baby Benny, and reunited with her true love, Keanu. Format: Print, Digital
King of Ashes by S. A. Cosby (Thriller)
When eldest son Roman Carruthers is summoned home after his father’s car accident, he finds his younger brother, Dante, in debt to dangerous criminals and his sister, Neveah, exhausted from holding the family—and the family business—together. Neveah and their father, who run the Carruthers Crematorium in the run-down central Virginia town of Jefferson Run, see death up close every day. But mortality draws even closer when it becomes clear that the crash that landed their father in a coma was no accident and Dante’s recklessness has placed them all in real danger. Format: Print, Digital, Audio
Welcome to Murder Week by Karen Dukess (Traditional Mystery)
When thirty-four-year-old Cath loses her mostly absentee mother, she is ambivalent. With days of quiet, unassuming routine in Buffalo, New York, Cath consciously avoids the impulsive, thrill-seeking lifestyle that her mother once led. But when she’s forced to go through her mother’s things one afternoon, Cath is perplexed to find tickets for an upcoming “murder week” in England’s Peak District: a whole town has come together to stage a fake murder mystery to attract tourism to their quaint hamlet. Baffled but helplessly intrigued by her mother’s secret purchase, Cath decides to go on the trip herself—and begins a journey she never could have anticipated. Format: Print, Digital, Audio
The Washashore by Marshall Highet & Bird Jones (Historical Mystery 1920s)
Prohibition is in full swing, and Emily, a Midwest transplant, has never met her wealthy Aunt Isabel. That is until, after her mother’s death, the courts declare Isabel her guardian. Their first meeting is a disaster. Emily’s clumsy curtsy earns her only a frosty glare, and she quickly realizes she’s in for a crash course in East Coast high society. But manners take a back seat to mystery when Isabel’s dear friend, an accomplished sailor, vanishes at sea. Format: Print, Digital
Knaves of Diamonds by Laurie R. King (Historical Mystery)
When Mary Russell was a child, she adored her black sheep Uncle Jake. But she hasn’t heard from him in many years, and she assumed that his ne’er-do-well ways had brought him to a bad end somewhere—until he presents himself at her Sussex door. Yes, Jake is back, and with a load of problems for his clever niece. Not the least of which is the reason the family rejected him in the first place: He was involved—somehow—in the infamous disappearance of the Irish Crown Jewels from an impregnable safe in Dublin Castle. Format: Print, Digital, Audio
The Life of Chuck by Stephen King (Thriller)
In a crumbling world plagued by natural disasters, collapsing infrastructure, and mass panic, bizarre billboards and advertisements appear throughout town: “Charles Krantz. Thirty-nine great years. Thanks, Chuck!” Marty Anderson, a schoolteacher, becomes obsessed with these messages as the world, inexplicably linked to Chuck’s life, seems to be approaching its end. Format: Print, Digital, Audio
Grave Words by Gerri Lewis (Cozy Mystery)
Winter Snow has had it! With her business in a death drought, her best friend Scoop implicated in a string of arsons, and an obituary listing Winter herself as deceased, her life is heating up. But just as she’s trying to cool things down, she receives her newest assignment: an obituary for Chester, a homeless man found in a burning building. Format: Print, Digital, Audio
The Great Mann by Kyra Davis Lurie (Historical Mystery 1940s)
Charlie Trammell steps off a cross-country train into the vibrant tapestry of Los Angeles. Lured by his cousin Marguerite’s invitation to the esteemed West Adams Heights, Charlie is immediately captivated by the Black opulence of L.A.’s newly rechristened “Sugar Hill.” Settling in at a local actress’s energetic boarding house, Charlie discovers a different way of life—one brimming with opportunity—from a promising career at a Black-owned insurance firm, the absence of Jim Crow, to the potential of an unforgettable romance. But nothing dazzles quite like James “Reaper” Mann. Format: Print, Digital, Audio
A Most Puzzling Murder by Bianca Marais (Traditional Mystery)
Destiny Whip is a former child prodigy, world-renowned enigmatologist and very, very alone. A life filled with loss has made her a recluse, an existence she’s content to endure until a letter arrives inviting her to interview for the position of Scruffmore family historian. Not only does an internet search for the name yield almost nothing, it’s a role she never applied to in the first place! Format: Print, Digital, Audio
A Murder for Miss Hortense by Mel Pennant (Traditional Mystery)
Retired nurse, avid gardener, and renowned cake maker Miss Hortense has lived in Bigglesweigh, a quiet suburb of Birmingham, England, since she emigrated from Jamaica in 1960. She takes great pride in her home, starching her lace curtains bright white, and she can tell if she’s being shortchanged on turmeric before she’s taken her first bite of a beef patty. A career in nursing has also left her afraid of nobody, whether an interfering priest or a local drug dealer, and she’s an expert in deciphering other people’s secrets with just a glance. Format: Print, Digital, Audio
Kill Your Darlings by Peter Swanson (Psychological Thriller)
Thom and Wendy Graves have been married for over twenty-five years. They live in a beautiful Victorian on the north shore of Massachusetts. Wendy is a published poet and Thom teaches English literature at a nearby university. Their son, Jason, is all grown up. All is well…except that Wendy wants to murder her husband. Format: Print, Digital, Audio
Scenery of the Crime by Frank Verlizzo (Traditional Mystery) *first book in a new series*
In this first book of the Retro Broadway Mystery Series, set in 1975 New York City, several bizarrely executed murders involve theatrical ad execs Vic Senso and Bettie Balboa in the far-from glamorous world of backstage Broadway. Behind all the beautiful scenery hides a myriad of potentially life-threatening hazards. Has there ever been a stage-related “accident” that was actually a cover-up for murder? Format: Print, Digital
Making Friends Can Be Murder by Kathleen West (Cozy Mystery)
It feels like kismet when Sarah Jones, newly relocated to Minneapolis after abruptly calling off her engagement, gets invited to join a group of women who share her same (very common) name. For years Sarah has received all types of correspondence intended for different Sarah Joneses, but now it seems that this mistake has given her the opportunity for an instant community. Format: Print, Digital, Audio
JUNE 13
Orchids, Obsession, and Omens by D.G. Thomas (Cozy Mystery)
Sisters Iris and Poppy Thorne are no strangers to unusual flower requests at their shop, Blossom & Thorne. But when a mysterious woman orders a rare blue orchid for a funeral, they sense something is off. Their suspicions grow when the reading of the deceased’s will reveals shocking secrets—secrets that ignite a firestorm of greed and betrayal. Format: Digital
Note: in some cases, print releases for digital titles will be forthcoming.