Searching for something to read? Check out some of the new titles releasing the week of June 22 – 28, 2025 with five debut series. I hope a few of these books take you on a reading adventure!

JUNE 23
Madame Pompette Dines with Death by Libby Castle (Cozy Mystery)
Now firmly settled in the picturesque English village of Saint-Luke’s-Upon-the-Water, ex-circus fortune teller Charlotte Pompette is happily focussed on tea, buns, and her thriving tea shop. With new friendships blooming and her mischievous black cat named Tarot presenting her with a litter of kittens, life is purring along nicely. Format: Print, Digital

Baubles to Die For by Tonya Penrose (Cozy Mystery) *first book in a new series*
Gifted sleuth Page Wright’s inner world is anything but ordinary, yet her outer world craves a revamp from her mountain bookshop’s continuing demands. A summer escape to her beloved cottage on Shell Isle with cousin Betsy Ross always promised fun and relaxation…until this latest holiday. Two constants exist that Page can’t escape: Betsy’s spicy culinary fiascos she’s obliged to chase with endless antacids, and the special guidance she receives from ‘inklings’ when her sleuthing gifts are needed. Format: Digital

It’s Not Even Past by Anna Scotti (Short Story Collection)
A PhD candidate who can quote Shakespeare, Beaudelaire, and Louis Leakey with ease, the brainy but naive librarian we know as “Cam Baker” must go on the run, trusting Witness Protection to keep her alive as she jumps from one alias to another, always just a step ahead of her ruthless ex and his cartel henchmen. Format: Print, Digital

JUNE 24
El Dorado Drive by Megan Abbott (Psychological Thriller)
The three Bishop sisters grew up in privilege in the moneyed suburbs of Detroit. But as the auto industry declined, so did their fortunes. Harper, the youngest, is barely making ends meet when her beloved, charismatic sister Pam—currently in the middle of a contentious battle with her ex-husband—and her eldest sister, Debra, approach her about joining an exciting new club. Format: Print, Digital, Audio

Trouble’s Turn to Lose by Susan M. Boyer (Cozy Mystery)
Join South Carolina sleuth Hadley Cooper on a thrilling Lowcountry adventure as she tackles her next case with her quirky brand of wit, a whole lot of gumption, and a little help from her girlfriends. Format: Print, Digital

An Amateur Sleuth’s Guide To Murder by Lynn Cahoon (Cozy Mystery) *first book in a new series*
Meg Gates could use a guidebook for life. Indeed, she’s faced some challenges. She dropped out of college to work for a tech startup that failed—and her fiancé just took her bridesmaid to Italy on what was supposed to be Meg’s honeymoon. Format: Print, Digital, Audio

The Ex-Girlfriend Murder Club by Gloria Chao (Cozy Mystery) *first book in a new series*
The body in the closet was going to be a problem. Kathryn Hu knew it. Yes, Tucker Jones was a cheating scumbag, and yes, she’d agreed to meet Olivia and Elle—Tucker’s other girlfriends—to exact revenge for all he’d put them through… But then they found him. Dead. Format: Print, Digital, Audio

A Catered Bake-Off by Isis Crawford (Cozy Mystery)
What’s the worst that could happen on a reality show bake-off filmed at a picturesque estate? As it turns out, a whole lot. Thrown into the fray against four seasoned competitors, the Simmons sisters face more than just cameras broadcasting their frosting mishaps on local TV. Right from the get-go, their small screen debut sours with suspicious ingredients and malfunctioning appliances. Then there’s the inexplicable invasion of goats that sends the entire production into a tailspin, followed by a flurry of ominous notes delivered anonymously to the cast and crew. Format: Print, Digital

Answers in the Ashes by Kathi Daley (Cozy Mystery)
Colt is living with Abby while he mends, and while the couple are enjoying the time they spend together, they both know that there are some hard truths that eventually will need to be dealt with. Georgia and Tanner are having growing pains as they prepare in their own way for the birth of their first child, and Alex is up to her ears in clues, confessions, and leads that go nowhere, when she tries to uncover the truth about the rash of arson fires that seem to be all tangled up with a food truck murder. Format: Print, Digital

Thus With a Kiss I Die by Christina Dodd (Historical Mystery)
You’re right. I, Rosie Montague of Verona, am lousy at iambic pentameter and Shakespeare speak, but you get the point: Sometimes you’re the windshield and sometimes you’re the bug. I, who for my whole life, have cruised along, unruffled by life’s trials, am suddenly smashed flat and speeding recklessly up the WhattheHellHappened Highway. Format: Print, Digital, Audio

A Purrfect Date by Alex Erickson (Cozy Mystery)
Ashley Branson is sure of one thing after experiencing a disastrous blind date—she would much rather enjoy the single life and hang out with playful felines at her studio, A Purrfect Pose, than ever compromise her inner peace like that again. When the mysterious guy makes a late arrival then has the nerve to dine and dash, it’s embarrassing. But when he winds up dead in his apartment that same night? Ash suddenly finds herself thrust into a twisted murder investigation and questioning if she might be shaping up to be the suspect . . . or the next victim. Format: Print, Digital, Audio

The Dark Library by Mary Anna Evans (Historical Mystery)
Estella Ecker has returned to Rockfall House, the last place on earth she wants to be. Years after she ran away from her overbearing father, she has been forced back home to walk in his footsteps, teaching at the college he dominated and living in the fabulous home where he entertained artists and scholars for decades—and perhaps she owns it now, because her mercurial mother has disappeared. At the center of everything—the whispers, the rumors, the secrets—is her father’s library of rare books, which she had been forbidden to touch while he was alive to stop her. Format: Print, Digital, Audio

Murder on Sex Island by Jo Firestone (Humorous Mystery) *first book in a new series*
When a cast member goes missing from the hit reality show Sex Island, producers hire detective Luella van Horn to go undercover as a contestant and solve the case. What the producers don’t know is that the enigmatic Luella van Horn is actually a woman named Marie Jones, a divorced ex–social worker from Staten Island attempting to lead a double life as a private eye. The local press couldn’t get enough of Luella . . . until she horribly bungled her last case and a murderer went free. Format: Print, Digital, Audio

Those Who Choose Evil by Kate Flora (Traditional Mystery)
Detective Joe Burgess ends many nights with a quiet ritual—a visit to the park where the ocean breeze blends with memories of past cases. But tonight, something feels off. When his truck refuses to respond to his steering, and a faint cry drifts through the darkness, instinct takes over. Format: Print, Digital

A Daughter’s Guide to Mothers and Murder by Dianne Freeman (Historical Mystery)
Frances and George are enjoying some well-deserved leisure time in Paris when an old acquaintance from London, Alicia Stoke-Whitney, seeks Frances’s help to investigate a personal matter. Alicia’s daughter is being courted by Carlson Deaver, a wealthy American shadowed by a very suspicious tragedy. Format: Print, Digital, Audio

Skin and Bones by Liliana Hart (Cozy Mystery) *first book in a new series*
Mabel McCoy, a young and widowed tea shop owner in the quaint coastal town of Grimm Island, South Carolina, finds her life as calm as a perfectly steeped cup of tea. The highlight of her month is hosting the Silver Sleuths Murder Society at her charming shop—a group of spirited seniors with a penchant for mysteries. She loves the tranquility and wouldn’t have it any other way. Format: Print, Digital

Julie Tudor Is Not a Psychopath by Jennifer Holdich (Thriller)
Julie Tudor is 49 and has it all: a fantastic job (well-maintained spreadsheets are the lynchpin of an efficient office), a beautiful house (some may wonder how she got the money for it, but nothing has been proved) and the man of her dreams. Format: Print, Digital

Them Bones by David Housewright (Private Investigator Mystery)
There are two things that Rushmore McKenzie hates to turn down—a request from a friend and a challenge. Both of them show up in his wife’s nightclub in the person of Angela Bjork, who has come to request McKenzie’s help. McKenzie, once a homicide detective, now through a series of unlikely events, is a retired millionaire. But occasionally, for friends, he will do some unofficial private detective work. Over the years, he’s hunted down a stolen Stradivarius, the hoard of 1930’s gangster, and recovered a stolen, apparently cursed, artifact but McKenzie never imagined a case like this. An exceedingly rare dinosaur skull has been stolen. Format: Print, Digital

A Tarnished Canvas by Anna Lee Huber (Historical Mystery 1830s)
Kiera and her husband, Sebastian Gage, have decided to settle in Edinburgh for the winter with their infant daughter. This also allows Kiera to enjoy long hours painting in her studio, making progress on the portraits she soon hopes to unveil in her own exhibit. She’s thrilled when she receives an invitation to the auction of the late Lord Eldin’s coveted art collection, and she and Gage eagerly accept. When the floor collapses beneath the gathering, killing one of their fellow bidders, Kiera and Gage are lucky to escape with their lives. Format: Print, Digital, Audio

The Death Mask by Iris Johansen (Thriller)
World-renowned forensic sculptor Eve Duncan’s skills frequently make her a target. And in this epic adventure, they make her the first choice to create an Egyptian death mask for a nefarious potential client. But Eve cannot be bought, not for all the riches in a gold mine. Her would-be employer soon realizes that he must threaten the lives of those she holds dear to procure Eve’s services and force her to travel to Africa to mold the priceless mask. Format: Print, Digital, Audio

Murder on the Green by Christine Knapp (Cozy Mystery)
By virtue of a lottery windfall, modern nurse midwife Maeve O’Reilly Kensington is taking her sister, Meg, her mom, and some of her mother’s friends from the Hanville Grove senior center, affectionately dubbed the “Ladies of the Lobby,” on a dream holiday to the Emerald Isle. They are welcomed with open arms in Ireland and are instantly captivated by the warmth of the reception and the natural beauty of the landscape. Format: Print, Digital

The Secrets We Keep by Amy Lillard (Traditional Mystery)
Back to active duty after an administrative leave of absence for the use of deadly force, the last thing Detective Nathan Fisher wants to do is return to the conservative Amish community he left behind, but when his father passes, he has no choice. Hoping to clear his head and perhaps mend fences with his family, he returns to his small Mississippi hometown despite not being welcome. What was supposed to be a quick visit turns into a prolonged stay when his former love pleads for his help. Format: Print, Digital, Audio

There’ll Be Shell To Pay by Molly MacRae (Cozy Mystery)
Maureen is still getting used to life on Ocracoke Island, learning how to play the “shell game” of her business—and ghost whispering with the spirit of Emrys Lloyd, the eighteenth-century Welsh pirate who haunts her shop, The Moon Shell. The spectral buccaneer has unburied a treasure hidden in the shop’s attic that turns out to be antique shell art stolen from Maureen’s late husband’s family years ago. Format: Print, Digital, Audio

Imogene’s Grand Fiasco by David Putnam (Traditional Mystery)
When Imogene’s new job at a pawn shop turns out to be part of an elaborate criminal scheme, she finds herself trapped between warring mobsters, dirty cops, and a mysterious puppet master plotting to rob the Bank of the West during the town’s Fourth of July parade. With her parole on the line and innocent lives at stake, Imogene must use her prison-honed instincts to untangle a web of blackmail, corruption, and murder before the whole town erupts in violence. Format: Print, Digital

Down To The Bone by Caitlin Rother (True Crime Mystery)
On February 15, 2010, Joseph McStay, his wife Summer, and their two young sons were reported missing from their new home in San Diego County. They left eggs and fruit rotting on the counter. Their Dodge truck sat in the driveway. Their dogs were abandoned outside without food. But investigators found no blood, signs of a struggle, or clues to their whereabouts. Did the family take an unannounced vacation? Were they running away from personal problems? Or were they victims of foul play? Format: Print, Digital, Audio

A Terribly Nasty Business by Julia Seales (Historical Mystery)
After achieving her lifelong dream of solving a murder, bringing a killer to justice, and proving she is not, in fact, a morbid creep, Beatrice Steele feels like everything is finally falling into place. She’s traded her etiquette-obsessed community of Swampshire for the big city of London, accompanied by her ever-trusty chaperone, Miss Bolton. They’ve settled in a lovely neighborhood, Sweetbriar, known for its proximity to the Sweet Majestic theater, picturesque pleasure gardens, and an unfortunate infestation of flying squirrels. But Beatrice’s favorite part is that Sweetbriar is also home to DS Investigations, the new office she opened with the prickly, annoyingly logical Inspector Drake to solve the city’s brutally thrilling crimes. Format: Print, Digital, Audio

Bachelor Badges & Bad Luck by Kari Lee Townsend (Cozy Mystery)
Detective Nik Stevens is finally getting married to his fiancé, Kalli Ballas, in their big fat Greek town of Clearview, Connecticut. But first his best man Boomer along with his groomsmen decide to throw him a bachelor party in Atlantic City. Format: Digital, Print

JUNE 25
You Can’t Bury Death by Peggy Doviak (Financial Thriller)
Halloween is just around the corner, and financial planner Jillian Bradford and her horse are getting in the spirit. However, plans are disrupted when Jillian’s archeologist dad receives a mysterious phone call from the director of the Spiro Mounds Archeology Center. Her father suspects his friend’s concerns involve the return of ghostly blue lights people are reporting around the mounds. But, at the site, instead of finding a ghost, Jillian discovers the bludgeoned body of the director. With the help of her friends, two-legged and four, can Jillian solve the murder before she becomes the next victim? Format: Print, Digital

Death on Riddle Road by Patricia McLinn (Cozy Mystery)
Sleuth-with-a-big-secret Sheila Mackey says that to Teague O’Donnell just before this book starts. Will she spill all her hidden background to the guy she’s dating? It’s even more complicated since he’s a detective-once-more, working for the local sheriff’s department as an investigator – not good for secrets. Format: Print, Digital

JUNE 26
Strike The Death Note by Rebecca McKinnon (Cozy Mystery)
With just two weeks left of the summer at Aerie Pines, music shop owner Octavia Fields should be getting ready to head back to the nomadic life she lives most of the year—but the season is set to end in a minor key for her little shop. Format: Digital, Print

Murder in the Gallery by Emily Organ (Historical Mystery 1920s)
When a curator is found dead at his desk in London’s National Gallery, Augusta Peel is called in to investigate. The art world is ablaze with the rediscovery of a forgotten Renaissance master, but beneath the excitement lurks a dangerous truth. Could it have sparked a deadly motive? Format: Digital, Print

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