Check out some of the new titles releasing during the week of October 25 – 31, 2020. Reading is an adventure and I hope a few of these books take you to an exciting place. Enjoy!

Benita Renee Jenkins: Diva Secret Agent by Lorisa Bates (Traditional) *new series*
Growing up in “Do or Die Bed Stuy” Brooklyn, Benita Renee Jenkins has everything going for her–a great job, loving family, loads of friends, and the hope of one day becoming a crime scene investigator. However, things change when she unknowingly crosses paths with Miguel Perkins, a hot secret agent working for a clandestine agency created to throw the book at the most untouchable of bad guys.

Festive Mayhem edited by Marla Bradeen (Anthology)
Ten crime writers of color have teamed up to offer you the gift of escape this holiday season. From Christmas crime capers to Thanksgiving thrillers, historical hard-boiled to contemporary cozies, mystery fans of all genres will find something to love in this limited-time collection of exclusive, never-before-published seasonal short stories.

Curses Are For Cads by Tamara Berry (Cozy)
Just as fake medium Eleanor Wilde begins falling for Nicholas Hartford III and his endearing family, she’s summoned to a remote Scottish castle where an unusual assignment to locate a haunted trove of treasure threatens Eleanor’s budding romance, her livelihood. . .and her life! As Sussex’s resident witch and pseudo psychic, Eleanor has grown accustomed to somewhat strange requests for supernatural aid.

Have Yourself a Fudgy Little Christmas by Nancy Coco (Cozy)
Christmas on Mackinac Island brings a flurry of festive activity for fudge shop owner Allie McMurphy—but also a body in a snowbank . . . All Allie wants for Christmas is for renovations to be finished on the Historic McMurphy Hotel and Fudge Shop so she can move back home for the holidays. But for now she’s staying in her friend Frances’s apartment, busily baking batches of holiday fudge.

Broadcast 4 Murder by J.C. Eaton (Cozy)
Phee’s mother Harriet is going to be a star! At least, that’s how the Sun City West retiree describes her chance to host a live radio program of her book club’s Booked 4 Murder Mystery Hour on Arizona’s KSCW. But instead of chatting about charming cozies, Harriet ends up screaming bloody murder over the airwaves after discovering the body of Howard Buell, the station’s programming director, in a closet—with a pair of sewing shears shoved into his chest.

Murder Comes to Call by Jessica Ellicott (Historical)
The lean years following World War I can lead to desperate acts—even in the quiet English village of Walmsley Parva. When a series of burglaries seems to culminate in murder, brash American Beryl Helliwell and proper Brit Edwina Davenport are eager to solve the case . . .

A Page Marked for Murder by Lauren Elliott (Cozy)
A murder and a missing book have Addie Greyborne running around her Massachusetts town trying to read the clues . . .January isn’t the season for the seaside, but the big Fire and Ice festival is keeping bookstore owner Addie busy. Amid the plans for a fireworks display and an ice-carving competition, she’s also dog sitting for a friend in the hospital.

Death by French Roast by Alex Erickson (Cozy)
Krissy Hancock runs a bookstore-café in Pine Hills, Ohio, but she’ll be setting up shop as a sleuth when she discovers a long-unsolved murder . . . Krissy’s helping a friend clean out her late mother’s house when she learns that although the deceased died peacefully at an advanced age, her brother did not. In fact, Wade was killed more than thirty years ago, and the case was never closed.

Death Comes Knocking by Kate Flora (Traditional)
Happy to finally be settling into her new home, a heavily pregnant Thea Kozak is rushing to get the baby’s room finished when she’s surprised by a visit from her new neighbor, Jessica, who is equally pregnant. Thrilled to meet another new mother in the neighborhood, Thea and Jessica bond over their mutual condition. But after many cups of herbal tea and cookies, Thea is puzzled by Jessica’s unwillingness to talk about her past.

Candy Cane Crime by Amanda Flower (Cozy)
Christmas is coming all too quickly for Harvest, Ohio’s famous chocolatier, Bailey King. Thanks to her new cable TV show, her shop has more candy orders than she can handle this holiday season. Fortunately, her beloved Cousin Charlotte is happy to take the Candy Cane Exchange off Bailey’s to-do list. After all, Charlotte has come to Harvest from her conservative home district to find her future outside of her family’s influence.

The Deep, Deep Snow by Brian Freeman (Suspense)
Deputy Shelby Lake was abandoned as a baby, saved by a stranger who found her in the freezing cold. Now, years later, a young boy is missing — and Shelby is the one who must rescue a child. The only evidence of what happened to ten-year-old Jeremiah Sloan is a bicycle left behind on a lonely road. After a desperate search fails to locate him, the close bonds of Shelby’s hometown begin to fray under the weight of accusations and suspicion.

Cold Conviction by Daryl Wood Gerber (Suspense)
When her parents were murdered fourteen years ago, Aspen Adams coped as best she could as a college freshman and numbly moved on when the case was never solved. Living since then with almost daily reminders of how the tragedy shaped the lives of her and her sister, she’s always known that someday she would launch an investigation of her own. And now, with her sister in crisis, she draws on all her experience as a private investigator to untangle a case that left the police baffled and her family in ruins.

Fair Trade by Heather Day Gilbert (Cozy)
Welcome to the Barks & Beans Cafe, a quaint place where folks pet shelter dogs while enjoying a cup of java. . .and where murder sometimes pays a visit. With the one-year anniversary of the now-successful Barks & Beans Cafe approaching, siblings Macy and Bo Hatfield set up an iced coffee booth at the state fair. Taking a break from brewing, Macy bumps into Carolina, a long-lost childhood friend who’s now sitting pretty as a country superstar.

A Crime of a Different Stripe by Sally Goldenbaum (Cozy)
As sleepy Sea Harbor, Massachusetts settles into the glow of autumn, a baby-on-the-way has the Seaside Knitters feeling warm and fuzzy. Only, these crafty ladies can’t get too cozy when sweater weather delivers an unexpected arrival—murder! While no-nonsense mother-to-be Cass Halloran tries downplaying her pregnancy and her frequent doctor’s visits as an “older” mother-to-be, a softer side of the lobsterwoman emerges as she joins the Seaside Knitters in knitting an abundance of delicate hats and booties.

The Almost Good Witch by Erin Huss (Cozy) *new series*
Abigail was your average evil witch, complete with the hat, the cat, the cackle, and the bad habit of turning people into slugs on a whim. Cursed with eternal life because of a hex gone wrong many centuries ago, Abigail spent her days exacting revenge on those she found to be the vilest of humans, from evil dictators to shoppers who didn’t return their grocery carts.

The Last Resort by CeeCee James (Cozy)
Stella O’Neill thought she’d lost her mother forever, but now, she’s getting out of jail and ready for her big return. Stella isn’t sure if she’s more excited or terrified, but one thing is for sure, the chaos is over… or so she thinks. As with everything else in her life, nothing is ever easy. When she arrives at the prison to pick her mother up, she’s shocked to learn her mother has already left.

Bending the Paw by Diane Kelly (Cozy)
A bloodbath is a shocking new challenge for Megan and Brigit when Detective Audrey Jackson calls them to the scene of what could only be a brutal murder. But the one thing the nightmarish scene is missing is a victim. The frantic homeowner’s husband is gone, seemingly without a trace—and so is the money he was holding. Has a vicious killer committed what might just be the perfect crime?

Bag of Bones by Jackie Layton (Cozy)
Does one good turn deserve a murder? Despite all her good intentions to focus on a healthy lifestyle and leave crime solving to the professionals, Andi Grace Scott has run right smack into another investigation–literally. Who’d have thought caring for stray cats and a healthy morning beach run could lead to murder?

Murder in the Margins by Margaret Loudon (Cozy) *new series*
Penelope Parish has hit a streak of bad luck, including a severe case of writer’s block that is threatening her sophomore book. Hoping a writer in residence position at The Open Book bookstore in Upper Chumley-on-Stoke, England, will shake the cobwebs loose, Pen, as she’s affectionately known, packs her typewriter and heads across the pond.

Murder at an Irish Christmas by Carlene O’Connor (Cozy)
This December in Kilbane, if you’re planning to warm up with a cuppa tea at Naomi’s Bistro, you may have a bit of a wait–the entire O’Sullivan brood has gone off to West Cork to spend the holidays with brother James’ fiancée Elise’s family, including her grandfather, the famous orchestral conductor Enda Elliot. Siobhán is so happy for James and Elise but also quietly disappointed that she must put her own wedding to fellow garda Macdara Flannery on hold.

Jane Darrowfield and the Madwoman Next Door by Barbara Ross (Cozy) *available only at Barnes & Noble*
Megan, who’s purchased the house next to Jane’s, needs some help from her snooping neighbor. Megan’s been having blackouts, hearing voices—and feeling like someone’s following her. Are these symptoms of an illness—or signs that she’s in danger? Considering the extensive security system in Megan’s house, it seems like she should be safe—yet she soon vanishes into thin air.

Murder and Rock ‘n Roll by Lee Strauss and Norm Strauss (Cozy Historical)
Murder is a hit! It’s the summer of 1956 and Private Investigator Rosa Reed (former Woman Police Constable from the London Metropolitan Police) attends her first rock and roll concert featuring the young and upcoming music sensation Elvis Presley. The high note goes sour when a press photographer is found dead onstage and Rosa is called in to investigate.