Looking for something to read? Check out some of the new titles releasing during the week of September 24 – 30, 2023 with one debut series. I hope a few of these books take you to an exciting place. Have fun reading!
SEPTEMBER 25
Inferno On Fifth by Marlie Parker Wasserman (Historical Mystery, 1890s)
St. Patrick’s Day, New York City, 1899. Spectators along Fifth Avenue, unaware of impending doom, enjoy the parade and the bands playing Irish tunes. Suddenly marchers halt at the immense and luxurious Windsor Hotel, watching terrified women at upper-floor windows cringe at the flames—and then leap. Within two hours, the fire kills close to one hundred people. Format: Print, Digital, Audio
SEPTEMBER 26
A Furry Little Christmas by Laurien Berenson (Cozy Mystery)
Just in time for the holidays—and the perfect stocking stuffer for the mystery lover in your life—two Melanie Travis mysteries, Wagging Through The Snow and Here Comes Santa Paws, are collected in one trade paperback volume! Format: Print, Digital
Bake, Batter, and Roll by Catherine Bruns (Cozy Mystery)
Senior Moments, the popular reality TV dating show featuring the aged sixty-five and older, has come to Colwestern, New York, giving the mature community a chance to find their soulmate. In an attempt to keep peace with the cranky and cantankerous Nicoletta Gavelli, Sal’s Grandma Rosa agrees to become a contestant along with Mrs. Gavelli on the TV show. But things take an even weirder turn when the show’s host, Smiley Jones, is found dead in Sal’s bakery, beaten to death with her rolling pin. Format: Print, Digital
Murder by Invitation Only by Colleen Cambridge (Historical Mystery, 1930s)
“A murder will occur tonight at Beecham House . . .” Who could resist such a compelling invitation? Of course, the murder in question purports to be a party game, and Phyllida looks forward to using some of the deductive skills she has acquired thanks to her employer, Mrs. Agatha, who is unable to attend in person. Format: Print, Digital, Audio
Having a Fudgy Christmas Time by Nancy Coco (Cozy Mystery)
Carol is looking forward to finishing plans for the Mackinac Island Senior Center Christmas Ball. But when she arrives at the center, she finds the door jimmied open and a dead man inside. The victim is a local senior who seems to have been sleeping in the center at night—but why? Although she promises Officer Rex Manning not to involve her book club in solving the mystery, Carol finds a way to fudge around that. Format: Digital
Death by Peppermint Cappucino by Alex Erickson (Cozy Mystery)
Christmas has come to Pine Hills, and Krissy’s blooming relationship with Officer Paul Dalton has her in an especially festive mood. The café’s new seasonal signature drink is a hit too. But not everyone shares the same holiday spirit. There are some loud complaints about businesses profiting off the season and losing focus on what Christmas is really about. And as if on cue, a shop owner who’d been price-gouging his customers is found dead after receiving a mysterious gift . . .Format: Print, Digital
Murder In An Italian Village by Michael Falco (Cozy Mystery) *first book in a new series*
On the surface, Bria’s Mediterranean life radiates beauty—the kind her late husband, Carlo, dreamed about when he concocted the romantic idea to start a bed and breakfast on the breathtaking Amalfi Coast. With the grand opening of Bella Bella approaching six months after Carlo’s tragic death, Bria and her eight-year-old son Marco brace for a bittersweet new beginning by the sea . . . Format: Print, Digital, Audio
Killer Hooks by Betty Hechtman (Cozy Mystery)
There’s never a dull moment for amateur sleuth Molly Pink. Without warning, her infant granddaughter has been dumped in her lap for babysitting duties, her son has reluctantly enlisted her help investigating a potential investor in his business, and now she has to manage a high-profile bookstore event for a former Hollywood columnist who’s dishing the dirt in a juicy tell-all. And when the author collapses and dies in the store just as she’s about to reveal an incriminating tidbit, the police suspect foul play and zero in on Molly as the likely culprit. Format: Print, Digital
Christmas Mittens Murder by Lee Hollis, Lynn Cahoon, Maddie Day (Cozy Anthology)
Lee Hollis headlines a new Christmas collection alongside New York Times bestselling author Lynn Cahoon and Agatha Award-winning author Maddie Day, with three cozy mysteries featuring handknit mittens made for murder. Death Of A Christmas Mitten Knitter by Lee Hollis, Two Christmas Mittens by Lynn Cahoon, Murderous Mittens by Maddie Day. Format: Print, Digital, Audio
Death by Egg Nog by Lee Hollis (Cozy Mystery)
Food and cocktails columnist Hayley Powell has never cared much for Bar Harbor’s grouchy town librarian, Agatha Farnsworth. But that doesn’t mean she wishes this Christmas would be her last! Previously published in Eggnog Murder. Format: Digital
Hanging By A Thread by Dorothy Howell (Cozy Mystery)
Some of the independent shops in this sleepy town are barely hanging on financially—and that includes Sarah’s Sweets, Abbey’s aunt’s bakery. The shop’s advantage—aside from the deliciousness of its products—is the fact that it’s the only bakery in the area. But it looks like that’s about to change. The second wife of a wealthy businessman wants her own bakery—and money is no object. Format: Print, Digital, Audio
Mrs. Claus And The Trouble With Turkeys by Liz Ireland (Cozy Mystery)
At Castle Kringle, the elves are excitedly arranging their first ever Thanksgiving day feast. April’s husband, Nick—the real Santa—has some misgivings, since it’s tough to get ready for Christmas when everyone is obsessed with helium balloons and pie recipes. Chaos erupts when Gobbles, the live turkey imported for the castle feast, is bird-napped. That crime is quickly overshadowed at a pre-Thanksgiving potluck when Nick’s cousin, Elspeth, face-plants into her mashed potatoes—dead. Format: Print, Digital
Nightmare on Elf Street by Laura Levine (Cozy Mystery)
Aside from the mortifying costume, how bad can a gig as a mall Santa’s elf be? Jaine Austen finds out when she’s teamed up with the Santa from Hell. But things go from bad to worse when he’s found murdered on the job—and Jaine is a suspect. Now all she wants for Christmas is to find the real killer . . . Previously published in Secret Santa. Format: Digital
The Dangers of Candy Canes by Laura Levine (Cozy Mystery)
When a wealthy suburbanite takes a lethal tumble off his roof while installing a giant candy cane, the roofing contractor being held responsible for murder asks freelance writer Jaine Austen to investigate. But solving this untimely holiday death means delving into the cutthroat Christmas decorating wars among scheming neighbors with dirty secrets in their stockings. It takes a fruitcake hiding a weapon and a stunning confrontation to expose the mastermind of this holiday murder. Format: Digital
Candy Canes of Christmas Past by Leslie Meier (Cozy Mystery)
Twenty-some years ago, Lucy Stone arrived in Tinker Cove, Maine, and discovered her knack for solving mysteries. It happened when she met Miss Tilly, the town librarian, whose mother took a fatal fall down the basement stairs one Christmas Eve. The “accident” left a cloud of suspicion on Miss Tilly’s father—and a slew of other suspects . . . Format: Digital
Case of the Bleus by Korina Moss (Cozy Mystery)
Cheesemongers from across the Northwest have come to the Sonoma Valley for the Northwest Cheese Invitational. As owner of the local cheese shop, Curds & Whey, Willa Bauer loves it. The event showcases custom cheese creations, and it’s the perfect time to gather with old colleagues to honor her former boss, the late and grate cheese legend, Max Dumas. He was famous for journeying into the wild bleu yonder to where he aged his award-winning custom Church Bleu. Only Max knew the recipe and location to his beloved cheese, and many are eager to have these revealed at his will reading. Format: Print, Digital
Murder Under the Mistletoe by Erica Ruth Neubauer (Historical Mystery, 1920s)
Northern England, 1926: Surprised by her eager acceptance of Redvers’ proposal, Jane is ready to spend the festive season deciphering the mysterious man she agreed to marry, while surviving scrutiny from the icy Dibble clan at their snow-dusted manor. But all attention shifts to the announcement of upcoming nuptials between the humorless Evelyn Hesse and the man who will become Jane’s father-in-law. Format: Digital
Murder At The Merton Library by Andrea Penrose (Historical Mystery)
Responding to an urgent plea from a troubled family friend, the Earl of Wrexford journeys to Oxford only to find the reclusive university librarian has been murdered and a rare manuscript has gone missing. The only clue is that someone overheard an argument in which Wrexford’s name was mentioned. Format: Print, Digital, Audio
Now You See it by Carol J. Perry (Cozy Mystery)
Just married, Lee and her husband, Detective Sergeant Pete Mondello, are settling into their new home when Lee is dubbed WICH-TV’s new “Historical Documentary Chief Executive.” Her first subject is the brand-new Salem International Museum, slated to be a location for traveling blockbuster exhibits, starting with “Seafaring New England.” From research to collecting artifacts of Salem’s long-ago days as a shipping capital, the project is a challenge—but when the driver of a truckload of antiquities turns up dead under a pile of fall leaves, it’s not quite the kind of challenge Lee expected . . .Format: Print, Digital, Audio
SEPTEMBER 28
The Washing Away of Wrongs by G.M. Malliet (Traditional Mystery)
Max Tudor thought he’d left the world of deceit when he resigned from MI5 to become an Anglican priest. Then his bishop asks him to return to his Oxford college, St Luke’s, to investigate the death of its chaplain, and Max realizes there’s no leaving the past behind. Format: Digital, Print (Jan 2024)
SEPTEMBER 30
Genie and the Ghost by Carmen Radtke (Cozy Mystery)
New York jewelry designer Genie Darling has returned to her childhood home in quaint Cobblewood Cove for one reason only: to sort through generations of old family heirlooms and hand anything of historical interest over to the local museum. But after a failed mugging attempt, and the appearance of a beautiful but ghostly young stranger in a vintage evening dress, Genie realizes there’s something suspicious – and spooky – going on. Format: Print, Digital, Audio
So good! I love this time of year
What a great week for new releases! Congratulations to the authors!
On my list is Murder by Invitation ONly, Murder Under the Mistletoe, and the Washing Away of Wrongs
Thank you for the lists you do! I have lots of reading.
Thanks for this great list.