Looking for something to read? Check out some of the new titles releasing during the week of September 29 – October 5, 2024 with three debut series. I hope a few of these books take you to an exciting place. Have fun reading!

SEPTEMBER 30
Death At The Dinner Party by Ellie Alexander (Cozy Mystery)
When her friend Penny confesses she’s struggling to finance the restoration of the historic Wentworth farmhouse, Annie is instantly inspired. The beautiful property has stood empty since the 1970s, but rumors still swirl about the eccentric Wentworth family and their hidden fortune. It’s the perfect setting for a spooky, immersive dinner party, and the evening is a roaring success – until neighboring landowner Curtis Wright drops dead at the dining table… Format: Print, Digital, Audio

Murder Under A Cold Moon by Abigail Keam (Historical Mystery 1930s)
Mona Moon and her new husband, Robert Farley, Duke of Brynelleth are on their honeymoon at last. They are invited to a weekend party by an old friend of Robert’s family—Lady Eustacia. Mona and Robert arrive in a substantial downpour to find several other couples awaiting the appearance of their hostess. When Lady Eustacia fails to come downstairs, Mona and Robert search the manor house only to find the lady missing. It is then they discover the telephone wires have been cut and none of the cars are able to drive into town due to the storm. Format: Print, Digital, Audio

Reel Trouble by Karen MacInerney (Cozy Mystery)
Innkeeper Natalie Barnes has her hands full helping her niece Gwen adjust to her new baby girl–and managing the arrival of her opinionated sister Bridget–when a star-studded film crew descends on the Gray Whale Inn to film a historical murder mystery. Between her troublesome sister and an inn full of demanding guests, Natalie feels like she’s barely treading water. Then she finds a nosy crewmember floating belly-up behind the inn, and Natalie realizes that the film’s fictional murder plot isn’t the only one afoot. Format: Digital (Print to follow)

Take a Book for Murder by Millie Mack (Cozy Mystery)
Carrie and Charles Faraday are all smiles at a book party celebrating Carrie’s long-awaited mystery—at least until Carrie witnesses a nasty quarrel between two of the guests. When one of the quarrelers turns up dead the next morning, and the party hostess becomes a suspect, Carrie and Charles feel a responsibility to find the real murderer. Format: Digital (Print to follow)

Friend Of The Devil: Crime Fiction Inspired By The Songs Of The Grateful Dead edited by Josh Pachter (Short Story Anthology)
An anthology of stories inspired by lyrics from the Dead’s thirteen studio albums and two of their many live recordings. The contributors include some of the finest contemporary authors of short crime fiction, such as award winners Bruce Robert Coffin, James D.F. Hannah, Vinnie Hansen, James L’Etoile, G.M. Malliet, Twist Phelan, Faye Snowden, and Joseph S. Walker. Also on board are Alfred Hitchcock’s Mystery Magazine editor Linda Landrigan (with her first published story!), married couple Kathryn O’Sullivan and Paul Awad, Flemish writer Dominique Biebau, David Avallone (son of the legendary crime writer Michael Avallone), and more. Format: Print, Digital

OCTOBER 1
The Corpse with the Pearly Smile by Cathy Ace (Traditional Mystery)
When Welsh Canadian criminal psychologist Cait Morgan literally bumps into a body floating in a picturesque lagoon on the paradise island of Tahiti, she and her retired cop husband Bud Anderson find themselves engulfed by the tragedy. Format: Print, Digital

Brew Unto Others by Sandra Balzo (Cozy Mystery)
The Kingston family has always been at odds, but Maggy Thorsen hopes that the passing of Edna Mayes Kingston, mother of Sarah Kingston, her Uncommon Grounds coffeehouse partner, might unite them. Alas, few tears are shed over the self-righteous Edna, and the wake is barely over when Edna’s body is shuffled off unceremoniously for burial and Sarah’s sister Ruth is found unconscious in the family home. Format: Print, Digital, Audio

A Hush At Midnight by Marlene M. Bell (Thriller)
Once celebrated for her show-stopping pastries and irresistible desserts, former celebrity chef Laura Harris is now making headlines for a far darker reason. How could this petite chef have brutally smothered the beloved small-town matriarch, World War II ferry pilot veteran, Hattie Stenburg? Hattie wasn’t just a pillar of the community; she was Laura’s confidant and mentor. The shocking twist? Hattie’s will included recent changes, bypassing next-of kin and leaving her entire fortune and historic estate to Laura. Format: Print, Digital

Festive Mayhem 4 edited by Marleen Braden (Short Story Anthology)
The Festive Mayhem mystery and crime fiction anthology is back for another year! In this fourth edition, thirteen crime writers of color have teamed up to offer you a baker’s dozen of brand-new short stories centered around the winter holidays. From uplifting cozies, to action-packed thrillers, to darker suspense, this collection has it all! Contributing authors are Persia Walker, Barbara Howard, SG Wong, Elizabeth Wilkerson, Paige Sleuth, Lavelle Andrew Miller, Stella Oni, Delia Pitts, Lekecia Barclay, P.M. Raymond, Ashley-Ruth M. Bernier, Jill Brock, and Carolyn Marie Wilkins. Format: Print

The Ghost Therapists by Kathy Daley (Cozy Mystery)
Tess and Tony are asked to chair the annual Halloween event, which once again, will feature televised therapy sessions conducted by paranormal psychologists Tim Rivers and Tom Masters. While participating in the ghost therapy sessions is always a hoot, Tess is feeling overwhelmed and distracted this year with all the changes in her life and she wonders if she’ll be able to handle everything that is coming down the pike as efficiently as she hoped she would. Format: Digital (Print and Audio to follow)

A Grim Reaper’s Guide to Catching a Killer by Maxie Dara (Cozy Mystery) *first book in a new series*
It’s not like it used to be. Modern-day grim reapers wear business casual, not black cloaks, and they don’t carry scythes, they work for S. C. Y. T. H. E. (Secure Collection, Yielding, and Transportation of Human Essences), where the Department of Natural Causes is the least exciting gig. And that’s how Kathy Valence likes it: boring and predictable. She has enough stress in her personal life; she’s mid-divorce, pregnant, and terrified she doesn’t have what it takes to be a good mom. Format: Print, Digital, Audio

What Lies in the Cornfield? by Ivanka Fear (Thriller)
Jake and Mallory’s marriage has its flaws, much of it stemming from Jake’s gambling addiction, but their love has sustained them through the worst trials. Counselling and group therapy are helping them to rebuild trust in each other. Now they are providing the venue for their best friends’ wedding and renovating their home in anticipation of a new baby. Just as things seem to be perfect, anxiety-prone Mallory witnesses something strange in the night sky. Thinking it must be her imagination, she keeps her discovery from Jake. When she finds an unexpected object on their property, it leads her to question Jake’s honesty and the state of their marriage. Format: Print, Digital, Audio

Little Boy Blue by Margaret Fenton (Traditional Mystery)
Claire Conover is in the midst of personal upheaval: an indiscretion has cost Claire her relationship with longtime love Grant Summerville, and she is trying to weather the challenges of being a single foster mother to 13-year-old LaReesa Jones. At least her job hasn’t put her in danger again—at least until Grant is accused of child abuse by a former employee, Regina Maynard. Even though she and Grant are broken up, Claire vows to prove his innocence, despite repeated protests and warnings from her Unit Supervisor, Mac McAlister. Convinced of Grant’s innocence, Claire starts to investigate. Format: Print, Digital

Christmas at Glitter Peak Lodge by Kjersti Herland Johnsen (Cozy Mystery)
After a traumatic climbing accident, well-known Alpinist Ingrid Berg has returned to the small Norwegian village that her family has called home for generations to take over the management of the Glitter Peak Lodge from her aging grandmother, who’s no longer up to the task. With Christmas rapidly approaching, the Glitter Peak Lodge staff are busy baking kransekake and saffron buns, decorating an enormous tree with tinsel, and enlisting guests to participate in their Santa Lucia celebration. Format: Print, Digital, Audio

Betrayal at Blackthorn Park by Julia Kelly (Historical Mystery)
Freshly graduated from a rigorous training program in all things spy craft, former typist Evelyne Redfern is eager for her first assignment as a field agent helping Britain win the war. However, when she learns her first task is performing a simple security test at Blackthorn Park, a requisitioned manor house in the sleepy Sussex countryside, she can’t help her initial disappointment. Making matters worse, her handler is to be David Poole, a fellow agent who manages to be both strait-laced and dashing in annoyingly equal measure. However, Evelyne soon realizes that Blackthorn Park is more than meets the eye, and an upcoming visit from Winston Churchill means that security at the secret weapons research and development facility is of the utmost importance. Format: Print, Digital, Audio

Too Close For Comfort by Mike Martin (Traditional Mystery)
Winston Windflower is back with the RCMP, this time as Acting Inspector, hoping for a peaceful life in the tiny town of Grand Bank, Newfoundland. But when suspicious fires erupt and an outsider’s body is discovered in one of them, his hopes are quickly dashed. Now, they have a murder to solve. Format: Digital (Print to follow)

The Usual Silence by Jenny Milchman (Thriller) *first book in a new series*
Psychologist Arles Shepherd treats troubled children, struggling with each case to recover from her own traumatic past, much of which she’s lost to the shadows of memory. Having just set up a new kind of treatment center in the remote Adirondack wilderness, Arles longs to heal one patient in particular: a ten-year-old boy who has never spoken a word—or so his mother, Louise, believes. Format: Print, Digital, Audio

The Mermaid Mystery by Tamar Myers (Traditional Mystery)
Tidal Shores, a small seaside town in South Carolina, has seen its fortunes nose-dive. But not for much longer! The ‘Big Ten’ on the town council have come up with a range of ingenious ideas to get tourists flocking back, from buried pirate treasure to beauty pageants, but it’s handsome taxidermist Gunner Jones’ plan to dupe the public into believing that his creation ‘Miss Lucy’ – combining the top half of an albino ape with a large goliath tigerfish – is a real mermaid that wins the day. Format: Print, Digital

The Alchemist of Brushstrokes and Brimstone by Gigi Pandian (Cozy Mystery)
Zoe’s hard-won peaceful life is shattered when a devious thief targets her most prized possession—a vibrant portrait that’s her last connection to her long-dead brother. It’s a painting that also holds the secrets of a forgotten artist who created recipes for the most breathtaking colors ever seen. Format: Print, Digital

The Mistletoe Mystery by Nita Prose (Traditional Mystery)
Molly Gray has always loved the holidays. When Molly was a child, her gran went to great lengths to make the season merry and bright, full of cherished traditions. The first few Christmases without Gran were hard on Molly, but this year, her beloved boyfriend and fellow festive spirit, Juan Manuel, is intent on making the season Molly’s mofinst joyful yet. Format: Print, Digital, Audio

Murder Among the Pyramids by Sara Rosett (Historical Mystery 1920s) *first book in a new series*
Blix Windway has made a career out of her wanderlust, giving lectures to ladies’ groups about everything from the flora of the American desert to the beauty of the Swiss Alps, but she needs new material for her talks. She strikes what seems to be an ideal agreement with an eccentric older lady. Blix will be her travel companion during a journey to Egypt, helping to smooth the way through customs and coordinate sightseeing tours. Format: Print, Digital, Audio

The Troubling Death of Maddy Benson by Terry Shames (Traditional Mystery)
Everyone knows everyone in a small town like Jarrett Creek. So Chief of Police Samuel Craddock is perplexed when he receives a call from a woman asking the police to rescue her sister. Who is Maddy Benson? Maddy said she had to get away, but she didn’t get far. When Craddock finds her just off the highway, she’s already dead, shot in the head. And as he learns more about the mysterious Maddy and the real reason behind her recent move to Jarrett Creek, his career is plunged into jeopardy. Format: Print, Digital

Myrtle Beach Burns by Caleb Wygal (Traditional Mystery)
Tensions escalate as Clark Thomas delves deeper into the enigmatic circumstances surrounding his wife’s death. From clandestine eavesdropping to shocking revelations of betrayal, each chapter unfurls new layers of intrigue and danger. As Clark and Detective Gomez uncover connections to a faceless holding company exposed in Death on the Back Nine and untangle a web of suspicious deaths, they find themselves ensnared in a labyrinth of deceit within their own ranks. With each twist and turn, Clark’s paranoia grows, forcing him to confront not only external threats but also his own trust issues, his relationships with Gomez and Andrea, and his inner demons. Format: Print, Digital

Sunflowers, Scarecrows, and Scandal by Erica Wynters (Cozy Mystery)
It’s Halloween in Star Junction, and the town is gearing up for a spooky good time. That is, until florist Gwen Stevens discovers the dead body of her neighbor Trevor—dressed as a scarecrow in the Halloween display in front of City Hall with an ominous note from the killer tucked into the pocket of his costume! Murder investigations are always complicated, but when the friends of Trevor’s wife all confess to murdering him, the local police detective Finn Butler is stuck sorting through their conflicting confessions, leaving Gwen to dig up the truth. Format: Print, Digital

OCTOBER 2
A Requiem For The Dead by Winter Austin (Police Procedural)
On a cold February morning, ME Olivia Remington-Thorpe’s severely beaten and bleeding husband stumbles onto Sheriff Elizabeth Benoit’s retreat. Before slipping into unconsciousness, he begs her to find Olivia. Hours later, Deputy Detective Lila Dayne discovers a mysterious boneyard with dark secrets. Format: Print, Digital

OCTOBER 5
Moo River by Mollie Cox Bryan (Cozy Mystery)
Fall is always busy in the village of Shenandoah Springs, Virginia, and this year is no exception. Brynn McAlister is juggling the grand opening of a new local business and preparations for the big Harvest Festival. But when expensive koi fish vanish from Sally’s Pond Plants & Supplies, and Brynn’s mischievous bull calf, along with a close friend, are accused of the crime, she vows to find the real thief—no matter what the local police say. And if that one officer happens to have just asked her to the police ball? Well, that only complicates things. Format: Digital

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