A Dash of Death

A Dash of Death
Author: Michelle Hillen Klump
Publisher: Crooked Lane Books
Total Pages: 292
Release: 2022-02-08
Genre: Fiction
ISBN: 1643859382

A Houston reporter-turned-mixologist mixes it up with murder in this “clever, page-turning mystery” series debut—for fans of Diane Mott Davidson and Lee Hollis (Darci Hannah, author of Murder at the Beacon Bakeshop). Bad news for Samantha Warren: The plucky Houston, Texas, reporter lost her job and her fiancé in rapid succession. But Sam has a way of making lemonade out of the bitterest of lemons. At a meeting of the local historical-homes council, she serves up the homemade bitters that she made as gifts for her wedding party. She intends to use that as her “in” to become an in-demand party mixologist. But the party’s over for one of the council members, who keels over dead soon after he sips the bereft bride’s bitter brew. It turns out that the victim, Mark, was poisoned—his drink spiked with oleander. Since Sam mixed the drink that Mark imbibed right before his demise, she finds herself at the front of the suspect line. Now, she’ll have to use all of her reporter’s wisdom and wiles to clear her name. Who could have wanted Mark dead? His wife, Gabby? His girlfriend, Darcy? Someone who wanted his seat on the council? Or another citizen of this sweet Texas town that holds some seedy secrets? Job hunting, building her mixology business, and fending off late-night phone calls from her nearly betrothed don’t leave much time for sleuthing. But if Sam can’t “pour” over the clues to find the killer, it may soon be last call for her.

Cherry Pies & Deadly Lies

Cherry Pies & Deadly Lies
Author: Darci Hannah
Publisher: Llewellyn Worldwide
Total Pages: 311
Release: 2018-06-08
Genre: Fiction
ISBN: 0738758485

Crime with a Slice of Cherry Pie Cherry enthusiast Whitney Bloom is furiously baking her way into the heart of Chicago with her fabulous cherry pies when she receives a desperate call from her mother. The annual Cherry Blossom Festival has just kicked off at the Cherry Orchard Inn in Door County, Wisconsin, and the manager of the Bloom family orchard has been found dead beneath the cherry blossoms. Worse yet, all evidence points to Whitney's father as the killer. After she races home to help, things really land in the pits for Whitney when she discovers that Jack MacLaren, her old high school nemesis, is Cherry Cove's only police officer. Putting her cherry-tastic treats on hold, Whitney matches wits against Jack. But will she have what it takes to clear her father's name and sift out the real Cherry Cove killer? "The first in an amusing new series features a fearless, reckless sleuth who unravels a complicated mystery while juggling her sex life and her future plans."—Kirkus Reviews "Whitney is a well-drawn, sympathetic character, and the small-town frame, with a close-knit community and a cherry orchard, will appeal to cozy readers who enjoy Joanne Fluke's Hannah Swensen mysteries."—Booklist "Hannah displays... talent."—Publishers Weekly "Great fun and extremely well-written. The crime, the characters—everything comes together...an extremely "tasty" story you will definitely devour in one sitting."—Suspense Magazine

Murder with Orange Pekoe Tea

Murder with Orange Pekoe Tea
Author: Karen Rose Smith
Publisher: Kensington Cozies
Total Pages: 290
Release: 2021-09-28
Genre: Fiction
ISBN: 1496733991

In Pennsylvania’s Amish country, Daisy Swanson is serving hot tea at a fundraiser for a homeless shelter—but tempers are getting heated too . . . Daisy’s orange pekoe is flowing at a fundraiser—and she’s also made a new friend, Piper, a young woman whose hopes for motherhood were dashed by a foul-up at a fertility clinic.But before they can settle into a long conversation, the event is disrupted by masked protestors who object to building a shelter in Willow Creek. Among the angry crowd is Eli—who left his Amish community some time ago, with help from a lawyer named Hiram. It just so happens that Hiram is also representing the fertility clinic in a class-action suit—and soon afterward, he turns up dead, felled by an insulin injection. Daisy can’t help but get drawn in, especially since Piper’s husband had been pretty steamed at the victim and didn’t hide it. She’d love to spend some time with the dog she and her boyfriend have just adopted—but first she 'll be straining to find a killer . . . Includes delicious recipes!

A Batter of Life and Death

A Batter of Life and Death
Author: Ellie Alexander
Publisher: Macmillan
Total Pages: 305
Release: 2015-06-30
Genre: Fiction
ISBN: 1250054249

Autumn has arrived in Ashland, Oregon. The Pastry Channel has also landed in the quaint little town to film the "Take the Cake" reality show. Jules Capshaw, now that she's decided to move home and help her mom run Torte, the family bakeshop, wants nothing to do with the competition - until she is unwittingly entered into the competition. Read les.

Peanut Butter Panic

Peanut Butter Panic
Author: Amanda Flower
Publisher: Kensington Books
Total Pages: 306
Release: 2022-08-23
Genre: Fiction
ISBN: 1496734629

Dead by dessert . . . Thanksgiving is Bailey King’s busiest holiday weekend. This year promises to be even more hectic, since Bailey’s candy shop, Swissmen Sweets, is providing desserts for Harvest, Ohio’s first village-wide Thanksgiving celebration. Yet, even with a guest list close to seven hundred people—Amish and English alike—the event’s organizer, Margot Rawlings, is unfazed . . . until she discovers her mother, former judge Zara Bevan, will be in attendance. Zara’s reputation as a harsh critic is matched only by her infamy as a judge who has actively harmed the Amish community. So no one is prepared when Zara arrives with much younger boyfriend Blaze Smith and reveals their impending nuptials at dinner. That should have been the day’s biggest news, except shortly after the announcement, Blaze suffers an allergic reaction to something he’s eaten and dies on the spot. Now, Bailey’s desserts are prime suspects, along with Margot and nearly everyone who attended the meal. With such a cornucopia of possibilities, Bailey must dig in and get to the bottom of this murder, before the killer goes up for seconds… Recipe Included!

Death by Hot Apple Cider

Death by Hot Apple Cider
Author: Alex Erickson
Publisher: Kensington Cozies
Total Pages: 320
Release: 2021-10-26
Genre: Fiction
ISBN: 1496721160

Krissy Hancock’s bookstore-café in Pine Hills, Ohio, is teaming up with the local library for a seasonal celebration, but someone is spiking the refreshments—with fatal results . . . With autumn in full swing and Thanksgiving on the way, Krissy’s supplying cider and her staff is manning the apple-bobbing booth at a town event. But then a patron dunks his head in—and doesn’t come back up. It soon becomes clear that Krissy’s brew wasn’t to blame. But with her policeman boyfriend looking to make detective, she can’t help being drawn into the investigation. The victim was notorious for harassing not only her own bookstore but the library and the school for promoting supposedly scandalous literature—before someone censored him permanently. Now, Krissy will have to check out a stack of suspects to find a killer who’s rotten to the core . . .

Mint Chocolate Murder

Mint Chocolate Murder
Author: Meri Allen
Publisher: St. Martin's Paperbacks
Total Pages: 0
Release: 2022-07-26
Genre: Fiction
ISBN: 1250267080

When a cold-hearted photographer, who has a dark history of obsession with his models, winds up dead during the opening of his exhibit, former CIA librarian-turned-ice shop manager Riley Rhodes realizes there's more than one suspect who wanted to put him on ice.

Pleading the Fish

Pleading the Fish
Author: Bree Baker
Publisher: Sourcebooks, Inc.
Total Pages: 336
Release: 2022-03-29
Genre: Fiction
ISBN: 1728238668

In the seventh and final book of Bree Baker's critically acclaimed Seaside Café Mystery series, Pleading the Fish, Everly Swan's wedding plans are upended by a dead body. She'll have to run her teashop, find a dress, and catch a murderer all before she can walk down the aisle! Hitting all the sweet-tea spots, this series is: A delightful Tea Shop and Café Culinary Mystery The ideal cozy beach read Perfect for fans of Laura Childs and Kate Carlisle Café owner and amateur sleuth Everly Swan, like every Swan woman before her, is cursed in love. The only problem? Her fiancé Detective Grady Hayes has something to say about it—he doesn't believe in magic and is determined to prove the curse wrong so they can spend their lives together. Everly wishes it could be so simple! It feels like a sign when a historian looking into Swan history is found dead in an antique wishing well, and Everly fears the curse is spreading. Grady takes the case, looking to find justice and prove the curse wrong, while Everly does a bit of investigating on her own. Big change is coming for Everly and her friends, but with mysterious strangers lurking about and someone leaving increasingly threatening messages for the happy couple, Everly's not sure she'll get her happily-ever-after! "A smart and likable protagonist, a vividly rendered setting, a suitably twisty plot, and some colorful supporting characters are the ingredients for a concoction as appealing as any of Everly Swan's specialty sweet teas."—Livia J. Washburn, national bestselling author, for Live and Let Chai INCLUDES DELICIOUS FOOD AND DRINK RECIPES

A Margin for Murder

A Margin for Murder
Author: Lauren Elliott
Publisher: Beyond the Page Bookstore Myst
Total Pages: 322
Release: 2022-04-26
Genre: Fiction
ISBN: 1496735137

"Addie ... travels to the neighboring town of Pen Hollow to attend a book sale ... But the real find is a bookmobile bus, which she's excited to refit as a traveling bookstore ... The bookmobile also holds a surprising treasure: several classic first editions and an early edition of Robert Louis Stevenson's A Child's Garden of Verses. But before the bookmobile can be delivered to Addie, a fatal car crash occurs. When an autopsy reveals poison in the victim's system and the first editions go missing, it's up to Addie to determine what would drive someone to murder"--

Murder Comes Ashore

Murder Comes Ashore
Author: Julie Anne Lindsey
Publisher: Carina Press
Total Pages: 182
Release: 2014-03-03
Genre: Fiction
ISBN: 1426898010

Patience Price is just settling into her new life as resident counselor on Chincoteague Island when things take a sudden turn for the worse. A collection of body parts have washed up on shore and suddenly nothing feels safe on the quaint island. Patience instinctively turns to current crush and FBI special agent Sebastian for help, but former flame Adrian is also on the case, hoping that solving the grisly crime will land him a win in the upcoming mayoral election. When the body count rises and Patience's parents are brought in as suspects, Patience is spurred to begin her own investigation. It's not long before she starts receiving terrifying threats from the killer, and though she's determined to clear her family's name, it seems the closer Patience gets to finding answers, the closer she comes to being the killer's next victim. 78,000 words