Murder-on-Sea

Murder-on-Sea
Author: Julie Wassmer
Publisher: Hachette UK
Total Pages: 320
Release: 2015-10-01
Genre: Fiction
ISBN: 147211647X

'While Oxford had Morse, Whitstable, famous for its oysters, has Pearl' Daily Mail Murder-on-Sea is the second book in Julie Wassmer's popular crime series - now a major Acorn TV drama, Whitstable Pearl, starring Kerry Godliman as private detective and restaurateur, Pearl Nolan. It's not the season of good will to all men... The festive month is kicking off in style and Pearl is rushed off her feet with her restaurant, The Whitstable Pearl. She's also busy planning her own family Christmas and providing mulled wine for a charity church fundraiser when Christmas cards begin arriving all over town - filled with spiteful messages from an anonymous writer. Pearl's curiosity is piqued but having pledged not to take on a case at her detective agency before Christmas, she reluctantly agrees that Canterbury's DCI Mike McGuire should take over; poisoned pen cards are after all a matter for the police. And with only the church fundraiser now between Pearl and Christmas, she invites McGuire along as her guest. The event appears to be a great success; St Alfred's church hall is packed and Pearl happily finds herself standing close to McGuire beneath some mistletoe . . . but then a guest suddenly collapses. Too much of Pearl's delicious mulled wine - or could it be something more sinister? The last thing Pearl expects for Christmas is murder but soon the bodies are piling up. Can Pearl possibly solve the mystery in time to make 25th December an unforgettable day - or will the murderer contrive to ensure her goose is well and truly cooked before then? Praise for Julie Wassmer's Whitstable Pearl Mysteries... 'As light as a Mary Berry Victoria sponge, this Middle-England romp is packed with vivid characters' Myles McWeeney, Irish Independent 'All of the thrills without any of the gore' The Sun 'This is a quality title...a very entertaining read' The Puzzle Doctor 'My new favourite author in the genre' George Galloway 'A wonderful way to explore Whitstable . . . if you love cosy mysteries, then get acquainted with Pearl (and her mum and her cats!) and enjoy a trip to Whitstable through the eyes of this very convincing author' Trip Fiction 'Proves she's mistress of her craft' John McGhie, author of White Highlands 'Comforting, cosy and entertaining with excellent Agatha Christie-style reveals. I love these books!' Jane Wenham-Jones, author of Mum in the Middle

Murder in the Village: A Completely Unputdownable English Cozy Mystery

Murder in the Village: A Completely Unputdownable English Cozy Mystery
Author: Lisa Cutts
Publisher: A Belinda Penshurst Mystery
Total Pages: 286
Release: 2021-08-25
Genre: Fiction
ISBN: 9781800197336

Meet Belinda Penshurst. Castle owner, dog lover... crime solver? Belinda Penshurst loves her home village Little Challham, with its shady lanes, two pubs and weekly market, and she's determined to keep it peaceful. She may live in Challham Castle but she knows almost everything that goes on under her nose. So when irritable pub landlord Tipper is found dead in his cellar, she's perfectly placed to investigate. Retired detective Harry Powell moved to Little Challham for a quiet life. He didn't expect to be dragged into a murder investigation. But the police don't seem half as enthusiastic as Belinda about the case, and there are strange things happening in the village. Particularly the number of dogs that have disappeared lately... Is there a dognapper snaffling schnauzers and luring away Labradors? Is Belinda barking mad to be worried that her brother Marcus was arguing with Tipper on the day he died? Belinda and Harry track down the suspects: the rival landlord, the outraged barmaid, the mysterious man in the black car following dogwalkers around. But are the dogged detectives running out of time to sniff out the killer, before he starts hounding them? A charming cozy mystery full of laughs and eccentric characters. Fans of M.C. Beaton, H.Y. Hanna and Emily Organ will love the first novel in the Belinda Penshurst series! See what readers are saying about Murder in the Village 'Wonderful... I absolutely adored this book! Had me reading and finishing the book in no time! I highly recommend this book! Stunning, a page-turner which stays long in the memory!' NetGalley reviewer 'What a great start to a new series!... A lively, spark-filled investigation... Wonderfully entertaining with the perfect set of ingredients.' Goodreads reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 'Charming... A super quick read perfect for the beach!' Bless Their Hearts Mom, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 'A zany cast of characters, most of whom are suspected of being dognappers, murderers or both. A humorous mystery perfect for dog lovers' Goodreads reviewer 'Fun, full of mystery... Top notch cosy crime... Has a kind of Midsomer Murders vibe and in spite of the murderer on the loose, kept me smiling from start to finish... Fabulous... I can't wait to see what this fabulous duo get up to next. Fans of cosy mysteries (and dog lovers) are just going to eat this up.' Jen Med's Book Reviews 'Excellent village mayhem and murder' NetGalley reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

The Thursday Murder Club

The Thursday Murder Club
Author: Richard Osman
Publisher: Penguin
Total Pages: 385
Release: 2021-08-03
Genre: Fiction
ISBN: 1984880985

A New York Times bestseller | Soon to be a major motion picture “Witty, endearing and greatly entertaining.” —Wall Street Journal “Don’t trust anyone, including the four septuagenarian sleuths in Osman’s own laugh-out-loud whodunit.” —Parade Four septuagenarians with a few tricks up their sleeves A female cop with her first big case A brutal murder Welcome to... THE THURSDAY MURDER CLUB In a peaceful retirement village, four unlikely friends meet weekly in the Jigsaw Room to discuss unsolved crimes; together they call themselves the Thursday Murder Club. When a local developer is found dead with a mysterious photograph left next to the body, the Thursday Murder Club suddenly find themselves in the middle of their first live case. As the bodies begin to pile up, can our unorthodox but brilliant gang catch the killer, before it's too late?

Speaking from Among the Bones

Speaking from Among the Bones
Author: Alan Bradley
Publisher: Delacorte Press
Total Pages: 305
Release: 2013-01-29
Genre: Fiction
ISBN: 0345538684

NAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY NPR • NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER From award-winning author Alan Bradley comes the next cozy British mystery starring intrepid young sleuth Flavia de Luce, hailed by USA Today as “one of the most remarkable creations in recent literature.” Eleven-year-old amateur detective and ardent chemist Flavia de Luce is used to digging up clues, whether they’re found among the potions in her laboratory or between the pages of her insufferable sisters’ diaries. What she is not accustomed to is digging up bodies. Upon the five-hundredth anniversary of St. Tancred’s death, the English hamlet of Bishop’s Lacey is busily preparing to open its patron saint’s tomb. Nobody is more excited to peek inside the crypt than Flavia, yet what she finds will halt the proceedings dead in their tracks: the body of Mr. Collicutt, the church organist, his face grotesquely and inexplicably masked. Who held a vendetta against Mr. Collicutt, and why would they hide him in such a sacred resting place? The irrepressible Flavia decides to find out. And what she unearths will prove there’s never such thing as an open-and-shut case. BONUS: This edition includes an excerpt from Alan Bradley’s The Dead in Their Vaulted Arches. Acclaim for Speaking from Among the Bones “[Alan] Bradley scores another success. . . . This series is a grown-up version of Nancy Drew, the Hardy Boys and all those mysteries you fell in love with as a child.”—The San Diego Union-Tribune “The precocious and irrepressible Flavia . . . continues to delight.”—Publishers Weekly (starred review) “Fiendishly brilliant . . . Bradley has created an utterly charming cast of characters . . . as quirky as any British mystery fan could hope for.”—Bookreporter “Delightful and entertaining.”—San Jose Mercury News

A Second Chance at Murder

A Second Chance at Murder
Author: Diana Orgain
Publisher: Berkley
Total Pages: 306
Release: 2016
Genre: Man-woman relationships
ISBN: 0425271692

When former reality TV stars Georgia Thornton and her boyfriend, Scott, compete in a new show that takes them on an athletic journey across the countryside of Spain, the competition turns deadly when Scott disappears and a woman's body is found.

The Couple Next Door

The Couple Next Door
Author: Shari Lapena
Publisher: Penguin
Total Pages: 302
Release: 2016-08-23
Genre: Fiction
ISBN: 0735221111

A NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER Another thrilling domestic suspense novel from the New York Times bestselling author of Not a Happy Family “The twists come as fast [as] you can turn the pages.” —People “I read this novel at one sitting, absolutely riveted by the storyline. The suspense was beautifully rendered and unrelenting!” —Sue Grafton It all started at a dinner party. . . A domestic suspense debut about a young couple and their apparently friendly neighbors—a twisty, rollercoaster ride of lies, betrayal, and the secrets between husbands and wives. . . Anne and Marco Conti seem to have it all—a loving relationship, a wonderful home, and their beautiful baby, Cora. But one night, when they are at a dinner party next door, a terrible crime is committed. Suspicion immediately lands on the parents. But the truth is a much more complicated story. Inside the curtained house, an unsettling account of what actually happened unfolds. Detective Rasbach knows that the panicked couple is hiding something. Both Anne and Marco soon discover that the other is keeping secrets, secrets they've kept for years. What follows is the nerve-racking unraveling of a family—a chilling tale of deception, duplicity, and unfaithfulness that will keep you breathless until the final shocking twist.

Out Comes the Evil

Out Comes the Evil
Author: Stella Cameron
Publisher: Severn House Publishers Ltd
Total Pages: 242
Release: 2015-12-01
Genre: Fiction
ISBN: 1780107048

Second in the traditional British mystery series featuring rural inn owner and amateur sleuth Alex Duggins: an intriguing departure for bestselling romantic suspense author Stella Cameron. Once again Alex Duggins and her veterinarian friend Tony Harrison are thrown into a major murder investigation. An almost fresh body is discovered in a disused well among the ruins of a 14th-century manor house ... the motive for the killing a baffling mystery. The victim was a widow who had lived quietly in the picturesque Cotswolds village of Folly-on-Weir for the past ten years. Who on earth could want her dead, and by such brutal means? As rumour and speculation engulf the town, another woman is attacked – and Alex discovers that behind a tranquil face lurks a cunning and vengeful mind. Despite warnings from the police to stop interfering, she finds herself in the sights of a ruthless killer who has decided she knows too much ... The Alex Duggins series will appeal to fans of Louise Penny and Elizabeth George.

Valley of Lies

Valley of Lies
Author: Michael Campling
Publisher: Shadowstone Books
Total Pages: 356
Release: 2020-06-15
Genre: Fiction
ISBN:

A Village, A Murder, A Mystery. And a Keen-eyed Amateur Detective. In a quiet Dartmoor village, ex-corporate troubleshooter Dan Corrigan is a fish out of water. He's also an excellent amateur investigator. Dan never walks away from a mystery, so when a murder is committed, he knows what he must do. He's determined to solve the mystery, whatever the risks. The murderer must not go unpunished. Justice must be done. But first, Dan must untangle a web of deceit, because in this rural valley, the river runs deep, but the lies run deeper still. Join Dan in this British mystery today, because there's more to Dartmoor than meets the eye. The Devonshire Mysteries are cosy mysteries (or cozy mysteries for my friends across the pond). As with any cosy/cozy mystery, you'll find a crime (or two just to make things interesting) and there'll be clues, suspects, red herrings and a variety of puzzles for our intrepid investigators to solve. While there is an element of danger, and let's face it, crime is never pleasant, you won't find gratuitous violence or gore. Any profanity is infrequent, mild and presented in the context of the story. Sound good? Then escape to rural Devon, where the sun is shining on the rolling green fields, the birds are singing in the trees, and the wilds of Dartmoor are just a heartbeat away. The Devonshire Mysteries - your world of cosy mystery awaits.

Murder at the Book Club

Murder at the Book Club
Author: Betsy Reavley
Publisher: Open Road Media
Total Pages: 249
Release: 2018-08-07
Genre: Fiction
ISBN: 1504071506

Something bad is brewing among a friendly group of book lovers: “A deliciously Agatha Christie-style mystery that sucks you in from the first page.” —Sibel Hodge, bestselling author of Look Behind You Imagine nine women meeting. Tea and cake are on the coffee table. They’ve come together to share their love of books. They are friends. They trust each other. It’s a happy gathering. What could be more harmless? Then scratch the surface and look closer. One is lonely. One is desperate. And one of them is a killer. When the body of a woman is discovered on a Cambridge common, DCI Barrett and DI Palmer are called in to investigate. But the motive behind the crime isn’t clear—and it all leads back to a book club. As the lies, volatile friendships, and tension among the group rise to the surface, DCI Barrett and DI Palmer must work out the motive and track down a cold-blooded killer. But just when they think they’re on the right track, a twist in the plot throws them off course . . . “Will keep readers guessing till the very end!” —J.A. Baker, bestselling author of The Other Mother “A deliciously devilish whodunit!” —Robert Bryndza, bestselling author of the Detective Erika Foster series

Murder at the Nightwood Bar

Murder at the Nightwood Bar
Author: Katherine V. Forrest
Publisher: Kate Delafield Mystery
Total Pages:
Release: 2011
Genre: Fiction
ISBN: 9781935226673

Dory Quillin, nineteen-years old, her white-blonde hair ruffled by the gentle breezes of a June evening, lies dead in the parking lot of a lesbian bar. Her bewildered silver-blue eyes stare beseechingly into the mind and soul of the woman who kneels beside her: LAPD homicide detective Kate Delafield. The investigation is far from a simple matter. Kate uncovers shocking facts about the brief life of the murdered young lesbian. She finds her road to the killer obstructed by Dory's uncooperative, judgmental parents, the waning interest of her own partner, and most frustrating of all, the open hostility of women who should be her allies--the lesbians who frequent the Nightwood Bar. Kate's emotional equilibrium is further disturbed by her powerful attraction to one of those women, the enigmatic Andrea Ross. Who killed Dory Quillin? And why? Accompany Kate Delafield on her electrifying, emotional journey to the answer, an answer you will never forget. A Kate Delafield Mystery Series Book 2.