Celebrate Women's History Month in March |
|
| Listen by Sacha Bronwasser; translated by David ColmerAfter her manipulative professor betrays her, Dutch art student Marie becomes an au pair in 1989 Paris, working for a complicated family. Years later, during the 2015 terror attacks in Paris, Marie sees her old professor in the area she once worked. This suspenseful, slow-burn crime novel by a Dutch art critic provides a thought-provoking look at trauma and will work for general fiction readers, too. |
|
|
|
Divine Ruin
by Margot Douaihy
New Orleans punk rock nun-detective Sister Holiday plunges into a hellish underworld of drug trafficking, addiction, and her own dark past in a journey that is both riveting and sacred. It's a steamy, restless end of the school year in New Orleans. Sister Holiday is finishing her music classes and preparing for her permanent vow ceremony, a pivotal moment in her journey of faith. But when one of her favorite students is found dead of a fentanyl overdose, Sister Holiday and her partner-in-PI, Magnolia Riveaux, are determined to track down the drug dealers. As students continue to fall prey tothis sinister drug, Sister Holiday becomes more desperate to stop the epidemic--while facing her own past with addiction, a demon that is never too far. With Douaihy's signature mix of grit, heart, and faith, Divine Ruin tests the limits of Sister Holiday's devotion in her darkest and most shocking case yet.
|
|
|
|
Anatomy of an Alibi
by Ashley Elston
Everyone at Chantilly's Bar noticed out-of-towner Camille Bayliss. Red lips, designer heels, sipping a Negroni. Flirted a little with a local but returned alone to her B&B before midnight in her sleek car. But that woman wasn't Camille Bayliss--it was Aubrey Price. Aubrey has been haunted by the terrible night that changed her life a decade ago, and she's convinced Benjamin Bayliss knows something about it. Living in a house full of criminals, Aubrey understands there's more than one way to get to the truth--and she may have found the perfect way in. Camille Bayliss appears to have the picture-perfect life, married to hot-shot lawyer Ben, and is daughter to a wealthy Louisiana family. Only nothing is as it appears: Camille believes Ben has been hiding dirty secrets for years, but she can't find proof because he tracks her every move. Aubrey and Camille hatch a plan...
|
|
| Definitely Maybe Not a Detective by Sarah FoxWith her bestie's help, jobless Emersyn Gray creates a fake detective agency to scare her ex into giving back the money he stole from her, money that she needs to care for her orphaned seven-year-old niece. Then her Bronx building superintendent is killed and the other residents find her fake business card, leading her to team up with a hunky guy to solve the case. For fans of: Bellamy Rose's Pomona Afton Can So Solve a Murder; Elle Cosimano's Finlay Donovan series. |
|
| Murder at Donwell Abbey by Vanessa KellyWhen Emma Knightley, née Woodhouse, learns her father is to remarry, she's alarmed about having excitable Miss Bates as a stepmother and having to plan a betrothal party in six days. When Emma's maid is discovered dead at the festivities, most think it was an accident, but suspicious Emma uses her quick, observant mind to investigate her 2nd case. For fans of: mysteries featuring Jane Austen or her characters, such as Stephanie Barron's Jane Austen mysteries. |
|
|
|
Cross Your Heart and Hope He Dies
by Jenny Elder Moke
Hobnobbing with Seattle's elite on a super-yacht, Juliette Winters is about to land the deal of the century - if she doesn't get arrested first. Juliette Winters is used to taking care of business alone. She has no time for petty things like romance, friendships, or emotional commitments. She's too busy dominating the publishing world by single-handedly saving her company from financial ruin with the book deal of the century. Business magnate Warren Ellingham has guaranteed Juliette exclusive rights to his explosive memoir that promises to expose the secrets of his ultra-exclusive country club, Pacific Pines. But when Warren drops dead of an apparent heart attack and the memoir is stolen, Juliette suspects that someone was willing to resort to murder to keep their secrets from being exposed. Enlisting the help of Charlie Hawkins, a doctor with a heart of gold and abs of steel, Juliette dives into the glamorous and messy world of Pacific Pines Country Club. As the investigation heats up, so does the tension between Juliette and Charlie. But Juliette can't afford any distractions because the bodies keep dropping, and Juliette is tee-d up to take the blame. If she doesn't uncover Warren's killer soon, the thing that was supposed to secure her future might just be the thing that ends it.
|
|
| Fire Must Burn by Allison MontclairThis witty, well-plotted 8th Sparks & Bainbridge novel finds Iris Sparks recovering from events in the previous book with help from Gwen Bainbridge, her partner in a matchmaking business in 1947 London. But when MI6 suspects a friend from Iris's Cambridge days of working for the Soviets, Iris and Gwen are compelled to help. To see relationships develop, start with the 1st book, The Right Sort of Man. |
|
| The Italian Secret by Tara MossPI Billie Walker inherited her dad's office in Sydney, Australia, so when she finds old love letters, she books a trip to Italy to find the letter writer to investigate if her dad had an affair. Meanwhile, a client is killed, and Billie suspects the woman's abusive husband either did it or hired gangster Vincenzo Moretti. Then, Moretti appears during Billie's Italian trip in this atmospheric 3rd in an engaging series. For fans of: Kerry Greenwood's Phryne Fisher mysteries. |
|
| Murder in Manhattan by Julie MulhernFor her Gotham Magazine social column, reporter Freddie Archer frequents speakeasies and parties, mingling with people like Dorothy Parker, Tallulah Bankhead, and the Fitzgeralds. After a man mentioned in her latest dispatch is murdered, Freddie looks for the fashionable woman she saw him with, taking her from ritzy locales to gritty tenements in this fun 1st in a new series. For fans of: Katharine Schellman's Last Call at the Nightingale novels. |
|
| Wreck Your Heart by Lori Rader-DayChicago's Doll Devine hopes to make it as a country singer, but for now she's singing at a tavern owned by Alex McPhee, who's helped her since she was a kid. When her estranged mom briefly shows up after 20 years, followed by a woman claiming to be Doll's half-sister, Doll doesn't know what to think, and then her ex is found dead outside the bar. For fans of: standalone mysteries with a strong sense of place and a wisecracking main character. |
|
|
|
Monster in the Moonlight
by Annelise Ryan
Do werewolves exist? That's the question skeptical cryptozoologist Morgan Carter has to answer in the latest entry in this Monster hunter mystery series. The discovery of a dead body along Bray Road in Wisconsin bring back memories of The Beast of Bray Road, a werewolf-like creature that is said to inhabit the area. The dead woman has been mutilated by some kind of large animal. The community is in an uproar because they are convinced that the legendary beast has returned. In an effort to prove them wrong, the police bring in cryptozoologist Morgan Carter, who soon finds that the mystery runs considerably deeper than whether or not one mythical predator is on the prowl.
|
|
|
|
Blade
by Wendy Walker
Ana Robbins was an Olympic star in the making--until tragedy forced her to leave that world behind. At the age of sixteen, she gave up her dream and never looked back. Fourteen years later, she's a successful defense attorney, revered for her work with minors. But when her former coach turns up dead, Ana lands right back where it all began, and abruptly ended: The Palace, a world-renowned skating facility nestled high in the mountains of Colorado. Ana returns to The Palace to defend the young skater accused of the brutal crime--Grace Montgomery. Despite her claims of innocence, all evidence points squarely at Grace's guilt, and she's days away from facing charges of first-degree murder.But Ana's investigation dredges up childhood memories of her own, triggering the fear that permeates this place where she once lived and trained far from home as an orphan. With a blizzard raging outside, and time running out for Grace, Ana is determined to uncover the truth--even if it means exposing her own secrets that she buried here long ago.
|
|
|
Recent Cozy Mystery Releases
|
|
|
|
The Whisking Hour
by Ellie Alexander
Mass Market Paperback Original
Another delicious installment in Ellie Alexander's Bakeshop Mysteries. Fall is in full flush in the charming hamlet of Ashland, Oregon, and baker Juliet Capshaw is excited to celebrate the season with a night at the theatre. Lance Rousseau, Ashland's renowned theater director and one of Jules' closest friends, has put his own spin on a production of the Broadway classic Perfect Crime, drawing the audience into a cozy New York apartment as a nefarious set of suspects pulls off the perfect murder. As the final show approaches, Jules and the team at Torte are eagerly whipping up a murderous feast for the cast party, baking a bevy of treats like panna cotta eyeballs with blood orange coulis, deviled eggs, and savory cheese fingers with pumpkin dipping sauce. On the day of the soirée, life seems to imitate art when a storm rolls over the Siskiyou Mountains, ushering in gusty winds and unrelenting rain. The audience buzzes with electric energy as the lights flicker and the actors take the stage. After the actors take their final bow, the cast trickles into Carpenter Hall, ready for a night of frivolity. But when an actor is discovered dead in his dressing room, Jules wonders if she's just witnessed the real perfect murder.
|
|
|
|
Tell-Tale Treats
by Jennifer J. Chow
Mass Market Paperback Original
Is Felicity to blame when a hotel guest drowns after eating her enchanted cookies? Felicity Jin returns in the third installment of the Magical Fortune Cookie series.A group of high school alumnae reunite years later and reserve rooms at Pixie Inn for an extended retreat. As part of their pampering package, Felicity delivers a scrumptious assortment of enchanted pastries, including her new almond cookies. But the queen bee of the group is soon found dead in her bathroom, drowned in the tub, and she recently sampled the delicious baked goods. Could Felicity's almond cookies have set off a fatal nut allergy? The enchanted pastries are supposed to bring joy, not sorrow--and certainly not death. Boyfriend, Kelvin Love, is eager to assist, although odd things have been happening to his senses ever since he baked with Felicity. Will his extra sensitivity help or hinder the investigation? Plus, special bunny Whiskers lends a magical paw to the detecting since Felicity can't and won't relax until she restores both order and magic to her world.
|
|
|
|
Death by Irish Coffee
by Alex Erickson
Mass Market Paperback Original
In Pine Hills, Ohio, the bars are hopping--and bodies are dropping--as bookstore-café owner Krissy Hancock gets drawn into a deadly St. Patrick's Day mystery. Krissy is ready to provide one of the essential ingredients for Irish coffee this St. Patrick's Day--though without a liquor license, she'll have to team up with a local bar owner to complete the recipe. It's a perfect chance to distract herself from her upcoming wedding and her worries about how her beloved cat will get along with his new canine stepsiblings. As she doles out some much-needed caffeine the day after the festivities, she learns that the town is dealing with something worse than a hangover: homicide. Like many a reveler before him, the bar owner ended up green around the gills, but after he passed out, he never woke up. Now, between brewing, bookselling, and house-hunting, Krissy is reviewing a whole parade of suspects.
Series note: Bookstore cafe mystery #15
|
|
|
|
Booking for Trouble
by Jenn McKinlay
It's all hands on deck when a dead body is found near the small town of Briar Creek in this Library Lover's Mystery. Just off the shores of the coastal Connecticut town of Briar Creek are two small islands, which library director Lindsey Norris visits with her new book-boat, inspired by the bookmobiles she's seen traveling across the country. Nothing, not even the infamous feud between the families who own the Split Islands, can stop Lindsey from getting books into the hands of readers. But when Lindsey and her boat captain husband, Mike Sullivan, discover a body on the rocky outcropping of one of the islands, Lindsey's new library venture quickly becomes a murder investigation. At news of the crime, hostilities between the two families are reignited. Long buried secrets are revealed, tensions spark, and suspects abound. As Lindsey navigates treacherous waters (both literal and metaphorical), she must use her research skills and community ties to solve the murder and bring peace to the islands before her book-boat dreams are sunk.
|
|
|
|
Vows and Villainy
by Elizabeth Penney
Mass Market Paperback Original
Vows and Villainy is the fifth book in Elizabeth Penney's delightful Cambridge Bookshop series set in Cambridge, England, where celebrations are about to commence. It's wedding season, and Molly Kimball is thrilled that it's almost time for her best friend's special day. With the help of her boyfriend Kieran Scott, she is determined to be the best maid of honor for Daisy and Tim. Daisy's heart is set upon a Shakespeare-themed wedding to be held at Hazelhurst House, Kieran's family's home. The Scotts are also hosting a Shakespeare troupe for the summer, and the actors have kindly agreed to be part of the festivities. But all goes awry with the discovery of Sir Nigel Peck, a famous actor with a checkered past and present-day misdeeds, floating dead in the moat with flowers strewn around him, à la Ophelia. When Kieran's brother Alan becomes a top suspect, Molly and company must investigate to uncover the ugly truth behind this picturesque scene . . . before more bodies pile up.
|
|
Contact your librarian for more great books!
|
|
|