My Reading Itinerary Monday! – Week #33 2017 – Illinois

August 28, 2017July 2, 2024 Dollycas 2 Comments

Welcome to My Reading Itinerary Monday!

Where are your books taking you this week?

I am excited for my 1st Literary Escape to Illinois this year!

Here’s what I read and what
I have planned for this week.

Escapes Completed

Oh, Fudge! (A Candy-coated Mystery)
Release Date – August 29, 2017
Setting – Mackinac Island, Michigan
Review will be up tomorrow!

A Knit before Dying (A Tangled Web Mystery)
Release Date – August 29, 2017
Setting – Connecticut
Sadie Hartwell will be my guest this week for Cozy Wednesday!

Assaulted Caramel (An Amish Candy Shop Mystery)
Release Date – August 29, 2017
Setting – Ohio
Review will be posted Thursday!

Facials Can Be Fatal (A Bad Hair Day Mystery)
Release Date – February 22, 2017
Setting Florida
My Flashback Friday Read

Scheduled Escapes

Dead in the Water (Welcome Back to Scumble River Book 1)
Release Date – September 5, 2017
Setting – Illinois
For Review

There’s a Monster in Your Book
Release Date – September 5, 2017
Children’s Book
For Review

Murder Wears Mittens (Seaside Knitters Society)
Release Date – August 29, 2017
Setting – Massachusetts
Sally Goldenbaum will be my guest for Cozy Wednesday next week and will be touring with Great Escapes Book Tours too!

A Christmas Peril (A Theater Cop Mystery)
Release Date – September 8, 2017
Setting – Massachusetts
The Great Escapes Book Tour stops here next Thursday!

Click Here To See All My Current Giveaways!!

Please Share Your Reading Itinerary in the Comments below!

Happy Reading!!

Dollycas — Your Escape With A Good Book Travel Agent

My Reading Itinerary Monday cozy mystery, Kensington, Midnight Ink, Random House Books for Young Readers, Sourcebooks Landmark

Comments (2) on “My Reading Itinerary Monday! – Week #33 2017 – Illinois”

Dana says:

August 28, 2017 at 3:41 PM

I’m revisiting books for another challenge so I’m in Ohio with Nancy Drew and London with Harry Potter.

Comments are closed.

I can’t say enough good things about the author’s talent for creating lifelike characters as well as a twisty mystery! I highly recommend it! 5 Stars!
~Christy’s Cozy Corners

WILDCARD
(JAX DIAMOND MYSTERIES)
Cozy Mystery/Thriller
8th in Series
Setting - Niagara Falls
Publisher ‏ : ‎
Independently Published
(March 31, 2025)

The honeymoon begins with a dead body in the bedroom...

Niagara Falls, 1923. Traveling out of the city isn’t PI Jax Diamond’s cup of tea, but when he and Laura along with their courageous companion, Ace, head to Niagara Falls on their honeymoon, they’re on cloud nine. That is, until Jax carries his new bride over the threshold, and there’s a corpse in their bed that looks to have been there since the dawn of time.

A ten-year-old unsolved murder sets off a string of others with victims plunging to their deaths over the falls, and all the evidence is pointing to nightclub owner and their good pal, Orin Marino, as the killer.

Jax, Laura, Ace, and friends risk their lives trying to solve a crazy riddle and stop a killer before the next victim takes the plunge. But every step forward sends them two steps back. It’s a wild and crazy ride with twists, turns, and belly flops in this fun and fast-paced 1920s cozy thriller.

Easily reads as a standalone.

Author Links Website Facebook Instagram Goodreads Bookbub

The Rest of the Series

Coming April 1, 2026

Click on covers for more book information or to order from Amazon.

8/15/2025

Good friends, loyal family, and a fantastic brunch make THE DIVA POACHES A BAD EGG a delicious addition to this long-running series.
~Cozy Up With Kathy

The Diva Poaches a Bad Egg
(A Domestic Diva Mystery)
Cozy Mystery
18th in Series
Setting - Virginia
Publisher ‏ : ‎ Kensington Cozies
(May 27, 2025)

Northern Virginia’s own Martha Stewart returns in a brand-new mystery as an interior designer clashes with a killer . . .

Stylish brunches are all the rage this autumn in Old Town Alexandria, and everyone’s posting their parties on social media. But while Domestic Diva Sophie Winston juggles her event-filled calendar, she’s approached by local designer Mitzi Lawson—who is afraid someone is following her. The very next day Mitzi loses her best friend and business partner, Denise. The two were renovating a generations-old house where Denise died unexpectedly, and Mitzi fears that it wasn’t a medical condition to blame, but murder.

It could just be the shock talking, but Sophie agrees to help Mitzi involve the police. Then she receives a panicked phone call from Mitzi, and when she rushes to the old house, Mitzi is nowhere to be found. Now Sophie’s appetite for investigation is piqued even more than her appetite for eggs Benedict and mimosas.

Could Denise’s death be connected to her viper’s nest of in-laws or the house she was working on which her husband just inherited? What of the self-proclaimed etiquette expert with some improper secrets, or the scheming mistress? Or does the old house harbor secrets of its own? There’s a generous buffet of suspects to keep the Diva scrambling for an answer . . .

Includes delicious recipes and fabulous DIY decorating tips!

Author Links
Website Facebook Instagram GoodReads Pinterest Delicious Mysteries Twitter/X
Kensington Cozies

The Rest of the Series

Also written by Krista Davis

Find all of Krista's books HERE.

Click on covers for more book information or to order from Amazon.

9/15/2025

I totally enjoyed the story and highly recommend it to everyone who likes stories with well-developed characters, including two feisty women, with a mystery to solve.
~Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book

Ignoring Alva
Cozy Mystery/Sibling Fiction
Setting - Minnesota and Wisconsin
Publisher ‏ : ‎ Current Words Publishing
(February 4, 2025)

Meet Alva and Millie.... not your typical eighty-something sisters.

While recovering from a mild stroke, Alva's vivid dreams of daring exploits spark a restless desire to break free from the predictability of her quiet life. Her sister Millie-a practical yet spirited counterpart-is skeptical of Alva's newfound boldness. But when Alva suggests an impulsive road trip, not even Millie can resist the call of adventure.

What starts as a lighthearted escapade quickly spirals into a whirlwind of mischief, suspense, and unexpected heroics. As the journey unfolds, the siblings face long-buried secrets, stand up for the underdog, and confront dangerous foes with a fierceness they never knew they possessed.

Through it all, Alva and Millie prove that courage, resilience, and the drive to rewrite your story aren't confined by age-they're only sharpened by experience.

Witty, heartfelt, and brimming with surprises, Ignoring Alva is an unforgettable tale of sisterhood and reinvention. It proves that life's greatest adventures can happen when you least expect them.

Author Links
Website Facebook

Purchase Links
Amazon - B&N - Bookshop.org

Click on covers for more book information or to order from Amazon.

8/15/2025

A resourceful hero under threat, memorable villains, some gritty violence, and fast-moving suspense.
— Kirkus Reviews

The Cold Kid Case: A Sparky of Bunker Hill Mystery
Teen & Young Adult US 20th Century Historical Fiction
1st in Series
Publisher ‏ :
‎ Poodle Productions, LLC
Publication date ‏ : ‎
September 22, 2018

Bloody Crime Spree of the Century!

Meet Sparky, an orphaned, street-savvy 11-year-old living by her wits in the Depression-era Bunker Hill neighborhood of downtown Los Angeles. She is on a mission to clear her name after being accused of the murder of a little girl whose body she discovers on a park bench—talk about being in the wrong place at the wrong time! And things only get worse when Sparky is blamed for ever more outrageous crimes until her body count is ridiculous.

Will Sparky be able to summon the gumption to solve the crime and clear her name?

Rosalind Barden crafts an unforgettable and uniquely zany mystery, filled with a web of colorful characters, recalling the charm of decades past, with Hollywood, movie stars, mobsters, and, of course, murder.

The Rest of the Series

Author Links
Website - Facebook - Instagram - Amazon - Bluesky - BookBub - GoodReads - Pinterest - TikTok - YouTube

Click on covers for more book information or to order from Amazon.

9/15/2025

5 stars! An intriguing murder mystery with an atmosphere-rich Hawai’ian setting!
~Boys’ Mom Reads!

Waters of Destruction
(An Orchid Isle Mystery)
Cozy Mystery
2nd in Series
Setting - Hawaii
Publisher ‏ : ‎
Severn House; Main edition (April 1, 2025)

Retired caterer Valerie Corbin investigates a suspicious drowning in this Orchid Isle cozy culinary mystery, featuring a feisty queer couple who swap surfing lessons for sleuthing sessions in tropical Hilo, Hawai‘i

After a vacation of a lifetime in Hilo, Hawai‘i, retired caterer Valerie Corbin and her wife Kristen have decided to move permanently to the beautiful – if storm-prone – Big Island. The couple are having fun furnishing their new house, exploring their new neighborhood and playing with their new little dog, Pua. But while they’ve made good friends with local restaurant manager Sachiko and her partner Isaac, they can’t help but feel a little lonely.

So when Sachiko begs Val to fill in for a member of her bar team who’s gone AWOL, Val dusts off her cocktail shaker and happily agrees. It’s a great chance to meet more people – and learn the local gossip.

Such as about Hank, the missing bartender, who vanished after a team-building retreat at a local beauty spot a week ago, and hasn’t been seen since. Until that is, his body turns up at the bottom of the waterfall, and the police seem very interested in where Sachiko was at the time of his death.

Sachiko couldn’t have killed him . . . could she? Val dives into the murky waters of the case, determined to find out.

This mouth-watering cozy mystery is perfect for fans of Ellen Byron, Jennifer J Chow, Lucy Burdette and Raquel V Reyes, and includes a selection of delicious Hawaiian recipes to cook at home.

Book 1 in this Series

Also by Leslie Karst

Author Links
Website Chicks on the Case Mystery Lovers Kitchen Facebook GoodReads
BookBub

Click on covers for more book information or to order from Amazon.

9/15/2025

Corsets and Casualties is another highly enjoyable mystery from Gayle Leeson!
~Reading is my Superpower

Corsets and Casualties:
A Ghostly Fashionista Mystery
Paranormal Cozy Mystery
6th in Series
Setting - Virginia
Publisher ‏ : ‎ Grace Abraham Publishing
(March 25, 2025)

Stitched together with charm and mystery, this is one ghostly fashionista adventure you won't want to miss!

For retro fashion designer Amanda Tucker, creating showstopping Halloween costumes seemed like the week's biggest challenge—until her ghostly companion, Max, discovers an antique Bible tied to her own family history. When the Bible, purchased at an estate sale, is revealed to have belonged to Max's grandmother, Amanda finds herself caught in a whirlwind of hidden relatives, long-buried secrets, and family intrigue.

Meanwhile, Amanda's assistant, Zoe, struggles to decide between chasing her dreams in fashion and giving in to her mother's demands to work at the family diner. As if the week couldn't get more tangled, Amanda's grandfather and Max's nephew uncover shocking news at the estate sale's auction house: the proprietor has been shot.

With Designs on You hanging by a thread, Amanda and Max must unravel the mysteries of the past before they sew up a perilous future. Will their sleuthing skills save the day, or will these secrets prove too dangerous to handle?

Author Links
Website Facebook Instagram BookBub GoodReads

Purchase Links
Amazon - Books2Read

The Rest of the Series

Find all Gayle Leeson's books HERE.

Find all books written as Gayle Trent HERE.

Find the Embroidery Mysteries written as Amanda Lee HERE.

Click on covers or links for more book information or to order from Amazon

7/10/2025

Amazon - May First Reads

Homemaker
(Prairie Nightingale)
Mystery/Amateur Sleuth/Romantic Elements
1st in Series
Setting - Wisconsin
Publisher ‏ : ‎ Thomas & Mercer
(June 1, 2025)

When a former friend and devoted mother vanishes, a confident homemaker turned amateur sleuth follows an unexpected trail of scandals and secrets to find her.

Prairie Nightingale is both the midlife mother of two teenage girls and a canny entrepreneur who has turned homemaking into a salaried profession. She’s also fascinated with the gritty details of other people’s lives. So when seemingly perfect Lisa Radcliffe, a member of her former mom-friends circle, suddenly disappears, it’s in Prairie’s nature to find out why.

Given her innate talent for vital pattern recognition, Prairie is out to catch a few clues by taking a long, hard look at everyone in Lisa’s life—and uncovering their secrets. Including Lisa’s. Prairie’s dogged curiosity is especially irritating to FBI agent Foster Rosemare, the first interesting man Prairie has met since her divorce. His square jaw and sharp suits don’t hurt.

But even as the investigation begins to wreak havoc on Prairie’s carefully tended homelife, she’s resolved to use her multivalent homemaking skills to solve the mystery of a missing mom—and along the way discover the thrill of her new sleuthing ambitions.

Author Links
Webpage
Facebook:
Ruthie
and Annie
Instagram:
@ruthieknoxromance and
@spinsterpress

Purchase Links
Amazon - Bookshop.org - Barnes & Noble

Also by these Authors

Find All of Ruthie Knox's Books HERE.
Writing as Robin York HERE.

Find All of Annie Mare's Books HERE.
Writing as Mae Marvel HERE.

Click on covers for more book information or to order from Amazon.

8/31/2025

I was on the edge of my seat throughout this fast-paced young adult cozy mystery. Risky Pursuit is a bit darker and grittier than what I’m used to from Nancy G. West, and let me tell you, I’m loving it.
~Sapphyria’s Books

Risky Pursuit
Young Adult/Cozy Mystery
Publisher ‏ : ‎
Fire & Ice Young Adult Books
(April 15, 2025)

High school senior Decker Savage, burdened by his baby brother's death and dreading his parents' impending divorce, sees his mother with a scruffy stranger and follows him to a dark house. He hears shouts upstairs, a man hits the floor, and the culprit escapes. Decker follows the victim's ambulance. Through their mutual love of baseball, they become friends; but the elderly man can't remember who attacked him, and Decker fears the assailant will return. His grades crater, his relationships go south, his baseball skills are erratic, and by entering the man's house, he broke the law.

He suffers anonymous attacks and receives threatening notes: if he doesn't forget the man and the house, he, his family, and his friend will be the next victims. Will Decker be able to uncover the culprit's identify, solve the mystery, and stop the attacks?

Purchase Link
Amazon

Author Links
Website Facebook

Also written by Nancy G. West

Click on covers for more book information or to order from Amazon.

8/31/2025

"An exciting, clean, and cozy mystery set in a lovely beach town with all the zany characters to make it memorable. If you love unexpected twists and turns and an occasional zig and zag in your cozies...you'll love this book! Plus, Beau, the Golden Retriever, has captured my heart forever!"

Death at Pelican Isle Estates:
A Pelican Shores Cozy Mystery
by Bessie Barr
Cozy Mystery
1st in Series
Setting - Texas
Independently Published
(January 26, 2025)
Print length ‏ : ‎ 136 pages Kindle ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0DV562N7M

Finn Dockrey is thrust into her new beach life at Pelican Isle Estates as the "Welcome Party" honoree. It's three cheers to new friends, awesome food, and... a lifeless body at the bottom of the stairs!

Finn, Birdie and the party guests plummet into a perplexing murder scene.

When the alleged victim appears at the top of the stairs, pandemonium ensues. Whose body is lying in the pool of blood at the bottom of the stairs?

Enter handsome detective, Pace Stringfellow, who makes his expectations very clear. Finn will keep her nose out of the case.

But the story doesn't add up, and Finn is helpless in steering clear of the investigation.

Too many people have appeared in the gated Pelican Isle Estates, and too many motives surface.

Shady New York mobsters. An "always present" voluptuous (and gold-digging) model looking for her next husband. Long-hidden family secrets and rumors of corruption and blackmail.

Finn knows there's more to the story.

The killer is out for vengeance.

Will Finn and her crew help crack the case before the next body surfaces?

BONUS: RECIPE and BEACH MAP included!!

Book 2 in this Series
Death at the Killer Kite Festival:
A Pelican Shores Cozy Mystery
Cozy Mystery
2nd in Series
Setting - Texas
Independently Published
(February 24, 2025)
Print length ‏ : ‎ 189 pages
Kindle ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0DYDHJPHZ

Pelican Shores Beach is bustling with onlookers at the Annual Kite Flight Festival. But, with the entire crowd looking up at the spectacular display of brightly colored kites in the sky, no one even notices the chaos on the ground. An entrant into the festival quietly succumbs to the mighty pull of gravity and falls to the ground…DEAD!

Fingers point everywhere in a quest for the motive and the murderer. And without fail, Finn, Birdie, Beau and Queen Bean are smack dab in the middle of the mess.

As accusations fly in the murder case, a more subtle mystery surfaces. An alleged “flamingo sighting” causes another upheaval in this quiet little beach town.

Everyone knows flamingos don’t frequent Texas. But Calvin Wright knows what he saw that day at Otto’s Salt Marsh and Bird Refuge. And for some reason, what he saw doesn’t sit well with some of the townspeople.

Rumors are flying in Pelican Shores as the investigations heats up, and Finn is right in the middle.

It doesn't take long for handsome detective, Pace, to insist that Finn step back. Impossible. She and her crew are knee-deep in the marsh of clues...of both the murder case and the flamingo sighting.

Birds and killers are on the loose. Finn races to connect the dots before the next victim falls. RECIPE AND MAPS INCLUDED!

Book 3 in this Series

And the Prequel

Follow Bessie Barr on Facebook

Get All 3 Books in the Series Now for just $0.99!
Books are also available on Kindle Unlimited!

Click on covers for more book information or to order from Amazon.

8/15/2025

Chocolate Can Be Deadly is a delightful, cozy mystery read with a fast-paced plot, delicious recipes, baking and cooking, and close friendships with fully created characters.
~Novels Alive

Chocolate Can Be Deadly
(Cupcake Catering Mystery Series)
Cozy Mystery
7th in Series
Setting – California
Publisher ‏ : ‎
Cinnamon & Sugar Press
(January 28, 2025)

Catering a post-Valentine’s Day Death by Chocolate dessert party should have been a delicious way to wrap up a week of romantic festivities. But when the new fiancé of the hostess is found dead during the event, clutching one of Emory’s chocolate cupcakes and a heart-shaped box of chocolates close by, the guests and the police put her at the top of their suspect list. With her cupcake catering business melting away as word spreads about the poisoning, Emory, and her octogenarian pal, Tillie, will need to pry into the sticky, dark secrets of the attendees. Will they uncover who’s been hiding a rotten center, or will the killer stir up danger and frost Emory for good?

Includes chocolate recipes!

Author Links:
Website Facebook
Goodreads Pinterest

Purchase Link:
Amazon

The Rest of the Series

Find all of Kim Davis’s books HERE.

Click on covers for more book information or to order from Amazon.

7/31/2025

Murder Movie Club is a quick, fast-paced read and a wonderful start to a new series.
~Sapphyria’s Books

Murder Movie Club:
Murder on a Monday
(Monthly Murder Movie Club Cozy Mystery)
Cozy Mystery
1st in Series
Setting - Michigan
Independently Published
(February 21, 2025)

Murder: best served with popcorn.

That’s the mantra for the members of the Monthly Murder Movie Club at The Northwoods Movie Theater. Every month, this eclectic group of northern Michigan residents gather to watch a murder mystery movie on the big screen. After stopping the projector in the middle of the movie, the members gather to discuss the crime and suspects, each making a whodunit pick before resuming the movie. The hair dresser with the scissors? The jilted lover with poison?

But nothing is normal on this Monday morning when the club members find the ticket-taking popcorn maker John E. Cash in the lobby of the theater, deader than any actor in their beloved movies. Using their unique talents and eccentricities, the Monthly Murder Movie Club members work collectively to solve the crime before the Northwoods Police force does. Members strive to protect the reputation of their beloved theater--and to protect their Monday meetings--because what each member is discovering is that there is so much more to their Monday club than a good old-fashioned murder mystery.

Found family, new friends, and murder investigations!

Author Links
Website Facebook Instagram GoodReads

Purchase Link
Amazon

The Rest of the Series
New Release

Find all Marcy Blesy's books HERE.

Click on covers for more book information or to order from Amazon.

7/10/2025

Well-plotted, filled with wonderful characters and a sense of community THE GOLDEN HOUR MURDER is an absolutely delightful mystery.
~Cozy Up With Kathy

The Golden Hour Murder:
A Robyn Cavanagh Mystery
Cozy Mystery
2nd in Series
Setting – New York
Independently Published
(February 11, 2025)

It’s October and Mother Nature has painted photographer Robyn Cavanagh’s suburban New York hometown in rich colors of red, orange, and gold. Autumn has provided many scenic locales to shoot, but Robyn is happily preoccupied with one particular landscape. She’s landed the biggest job of her flourishing career: a contract to photograph the lush Linden Acres farm.

Her work begins with sunshine-filled days of apple and pumpkin picking and starry nights featuring a spectacular display of glowing jack-o’-lanterns. The merry mood darkens after Robyn discovers the body of Doug Paxton, the estranged husband of a member of the Linden clan.

Robyn can’t look through her camera’s viewfinder without picturing Doug’s body in the Linden pumpkin patch. Along with her friend Will Vonderlin, she plays detective to solve Doug’s murder. Will the killer be caught before the apples and pumpkins are turned into Thanksgiving pies, or will Robyn lose her best client and watch her career fade along with the autumn colors?

Author Links
Website Facebook Instagram

Purchase Links
Amazon B&N
Kobo Apple

Find All of Jeanne Quigley’s Books HERE.

Click on covers for more book information or to order from Amazon.

6/30/2025

If you love books that transport you—both literally and figuratively—this series is a must-read.
~Review Thick and Thin

Carousels and Characters:
Magical Mystery Book Club
Paranormal Cozy Mystery
9th in Series
Better Beginnings, Inc.
(February 5, 2025)

This book club is whooshed right into the pages of a cozy mystery. The quirky group of brave members must solve the mystery and reach The End to get out of the book.

In each book of the series, they travel to a different world and meet paranormal characters. It could be shifters, fairies, genies, ghosts, or anything else! It’s so much fun, you’ll wish for a book club like this!

In this book journey, they travel to an enchanted amusement theme park. It’s a magical, wonderful place, but something is disturbing the park. Robberies are occurring from every ride. It began with little things, like props or costumes, but now the stakes are rising.

The book club has entered this story so that they can find out who is behind the thefts and stop the problem. Hopefully, they can do it before chaos strikes the entire theme park and closes it down, leaving hundreds of workers jobless and thousands of park visitors disappointed.

Author Links
Facebook Instagram Goodreads BookBub

The Rest of the Series
Coming September 25, 2025

Save when you buy Boxed Sets

Find all of Elizabeth Pantley's Books HERE.

Click on covers for more book information or to order from Amazon.

4/15/2025

The murder mystery was twisted, well-thought-out, and complex. This series is amazing!
~Sapphyria's Books

Candle With Care:
A Magic Candle Shop Mystery
Paranormal Cozy Mystery
4th in Series
Setting - Georgia
Publisher: Muddle House
(February 11, 2025)

Amateur sleuth and candlemaker Tabby Winslow and her twin sister, Sage, are finally making a go of The Book and Candle Shop. It seems like the only heat they’ll feel this June is from the strong sunshine in Savannah, Georgia. Then their acquaintance Detective Sharmila Belfor is gravely injured in a vehicular assault and is in a coma. Cops turn the city upside down searching for the offender, keying in on the detective’s boyfriend Herbert R Ellis, her felon cousin, and her case files.

Fearing the police are looking at the wrong people, Herbert begs Tabby to investigate. He knows what most don’t, that Tabby has psychic abilities that allow her to home in on emotions and motives. Since he’s a lifelong friend of Dr. Quig Quigsly, Tabby’s fiancé, she agrees. But before she finds answers, Sage’s former coworker is murdered, and her twin pleads with Tabby to find the killer. With dead ends at every turn, Tabby fears the city’s troubles are paranormal in origin. By investigating the crimes, she risks exposure of the way her family manipulates energy and uses other psychic talents. Keeping a low profile is essential.

Meanwhile, Quig’s parents are throwing them a black-tie engagement party in two weeks, and Tabby is burning the candle at both ends. Can Tabby end the crime wave and protect her loved ones before she is quenched?

Author Links
WEBSITE FACEBOOK
AMAZON AUTHOR PAGE GOODREADS BOOKBUB

Purchase Links
Amazon – Apple – Kobo

The Rest of the Series

Find books written as Maggie Toussaint HERE.

Click on the covers for more information or to order from Amazon.

5/5/2025

Coming April 1 from
Cleo Coyle!

No Roast for the Weary
(A Coffeehouse Mystery)
Cozy Mystery
21st in Series
Setting - New York
Publisher ‏ : ‎
Berkley (April 1, 2025)

When the Village Blend opens a Writer's Block Lounge, a cold case crime turns up the heat on Clare and her crew in this gripping new entry in the beloved Coffeehouse Mystery series from New York Times bestselling author Cleo Coyle.

As much as master roaster Clare Cosi adores coffee, the landmark shop she manages won't survive if she doesn't sell enough of it. So when the Village Blend's customer traffic grinds to a halt, she turns to her staff for creative ideas, and the Writer's Block Lounge is born.

Madame, the eccentric octogenarian owner of the shop, is upset by this news. Years ago, a group of accomplished writers used the shop's second-floor lounge to inspire each other, but the group disbanded when something dark occurred. Though that history is shrouded in mystery, Clare presses forward...

Soon the Village Blend tables are filled with aspiring novelists, playwrights, and poets, all happy to be coaxed, cajoled, and caffeinated by her coffeehouse crew. Clare admires the stamina of these scribes, many of them toiling at night jobs—driving taxis, tending bar, ushering for Broadway—while penning projects during the day.

Then one of their fictions turns fatal when a shocking secret leads to a deadly end. Unless Clare can untangle this mystery, uncover the truth, and stop a desperate killer, she fears more of these weary writers may be marked for eternal rest. ~ Includes a knockout menu of recipes.

Author Links
Newsletter Facebook Bookbub Instagram Twitter(X) Goodreads Amazon Page Website

Purchase Links:
Amazon Barnes & Noble Kobo Google Play Bookshop.org

The Rest of the Series

Also written by Cleo Coyle

Click on covers for more book information or to order from Amazon.

5/31/2025

NOW AVAILABLE!

Soft Serve Sleighing
(Coffee & Cream Café Mysteries)
Cozy Mystery
5th in Series
Setting - New York
Publisher ‏ : ‎ Gemma Halliday Publishing
(January 28, 2025)
ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0DLHPWDNT

From author Lena Gregory comes a delightfully delicious cozy mystery...

With most of Eastern Long Island closed down for a blizzard, Danika Delaney and her friends are holed up in her old fashioned malt shop, the Coffee & Cream Café, with ice cream and hot chocolate. However, their plans to wait out the storm in cozy company are interrupted when a popular YouTuber and her two companions show up at the door—they've been trapped by the storm, and Dani generously offers to serve them breakfast. But her generosity isn't rewarded in kind, as the reviewer then tries to extort money from Dani in exchange for a good review! When the storm finally clears, Dani is happy to have seen the last of them.

Or so she thought.

Dani and her friends decide to go sleigh riding the morning after the storm clears, but instead of a winter wonderland, they find the extorting YouTuber...dead! To make matters worse, Dani suddenly finds herself accused of the woman's murder. Intent on restoring her reputation, Dani sets out to prove she didn’t do it. This is one storm she's not sure she can weather...

Author Links
Newsletter   Website    Facebook
Facebook Fan Page
X (Twitter)
   Goodreads    Pinterest

The Rest of the Series

Also Written By Lena Gregory

Find More Books By Lena Gregory Here.

Click on the covers for more information or to order by Amazon.

2/28/2025

TOUR PARTICIPANTS
June 11 – Books, Ramblings, and Tea – SPOTLIGHT
June 11 – Jody’s Bookish Haven – SPOTLIGHT
June 12 – Infinite House of Books – SPOTLIGHT
June 12 – Maureen’s Musings – SPOTLIGHT
June 13 – StoreyBook Reviews -CHARACTER GUEST POST
June 14 – Baroness Book Trove – SPOTLIGHT
June 14 – Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book – SPOTLIGHT WITH EXCERPT
June 15 – Cozy Up With Kathy – REVIEW
June 16 – Frugal Freelancer – AUTHOR GUEST POST
June 16 – Read Your Writes Book Reviews – SPOTLIGHT WITH EXCERPT
June 17 – Sneaky the Library Cat’s Blog – CHARACTER INTERVIEW
June 17 – Sapphyria’s Book Reviews – SPOTLIGHT
June 18 – Christy’s Cozy Corners – CHARACTER GUEST POST
June 18 – Angel’s Book Nook – AUTHOR INTERVIEW
June 19 – Boys’ Mom Reads! – REVIEW
June 20 – Ascroft, eh? – CHARACTER INTERVIEW
June 20 – Sarah Can’t Stop Reading Books – REVIEW

TOUR PARTICIPANTS
June 12 – Books, Ramblings, and Tea – SPOTLIGHT
June 12 – Jody’s Bookish Haven – SPOTLIGHT
June 13 – Christy’s Cozy Corners – AUTHOR GUEST POST
June 14 – Sapphyria’s Book Reviews – SPOTLIGHT
June 15 – FUONLYKNEW – SPOTLIGHT
June 15 – Boys’ Mom Reads! – REVIEW
June 16 – Maureen’s Musings – SPOTLIGHT
June 17 – Jane Reads – CHARACTER GUEST POST
June 18 – Read Your Writes Book Reviews – CHARACTER INTERVIEW
June 19 – Socrates Book Reviews – SPOTLIGHT
June 19 – Reading Is My SuperPower – REVIEW
June 20 – Book Club Librarian – REVIEW
June 20 – Cozy Up WIth Kathy – REVIEW, AUTHOR INTERVIEW
June 21 – Baroness Book Trove – SPOTLIGHT
June 21 – Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book – AUTHOR GUEST POST
June 22 – Frugal Freelancer – AUTHOR GUEST POST
June 23 – Novels Alive – REVIEW
June 24 – Ruff Drafts – SPOTLIGHT
June 25 – Sarah Can’t Stop Reading Books – REVIEW
June 25 – Ascroft, eh? – CHARACTER GUEST POST

TOUR PARTICIPANTS
June 16 – Books, Ramblings, and Tea – SPOTLIGHT
June 16 – Jody’s Bookish Haven – SPOTLIGHT
June 17 – Ascroft, eh? – AUTHOR INTERVIEW
June 18 – Maureen’s Musings – SPOTLIGHT
June 19 – Novels Alive – REVIEW
June 20 – Frugal Freelancer – AUTHOR GUEST POST
June 21 – Sapphyria’s Book Reviews – SPOTLIGHT
June 22 – FUONLYKNEW – SPOTLIGHT
June 23 – Christy’s Cozy Corners – AUTHOR GUEST POST
June 24 – Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book – REVIEW

TOUR PARTICIPANTS
June 17 – Jody’s Bookish Haven – SPOTLIGHT
June 17 – Baroness Book Trove – SPOTLIGHT
June 18 – FUONLYKNEW – SPOTLIGHT
June 18 – Frugal Freelancer – CHARACTER GUEST POST
June 19 – Christy’s Cozy Corners – REVIEW
June 19 – Books, Ramblings, and Tea – SPOTLIGHT
June 19 – Infinite House of Books – SPOTLIGHT
June 20 – Novels Alive – REVIEW
June 21 – Maureen’s Musings – SPOTLIGHT
June 21 – StoreyBook Reviews – SPOTLIGHT
June 22 – Cozy Up With Kathy – REVIEW
June 23 – Jane Reads – AUTHOR GUEST POST
June 23 – Guatemala Paula Loves to Read – REVIEW
June 24 – Ascroft, eh? – CHARACTER INTERVIEW
June 25 – Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book – REVIEW
June 26 – Deal Sharing Aunt – AUTHOR INTERVIEW

TOUR PARTICIPANTS
June 17 – Christy’s Cozy Corners – SPOTLIGHT
June 17 – FUONLYKNEW – SPOTLIGHT
June 18 – Novels Alive – REVIEW
June 18 – Deal Sharing Aunt – SPOTLIGHT
June 19 – Angel’s Book Nook – SPOTLIGHT
June 19 – Jody’s Bookish Haven – SPOTLIGHT
June 20 – Guatemala Paula Loves to Read – SPOTLIGHT
June 20 – fundinmental – SPOTLIGHT
June 21 – Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book – SPOTLIGHT
June 21 – MJB Reviewers – SPOTLIGHT
June 22 – Sarandipity’s – SPOTLIGHT
June 22 – Sapphyria’s Book Reviews – SPOTLIGHT
June 23 – Maureen’s Musings – SPOTLIGHT
June 23 – Cassidy’s Bookshelves – SPOTLIGHT
June 24 – Cozy Up With Kathy – SPOTLIGHT
June 25 – Elizabeth McKenna – Author – SPOTLIGHT
June 26 – Books, Ramblings, and Tea – SPOTLIGHT

TOUR PARTICIPANTS
June 17 – Jody’s Bookish Haven – SPOTLIGHT
June 18 – The Avid Reader – SPOTLIGHT
June 18 – Sapphyria’s Book Reviews – SPOTLIGHT
June 19 – Ruff Drafts – SPOTLIGHT
June 20 – Boys’ Mom Reads! – REVIEW
June 20 – MJB Reviewers – SPOTLIGHT
June 21 – Sarandipity’s – AUTHOR INTERVIEW
June 22 – Angel’s Book Nook – AUTHOR INTERVIEW
June 23 – Read Your Writes Book Reviews – SPOTLIGHT
June 24 – Christy’s Cozy Corners – SPOTLIGHT
June 25 – Books, Ramblings, and Tea – SPOTLIGHT
June 26 – Ascroft. eh? – AUTHOR INTERVIEW
June 27 – Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book – REVIEW
June 28 – Maureen’s Musings – SPOTLIGHT
June 29 – FUONLYKNEW – SPOTLIGHT
June 30 – Sarah Can’t Stop Reading Books – REVIEW

TOUR PARTICIPANTS
June 18 – Jody’s Bookish Haven – SPOTLIGHT
June 19 – Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book – REVIEW
June 20 – Books, Ramblings, and Tea – SPOTLIGHT
June 21 – FUONLYKNEW – SPOTLIGHT
June 21 – Sarah Can’t Stop Reading Books – REVIEW
June 22 – Maureen’s Musings – SPOTLIGHT
June 23 – Sarandipity’s – AUTHOR INTERVIEW
June 23 – Sapphyria’s Book Reviews – SPOTLIGHT
June 24 – Socrates Book Reviews – SPOTLIGHT
June 25 – Read Your Writes Book Reviews – CHARACTER INTERVIEW
June 26 – Christy’s Cozy Corners – AUTHOR INTERVIEW
June 27 – Cozy Up With Kathy – REVIEW, CHARACTER GUEST POST
June 28 – Reading Is My SuperPower – REVIEW
June 29 – Sneaky the Library Cat’s Blog – CHARACTER INTERVIEW
June 30 – Novels Alive – REVIEW
July 1 – Boys’ Mom Reads! – REVIEW

TOUR PARTICIPANTS
June 19 – Maureen’s Musings – SPOTLIGHT
June 20 – Jody’s Bookish Haven – SPOTLIGHT
June 20 – View from the Birdhouse – REVIEW
June 21 – Sapphyria’s Book Reviews – SPOTLIGHT
June 22 – Ruff Drafts – AUTHOR GUEST POST
June 23 – fundinmental – SPOTLIGHT
June 24 – Christy’s Cozy Corners – CAMPING CONUNDRUM PLAYLIST
June 25 – Infinite House of Books – SPOTLIGHT
June 25 – FUONLYKNEW – SPOTLIGHT WITH RECIPE
June 26 – Sarandipity’s – AUTHOR INTERVIEW
June 26 – The Plain-Spoken Pen – REVIEW, RECIPE
June 27 – Books, Ramblings, and Tea – SPOTLIGHT
June 28 – Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book – SPOTLIGHT WITH RECIPE
June 29 – Cassidy’s Bookshelves – REVIEW
June 30 – Angel’s Book Nook – SPOTLIGHT
July 1 – Baroness Book Trove – REVIEW
July 2 – Boys’ Mom Reads! – REVIEW

TOUR PARTICIPANTS
June 2 – Infinite House of Books – SPOTLIGHT
June 3 – Jody’s Bookish Haven – SPOTLIGHT
June 4 – Baroness Book Trove – SPOTLIGHT
June 4 – Guatemala Paula Loves to Read – CHARACTER GUEST POST
June 5 – Books, Ramblings, and Tea – SPOTLIGHT
June 6 – Frugal Freelancer – AUTHOR GUEST POST
June 6 – Eskimo Princess Book Reviews – SPOTLIGHT
June 7 – Boys’ Mom Reads! – REVIEW
June 8 – FUONLYKNEW – SPOTLIGHT
June 9 – Socrates Book Reviews – SPOTLIGHT
June 10 – Maureen’s Musings – SPOTLIGHT
June 10 – Novels Alive – REVIEW
June 11 – Christy’s Cozy Corners – CHARACTER GUEST POST
June 11 – Sapphyria’s Book Reviews – SPOTLIGHT
June 12 – Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book – REVIEW
June 13 – Deal Sharing Aunt – CHARACTER INTERVIEW
June 14 – MJB Reviewers – SPOTLIGHT
June 14 – Sarah Can’t Stop Reading Books – REVIEW
June 15 – Elizabeth McKenna – Author – SPOTLIGHT

New from New York Times bestselling author Cleo Coyle.

The Ghost Goes to the Dogs
(Haunted Bookshop Mystery)
Paranormal Cozy Mystery
9th in Series
Setting - Rhode Island
Berkley (May 2, 2023)

A stray dog leads bookseller Penelope McClure and her gumshoe ghost on a chase for a cunning criminal in this brand-new entry in the "UTTERLY CHARMING" (Mystery Scene) Haunted Bookshop Mysteries from New York Times bestselling author Cleo Coyle.

Pet Mystery Week brings brisk business to Penelope's Rhode Island bookshop, but a real mystery comes barking at her door when a lost dog turns up in a panic. Pen and her son Spencer follow the furry fugitive to a wooded area where the dog's owner lies unconscious. Mrs. Cunningham is a warm-hearted widow who volunteers at the animal shelter and runs Buy the Book's pet lovers book club. Why would anyone shoot such a sweet soul?

The police believe it's an accident, a shot by a careless deer hunter, but Pen remains skeptical. To straighten out this doggone mess, she whistles for the ghost of PI Jack Shepard, an expert in hounding as well as haunting. Jack has a dog story of his own, a case from the 1940s that may help Pen sniff out clues to her present predicament. Yet even with Jack's hard-boiled help, Pen may not be able to stop the killer from striking again or letting this whole case go to the dogs...

Author Links
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The Rest of the Series!

Also by Cleo Coyle

Click on covers for more book information or to order from Amazon.

Recurring

This was a well-written, quick-paced mystery, and such an enjoyable read.
~View from the Birdhouse

Murder, She Wrote:
A Killer Christmas
Cozy Mystery
59th in Series
Setting - Maine
Publisher ‏ : ‎ Berkley
(October 8, 2024)

It’s Christmastime in Cabot Cove, but there’s more homicide than ho-ho-ho in the newest entry in the USA Today bestselling Murder, She Wrote series.

Christmas is not an easy time to sell a house, but in Boston tycoon John Bragdon, Cabot Cove Realtor Eve Simpson has found a buyer for the old Jarvis homestead. Unfortunately, Eve gets a lump of coal in her stocking in the form of Kenny Jarvis, who has been missing for years and presumed dead but has now come back to stop his sister from selling their childhood home.

Eve presses on, organizing a welcome dinner for Bragdon and his wife, Rose Marie, to meet the leading citizens of the town, including Jessica Fletcher. Dinner is interrupted by an uninvited guest—not Santa but Kenny, who threateningly promises Rose Marie she will never live in his house.

When Rose Marie is found dead a few days later, Kenny is the natural suspect. But Jessica isn′t so sure he′s on the naughty list . . .

Purchase Links
Amazon – B&N – Kobo
Bookshop.org
PenguinRandomHouse

Author Links
Webpage Facebook

Also by Terrie Farley Moran

Find her Read Em and Eat Mysteries HERE.
She also co-writes the Scrapbooking Mysteries with Laura Childs.

You can find all 59 books in the Murder She Wrote Series HERE.
Click on the covers for more information or to order from Amazon.
12/31/2024

Peach Tea Smash left me feeling as happy as a clam at high tide.
~The Avid Reader

Peach Tea Smash
(A Tea Shop Mystery)
Cozy Mystery
28th in Series
Setting - South Carolina
Publisher ‏ : ‎ Berkley
(August 6, 2024)

Murder at an Alice in Wonderland–themed event threatens to send Theodosia Browning through the looking glass in the latest entry in this New York Times bestselling series.

During the Mad Hatter Masquerade, a fundraiser hosted by the Friends of the Opera on the grounds of the old Pendleton Grist Mill, Harlan Sadler, husband of Cricket Sadler, the chairwoman, is killed. He’s been hit in the head with a croquet mallet, and his body hung on the chains and paddles of the grist mill. Nobody can figure out why since Harlan was much beloved by everyone. It’s only after Cricket and Delaine beg Theodosia to investigate that she realizes the killer might have mistaken Harlan for his crazy son, Duke. After all, Duke is a slum landlord and recently injured a woman in a boating accident.

INCLUDES DELICIOUS RECIPES AND TEA TIME TIPS!

Laura’s Links
Website – Facebook

The Rest of the Series

The Scrapbooking Mysteries

The Cackleberry Club Series

Click on the covers for more information or to order from Amazon.

New from Ellen Byron

French Quarter Fright Night
(Vintage Cookbook)
Cozy Mystery
3rd in Series
Setting -
The Garden District of New Orleans
Publisher ‏ : ‎ Severn House
(September 3, 2024)

The third in the fabulous cozy mystery series with a vintage flair from USA Today bestselling and Agatha Award-winning author Ellen Byron.

Welcome to the Bon Veeevil Festival of Fear! Prepare for the spookiest night of your life . . .

It's Halloween in New Orleans, and the staff of Bon Vee Culinary House Museum is setting up a fantastic haunted house tour for their visitors. But when flashy movie star Blaine Taggart and his entourage move into the mansion next door, gift shop proprietor Ricki James-Diaz gets a fright of her own.

While Ricki is excited about the potential business the tours will bring to her vintage cookbook shop, she's less thrilled by former friend Blaine's arrival in town. Then Bon Vee's prop tomb becomes a real tomb for Blaine's nasty assistant, and suddenly everyone at Bon Vee is a murder suspect. There isn't a ghost of a chance one of them committed the crime, but with NOPD busy tackling the mischief and mayhem generated by the spooky holiday, it falls on Ricki and her friends to catch the killer.

As the Big Easy gears up for the Big Scary, it seems everyone has skeletons in their closets. Can Ricki reveal the shadowy killer before someone else becomes part of the Halloween horror show?

Purchase Links
Amazon - B&N - Bookshop.org

Author Links
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Newsletter

The Rest of the Series

Don't Miss

A Very Woodsy Murder
(A Golden Motel Mystery)
Cozy Mystery
1st in Series
Setting - California
Publisher ‏ : ‎ Kensington Cozies
(July 23, 2024)

From Agatha Award-winning author Ellen Byron, a hilarious new series featuring a sitcom writer who has checked out of the familiar comforts in Studio City and checked in to the quaint village of Foundgold to run a motel. Running a rustic getaway in the woods sure beats LA traffic—until murder ruins the peace and quiet . . .

Down-on-her-luck sitcom writer Dee Stern is flipping the script. Twice divorced and wasting her talents on an obnoxious kids’ show, the lifelong Angeleno embraces the urge to jump in her car and keep driving. It's a road trip with no destination—until she pulls into a mid-century motel filled with cobwebs and retro charm. Nestled in the shadow of a national park, it’s a time capsule of a place that, like her, could use some work. So, in the most impulsive move of her life, Dee teams up with best friend, Jeff Cornetta—who happens to be her first ex-husband—to transform the aging ranch into the Golden Motel-of-the-Mountains, a hiker’s oasis on the edge of the wilderness . . .

But Dee and Jeff soon realize there couldn’t be two people more unprepared for the hospitality business. There’s also the panic-inducing reality of prowling bears and a general store as the only shopping spot for miles. Living and working in the middle of nowhere takes some getting used to—especially when a disrespectful guest ends up murdered! Now, with the motel duo topping the suspect list, Dee must steer clear of a meddling park ranger, face her past in show biz, and determine if the killer is a local or tourist. Because as she quickly finds out, there are many things worse than a one-star review.

Also written by Ellen Byron

Written as Maria DiRico

Click on the covers for more information or to order from Amazon.

9/30/2024

NOW AVAILABLE!

Murder on the Page
(A Literary Dining Mystery)
Cozy Culinary Mystery
1st in Series
Kensington Cozies
(October 22, 2024)
Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 336 pages
Kindle ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0CTDKHJ4G

Featuring twin hooks that cozy readers can’t get enough of—classic books and delicious food—this new series from the Agatha Award-winning, nationally bestselling author of several much loved series, including the Fairy Garden Mysteries and the French Bistro Mysteries, is a delicious treat for mystery lovers, especially fans of Ellery Adams, Krista Davis, and Lauren Elliott.

It’s a truth universally acknowledged that a genuinely top-notch party must be in want of a theme. Allie Catt, caterer and personal chef in the beautiful mountain community of Asheville, North Carolina, has devised a winning formula by using her clients’ favorite books as inspiration. Her first themed event is based on Pride and Prejudice (Allie’s cat, Darcy, approves), and it’s so popular that soon she has grand ideas for future parties based on Rebecca, The Great Gatsby, Babette’s Feast and more.

Business is booming, and a rival catering company is fuming. But there’s a sting in the tale when the aunt of one of Allie’s clients and best friends, Tegan, is murdered. Tegan is the victim’s sole heir, and quickly becomes the main suspect. Allie has no doubts about her friend’s innocence, but how to prove it?

Once again, her love of literature comes to the rescue, and with some guidance from her favorite fictional detectives, including Hercule Poirot and Sherlock Holmes, Allie sifts through the clues. With a little luck—and the kind of pluck that would make Elizabeth Bennett proud—she may be able to stop a killer from serving up a second course of murder . . .

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