My Reading Itinerary Monday! – Week #38 – 2025

September 15, 2025September 14, 2025 Dollycas

Welcome to My Reading Itinerary Monday!

Where are your books taking you
this week?

I will be staying in Wisconsin and will travel to Rhode Island and California!

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

Escapes Completed

Murder at the PTA (Maya and Sandra Mysteries)
by Lee Hollis
Release Date – September 29, 2020
Setting – Maine
My #FlashbackFriday Read!
My Review

No Rest for the Wicked: A Novel
by Rachel Louise Adams
Release Date – September 16, 2025
Setting – Wisconsin
My Review will be up tomorrow!

Murder Pays a Call
by Nancy J. Cohen
Release Date – September 9, 2025
Setting – Florida
The Great Escapes Book Tour stops here for
Cozy Wednesday this week!

Currently Reading

The Mysterious Case of the Missing Ghost (The Redemption Detective Agency)
by Michele PW (Pariza Wacek)
Release Date – August 26, 2025
Setting – Wisconsin
The Great Escapes Book Tour stops here
this Thursday!

Scheduled Escapes

Guess Again
by Charlie Donlea
Release Date – July 29, 2025
Setting – Wisconsin
For Review

A Matter of Pedigree (A Carole and Poopsie Mystery)
by Leslie Meier
Release Date – September 30, 2025
Setting – Rhode Island
I will feature this book on
Cozy Wednesday next week!

Essentials of Death (The Aromatherapy Apothecary)
by Kim Davis
Release Date – September 23, 2025
Setting – California
The Great Escapes Tour stops here
next Thursday!

Possible Future Escapes

September 14 – 20, 2025

Happy Reading!!

Your Escape Into A Good Book Travel Agent

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My Reading Itinerary Monday cozy mystery, Harbor Lane Books, Independently Published, Kensington, LLC, Minotaur Books, Orange Grove Press

𝑯𝒆𝒂𝒓𝒕𝒘𝒂𝒓𝒎𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒄𝒐𝒛𝒚 𝒎𝒚𝒔𝒕𝒆𝒓𝒚 𝒔𝒆𝒓𝒊𝒆𝒔. 𝑻𝒘𝒊𝒔𝒕𝒔 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒘𝒐𝒏'𝒕 𝒔𝒆𝒆 𝒄𝒐𝒎𝒊𝒏𝒈. 𝑨 𝒅𝒐𝒈 𝒚𝒐𝒖'𝒍𝒍 𝒏𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓 𝒇𝒐𝒓𝒈𝒆𝒕.

Murder at Buttermilk Cafe: An Utterly Addictive Small-Town Whodunit Full of Secrets and Scandal:
Windmere Cove Cozy Mystery
by Harper Burton
Cozy Mystery
1st in Series
Setting -
South Carolina
Publisher ‏ : ‎
Independently published
Publication date ‏ : ‎
June 29, 2025

Izzy Harper traded her critic's pen for comfort food and filed the whole mess under Things Butter Can Fix. She didn't plan on her past showing up dead at table three.

A year after a public fall from grace, Buttermilk Café is everything she never expected. A sanctuary. A second chance. A coastal town that feels like home.

Then Spencer Reed, the vindictive critic who helped destroy her career, drops dead in her dining room. Izzy's food is on his fork. Her name is in everyone's mouth. She's the obvious suspect.

Clearing her name means digging up the one thing Windmere Cove's most powerful people would rather keep buried. Noodle, her golden retriever, has other ideas. He's already picked up a trail the humans keep missing.

But someone in this town knows Izzy is getting close. And they're not planning to wait quietly while she bakes her way to the truth.

Purchase At:
Harper Burton's Store
Amazon Kobo Bookshop.org

Author Links
Website Facebook Instagram YouTube TikTok

The Rest of the Series

Click on covers for more book information or to order from Amazon.
8/30/2026

Rating –
Witty, character‑driven cozy mystery with small‑town drama, high school reunion vibes, and quirky amateur sleuths.
It’s light, funny, and engaging.
~bibliophile_foodie

Voted Most Likely to Murder:
A Novel
Cozy Mystery
Setting -
Nova Scotia, Canada
Publisher ‏ : ‎
Crooked Lane Books
Publication date ‏ : ‎
May 12, 2026

A high school reunion comes to an abrupt end when the dead body of the class jock shocks the school’s gymnasium in this cozy mystery debut, perfect for fans of Ellery Adams and Eva Gates.

Belinda Bishop is unemployed and single. At thirty-two, her journalism career feels stuck, and let’s not even speak about her love life, which isn’t helping her look forward to her upcoming high school reunion. Stuck working at her parents' seaside cottage and RV park in Nova Scotia for the time being, she needs time to regroup and come up with a killer story to get her career and her life back on track.

When she literally stumbles across the dead body of the philandering class jock at the reunion, the party quickly comes to a stop. At first, it seems like the perfect opportunity for Belinda to channel her inner Christianne Amanpour, until her childhood-best-friend-turned-nemesis, Jolene Dexter, is declared the prime suspect. Despite their falling out, Belinda is convinced the former pageant queen is innocent.

Purchase Links:
Amazon US
Amazon Canada
B&N Bookshop.org

Lacey's Social Media and Website Links:
Instagram Threads Blue Sky X/Twitter Facebook Website

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

10/15/2026

Deadly Ruse is atmospheric, thoughtful, and quietly intense. If you love historical mysteries with heart, intelligence, and layered character dynamics, this one deserves a spot at the top of your list.
~Book Hookup

Deadly Ruse:
A World War II Mystery
(Deadly Series)
Historical Cozy Mystery
14th in Series
Setting - England
Publisher ‏ : ‎ JDP Press
Publication date ‏ : ‎
June 23, 2026

As the war's outcome shifts, deception is an art--and survival depends on who's painting the picture.

When British spy Olivia Redmond is summoned again by her elusive spymaster, she's expecting danger--not an invitation to teach drawing to captured German generals at Trent Park House. But beneath the genteel cover of sketches and civility lies a deadly ruse: the lavish POW mansion is wired for sound, every whispered secret a weapon in Britain's intelligence war.

Among the prisoners is Oberst Bernhard, a conflicted German officer from Livvy's past. When murder, stolen jewels, and a suspected plot among the prisoners ignite within Trent Park, Livvy must decide whom she can trust--and how far she'll go to expose a truth wrapped in loyalty and lies.

From the candlelit salons of wartime espionage to the shadows of betrayal, Deadly Ruse is a gripping historical mystery where every stroke of trust could be fatal.

The Rest of the Series

Author Links
Website Facebook

Find All of Kate Parker's Books HERE.

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

8/8/2025

Enjoy this small town’s mountain air and the friendly people as you figure out whodunnit!
~Novels Alive

Framed For Murder
(A Pine Cove Mystery)
Cozy Mystery
1st in Series
Setting - California
Publisher ‏ :
‎ The Wild Rose Press, Inc.
(June 17, 2024)

After a life-changing injury, Mel O’Rourke trades in her badge for bed sheets, running a B & B in the quirky mountain town of Pine Cove. Her peaceful life is interrupted when an old frenemy, the notorious and charismatic cat burglar, Poppy Phillips, shows up on her doorstep, claiming she’s been framed for murder. While she’s broken plenty of laws, Mel knows she’d never kill anyone. Good thing she’s a better detective than she is a cook as she sets out to prove Poppy's innocence.

The situation gets complicated, however, when the ruggedly handsome Deputy Sheriff Gregg Marks flirts with Mel, bringing him dangerously close to the criminal she’s hiding. And just when her friendship with café owner Jackson Thibodeaux blossoms into something more, he’s offered the opportunity of a lifetime in New Orleans. Should she encourage him to go, or ask him to stay? Who knew romance could be just as hard to solve as murder?

Purchase Links
Amazon – Barnes and Noble – Apple Books

Social Media Links
Twitter Instagram Facebook Threads TikTok Goodreads Bookbub Amazon Substack

Book 2 in this Series

Recipe for Murder
(A Pine Cove Mystery) Cozy Mystery
2nd in Series
Setting - Pine Cove, a fictional version of Idyllwild, a tiny town on top of a Southern California mountain
Publisher ‏ : ‎
Wild Rose Press
Publication date ‏ : ‎
June 17, 2026

Mel O'Rourke traded her LAPD badge for the quiet life, running a bed-and-breakfast in tiny, quirky Pine Cove.

But when Jackson Thibodeaux, the charming café owner who broke her heart, stumbles back into town, her tranquil second act is toast. While attending a culinary academy in New Orleans, Jackson found the body of a classmate. The police rule it a suicide, but Mel’s instincts—and Jackson’s near miss with a bullet—scream murder.

Between a cooking school full of shady suspects, a reformed cat burglar for a sidekick, and a complicated love triangle involving the deputy sheriff, Mel has her hands full.

Perfect for fans of the sweetness of Jenn McKinlay and the snark of Elle Cosimano’s Finlay Donovan.

Purchase Links
Amazon - Barnes&Noble - Apple Books - GoodReads - AllAuthor - Books2Read
Book Bub

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

8/8/2026

Coming July 28!

All Aboard for Murder
(A Golden Motel Mystery)
Cozy Mystery
3rd in Series
Setting - California
Publisher ‏ : ‎ Kensington Cozies
Publication date ‏ : ‎
July 28, 2026

Dee Stern is starting to feel at home running her Golden Motel in the quaint California village she moved to, leaving behind her LA life as a sitcom writer. But a killer sees the town’s Halloween celebration as a golden opportunity to write a script for murder . . .

It’s October in Gold Rush country and all manner of tricks and treats are happening in the lead-up to Halloween. October also happens to be the birthday of Angus Sprockles, the man responsible for the town being designated a historic landmark, and the residents are celebrating his memory as well. His only living descendant, Moses Sprockles, runs the narrow-gauge railroad—once used to ferry lumber from the mountains to the sawmill, now a tourist attraction. The Sprockles Railroad is hosting a Halloween-themed fundraiser for the Historical Society.

But when a body is found on the tracks, it’s not a Halloween prank. It’s Moses himself, seemingly felled by a fallen tree branch. Dee’s dad Sam is convinced his friend is the victim of foul play and urges his daughter to apply her sleuthing skills. Dee’s train of thought leads her to suspects ranging from a former child star and one-hit wonder, the owner of a nail salon with her claws in everything, and even the mayor. When a self-proclaimed ghost hunter throws his hat in the ring and claims to know who did it, the investigation really goes off the rails. No matter how crazy things get, Dee is determined to blow the whistle on a runaway killer with a one-track mind.

The Rest of the Series

Coming August 4!

A Murderer's Guide to Mardi Gras (Vintage Cookbook Mysteries)
Cozy Mystery
5th in Series
Setting - Louisiana
Publisher ‏ : ‎ Severn House
Publication date ‏ : ‎ August 4, 2026

It's cozy. It's culinary. It's Mardi Gras madness! It's the fifth book in this fabulous mystery series with a vintage flair from USA Today-bestselling and Agatha Award–winning author Ellen Byron.

Step 1: Join a killer krewe

It’s carnival season in New Orleans, and Ricki James-Diaz and her friends from Bon Vee are dressing up for Mardi Gras. They’ve joined the notorious krewe of Chew to support Ricki’s chef boyfriend, Virgil, who is to be crowned this year’s king. It’s all fun, throws, and over-the-top outfits until the krewe’s captain is found strangled with his own medallion.

Step 2: Survive the festivities

The prime suspect is Ricki’s friend, the deceased’s wife who discovered he was cheating on her. It seems a straightforward case, but Ricki isn’t so sure. The krewe’s leader had many enemies including his mistress, his krewe co-founder who he ousted, and his college friend whose girlfriend he stole. One thing’s clear, Ricki’s at the center of yet another murder investigation. And if she’s not careful, her first Mardi Gras could also be her last . . .

Perfect for fans of Joanne Fluke, these delightful mysteries bring New Orleans to life with fun characters and delicious recipes. This series is a must-read for culinary cozy lovers!

The Rest of the Series

Author Links
Webpage – Facebook – GoodReads – Instagram BookBub – Newsletter

Find all of Ellen Byron's books HERE.

Ellen also writes under the pseudonym Maria DiRico.

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

8/31/2026

A compelling, well-plotted mystery filled with fascinating characters, A NECESSARY DEATH is one of my favorite reads of the year and a fantastic start to a new series.
~Cozy Up With Kathy

A Necessary Death
Historical Cozy Mystery
Setting:
A tavern in Colonial Pennsylvania (1764)
Publisher ‏ : ‎
Wagonbridge Publishing Publication date ‏ : ‎
September 15, 2025

With Penelope Corbitt in the kitchen, the tavern will never be the same.

Penelope Corbitt can turn a lump of meat and a bit of flour into a mouth-watering pie or make a tasty meal of cabbage and vinegar. But all her skill can’t save her family in the spring of 1763, when she loses everything to pay off her missing husband’s debts. Walking a tightrope between the freedom of poverty and the confines of propriety, she must accept her stingy brother-in-law’s reluctant charity to keep her family fed and her children close. The miserable journey north from Philadelphia is interrupted when the coach crashes in the mud. Penelope and her children are stranded at a run-down tavern. Penelope doesn’t think things can get worse.

Then she finds a dead man.

Author Links
Webpage Facebook Substack GoodReads

Purchase Links
Amazon B&N

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

7/31/2026

Delicious Italian food and the love of family make CASE OF THE CURVED STAIRCASE a fun, feel-good mystery.
~Cozy Up With Kathy

Case of the Curved Staircase:
A Macaroni on Wheels Mystery
Cozy Mystery
2nd in Series
Settings -
Little Italy, San Diego, and San Diego Bay
Publisher ‏ : ‎ S.K. Derban
Publication date ‏ : ‎
August 27, 2025

The Little Italy entertainment continues in this second book of the Macaroni on Wheels series. Case of the Curved Staircase has more twists and turns than Terza can handle. And, Detective Nicholas Garza is not on the case. Say it isn't so, Nico!

Staircases can be fatal, especially on Halloween. After catering a surprise birthday party on the evening of October 30th, Terza returns to the scene of the celebration on the following morning. Instead of being greeted by the happy, party hosts, Terza discovers a dead body at the bottom of the curved staircase. Not again! And this time, Terza's amateur detective skills are landing her directly into personal danger. She would rather be using her chef's knife than having one pointed at her face!

As the feisty Italian caterer continues to fill her free time solving crime, she runs head first into a new detective. Unlike Nicholas Garza, the detective now in charge considers Terza a hinderance instead of a help. Fortunately, Jacob Radovan, the medical examiner, continues to be Terza's ally.

There is also an unexpected wedding in Case of the Curved Staircase. Readers of Uneven Exchange just might cheer out loud. The almost perfect weather in San Diego allows the bride and groom to take a carriage ride from the wedding venue to the reception ballroom. It's a fairytale come true.

Fans of cozy mysteries will revel in solving another murder along with Terza, and will continue to appreciate her zest for life. Readers will be spending more time with the animated Tiepolo family, and especially Terza's father. Ezio's Halloween costume is a moo-ving choice! The Tiepolo's celebrate their loving, family bond as they join together each Sunday. Food, family, and fun! Once again, you may consider this your personal invitation...

Author Links
Website
The Latest Blog  Facebook
X  Instagram  Pinterest  BookBub

Purchase Links
Kindle - Paperback - Audio

1st Book in the Series

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

2/28/2027

Carmela Dutra has done it again – absolutely delighted me with her perfect blend of humor, banter, food truck drama, and clever mystery. The writing is snappy and engaging, and I don’t think there was a single page ... that didn’t have me grinning or giggling!
~Reading Is My SuperPower

Hot Wings and Homicide
(A Food Truck Mystery)
Cozy Mystery
2nd in Series
Publisher ‏ : ‎
Crooked Lane Books
Publication date ‏ : ‎
May 12, 2026

Twins Beth and Seth Lloyd are on the chopping block in the follow-up to A Murder Most Fowl, where a perfect recipe for murder is stirred up.

Business at Kluckin’ Good is smoking hot. To keep momentum going, Beth and her twin brother Seth just scored a prime spot at the Flavors of the Bay Food Festival. For three and a half days, food lovers will flock to the Bay Area’s biggest culinary event to enjoy gourmet food trucks, cook-offs, and live music, but this recipe for success is also the perfect set-up for murder.

When the infamous food critic Brad Dawson—also Beth’s ex—turns up dead, the only clue at the scene of the crime is a Kluckin’ Good tumbler mug. The timing couldn’t be worse. Beth and Brad were seen in a heated altercation and days prior witnesses saw Seth punch Brad. Suspicion naturally falls on the twins. With the cops hot on their trail, Beth will have to avoid the flames to clear their names and save her food truck’s reputation.

But the chickens are out of the coop, and as Beth digs into Brad’s final hours, she will uncover rivalries, grudges, and a different side of Brad she never knew. If she doesn’t crack the case soon, she might be the next one to get cooked. Best of cluck!

A mouthwatering mystery for fans of Joanne Fluke that will leave you peckish for more.

Purchase Links
Universal Link Amazon Barnes & Noble

Author Links
Facebook Instagram Threads Twitter/X

Book 1 in the Food Truck Mystery Series

A Murder Most Fowl:
A Food Truck Mystery
Cozy Mystery
1st in Series
Setting -
California
Publisher ‏ : ‎
Crooked Lane Books
Publication date ‏ : ‎
September 9, 2025

A food truck run by twins serves up a clucking good murder in this cozy debut mystery, perfect for fans of Lucy Burdette and Joanne Fluke.

When their late aunt Dolly passes away, twins Beth and Seth Lloyd inherit a chicken-themed food truck. Despite the challenges, the siblings rise to the occasion, even going as far as signing up their truck Kluckin’ Good to compete on a top cooking show and ruffle a few feathers for some good publicity. But the competition goes from heated to lethal when a contestant is found dead.

With the elimination competition becoming far too literal, Beth and Seth will need all the help they can get to get out of the frying pan without landing in the fire. With their loyal assistant–and Beth’s best friend–Rylie by their side, they’ll have to follow the bread crumbs to untangle a very twisted case before either one of them is put on the chopping block.

This humorous series debuts with a mouthwatering mystery that will charm readers and keep them guessing right until the not-so-bitter end.

Purchase Links
Amazon Barnes & Noble Bookshop.org Penguin Random House

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

7/15/2026

New from Anne Louise Bannon

Death of a Proper Bostonian
(Old Los Angeles)
Historical Mystery
6th in Series
Setting -
Boston, 1873
Publisher ‏ : ‎
Healcroft House, Publishers
Publication date ‏ : ‎
June 12, 2026

A deadly homecoming

It's August 1873, and at long last, physician and winemaker Maddie Franklin Wilcox makes the journey home to her beloved native Boston. Her business is to deliver her ward and apprentice, Elena Ortiz, to the local women's medical school, and that also includes visiting her father, her sister and her family.

But at a dinner with the family of Maddie's late and very much unlamented (at least, on her part) husband, young John Wilcox, a cousin there to entertain the guests with his nature talk, is shot. Then the next morning, the eldest of the Wilcox brothers is found shot in his bed. Maddie quickly concludes that the shooting of the oh, so charming naturalist was but a distraction for the shooting of her former brother-in-law.

Chased by a corrupt Boston police officer, confronted again and again by the relentless prejudice of the city's medical practitioners, and in danger of losing her heart to young John Wilcox (who had plenty of reasons to want his cousin dead), Maddie's happy homecoming becomes a morass of suspicion with someone willing to kill her and the people she loves.

Purchase Links
Barnes & Noble Kobo Books2Read Apple Amazon Google Bookshop.org

Author Links
Website Facebook Instagram Mastodon BlueSky Pinterest LinkedIn Substack GoodReads

The Rest of the Series

Find all of Anne Louise Bannon's Books HERE.

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

9/15/2026

A cleverly crafted mystery, delightful characters, and a fun small town with the infamous busybodies just give this series such realism. I loved being back in this world.
~Sapphyria’s Books

A Scoop of Deceit
(Coffee & Cream Café Mysteries)
Cozy Mystery
7th in Series
Setting - New York
Publisher ‏ : ‎
Gemma Halliday Publishing
Publication date ‏ : ‎
March 10, 2026

From author Lena Gregory comes another decadently delightful cozy mystery ...

Spring has finally sprung on the south shore of eastern Long Island, New York, and Danika Delaney is ready to take a break from running her old-fashioned malt shop, the Coffee & Cream Café, to help her mom start planting for the season. With visions of colorful tulips and delicate daffodils in mind, Danika and her mother browse through the local garden center, where they can’t help but notice a confrontation between out-of-towner Sebastian Krane and the local cashier. Unfortunately, as Krane storms off, aggravated and not paying attention, he hops into his BMW, and crashes right into Mrs. Delaney as she’s backing up in her borrowed pickup truck.

As if that weren't enough to put a damper on her sunny mood, Krane then has the nerve to file a lawsuit against her. But when Dani shows up at his mansion to try to straighten things out, she finds him dead, with a knife in his back. Apparently, someone had it out for Sebastian. Someone other than her mother. A fact Dani sets out to prove with the help of her sidekicks, Gwen and Eli, wading through a slew of shady suspects from the victim's stormy past.

Can Dani clear her mother's name and find the truth behind Krane's murder? Or will Dani be in danger of pushing up daisies herself this spring?

Author Links
Newsletter Website Facebook
Facebook Fan Page X Goodreads Pinterest

Purchase Links
Amazon – Barnes & Noble

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 from Amazon.

6/30/2026

Craziness and chaos!
I recommend DEAD FOCUSED AND HOCUS POCUSED to cozy mystery readers who enjoy paranormal and supernatural elements in their stories.
~Boys' Mom Reads!

Dead Focused and Hocus Pocused
(The Empty Nest Mystical Cozy Mystery Series)
Paranormal Cozy Mystery
1st in Series
Setting - Michigan
Publisher ‏ : ‎
Independently Published
Publication date ‏ : ‎
February 25, 2026

The Empty Nest Retreat was supposed to help Juli find herself. Not question her sanity—or reality.

When Juli Tully’s kids fly the coop and she takes early retirement, the silence in her house is deafening—and not in a calming, spa-music kind of way. At her mother’s not-so-subtle urging, she signs for the Empty Nest Retreat at the Sand Bur Estate, a stately mansion perched on the windswept dunes of Lake Michigan.

Juli nearly bolts when she learns the retreat is phone-free. No texts. No doom-scrolling. No emergency updates from her kids. Instead, she’s stuck with an unusual group of fellow empty nesters: Nelle, a perpetually cheerful optimist; Kimmie, a bubbly influencer convinced the estate is magical; and Jedd, an arrogant dad who fancies himself Parent of the Year—and takes an instant dislike to Juli.

Then things get… strange.

Temperatures swing wildly. Lights flicker. Objects float. Juli can’t tell if her menopausal symptoms have gone off the rails or if rumors about the estate’s supernatural past are true.

Between meditation sessions and awkward financial-planning talks, one of the estate’s employees dies under suspicious circumstances. Thanks to Juli’s increasingly unpredictable “episodes,” she becomes the prime suspect.

With a murder to solve, a reputation to save, and a sarcastic talking cat who knows more than she’s letting on, Juli must uncover the truth—before this empty nest lands her in handcuffs.

Author Links
Website Facebook Instagram GoodReads

Purchase Link –
Amazon

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

7/20/2026

I’ll spill the tea-herbal, of course. The Whipped and Sipped Mystery Series is a delectable treat. This series sure hits the spot.
~Storybook Lady

The Whipped and Sipped Cozy Mystery Series

Battered: A Whipped and Sipped Mystery
Cozy Mystery
1st in Series
Setting - Illinois
Publisher ‏ : ‎
Anamcara Press LLC
Publication date ‏ : ‎
September 10, 2025

Alene Baron has built more than a café—she’s built a community. At Whipped & Sipped, customers linger over Ruthie’s decadent-but-healthy desserts, children flock to Saturday story hour, and knitting groups craft blankets for refugee families. Alene prides herself on knowing her patrons so well she can often place “a wholegrain blueberry muffin on the counter before the customer themselves knew” they wanted it.

But when her neighbor and close friend is murdered, Alene’s cozy world begins to unravel. Suddenly, everyone she knows could be a suspect, and she starts noticing the smallest inconsistencies, furtive glances, and unexplained comings and goings around the café. With each clue and misstep, Alene pieces together a tangled web of secrets, realizing that danger may be closer than she ever imagined—and that her own family could be in the killer’s sights.

With her sharp eye for detail, wry sense of humor, and fierce devotion to her children, Alene steps into the role of amateur sleuth. But in a community where tempers flare over hot chocolate, grudges linger for years, and secrets hide beneath friendly smiles, finding the killer may prove harder than whipping up the perfect soufflé.

Smothered: A Whipped and Sipped Mystery
Cozy Mystery
2nd in Series
Setting - Illinois
Publisher ‏ : ‎
Anamcara Press LLC
Publication date ‏ : ‎
January 30, 2026

Murder is on the menu—served warm with muffins and lattes.

In the second Whipped and Sipped Mystery, café owner Alene Baron isn’t exactly grieving when the neighboring business owner is found dead in his office. Stanley Huff was shady, sloppy, and smug about his dubious food supplements—and his watery smoothies didn’t help. He also never cleaned up his trash in their shared alley. Stanley had plenty of enemies. Unfortunately, one of them may be Alene’s own employee—who has now vanished.

The real surprise isn’t who wanted him dead—it’s how many people did. Drawn into the investigation, caterer and reluctant sleuth Alene uncovers a snarl of family drama involving a missing will, bitter heirs, and long-buried financial secrets. Every lead contradicts the last, red herrings pile up, and resentments simmer just beneath the surface.

As the mystery deepens, Alene juggles more than suspects. Between running her café, caring for her family, and protecting her staff, she finds herself relying on sharp instincts, quiet observation, and a steady supply of inventive vegan dishes. Food and detection go hand in hand, adding warmth, humor, and heart to every turn of the case. With its cozy charm and relatable heroine, Smothered is more than a clever whodunit. It explores family ties, the corrosive pull of greed, and the small truths people reveal under pressure. Rich in character, culinary flair, and emotional insight, this mystery delivers satisfying twists—and leaves a lasting aftertaste.

Charred: A Whipped and Sipped Mystery
Cozy Mystery
3rd in Series
Setting - Illinois
Publisher ‏ : ‎
Anamcara Press LLC
Publication date ‏ : ‎
May 30, 2026

At the Whipped and Sipped Café, Alene Baron knows how to handle a kitchen fire—but this blaze may burn far beyond her control.

When a suspicious fire draws Alene, her loyal friend Kacey, and Kacey’s boyfriend Kofi to a charred property in search of salvaged wood, they expect nothing more than a little trespassing and a lot of soot. Instead, whispers of arson swirl through their tight-knit community—and before long, a body turns up amid the ashes.

Kofi fears the police will come knocking. Kacey fears someone saw them. And Alene is caught in the middle, torn between protecting the people she loves and telling the truth to her partner, homicide detective Frank. Shaw, because in this town, secrets don’t stay buried. They smolder.

Author Links
Website Bluesky Facebook Instagram Medium.com Substack

Purchase Links

BATTERED
Bookshop.Org, Amazon,
Barnes & Noble,
Apple, Kobo,
Smashwords, Thalia, Fable,

SMOTHERED
Bookshop.Org Amazon
Barnes & Noble
Apple Kobo
Smashwords

CHARRED
Bookshop.Org    Amazon
Barnes & Noble
Apple   Kobo
Smashwords

Click on the covers for more information or to order from Amazon.
7/5/2026

If you like a light, enjoyable, and well-constructed mystery with some fun foodie aspects (and recipes for food and cocktails), this series is for you.
~Rebecca M Douglass

Murder, Local Style
(An Orchid Isle Mystery)
Cozy Mystery
3rd in Series
Setting - Hawaii
Publisher ‏ : ‎ Severn House
Publication date ‏ :
‎ April 7, 2026

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

A dinner to die for!

It’s been an eventful transition, but retired caterer Valerie Corbin and her wife Kristen are finally settling into life on the Big Island of Hawai’i. Val’s even joined the neighborhood orchid society to make some new friends. So when she’s asked to step in to cater their latest social event, as the newbie of the group she can’t exactly say no.

But what should have been a straightforward gig is soon a dining disaster when the food from the event poisons and kills the society president. As Val herself becomes a suspect in the murder investigation, she’s determined to uncover the truth. Who would want to kill the mild-mannered president of the orchid society?

Turns out the list is longer than a celebrity chef's tasting menu. Apparently, some of the residents did not "love thy neighbor." Can she reveal the killer’s identity before they strike again?

This mouthwatering 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.

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The Rest of the Series

Also by Leslie Karst

Find all of Leslie Karst's Books HERE.

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

7/30/2026

Congratulations to Art (California). He has won paperback copies of Murder on Bamboo Lane and Grave on Grand Avenue by Naomi Hirahara.

Congratulations to Erica M. (Kansas). She has won a hardcover copy of Whose Body in the Library by Eva Gates.

Congratulations to Megan H. (Florida). She has won an ARC copy of The Chowder House Murder by Lee Hollis.

Congratulations to Linda S. (Louisiana). She has won a $5 Amazon Gift Card in the Second Act Giveaway.

Congratulations to Brenda E. (Texas). She has won an ARC copy of Death by Chocolate Ladyfingers by Sarah Graves.

Congratulations to Wendy W. (California). She has won a $5 Amazon Gift Card in my Sconed to Death Giveaway!

TOUR PARTICIPANTS
July 8 – Christa Reads and Writes – REVIEW
July 8 – Deal Sharing Aunt – AUTHOR INTERVIEW
July 9 – Socrates Book Reviews – SPOTLIGHT
July 9 – Sarcastically Yours, Jen – SPOTLIGHT
July 10 – Sarah Can’t Stop Reading Books – REVIEW
July 11 – Jody’s Bookish Haven – SPOTLIGHT
July 11 – Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book – SPOTLIGHT
July 12 – The Mystery of Writing – CHARACTER GUEST POST
July 13 – Romance Novel Giveaways – AUTHOR GUEST POST
July 13 – Jemima Pett Author – CHARACTER INTERVIEW
July 14 – Ascroft, eh? AUTHOR INTERVIEW
July 15 – Books, Ramblings, and Tea – SPOTLIGHT
July 16 – Sarandipity’s – CHARACTER INTERVIEW
July 17 – Christy’s Cozy Corners – SPOTLIGHT
July 18 – Sapphyria’s Book Reviews – SPOTLIGHT
July 18 – Boys’ Mom Reads! – REVIEW
July 19 – Books1987 – SPOTLIGHT

TOUR PARTICIPANTS
July 8 – Elizabeth McKenna – Author – SPOTLIGHT
July 9 – Salty Inspirations – AUTHOR GUEST POST
July 9 – Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book – SPOTLIGHT
July 10 – View from the Birdhouse – SPOTLIGHT
July 10 – Deal Sharing Aunt – AUTHOR INTERVIEW
July 11 – Books1987 – SPOTLIGHT
July 12 – Jody’s Bookish Haven – SPOTLIGHT
July 12 – Sapphyria’s Book Reviews – SPOTLIGHT
July 13 – Christy’s Cozy Corners – SPOTLIGHT
July 14 – Sarandipity’s – AUTHOR GUEST POST
July 14 – Boys’ Mom Reads! – SPOTLIGHT
July 15 – Ascroft, eh? – CHARACTER INTERVIEW
July 15 – Cassidy’s Bookshelves – SPOTLIGHT
July 16 – Socrates Book Reviews – SPOTLIGHT
July 16 – Books, Ramblings, and Tea – SPOTLIGHT
July 17 – Reading, Writing & Stitch-Metic – CHARACTER GUEST POST
July 18 – Reading Is My SuperPower – REVIEW
July 19 – Cozy Up With Kathy – REVIEW, CHARACTER GUEST POST
July 20 – Sarcastically Yours, Jen – SPOTLIGHT
July 21 – Sarah Can’t Stop Reading Books– REVIEW
July 21 – Romance Novel Giveaways – AUTHOR GUEST POST

TOUR PARTICIPANTS
July 13 – Storybook Lady – REVIEW, AUTHOR GUEST POST
July 14 – Books1987 – SPOTLIGHT
July 15 – Romance Novel Giveaways – AUTHOR GUEST POST
July 16 – Christy’s Cozy Corners – CHARACTER GUEST POST
July 17 – Books, Ramblings, and Tea – SPOTLIGHT
July 18 – Socrates Book Reviews – SPOTLIGHT
July 19 – Deal Sharing Aunt – AUTHOR INTERVIEW
July 20 – Sarandipity’s – CHARACTER INTERVIEW
July 20 – Sapphyria’s Book Reviews – SPOTLIGHT
July 21 – Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book – REVIEW
July 22 – Salty Inspirations – AUTHOR GUEST POST
July 23 – Boys’ Mom Reads! – REVIEW
July 24 – Ascroft, eh? – CHARACTER GUEST POST
July 25 – Reading Is My SuperPower – REVIEW
July 26 – Cozy Up With Kathy – AUTHOR INTERVIEW
July 27 – Sarah Can’t Stop Reading Books – SPOTLIGHT

TOUR PARTICIPANTS
July 15 – Jody’s Bookish Haven – SPOTLIGHT
July 15 – Sarandipity’s – AUTHOR INTERVIEW
July 16 – Sarah Can’t Stop Reading Books – REVIEW
July 17 – View from the Birdhouse – REVIEW
July 17 – Sarcastically Yours, Jen – REVIEW
July 18 – Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book – AUTHOR INTERVIEW
July 19 – Romance Novel Giveaways – AUTHOR GUEST POST
July 20 – Christy’s Cozy Corners – SPOTLIGHT
July 20 – Socrates Book Reviews – SPOTLIGHT
July 21 – Books, Ramblings, and Tea – SPOTLIGHT
July 21 – Ascroft, eh? – CHARACTER INTERVIEW
July 22 – Ruff Drafts – SPOTLIGHT
July 22 – Book Hookup – REVIEW
July 23 – Salty Inspirations – AUTHOR GUEST POST
July 23 – Sapphyria’s Book Reviews – SPOTLIGHT
July 24 – Boys’ Mom Reads! – CHARACTER GUEST POST

TOUR PARTICIPANTS
July 20 – Carstairs Considers – REVIEW
July 20 – Christa Reads and Writes – REVIEW
July 20 – Romance Novel Giveaways – SPOTLIGHT
July 21 – Books, Ramblings, and Tea – SPOTLIGHT
July 21 – Jody’s Bookish Haven – SPOTLIGHT
July 22 – Socrates Book Reviews – SPOTLIGHT
July 22 – Books1987 – SPOTLIGHT
July 23 – Sarandipity’s – SPOTLIGHT
July 23 – Baseball, Books, and Banter – REVIEW
July 24 – View from the Birdhouse – REVIEW
July 24 – Angel’s Book Nook – SPOTLIGHT
July 25 – Twirling Book Princess – SPOTLIGHT
July 25 – FUONLYKNEW – SPOTLIGHT
July 26 – Boys’ Mom Reads! – SPOTLIGHT
July 26 – StoreyBook Reviews – SPOTLIGHT
July 27 – Christy’s Cozy Corners – REVIEW
July 27 – deal sharing aunt – SPOTLIGHT
July 28 – Sarcastically Yours, Jen – SPOTLIGHT
July 28 – Sapphyria’s Book Reviews – SPOTLIGHT
July 29 – Ascroft, eh? – AUTHOR GUEST POST
July 29 – Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book – REVIEW
July 29 – Salty Inspirations – SPOTLIGHT
July 30 – Carla Loves To Read – REVIEW
July 30 – Ruff Drafts – SPOTLIGHT
July 31 – Sarah Can’t Stop Reading Books – REVIEW
July 31 – Cozy Up With Kathy – REVIEW

Tour Participants
July 20 – deal sharing aunt – CHARACTER INTERVIEW
July 21 – Salty Inspirations – AUTHOR GUEST POST
July 22 – Jody’s Bookish Haven – SPOTLIGHT
July 22 – Sarandipity’s – AUTHOR INTERVIEW
July 23 – Books, Ramblings, and Tea – SPOTLIGHT
July 23 – Baroness Book Trove – CHARACTER INTERVIEW
July 24 – StoreyBook Reviews – CHARACTER GUEST POST
July 24 – Carla Loves To Read – SPOTLIGHT
July 25 – Boys’ Mom Reads! – SPOTLIGHT
July 26 – Books1987 – SPOTLIGHT
July 27 – Socrates Book Reviews – SPOTLIGHT
July 28 – Cozy Up With Kathy – AUTHOR INTERVIEW
July 28 – Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book – REVIEW
July 29 – FUONLYKNEW – RECIPE
July 29 – Sapphyria’s Book Reviews – SPOTLIGHT
July 30 – Ascroft, eh? – CHARACTER INTERVIEW
July 31 – Romance Novel Giveaways – AUTHOR GUEST POST
July 31 – Book Hookup – REVIEW

TOUR PARTICIPANTS
July 21 – Reading Is My SuperPower – REVIEW
July 21 – Sapphyria’s Book Reviews – SPOTLIGHT
July 22 – Read Your Writes Book Reviews – AUTHOR INTERVIEW
July 23 – Jody’s Bookish Haven – SPOTLIGHT
July 23 – Christy’s Cozy Corners – REVIEW
July 24 – Romance Novel Giveaways – AUTHOR GUEST POST
July 25 – deal sharing aunt – SPOTLIGHT
July 26 – Sarandipity’s – CHARACTER INTERVIEW
July 27 – Books, Ramblings, and Tea – SPOTLIGHT
July 28 – Ruff Draft – AUTHOR INTERVIEW
July 28 – FUONLYKNEW – SPOTLIGHT
July 29 – Books1987 – SPOTLIGHT
July 30 – Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book – REVIEW
July 31 – Salty Inspirations.com – CHARACTER GUEST POST
August 1 – Guatemala Paula Loves to Read – SPOTLIGHT
August 2 – Cozy Up With Kathy – REVIEW
August 2 – Sarah Can’t Stop Reading Books – REVIEW
August 3 – Ascroft, eh? – AUTHOR INTERVIEW
August 3 – Boys’ Mom Reads! – REVIEW

TOUR PARTICIPANTS
July 22 – Storybook Lady – REVIEW, AUTHOR GUEST POST
July 22 – Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book – REVIEW
July 22 – Baroness Book Trove – SPOTLIGHT
July 23 – Christy’s Cozy Corners – CHARACTER INTERVIEW*
July 24 – Books, Ramblings, and Tea – SPOTLIGHT
July 24 – Guatemala Paula Loves to Read – SPOTLIGHT
July 24 – Sapphyria’s Book Reviews – SPOTLIGHT
July 25 – Books1987 – SPOTLIGHT
July 25 – Sarandipity’s – CHARACTER INTERVIEW*
July 26 – Book Hookup – REVIEW
July 26 – FUONLYKNEW – SPOTLIGHT
July 27 – Ruff Drafts – SPOTLIGHT
July 27 – StoreyBook Reviews – CHARACTER GUEST POST
July 28 – Sarcastically Yours, Jen – SPOTLIGHT
July 28 – Romance Novel Giveaways – AUTHOR GUEST POST

The newest entry in the USA Today bestselling Murder, She Wrote series.

Murder, She Wrote:
The Body in the Trees
Cozy Mystery
62nd in Series
Setting - Maine
Publisher ‏ : ‎ Berkley
Publication date ‏ : ‎
December 2, 2025

It's leaf-peeping season in Cabot Cove, but for someone, it's killing season!

A quartet of friends from Florida have come to Maine to experience a New England autumn, complete with hiking in the woods and fishing. When one of them goes missing, the town rallies to find the presumably lost but otherwise safe tourist. But when newspaper editor Dan Andrews is biking on the trail along a ridge, he looks down and sees a leg caught in the branches of a tree. Count on Jessica Fletcher to uncover the secret reason the victim came to town . . . and how it led to her murder.

Author Links
Webpage - Facebook

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

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 63 books in the Murder She Wrote Series HERE.
Click on the covers for more information or to order from Amazon.
1/31/2026

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
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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

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
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Purchase Links:
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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

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!