Happy New Year from Sharon's Cozy Corner- January Titles and a look back at 2012!

Happy New Year to everyone!

2013 is here and with it comes an anticipated year of great cozy mysteries to keep those of us who love the genre happy, happy, happy!

I'm so excited to begin this new year with a great lineup of books that I hope will interest you, but first, I'd like to take a peek backwards to some of the great book of 2012.

Here are the top ten books, in my opinion, of last year!

Agony of the Leaves: A Tea Shop Mystery by Laura Childs

Cinnamon Roll Murder: A Hannah Swensen Mystery by Joanne Fluke

A Brew To A Kill: A Coffeehouse Mystery by Cleo Coyle

Let It Sew: A Southern Sewing Circle Mystery by Elizabeth Lynn Casey

Wedding Cake Killer: A Fresh Baked Mystery by Livia Washburn

The Darling Dahlias and the Confederate Rose by Susan Wittig Albert

Red Velvet Revenge: A Cupcake Bakery Mystery by Jenn McKinlay

Hearse and Buggy: An Amish Mystery by Laura Bradford

Die Job: A Southern Beauty Shop Mystery by Lila Dare

Plan Bee: A Queen Bee Mystery by Hannah Reed

And now, onward to January's lineup of great reads!

I'm going to change things up a bit in that this year I will feature one book that I will highlight as the Book of the Month with a more in–depth review, as well as feature a debut title for the month (should there be one!). I will also let you know about the other books that I found to be great reads in the cozy mystery genre!

January Highlight Book of the Month:

The Road to Cardinal Valley by Earlene Fowler Berkley Prime Crime

It's been six years since author Earlene Fowler introduced her readers to the folks of Cardinal, California with her book "The Saddlemaker's Wife." She returns to the small town to continue their stories in her new book, "The Road to Cardinal Valley," and it's a welcomed return.

Ruby McGavin has fond memories of her time spent in Cardinal. She still has good friends there, plus her odd assortment of in–laws, and she knows that the tiny town will be the best place in the world for her brother Nash to recover from a debilitating illness and restart his life. Ruby feels she owes it to Nash to help him reclaim his life, due to years of guilt over them being separated as children when their mother deserted them. But she soon discovers that Nash is hiding a lot of secrets from her, including the knowledge of where their estranged mother has been living for years.

After Nash is involved in a horrific car accident, one that nearly took out Ruby's former mother–in–law as well, Ruby has no choice but to turn to her mother Etta for help with her brother, who seems bent on self–destructing. But this is a family reunion that isn't going to be all hearts and roses. She finds help and guidance in the form of coffee bar owner Ely Grey, and perhaps more than a little flickering of a possible romance.

Meanwhile, Ruby's brother–in–law, saddlemaker/lawyer Lucas McGavin, is thrilled that Ruby is back in town. He hopes he can rekindle his feelings for his brother's widow, but when a mysterious and fascinating young woman strides into town and into his heart, he can't help but think it's time to give up on pursuing Ruby.

The folks of Cardinal bend and blend with each other as small town people do – helping where they can, nosing into where they shouldn't, but always with good intentions and usually with good outcomes.

Earlene Fowler creates a charming group of characters and a fascinating setting in this sequel, picking up where her previous story ended and continuing the tales that have been patiently waited for. Well known for her quilting mysteries, it is just a delight to discover the modern day western side of Fowler's storytelling skills is just as intriguing. I hope we don't have to wait another six years for the next installment!

January Debut Title:

The Opening Night Murder: A Restoration Mystery #1 By Anne Rutherford Berkley Prime Crime

At the dawn of the Restoration Period, Suzanne Thornton hopes to find a second life in the theater. But instead, on opening night, she finds a dead body on stage...

The triumphant return of King Charles II in 1660 is occasion for much celebration in London. The Merry Monarch's unquenchable thirst for entertainment creates opportunities for everyone from tavern keepers to brothel owners to actors.

One of these is Suzanne Thornton. No longer a kept woman since her man has fled, she sees an opportunity to reopen a theater and stage the classics— Shakespeare, Marlowe, and the like. And now, thanks to Royal decree, Juliet can be played by a woman. Suzanne secures financing from an old lover, assembles a troupe, and restores the venue—none other than the historic Globe Theater.

Tragically, during the opening night performance, a dead body lands on the stage. After the curtain comes down, Suzanne finds herself a suspect. But she also finds that murder is good for business—the next night's performance is sold out. Wishing to live to enjoy her success, Suzanne undertakes her own investigation to find a killer who may try to close her down for good.

Other New Titles You Might Like:

Bewitched, Bothered, and Biscotti: A Magical Bakery Mystery #2 By Bailey Cates Obsidian

As a new witch—not to mention owner of Savannah's most enchanting bakery – Katie Lightfoot is still getting used to casting spells, brewing potions, and mastering her magical powers. But that doesn't mean she can't find time to enjoy a picnic with firefighter Declan McCarthy...until she stumbles upon a corpse.

The dead man's tattoo reveals he was a member of a secret society—and it turns out he's missing an object that was very important to the group. When Katie learns the killer was after more than the man's life, she and her Aunt Lucy leave the baked goods on the rack to cool and set off in hot pursuit of a killer.

A Deal to Die For: A Good Buy Girls Mystery #2 By Josie Belle Berkley Prime Crime

The coupon–clipping discount divas are back!

Letting no good deal go undone, the Good Buy Girls are ready to pounce on the St. Stanley flea market, where wealthy Vera Madison is selling off her vintage clothing. The widow's wardrobe is just what Maggie Gerber needs to give her second–hand shop, My Sister's Closet, the edge over vindictive rival Summer Phillips, who's opened her own second–hand shop across the street.

But when Vera is found dead, it turns out that she collected enemies like Dior gowns—and had more than a few skeletons in her walk–in closet. Now it's up to Maggie and the Good Buy Girls to sort through the racks of suspects for the killer and get back to the business of bargains.

Murder Hooks a Mermaid: A Haunted Souvenir #2 By Christy Fifield Berkley Prime Crime

Nestled in Keyhole Bay, Florida, Glory Martine's souvenir shop, Southern Treasures, is supposed to trap tourists—not ghosts. But a possessed parrot may be just what Glory needs to solve a murder.

Inheriting her great–uncle Louis's bayside souvenir shop should have been a breeze for Glory. Instead it's been one headache after another—with a lot of them generated by Bluebeard, a parrot with a mouth like a sailor and a personality a lot like her late great–uncle. But Glory's troubles pale in comparison to those of her best friend Karen, whose ex may still have the personalized key chain to her heart, but whose brother–in–law is about to get locked up.

A diver has been found with a gaff hook in his chest, and Karen turns to Glory to help get her brother–in–law off the hook for his murder. But casting the net for the real killer won't be easy. Glory and Bluebeard are about to find out that the secrets in Keyhole Bay run deeper than anyone ever imagined.

Panic Button:A Button Box Mystery #3 By Kylie Logan Berkley Prime Crime

Josie Giancola, owner of the Button Box shop, knows her buttons. But when she comes into contact with a rare charm string, she never imagines it will lead to murder.

Josie is approached at her shop to appraise a very rare item—a complete charm string. In Victorian times, girls strung buttons on long strings to make the charms. Once the string reached 1,000 buttons—no two alike—the legend was that the owner would meet her beloved.

But the owner of this charm string is not looking for love—she's desperate to donate the piece to a museum and be rid of it. She believes the string is far from charmed—it's cursed. When Josie finds the woman strangled with the charm string, she doesn't know whether the curse is real...but the killer certainly is.

Murder for the Halibut: A Clueless Cook Mystery #3 By Liz Lipperman Berkley Prime Crime

A sports writing job would have been the perfect catch for Jordan McAllister, but in Ranchero, Texas, all she could reel in was the food column. Though she may not know her way around a kitchen, she has no trouble finding herself in a kettle of fish.

Tempted by the offer of a free Caribbean cruise, Jordan accepts a spot as a judge in a week–long big–time cooking competition aboard the Carnation Queen. She just better hope no one finds out that her famous palate is far from refined.

But there are bigger fish to fry when arrogant chef Stefano Mancini falls face first into his signature halibut dish during the first event. While evidence suggests that the handsome Italian chef's death was an accident, Jordan thinks otherwise. But she'll have to keep her wits about her—and the sea sickness pills handy—if she's going to solve this one.

Fonduing Fathers: A White House Chef Mystery #6 By Julie Hyzy Berkley Prime Crime

White House executive chef Olivia Paras has enough on her plate. But after gaining new information about her father's death, the First Family isn't the only family Olivia is concerned about.

Olivia has always believed that her father was an honorable man—until a trip to visit her mother reveals that he was dishonorably discharged from the army. Olivia is even more shocked to learn that he was brutally murdered because someone at his company suspected him of selling corporate secrets. Refusing to believe that her father was a scoundrel, Olivia won't rest until she proves his innocence.

Enlisting the help of her boyfriend, Gav, Olivia must reach out to her father's colleagues to discover the truth behind his murder. What she's about to discover may not only put her at risk, but threaten national security as well.

A Function of Murder: A Professor Sophie Knowles Mystery #3 By Ada Madison Berkley Prime Crime

Dr. Sophie Knowles is a math professor with a knack for creating complex puzzles that delight her students. But now, at the close of the academic year, she must solve a crime that doesn't quite add up.

At the math department's graduation party, Sophie hears heated arguments coming from the graduates about Mayor Graves, the commencement speaker. Not the mayor's biggest fan, Sophie is happy to escape the drama with an after–hours campus stroll accompanied by her helicopter–piloting boyfriend, Bruce Granville. However, their date is interrupted by the mayor himself—with a knife in his back.

As it turns out, the knife is actually a Henley College letter opener—something that is gifted to every member of the graduating class. Sophie is led to a complicated puzzle of scandal and corruption, and it seems that Mayor Graves is at the apex of it all. When Sophie finds out that the mayor was seeking her help on the day he was murdered, she must use her top–notch logic to crack the puzzle and catch the killer running free on campus.

The Silence of the Llamas: A Black Sheep Knitting Mystery By Anne Canadeo Gallery Books

Ellie and Ben Krueger arrived in Plum Harbor eager to live out their dream— tending a herd of gentle, friendly llamas for fun and profit, on a farm just beyond the village. Their grand opening fiber festival kicks off on a bright note but abruptly ends in malicious mayhem. Knitting shop owner Maggie Messina and her friends soon learn that this is not the first time a vicious visitor has called.

The Kruegers suspect that Justin Ridley, their eccentric neighbor, is the troublemaker. A misfit and loner, he's known to roam the woods all night, though no one knows for sure what he's hunting. Then there's Angelica Rossi—the lovely owner of a rival fiber farm—who's been as busy as a spider, spinning spiteful lies about the Kruegers' yarns. Or, are the naïve newcomers merely caught in the tangle of Plum Harbor politics, and an intense land protection debate?

Suddenly, vandalism turns to murder—and the Kruegers' dream descends into a nightmare. The Black Sheep knitters must pull the threads together and uncover this crafty menace . . . before more lives—and more llamas— are lost.

A Piper Donavon Wedding Cake Mystery By Mary Jane Clark William Morrow Books

It's the dead of winter and struggling actress and wedding-cake decorator Piper Donovan is thrilled to be in warm and romantic Sarasota, Florida, enjoying the powdery white beaches, soothing seas, and golden sunsets over the Gulf of Mexico. She and her family are there to celebrate her beloved cousin's wedding. Not only is Piper creating the sugar-sand-dollar-festooned wedding cake, she's also the maid of honor.

But a cloud seems to be hovering over the whole affair. Shortly after a bridesmaid mysteriously disappears, a kindly neighbor's car is run off the road and a prospective witness, an innocent Amish teenager, is threatened to keep silent. Then a body is found on the beach where the wedding will take place. With the nuptials threatened, it falls to Piper to unmask a killer. Could it be the wedding planner with something to hide? A doctor and his wife who collect unusual Japanese figurines? The best man, an ex–drug dealer with lecherous eyes and roving hands? What about her cousin's future stepfather—or even the bridegroom himself?

As Piper gets close to figuring out who's been covering his guilty footprints in the sand, the cunning killer has already set his sights on Piper as his next victim!

Hopefully you’ll find something that peaks your interests among these books! I leave you with wishes for a happy and prosperous New Year! Until next month, Cozy Reading, Ya’ll!