Wow, where did the year go? It's already November, Christmas commercials are
already playing on television, and I'm still nibbling on Halloween candy!
The good thing about November is that it signals the beginning of cooler (ok,
cold for some of you!) weather, and that signals perfect COZY MYSTERY reading
time! There are some great books out this month — so let's get right to
it!
Hardbacks:
MRS. JEFFRIES AND THE
MISTLETOE MIX-UP: A Victorian Mystery #29
By Emily
Brightwell
Berkley, $23.95
Ring in the season with another Mrs. Jeffries tale of holiday homicide. Under a
bundle of mistletoe, art collector Daniel McCourt lies with his throat slit, a
bloody sword next to his body. Inspector Witherspoon is determined to solve the
case—preferably before the eggnog is ladled out on Christmas
Eve—but of course he will require assistance from the always sharp-witted
housekeeper, Mrs. Jeffries, who has a few of her own theories on why McCourt
had to die by the sword.
BEHIND THE
SEAMS: A Crochet Mystery #6
By Betty
Hechtman
Berkley; $24.95
Tarzana Hookers learn that the entertainment biz can be deadly. The crochet
group's informal leader, actress CeeCee Collins, has a movie out, and thanks to
the Oscar buzz, she's scheduled to appear on the famous Barbara Olive Overton
Show. Molly and the girls tag along, but when CeeCee's niece Nell— a
production assistant on the show—is accused of poisoning one of the
producers, Molly and the Hookers must set aside their crochet projects to clear
Nell's name. And if they don't soon, someone else will be the next Hollywood
headline
CAT
TELLING TALES: A Joe Grey Mystery #17
By Shirley
Rousseau Murphy
William Morrow; $19.99
Even the bright seaside village of Molena Point has been hit hard by the
economic downturn, bringing a rash of foreclosures in which many residents are
abandoning their family pets. While feline P. I. Joe Grey's human friends join
together to care for the starving cats, a fire leaves a twelve-year-old boy
homeless. The body of his alcoholic guardian is discovered in the smoldering
ruins, causing Joe to wonder if escape was really impossible for the elderly
woman or if something more sinister occurred. Meanwhile, Debbie Kraft descends
uninvited on the Damens' home with her two children, claiming that her ex-
husband has left her with no money and nowhere else to go. But when Joe learns
that the victim of the fire was Debbie's estranged mother and that Debbie is
not broke at all but carrying plenty of cash, his fur is on end with suspicion.
As Debbie's abandoned tomcat follows her all the way down the coast from Oregon
with his own clues to add to the mix, Joe learns that Debbie's Realtor ex-
husband may be involved in a number of intricate real estate scams.
Furthermore, his sales partner may be missing, and while Joe and his pals prowl
through the dead woman's house, they discover that her reclusive neighbor has
disappeared as well.
But it's not until Debbie's tomcat arrives that Joe and his feline detective
pals find the biggest clue of all: a grave that the cops have missed. And as
the pieces of the puzzle begin to come together, tortoiseshell Kit sees her own
dreams coming true in the handsome new cat with whom she might share her life's
adventures.
Trade-Paperback:
THE GINGERBREAD BUMP-OFF: A
Fresh-Baked Mystery #6
By Livia
J. Washburn
Obsidian; $14.00
A Christmas killer has been icing Phylis Newsom's friends in the sixth Fresh-
Baked mystery. Not only will Phyllis Newsom's house be featured in the annual
Christmas Jingle Bell Tour of Homes, she also has a Christmas Eve bridal shower
and a New Year's Eve wedding to bake goodies for. But like her tasty treats,
she rises to the occasion. Before the tour gets under way, Phyllis makes a
gruesome discovery on her porch: someone has tried to kill her friend. As
Santa's naughty list gets longer, Phyllis tries to catch a half-baked
killer.
HERALD OF
DEATH: A Special Pennyfoot Hotel Mystery #9
By Kate
Kingsbury
Berkley; $15.00
A dark spirit threatens the Pennyfoot's shiny and bright Christmas... The
Christmas Angel is a welcome sight during the winter season—but not this
year. A killer is afoot in Badger's End, cutting a lock of hair from his
victims and sticking a gold angel on their foreheads. Cecily Sinclair Baxter
already promised her husband that she'd take a hiatus from sleuthing. But three
killings have created a blizzard of bad publicity—and guests are
canceling their hotel reservations. She will have to find the angel of death
before he strikes again, leaving murder under the tree.....
Paperback:
DANGEROUS
ALTERATIONS: A Southern Sewing Circle #5
By Elizabeth Lynn
Casey
Berkley Prime Crime, $7.99
When Tori Sinclair's philandering ex turns up dead, the police chief believes
it was murder—and that Tori may have been involved. Now, only the girls
from the sewing circle will be able to help keep her life from coming apart at
the seams...
(Elizabeth Lynn
Casey's Southern Sewing Mysteries are always a great joy to read, and I'm
so excited for the fifth story in this ongoing tell of sassy Southerness to be
out! Try them – you'll LOVE them!!)
HICKORY
SMOKED HOMICIDE: A Memphis BBQ Mystery #3
By Riley
Adams
Berkley Prime Crime; $7.99
BBQ-joint owner Lulu Taylor knows pretty much everyone in Memphis who lives
ribs. But one person she'd rather not know is Tristan Pembroke, a snooty
pageant couch with a mean streak. When she finds Tristan's dead body stuffed in
a closet at a party, the police are suspicious—especially since Lulu's
developed a taste for being in the wrong place at the wrong time. Caught in a
situation stickier than molasses, Lulu must clear her name, or risk getting
fried...
ANGEL
CONDEMNED: A Beaufort & Company Mystery #5
By Mary
Stanton
Berkley Prime Crime; $7.99
Representing her Aunt Cissy's fiancé, museum curator Prosper White, in a case
of fraud, attorney and celestial advocate Brianna Winston-Beaufort hopes to
settle the matter out of court. But when Prosper is murdered and Cissy's
arrested for the crime, Bree will have to solve the mystery of the Cross of
Justinian—an artifact of interest in both Prosper's lawsuit and Bree's
celestial case—to clear her aunt's name.
DEATH ON A
PLATTER: A Josie Marcus, Mystery Shopper Mystery
#7
By Elaine
Viets
Obsidian; $7.99
Josie Marcus plans to savor sampling the local St. Louis cuisine for a City
Eats food tour. But her appetite is ruined at Tillie's Off the Hill Italian
Restaurant when another customer is poisoned. Was the victim the real
target—or is someone trying to ruin Tillie's reputation? It's up to Josie
to find a killer who has no reservations about preparing a dish to die
for.
TO CATCH A
LEAF: A Flower Shop Mystery #12
By Kate
Collins
Obsidian; $7.99
Flower shop owner Abby Knight is aglow with happiness now that she's officially
engaged to her longtime beau, Marco Salvare. Nothing can possibly dampen her
joy—until wealthy dowager Virginia Newport is killed, and Abby's
assistant Grace Bingham is the prime suspect. The plot thickens when they
stumble upon mysterious stolen art and a missing cat, all part of an elaborate
heist. Before Abby can throw her bouquet, she'll have to save her friend and
throw a killer and a thief in jail.
WHO DO, VOODOO?
: A Mind For Murder Mystery (Debut Series)
By Rochelle Staab
Berkley Prime Crime; $7.99
WHO DO, VOODOO? the
first novel in Rochelle's thrilling new Mind for Murder Mystery series features
no-nonsense Liz Cooper, a Los Angeles psychologist forced to embrace the occult
to clear her best friend of murder. When Liz Cooper's friend Robin Bloom finds
an unusual tarot card tacked to her front door, Liz writes it off as a prank.
Robin refuses to ignore the omen—her late husband drew the same card, the
three of swords, in a reading the night before he was killed in a car accident.
As more cards and darker threats appear, Liz realizes someone very dangerous is
upping the ante.
Liz turns to her brother's ex-college roommate, occult expert Nick Garfield. As
Nick leads her into the voodoo community to locate the origin of the deck, she
can't ignore their attraction to each other. Then a woman is found murdered and
Robin becomes the prime suspect. Determined to clear her friend, Liz joins
forces with Nick to unravel otherworldly secrets and seek help from
beyond—or risk being outwitted by a cunning killer.
Hope Everyone has a wonderful month, and Happy Thanksgiving to all! Cozy
Reading, Ya'll!
2 comments posted.
Oooh they all look so good. Now I have to find time to read during this very busy season
(Nancy L Gessner 10:13am November 24, 2011)