Image by Jonny Lindner from Pixabay
Good morning, Good afternoon, and Good evening to all my favorite readers! New Year’s flew by with a bit of hog jowl, greens, black eyed peas, and cornbread (Yep, I live in the South!), and now I’m ready for a banner year. Since I’m knee deep in mystery writing (check out this post about The Kaitlynn Dahl Mysteries), I thought it’d be nice to highlight some books I’ve read recently. And I’m adding one that I’m currently reading to my kiddos for good measure. I’ll call this “Cozy Mystery Books I’ve Read” and will continue this theme when I’ve stockpiled a few. P.S. Sorry for the weird formatting! I’m just a writer living in a computer world, and I’ve taken the midnight train going anywhere…
Cozy Mystery
Obviously, I’ve included cozy mysteries. Duh! But their great for mystery lovers everywhere. The first one is from Lorna Barrett, and thankfully she’s written quite a few in this series. On the “Books I’ve Read” list, this is the first of a series, and it even comes with scrumptious recipes. Enjoy!
Cozy Mystery Book 1
Murder Is Binding by Lorna Barrett
Purchase here!
The streets of Stoneham, New Hampsire are lined with bookstores…and paved with murder.
When she moved to Stoneham, city slicker Tricia Miles met nothing but friendly faces. And when she opened her mystery bookstore, she met friendly competition. But when she finds Doris Gleason dead in her own cookbook store, killed by a carving knife, the atmosphere seems more cutthroat than cordial. Someone wanted to get their hands on the rare cookbook that Doris had recently purchased-and the locals think that someone is Tricia. To clear her name, Tricia will have to take a page out of one of her own mysteries-and hunt down someone who isn’t killing by the book.
Cozy Mystery Book 2
This second book on my list of “Cozy Mystery Books I’ve Read” is to die for. Too much?! Moving right along, then let’s see how well you do on figuring out the murderer! By the way, I’ll never look at the color pink the same way again.
A High-End Finish by Kate Carlisle
Buy here!
In the seaside town of Lighthouse Cove in northern California, everyone knows the best man for the job is actually a woman—contractor Shannon Hammer. But while Shannon can do wonders with a power drill and a little elbow grease, she’s about to discover that some problems aren’t so easily fixed….
Shannon’s home-renovation and repair business is booming, but her love life needs work. On a blind date with real estate agent Jerry Saxton, she has to whip out a pair of pliers to keep Jerry from getting too hands on. Shannon is happy to put her rotten date behind her, but when Jerry’s found dead in a run-down Victorian home that she’s been hired to restore, the town’s attractive new police chief suspects that her threats may have laid the foundation for murder. Determined to clear her name, Shannon conducts her own investigation—with the help of her four best friends, her eccentric father, a nosy neighbor or two, and a handsome crime writer who’s just moved to town. But as they get closer to prying out the murderer’s identity, Shannon is viciously attacked. Now she’ll have to nail down the truth—or end up in permanent foreclosure….
Cozy Mystery Book 3
And the third book on my list of “Cozy Mystery Books I’ve Read” comes the Hannah Swensen Mysteries by Joanne Fluke. I’m currently reading this beauty, and I have to say that I’m dying salivating over the recipes. Definitely a keeper and one to keep you on your toes. Not only can you read the series, but you also get to watch some movies. Hallmark Movies & Mysteries has made this bad boy into a series with Alison Sweeney. So what are you waiting for? And don’t forget the milk!
Chocolate Chip Cookie Murder by Joanne Fluke
Buy here!
Joanne Fluke’s bestselling Chocolate Chip Cookie Murder is coming to Hallmark Movies & Mysteries as Murder She Baked: A Chocolate Chip Cookie Murder Mystery starring Alison Sweeney, Cameron Mathison, Gabriel Hogan and Barbara Niven.
Take one amateur sleuth. Mix in some eccentric Minnesota locals. Add a generous dollop of crackling suspense, and you’ve got the recipe for this delicious new mystery series featuring Hannah Swensen, the red-haired, cookie-baking heroine whose gingersnaps are almost as tart as her mouth and whose penchant for solving crime is definitely stirring things up.
Chocolate Chip Cookie Murder
Hannah already has her hands full trying to dodge her mother’s attempts to marry her off while running The Cookie Jar, Lake Eden’s most popular bakery. But once Ron LaSalle, the beloved delivery man from the Cozy Cow Dairy, is found murdered behind her bakery with Hannah’s famous Chocolate Chip Crunchies scattered around him, her life just can’t get any worse. Determined not to let her cookies get a bad reputation, she sets out to track down a killer. But if she doesn’t watch her back, Hannah’s sweet life may get burned to a crisp.
Children’s Magical Fantasy
Book 4
Finally, the last book on my “Cozy Mystery Books I’ve Read” list is NOT a cozy mystery. Although, it IS a fantastic children’s magical fantasy similar in nature to J.K. Rowling’s Hogwarts. This, too, I’m currently reading, but it’s out loud to my kiddos. However, it’s a must read for anyone that loves spells, potions, and dark creepy villains. It’ll keep you riveted from the first to the last page!
Archie Greene and the Alchemists’ Curse by D.D. Everest
Buy here!
Archie Greene and his fellow Flame Keepers return in the action-packed sequel to Archie Greene and the Magician’s Secret. Middle grade readers will love this new installment in a favorite fantasy series. Perfect for fans of Linda Sue Park’s Wing and Claw and J. A. White’s Thickety series.
It’s been nearly three hundred years since anyone’s received the Golden Circle firemark, but when the symbol appears on Archie’s palm, it marks the resurgence of the Alchemists’ Club and its dreaded curse.
Archie Greene is doomed, and he’s got the firemark to prove it. The last time the Golden Circle appeared, the marked apprentices were never heard from again. The rebirth of the Alchemists’ Club is met with uneasiness, but it’s clear the present is not so different from the past. The charms protecting the magical texts the Flame Keepers have sworn to look after are fading. If the spells are not rewritten, the little magic left in the world may fall into the hands of the dangerous Greaders.
But can Archie and his friends rewrite the magic in time or will the Alchemists’ curse strike once more?
Well, that’s it, folks! If you’re searching for a good book to curl up with, then consider the above. And if you have a good book suggestion, please comment below or email me at kduptonauthor@gmail.com. I love to hear from you! Until next time,
Happy reading!
K.D.
