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Mummy’s Locket (Mallory Grayson Mysteries)
by Nan S. Russell

Mummy’s Locket (Mallory Grayson Mysteries)
Cozy Mystery
1st in Series
Setting – New York State
Publisher ‏ : ‎ Next Chapter
Publication date ‏ : ‎ May 25, 2026
Print length ‏ : ‎ 308 pages
Hardcover
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 482417029X
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-4824170293
Paperback
Publication date ‏ : ‎ May 1, 2026
Print length ‏ : ‎ 306 pages
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 979-8195110321
ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0GZ8JW9P4
Digital
ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0GZ6XLDDB

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The truth doesn’t stay buried forever.

After losing everything, Mallory Grayson retreats to a quiet town, hoping a vintage shop and a fresh start will help her rebuild her life. But when the mummified body of her long-missing great-grandmother is discovered, Mallory is pulled into a mystery.

Clues hidden in heirlooms, a secret room, and a past lover’s return offer answers … if she’s willing to risk everything to uncover them. In a story steeped in secrets and history, her courage may be the only thing that can break the curse.

The past and present collide in MUMMY’S LOCKET, the first book in the Mallory Grayson Mysteries series by Nan S. Russell.

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About Author Nan S. Russell

With both a bachelor’s and master’s in psychology, Nan S. Russell was fired from her first professional job. Taking a minimum wage position to pay the rent, sixteen promotions later, she decided to end a successful corporate career as a Vice President of a multibillion-dollar East Coast company, to pursue a life dream to live and write from the Rocky Mountains, first in northwestern Montana and now along the Front Range of Colorado. With a desire to help others live their dreams, too, she turned her real-world experience into writing award winning non-fiction career and business books and articles, and became a speaker and consultant on leadership, trust, and culture development. But she always knew she wanted to write fiction, too. That point arrived during the pandemic pause which provided the catalyst for rethinking her writing and its purpose, sparking the decision to move towards fiction with more time to study the craft, take online classes, hone skills and work on her first novel. Now, she is living her second dream: Writing mysteries. Mummy’s Locket is her debut novel and the first in her Mallory Grayson series. More at www.nanrussell.com.

Author Links: Website / Blog / Facebook / X / Threads / Instagram

BlueSky / LinkedIn / Pinterest / Etsy / Goodreads

Purchase Links:
Universal Link to 8 book sellers: Mummy’s Locket | Universal Book Links Help You Find Books at Your Favorite Store!
Amazon     Barnes & Noble    Apple Books

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The Secret in the Sampler: A Plain Truth Mystery
by Abigail B. Hartwell

The Secret in the Sampler: A Plain Truth Mystery
Amish Adjacent Cozy Mystery with Slow-Burn Romance
1st in Series
Setting – Ohio
Publisher ‏ : ‎ Plain Truth Press
Publication date ‏ : ‎ May 31, 2026
Print length ‏ : ‎ 358 pages
Digital ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0GX372D82
Paperback Coming Soon!

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What would you do if the family heirloom hidden in your aunt’s estate could expose a stolen inheritance—and make you the next person someone needs silenced?

Two years after losing her husband, Nora Bell returns to the quiet Ohio Amish-country town of Briar Creek to settle her late aunt’s estate. She expects dusty type drawers, unpaid bills, and enough sympathy casseroles to survive a minor siege. Reopening The Bell & Quill, Aunt Lenora’s old letterpress and stationery shop, is supposed to be a temporary project—not the beginning of an entirely new life.

Then Nora discovers an antique hand-stitched sampler concealed inside a cedar trunk.

Its mismatched initials, reversed border, and nearly invisible name suggest that the sampler is more than a family keepsake. It may be the only surviving record of a child erased from Briar Creek’s history—and an inheritance quietly stolen decades ago.

Before Nora can uncover what her aunt knew, a local estate appraiser is found dead. He had been asking questions about the sampler, searching for a missing auction ledger, and meeting privately with someone determined to keep an old land transfer from being examined too closely.

Now Nora is following a trail of altered records, old letters, disputed property, and carefully guarded family secrets. Her unexpected ally is Eli Yoder, a reserved Amish widower and auction clerk who knows Briar Creek’s family histories almost as well as he knows when people are refusing to tell the truth.

Eli’s dry humor and steady presence make him useful. The grief he recognizes in Nora makes him dangerous in an entirely different way.

As suspicion spreads through the Amish farms, antique shops, auction houses, and polished tourist businesses surrounding Briar Creek, Nora realizes the sampler does not simply reveal what happened in the past. It threatens someone’s money, reputation, and future.

And the person who killed to keep its secret hidden may already know Nora has begun to unravel the pattern.

Readers will discover:

• A clever, emotionally grounded amateur sleuthwhose knowledge of printing, paper, handwriting, and design helps her notice what others overlook.
• An atmospheric Amish-country settingfilled with rural roads, estate auctions, quilt work, family businesses, and small-town secrets.
• A layered, low-gore cozy mystery involving an antique sampler, a hidden heir, altered records, and a disputed inheritance.
• A clean, chaste slow-burn romance between two widowed people rebuilding their lives through trust rather than instant attraction.
• Warm community characters and lightly witty dialogue without turning the mystery into slapstick.
• A satisfying standalone investigation that opens the door to more secrets from The Bell & Quill.

The Secret in the Sampler is the first novel in The Plain Truth Mysteries, a gentle Amish-adjacent cozy mystery series about old objects, hidden histories, rural grudges, and the truths people leave behind on paper and cloth.

Perfect for fans of Amanda Flower’s Assaulted Caramel, Laura Bradford’s Hearse and Buggy, and Vannetta Chapman’s Falling to Pieces.

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About Author Abigail B. Hartwell

Short – Abigail B. Hartwell, aka Abby, writes warm Amish-country-adjacent cozy mysteries rooted in rural Ohio, where handmade clues, old family secrets, quiet faith, and plainspoken women bring buried truths into the light.

Long – Abigail B. Hartwell writes gentle Amish-adjacent cozy mysteries rooted in the small towns and wooded backroads of east-central Ohio. Though she is not Amish, she lives near Amish communities and draws inspiration from the region’s quiet rhythms, close-knit families, old stories, and rural traditions. She shares a modest home on five wooded acres with her long-haul truck driver husband. They have two grown daughters and three grandchildren. When she is not writing, Abigail enjoys church activities, family time, and the peaceful beauty of the Ohio countryside.

Social Media Links: Instagram / Facebook / Website / Amazon

Purchase Links – Amazon Book  Amazon Series 

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August 21 – Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book – SPOTLIGHT

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August 26 – Ascroft, eh? – CHARACTER INTERVIEW

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Masked Intentions: A Camera Club Mystery
by Kara Lacey

Masked Intentions: A Camera Club Mystery
Cozy Mystery
2nd in Series
Setting – Vermont
Publisher ‏ : ‎ Level Best Books
Publication date ‏ : ‎ January 27, 2026
Print length ‏ : ‎ 270 pages
Paperback
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 979-8898200619
ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0GJJKL34G
Digital
ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0GGM6PLJN

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It’s autumn in Vermont, and the mountains are ablaze with color, just in time for Stonebridge’s annual harvest festival. The village is swarming with leaf-peeping tourists, and the celebration is off to a jubilant start as residents gather for their favorite kick-off event: a masquerade party on the village green. But the crisp fall air turns chilling when a party guest is found lifeless and another is whisked away in an ambulance, on the verge of death.

Photographer Bobbie Brooks vows to leave the investigation to the professionals until a tearful plea from a friend causes her to shift her focus from merriment to murder. The Stonebridge Keep it Snappy Shutter Club is on another case as Bobbie plunges into the world of herbal poisons and masked motives. The truth is concealed in the details captured through her lens. But as everything comes into focus, Bobbie finds herself in danger once again. Can she unmask the killer before the killer zooms in on her?

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The Rosebud Café’s Apple Crumb Muffins

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Thank you for allowing me to share one of the recipes for Rose’s muffins, which appear in Masked Intentions.

In the fictional village of Stonebridge, Vermont, the Rosebud Café is a favorite among locals and tourists alike. The owner, Rose Lavoie, is known for her baked goods and the best coffee around, which she serves with a friendly dose of banter.

Located in a Victorian-era home next door to my protagonist, Bobbie Brooks, The Rosebud is her daily hangout for coffee, chitchat, and crime-solving. As Bobbie’s best friend, Rose is always willing to lend an ear and brings her unmatched enthusiasm for any adventure Bobbie throws her way.

Excerpt below from “Taste of Stonebridge” recipe booklet (free for subscribers at https://karalacey.substack.com )

“Hey, girl,” Rose called out as I entered the Rosebud Café.

The festival crowd had turned the coffee shop into a madhouse. I made a beeline to the only empty stool at the counter.

“I’ve only got a minute,” Rose said before plunking a plate on the counter in front of me. “Apple muffins with an oh-so-yummy crumb topping. Hot from the oven, and simply to-die-for, if I do say so myself.”

The spicy scent of cinnamon wafted from the steaming muffin, and my mouth watered. “You’re a godsend.”

“Don’t you forget it.” Rose’s eyes twinkled. “Now, tell me the latest scoop.”

As I regaled my friend with all the latest from our ongoing investigation, I couldn’t help moaning—just a little—as I took a bite of the muffin. Soft and buttery with the sweetness of fresh apples. It was perfection.

Apple Crumb Muffins

Ingredients:

For the Muffins:

• 1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ½ cup unsalted butter, softened
• ½ cup brown sugar
• ¼ cup granulated sugar
• 2 large eggs, at room temperature
• ½ cup yogurt or sour cream
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• ¼ cup milk
• 1 ½ cups peeled an chopped apples (1/2 inch dice)

For the Crumb Topping:

• 1/3 cup packed brown sugar (light or dark)
• 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 2/3 cup all-purpose flour
• ¼ cup unsalted butter, melted

Directions

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Spray or line a 12-count muffin tin

Make the Crumb Topping:

Mix brown sugar, cinnamon, and flour together in a medium bowl. Stir in melted butter, mixing with a fork. Set aside

Make the Muffins:

Beat softened butter and both sugars on high speed until smooth and creamy (about 2 minutes)
Add eggs, sour cream or yogurt, and vanilla. Beat on medium speed for another minute. Then turn to high and beat until creamy.
With mixer on low, add flour and milk, alternating until all flour is incorporated.
Fold in chopped apples.
Spoon batter into each cup. Add crumb topping.
Bake for 5 minutes. Without removing the pan from the oven, reduce temperature to 350 degrees and continue baking for 15-18 minutes.
Remove muffins from the oven and allow to cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to continue cooling.

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About Author Kara Lacey

Kara Lacey is the author of the Camera Club Mysteries. Along with her husband, she lives in a tiny village nestled in the beautiful Green Mountains of Vermont—the inspiration for her novels. Kara is a photography enthusiast who also enjoys hiking, skiing, and getting cozy with a good book. When she’s not at her laptop creating havoc for her characters, you can find her rambling through the forest with her husband and spirited Labrador retriever, camera in hand.

Kara is a member of Sisters in Crime, Sisters in Crime-New England.

Author Links: Instagram / Facebook / Website / SubStack / Goodreads / BookBub  

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

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A MURDERER’S GUIDE TO MARDI GRAS (Vintage Cookbook Mysteries)
by Ellen Byron

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
Print length ‏ : ‎ 240 pages
Hardcover
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1448320011
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1448320011
Digital
ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0H3TD242P

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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!

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About Author Ellen Byron

Ellen is a bestselling author, Anthony nominee, and recipient of multiple Agatha and Lefty awards for her Cajun Country Mysteries, Vintage Cookbook Mysteries,  Catering Hall Mysteries (as Maria DiRico), and Golden Motel Mysteries. She is also an award-winning playwright and non-award-winning writer of TV hits like Wings, Just Shoot Me, and Fairly OddParents, but considers her most impressive achievement working as a cater-waiter for Martha Stewart.

A native New Yorker, Ellen is a graduate of Tulane University and lives in the Los Angeles area with her husband, daughter, and a rotating crew of rescue pups. Visit her at http://www.ellenbyron.com/.

Author Links: Newsletter / Facebook / Facebook / Instagram /

BookBub / BookBub / Goodreads

Purchase Links – Amazon –Bookshop.org – B&N – Hudson Books – 

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The Mysterious Case of the Missing House
(The Redemption Detective Agency)
by Michele Pariza Wacek

The Mysterious Case of the Missing House (The Redemption Detective Agency)
Cozy Mystery
4th in Series
Setting – Redemption, Wisconsin, in the 1990s
Publisher ‏ : ‎ Love-Based Publishing
Publication date ‏ : ‎ July 15, 2026
Number of Pages 177
ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0FMT7ST5F

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Emily has a big decision in front of her. But before she can make it, Amelia Clark, one of Aunt Tilde’s friends call The Redemption Detective Agency with an emergency.

Apparently Amelia can’t get a hold of her niece, who’s been house sitting, and she’s worried that her niece forgot to water her rose bushes.

Should be fairly straight forward, right? Drive to the house, see if the niece is there, and make sure the roses aren’t dead as well.

Except…the house is no longer there. It’s now a fancy health club.

Nor is the niece.

Needless to say, Emily has no choice but to figure out what happened to Amelia’s house and her niece before she makes any decisions about her career. Or her love life.

A spin-off from the Charlie Kingsley Mystery series! The Redemption Detective Agency is a funny, twisty, romcom cozy mystery series set in the 1990s featuring silver sleuths solving cold cases, cats, dogs and an opposites attract love triangle. Great for fans of the Thursday Murder Club.

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About Author Michele Pariza Wacek

A USA Today Bestselling, award-winning author, Michele taught herself to read at 3 years old because she wanted to write stories so badly. It took some time (and some detours) but she does spend much of her time writing stories now. Mystery stories, to be exact. They’re clean and twisty, and range from psychological thrillers to cozies, with a dash of romance and supernatural thrown into the mix. If that wasn’t enough, she posts lots of fun things on her blog, including short stories, puzzles, recipes, and more, at MPWNovels.com.

Michele grew up in Wisconsin (hence why all her books take place there), and still visits regularly, but she herself escaped the cold and now lives in the mountains of Prescott, Arizona, with her husband and southern squirrel hunter Cassie.

When she’s not writing, she’s usually reading, hanging out with her dog, or watching the Food Network and imagining she’s an awesome cook. (Spoiler alert, she’s not. Luckily for the whole family, Mr. PW is in charge of the cooking.)

Author Links
WebsiteFacebookInstagram

Purchase Link – Amazon

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