A quaint riverside town holds many secrets … and the only ones who’ve seen it all are the critters.
This book club dives (literally!) into the pages of a cozy mystery. The quirky group must solve the mystery to get out of the book. It’s so much fun – you’ll wish you had a book club like this!
In this journey, they choose a book set in a lovely riverside town. They land in a charming neighborhood and find they are part of a local book club. They are having a great time – and then a dead body shows up. (Of course it does!)
The clues to what happened come to them in a unique way – via the critters in the house.
As usual, the club finds plenty of time to enjoy the unique setting of their journey, as they solve the mystery – one critter at a time.
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About Author Elizabeth Pantley
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Elizabeth writes well-loved cozy mysteries in two series: The Destiny Falls Mystery & Magic book series and the Magical Mystery Book Club series.
Elizabeth lives in the Pacific Northwest and Arizona, two very different places. Both are rich, gorgeous, natural places, and inspire the settings in many of her books.
Case of the Curved Staircase: A Macaroni on Wheels Mystery by S.K. Derban
Case of the Curved Staircase: A Macaroni on Wheels Mystery Cozy Mystery 2nd in Series Setting – Little Italy, San Diego and San Diego Bay Publisher : S.K. Derban Publication date : August 27, 2025 Paperback Print length : 302 pages ISBN-10 : 196318811X ISBN-13 : 978-1963188110 Digital Print length : 273 pages ISBN-13 : 978-1963188103 ASIN : B0FHM8HSH4 Audiobook ASIN B0FW1BJKX1
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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…
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About Author S.K. Derban
S.K. Derban resides with her husband in Southern California. Although born in the United States she moved to London within the first three months, and remained in England until the age of five. Her father, an American citizen, was a decorated veteran of the Second World War. Her British mother was involved with the London Royal Ballet Company, and a great fan of the arts. After returning to the United States, Derban’s life remained filled with a love of the theatre, and a passion for British murder mysteries.
S.K. Derban’s personal travel and missionary escapades are readily apparent as they shine through into her characters. Readers are often transported virtually across the globe. She has traveled to Hong Kong on five separate occasions to smuggle Bibles into China, and has been to Israel on seven missionary trips. Derban’s other adventures include visits to Bangkok, Greece, Egypt, Italy, and the Caribbean.
Beginning with her faith in the Lord, S.K. Derban relies on all aspects of her life when writing. She hopes her books will allow readers to go on holiday without having to pack!
Dying can bring out the best in people. It can also bring out the worst of secrets. If you want to know someone’s dirty secrets, kill them. It works every time.
Oliver “Tuck” Tucker, the dead detective, is back—not just for another case, but from the dead—or vice versa. It all starts when a Federal Agent is killed by a mysterious force in front of dozens of witnesses—including Angel, his historian wife, and Tuck. Among the many suspects is a dark, clandestine Federal agency responsible for advanced research and weaponry, a university doctoral candidate who won’t stay dead, and the leader of a secret southern society bent on rekindling the Civil War. With the aid of a ten-year-old psychic and the spirit of Tuck’s Civil War grandmother—Sally Elizabeth Mosby—Tuck has to stay one step ahead of the Feds who are hellbent on capturing him—alive? But through all this, what’s a two-hundred-year-old lost fortune in gold got to do with dead agents, secret death rays, and rogue policemen?
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DYING WITH A SECRET Trailer:
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Book Details:
Genre: Paranormal Mystery, PI Cozy Mystery
Published by: Level Best Books Publication Date: December 9, 2025 Number of Pages: 324 ISBN: 979-8898201111 (pbk) Series: The Dead Detective Casefiles, Book 4
Ooh, I read the description for this fourth book in the series and my face had such a big grin. Federal agent killed by a mysterious force? Who would be better to solve the crime than a dead detective. Yep. Tuck is back on the case and this one is really testing him. He needs help and his crew steps up to the plate.
Psychics, federal agents, conspiracy, and….. a two hundred year old fortune in gold. So many answers to seek. so much adventure. Who or what is killing agents? Will Tuck and his crew stay out of federal clutches? Who will find the gold? Or, will it be found? I wanted those answers. Read a bunch. Read some more. Raced to the ending. I enjoyed this one every bit as much as the other three. So much fun!
Dying can bring out the best in people. It can also bring out the worst of secrets. Oh, not only about the dead—sure, that’s when everyone starts whispering about the dearly departed. No, I’m talking about the secrets of the living who are left behind. Sometimes, those people get brazen about their dastardly deeds when someone involved in those deeds dies. They don’t always keep them well hidden. Often, too, a death sheds too much light on too many people. Light others would rather not be in—like Wyle E. Coyote’s oncoming train in the tunnel. It can be too revealing for some. Blinding for others. One secret often leads to another. Another death. And by another death, I mean murder. So, if you want to know who your friends are, or what they’re truly up to, kill one. It works every time. What makes me so sure? Murder is my thing. I’m a homicide cop in the historic Virginia city of Winchester. Winchester has a hell of a murder rate that most don’t know about. I know because I’ve solved more than twenty murders in the last few years alone. Well, seventeen to be precise. Three deaths were accidents and suicides—not something I tell stories about. But the other seventeen—phew, what a rush. As you can see, I’m an expert on the dead. More about that later. At the moment, it was a beautiful August afternoon in Winchester, Virginia. As always on these beautiful August days in Winchester, it was hot as, er, … it was hot. Luckily, instead of being in the dog days of summer, I sat in the air conditioning atop a stack of wooden crates in our local library, ogling the beautiful woman working across the room from me. Her auburn hair flowed around her shoulders like a silk veil, and her green eyes sparkled even in the dark. At thirty-eight, she had the hourglass figure a twenty-year-old would die for—and today it was wrapped in jeans and a denim shirt with her sleeves rolled up to her elbows. This lady’s charm and intelligence radiated an allure that stole my heart the moment I pulled her over for an undeserved speeding ticket back in the day. Sure, sure, it was unethical. Hey, I didn’t give her the ticket after securing a date. Fortunately, the statute of limitations on cheesy pickup ploys expired years ago. This lady was doing her best to ignore me—difficult as it was—though she wanted nothing more than to get lost in my affections. No, really, it’s true. Full disclosure. This angel was formally Dr. Angela Hill Tucker, Assistant Dean and Chairwoman of History at the Mosby Center for American Studies, University of the Shenandoah Valley. Yep, my wife. Today, she was researching a new historical find in the Lower-Level Research Room at the Handley Library, a local historical landmark. The Lower Level is actually the library’s finished basement. Since it’s a classy place, they call it the Lower Level. Angel sat at a cluttered wooden desk beside crates of documents discovered in a formerly undiscovered sub-basement at the Winchester Courthouse—another historic building. Yeah, I know, we have a lot of historic buildings in town. That’s because Winchester dates back to George Washington’s day, and we’ve played a big part in American history ever since. Anyway, she had just opened one of the six large, wooden crates to begin work. The first few items she took out were more of the same as many of the other crates—folded files tied with leather straps. There were a few land maps and surveyors’ drawings, and an old silver-plate photograph of a family standing around a horse carriage with grim, pasty faces. Angel was in heaven—pardon the pun. She spent much of her life in rooms just like this one, doing what she was now doing—researching old stuff. Okay, it’s historically significant old stuff. The other part of her life she spent in pursuit of her real passion—trying to be a crack detective like me. Oh, I’m her real passion, too. But don’t tell her I said that. It’s our secret. All day, I’d sat with my feet propped up on a crate, bored. I had on the same clothes as usual—blue jeans, running shoes, a blue Oxford button-down shirt, and a blue blazer. Angel once called my ensemble, ‘old guy sexy.’ I don’t know about the old guy—I’m only forty-one—but I’ll take the sexy part. “Hey, Angel,” I said, stretching. “How about we go grab takeout?” She ignored me. Not unusual. Not that she was so focused on her work, but because working at a small table across the room was her research assistant, Andy-somebody. She didn’t want to fluster him, so she just made believe I wasn’t around. We have this thing, you see. “Hey, it’s a beautiful summer day. Maybe steaks on the grill and wine?” She glanced up and gave me one of those “God, I want you” looks. Okay, maybe it was a “quiet, I’m working” look. “Angela?” The thin, shaggy-haired assistant, Andrew Pellman, walked to the stack of crates beside her. He lifted one of the crates, grunted a little from the unexpected weight, and set it on the corner of her desk. “I’m done computerizing the inventory from crates one and two. Shall I get a head start on crate four while you finish crate three?” “No, Andrew. We’ll keep to our process.” She saw his face melt into a pout. Me, I would have let him cry, but she was the kind soul in the family. “Oh, all right. Go ahead and begin. Follow our guidelines closely. One document at a time. Identify, inventory, and scan what you can. Photograph any that won’t stand up to the scanning process. Andrew, be careful—very careful.” His face lit up. “Sure, Angela, I’ll be careful.” Pellman was a meek kid in his mid-twenties. He was working on his doctoral thesis at the university, and Angel was his dissertation advisor. I didn’t like him. Not one bit. I have a sixth sense about people. When he was around, my BS meter pings like it does with politicians and faux car warranty stalkers. Andy was a new class of “some people” that I hadn’t labeled yet. “I think you should call me Professor Tucker,” Angel said with an easy tone. “Let’s keep this professional. Okay?” “Yes, Professor Tucker.” “It’s not personal, Andrew.” He shrugged. “Okay.” Angel flipped through a document and stopped. She retrieved another and did a comparison. Finally, she looked over at Pellman. “Have you seen any references to ‘M35W?’ Do you recognize it from anything you’ve done?” “Why?” He walked to her worktable. “Is it important?” She shrugged. “I don’t know. It seems out of place. Like some kind of acronym or citation. Can you check your new research engine tomorrow?” “Sure, okay. It’ll give me a good test run on my changes to the algorithm.” His face beamed. “Thank you.” Andrew’s doctoral studies used computers to perform detailed research traditionally done by historians and doctoral students. One day, that program he wrote would likely replace those researchers with keyboards and mice—the electronic kind, not the crumb snatchers. You know, like self-checkout machines at the grocery store. You do all the work, and they charge you the same price. Then, they’ll fire five clerks who the machines replaced. Great plan, Andy. I wonder how many historians you’ll replace with your gadgets. “Thank you, Andrew.” Her cell rang, and she took the call. “Professor Tucker.” The caller had Angel’s complete attention. I knew that because she jotted some notes and checked her watch twice—all the while continuing to ignore me. So, it must have been really important, right? “Yes, of course. I’ll be right up.” “Professor Tucker?” Andrew asked. She glanced over at Andrew as she tapped off the call. “We’re done for the day, Andrew.” “Is something wrong?” he asked. “I can help.” “No, it’s fine. I have to meet someone up in the rotunda. We’ll start again in the morning.” She began straightening her papers and stuffing files into her worn, leather briefcase. “Who?” he asked. I said, “Never you mind, sonny-boy. You work for her, not the other way around.” I winked at Angel. “Millennials, right?” She hefted her briefcase. “Something to do with our Apple Harvest research.” “Okay.” He glanced at the crates of research. “Want me to gather up your research and get it to your car? There’s an awful lot here.” “Actually, yes. If you don’t mind.” She gave him the keypad code for her Explorer. “Leave my briefcase and the files beside it here. The rest can go in my vehicle. Please make sure it’s locked when you’re done. Thank you.” “Sure thing, Professor Tucker.” His face lit up. “See you in the morning.” I followed Angel through the Stewart Bell Jr. Archive Room, into the Lower Lobby, and up the stairs toward the main library entrance. “I don’t like him, Angel. He’s shifty.” “Shifty, Tuck?” Finally, she acknowledged me. I wore her down. “No one says ‘shifty’ anymore.” “It’s coming back in style.” She grinned and whispered, “Is that your detective-senses talking or because he stares at me when he thinks I’m not looking?” “He doesn’t stare. He ogles.” “Yes, he ogles.” “I can get Bear to check him—” “No, Tuck. He’s fine. I don’t like it when you’re jealous.” Me, jealous? No. It was purely a professional irritation I felt whenever Andy was around. Truly. We reached the first-floor hall that led into the main library rooms. There, she made her way into the rotunda at the library entrance. She stopped beside a high-back wood bench where Library Lil—the bronze statue of a young girl reading a book—sat. A tall, thin man about thirty stepped out of one of the meeting rooms along the west hallway. He glanced around before he headed our way. He wore dark slacks and a dark sport jacket over a white, button-down dress shirt that was untucked in that new-millennial style, and penny-loafers. He strode to us and looked around his entire trip. “That must be Special Agent Kerns with the DOD,” Angel whispered. “He called just now.” A fed? Interested in her research? I asked her that. “I don’t know. He said it was about my Apple Harvest research and that it was classified. Go wait somewhere.” “I am somewhere. I’m here.” She gave me the evil eye, so I meandered to a bench nearby. As Kerns approached, fingers began dancing up my spine—hot, pointy fingers. I didn’t like those fingers. Every time they did the mambo up my vertebrae, something bad happened in the next few beats. Kerns reached Angel, proffered a hand, and said something with a serious, tight expression on his face. Then, he hooked a thumb toward the main entrance doors. Angel shook his hand and smiled faintly, a sure sign she was unsure of him. Those fingers reached the base of my brain and squeezed… “Angel, get down!” I lunged forward and pulled her away from Kerns, down behind Library Lil’s bench. Kerns stood there, frozen in an eerie mist. His arms shot out sideways, and he seemed to lift onto his toes. His face contorted into a stunned, painful grimace. “Tuck?” Angel cried. “What’s happening to him?” Hell if I knew. Kerns’ entire body vibrated and shuddered. He staggered backward and collapsed onto the floor, writhing. The lights above us flickered wildly and went out. The original iron, brass, and blown-glass chandelier swayed dramatically two floors overhead. Its lights flickered and went dark. When I glanced back at Kerns lying on the floor, I cringed. Blood flowed from his ears, nose, and mouth. It seeped from his eye sockets, where his eyeballs looked like soft-boiled eggs stewing in their sockets. His hands and fingers were dark red and bony. His face and neck had oddly sunk, and his skin looked like it had been draped over his bones as though someone had sucked the tissue and muscle from beneath. He looked like he had melted inside. The only thing left of him was his clothes and a spreading pool of goo. Kerns was dead, sure enough. He’d been murdered, too, right in front of Angel and a dozen people. I knew no one had seen anything. No one heard anything. No one knew anything. Me included. Well, that’s not true. I knew something. Special Agent Kerns didn’t die of a heart attack because of a poor diet. He wasn’t killed by a sniper with a silenced rifle, a knife-throwing ninja assassin, or by an Amazonian’s blow dart. He died of something else. What killed him, I had no idea. But it scared the life out of me. *** Excerpt from Dying With A Secret by Tj O’Connor. Copyright 2025 by Tj O’Connor. Reproduced with permission from Tj O’Connor. All rights reserved.
About Author Tj O’Connor:
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Tj O’Connor is an award-winning author of mysteries and thrillers. He’s an international security consultant specializing in antiterrorism, investigations, and threat analysis—life experiences that drive his novels. With his former life as a government agent and years as a consultant, he has lived and worked around the world in places like Greece, Turkey, Italy, Germany, the United Kingdom, and throughout the Americas—among others. In his spare time, he’s a Harley Davidson pilot, a man-about-dogs (and now cats), and a lover of adventure, cooking, and good spirits (both kinds). He was raised in New York’s Hudson Valley and lives with his wife, Labs, and Maine Coon companions in Virginia where they raised five children who are supplying a growing tribe of grands.
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Captive Heart at Brantmar Castle: Mysteries of a Heart Series by Celeste Fenton
Captive Heart at Brantmar Castle: Mysteries of a Heart Series Cozy Mystery – Romantic Suspense 2nd in Series Setting – Dost Island (off the coast of Massachusetts) and the Scottish Highlands Publisher : Independently Published Publication date : September 22, 2025 Hardcover Print length : 305 pages ISBN-13 : 979-8266642805 Paperback Print length : 389 pages ISBN-13 : 979-8292238829 Digital ASIN : B0FNLY4WXK
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Gabby Heart travels to a remote Scottish castle with her best friend, Abe—a bestselling children’s author—expecting misty views, historic charm, and quiet time to plan their next book series. But Brantmar Castle holds more than ghosts of the past. When the women are taken hostage, Gabby must rely on her instincts, her resilience, and the help of men who may not deserve her trust to survive.
Meanwhile, on Dost Island, young residents are vanishing without a trace. As those left behind scramble for answers, unsettling clues emerge—leading to a dark motive no one could have predicted.
From the storm-swept highlands of Scotland to the rocky shores of New England, Captive Heart at Brantmar Castle blends mystery, emotional grit, simmering romance, and humor, in a story where secrets run deep… and time is running out.
Two mysteries. One fight for survival. And danger closing in from both sides of the sea.
A slow-burn romantic suspense with an edgy cozy mystery twist peppered with humor, Captive Heart at Brantmar Castle is perfect for fans of strong women over 40, amateur sleuths, brooding men with buried secrets, and adventure in small seaside towns and exotic locales hiding deadly truths.
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About Celeste Fenton
My writing is fueled by a lifelong love of mystery and a fascination with the complexities of the human heart. As a widow, mother of adult twin sons, proud grandmother, dog lover, and semi-retired educator, I believe I have enough real-world experience to weave imagination with insight to create stories rich with emotion and suspense.
When I’m not writing, reading, or plotting another plot twist, I like to explore small towns across America—setting out solo for month-long adventures much to the awe (and occasional alarm) of family and friends. My latest obsessions include escape rooms, mastering the perfect miter cut for a DIY bathroom remodel, training my cavalier spaniel to do a high five, and making the impossible decision of where to travel next.
In Skein Sight (Clear Creek Mysteries) by Rebecca McKinnon
In Skein Sight (Clear Creek Mysteries) Cozy Mystery 5th in Series Setting – Rocky Mountains – Independently Published Publication date : January 23, 2026 Digital ASIN : B0FTGHX7LG
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Spring has sprung in the Rocky Mountains, and Clear Creek is celebrating the arrival of the new season and increased tourism with a host of events — including a special cooking class taught by Jemma’s good friend, Chef Leandro.
When a knit-wit chef barges into Leandro’s kitchen insisting it’s now his, sparks fly between the two. It seems that everyone wants the new chef gone, but no one expects Jemma to find the man stabbed through the heart.
Leandro’s knife skills — and his argument with the dead man — make him the obvious suspect. But Jemma’s ready to cross needles with the Sheriff and anyone else who tries to place the blame on her friend.
With the killer’s eyes on Jemma from the start, she needs to weave in the ends before things unravel!
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About Rebecca McKinnon
Rebecca McKinnon enjoys playing with her imaginary friends and introducing them to others through her writing. She dreams of living in the middle of nowhere, but has been unable to find an acceptable location that wouldn’t require crossing an ocean.
Trapped and Tested: A DeeLo Myer Cat Rescue Mystery by Sharon Marchisello
Trapped and Tested: A DeeLo Myer Cat Rescue Mystery Cozy Mystery 2nd in the Series Setting – Georgia Publisher : Level Best Books Publication Date : December 16, 2025 274 Pages Paperback ISBN: 979-8-89820-057-2 Digital ISBN: 979-8-89820-058-9 GoodReads Link – Coming Soon
When DeeLo’s niece, Demi Myer, tries to find her father on an ancestry site, she meets Kwintone, a half-brother with a few secrets. After getting a speeding ticket, Kwintone is assigned to community service in the Pecan Point Humane Society’s Trap, Neuter, Vaccinate, Return program—trapping cats with DeeLo on the new Oakwood Studios lot. The disinterested trainee leaves abruptly on his first night, and later DeeLo finds his car abandoned beside the road, phone on the seat.
Where is Kwintone, and is he connected to the stabbing of the CEO of Neuroscience Laboratories—a medical research facility that tests its products on cats?
DeeLo is still determined to change the county’s animal ordinance to support TNVR, but is the newcomer candidate she backs for the open commissioner slot involved in a murder?
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About Author Sharon Marchisello
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Sharon Marchisello is the author of the DeeLo Myer cat rescue mystery series, which began with Trap, Neuter, Die. She is a long-time volunteer and cat foster for the Fayette Humane Society (FHS) with a Master’s in Professional Writing from the University of Southern California. She also published three mysteries with Sunbury Press—Going Home (2014), Secrets of the Galapagos (2019), and Murder at Leisure Dreams – Galapagos (2025). Sharon has written short stories, a nonfiction book about personal finance, training manuals, screenplays, a blog, and book reviews. She is an active member of Sisters in Crime, the Atlanta Writers Club, and the Hometown Novel Writers Association. Retired from a 27-year career with Delta Air Lines, she now lives in Peachtree City, Georgia, and serves on the board of directors for the Friends of the Peachtree City Library.
Welcome to my stop on the virtual book tour for Resort, Two, Murder organized by Goddess Fish Promotions.
Author Joanna Campbell Slan will be awarding a $25 Amazon or B&N Gift Card to a randomly drawn winner. Don’t forget to enter!
And you can click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.
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Genre: Cozy Mystery
Synopsis
Kiki Lowenstein heads to Florida for sand, sunshine, and family time—until a shocking death pulls her into a mystery simmering beneath the resort’s perfect surface. With craftiness and heart, she dives into a dangerous tangle of lies that only she can unravel.
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Enjoy this peek inside:
The scream ripped through the dawn and straight into my spine. I didn’t breathe until I reached the balcony.
Seven floors below, a housekeeper stood frozen at the pool’s edge, hands over her mouth. The turquoise water rippled around hair the color of fire.
“I don’t know yet. Stay back. Keep your brothers inside.” My voice didn’t tremble, but everything inside me did.
I yanked the curtains closed, but not before my mind captured every detail: the purple satin gown billowing under the water, the bare feet, the drifting red hair like a drowning sunrise.
Then Brawny — my fierce, loyal Scot nanny — sprinted into the courtyard and dove in, shoes and all. She flipped the girl over, started mouth-to-mouth, refusing to accept what the water already knew.
Could this be real?
Sirens wailed in the distance. And I stood frozen on the balcony, one hand pressed to my heart, silently begging for a miracle.
It didn’t come.
The red-haired model from last night’s fashion show was gone.
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About Author Joanna Campbell Slan:
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Joanna Campbell Slan is a New York Times, USA Today, and Amazon bestselling author known for her engaging women’s fiction and mystery novels. With nearly 80 books to her credit, including contributions to the original Chicken Soup for the Soul series, Joanna specializes in stories featuring strong female protagonists and the power of women’s friendships. Her tagline, “Creating a better world one story at a time” perfectly captures the spirit of her work, as she has a keen interest in presenting all sides of social issues. Joanna is best known for her Kiki Lowenstein Mystery Series, which spans 19 books and 42 short works, chronicling the growth of a widowed mother who finds new purpose through crafting and sleuthing.
Living on a nearly deserted island off the coast of Florida, Joanna draws inspiration from her surroundings and her love for various crafts, including Zentangle®, crochet, and upcycling. Her accomplishments include winning the Daphne du Maurier Award for Literary Excellence for her continuation of Charlotte Brontë’s Jane Eyre. Contact her at JCSlan@JoannaSlan.com
In this charming Christmas cozy mystery collection, you get not one but TWO Christmas mysteries–one from the Charlie Kingsley Mystery series (Secret Santa Murder) and one from The Redemption Detective Agency (The Mysterious Case of the Dead Elf).
Even better, the characters in both series will make a crossover appearance in the other mystery.
Here’s a peek of each story:
Secret Santa Murder: A Secret Santa party goes off the rails when a guest is murdered after opening their gift. Can Charlie get to the bottom of who did it in this locked door mystery?
The Mysterious Case of the Dead Elf: Emily and the gang take on a case to help a young mother get over her childhood Christmas trauma. Can they go back in time and solve the mystery of a dead elf to save Christmas before it’s too late?
Includes TWO Christmas cookie family recipes!
The Charlie Kingsley Mysteries
The Charlie Kingsley Mysteries is funny, clean & twisty cozy series takes place in the 1990s in Redemption, Wisconsin. They’re perfect if you enjoy small town cozy mysteries with quirky characters, pets, tea, culinary, a touch of romance, 1990s nostalgia and loads of fun. If you like books by Agatha Christie, Louise Penny and Maddie Day, you’ll love these books.
The Charlie Kingsley Mysteries is a continuing series with books that are standalone and can be read in any order.
The Redemption Detective Agency
A spin off from the Charlie Kingsley Mystery series. This cozy romcom mystery series also takes place in the 1990s and features a fish out of water amateur sleuth, pet detectives, a cast of silver sleuths (some you’ll recognize from the main series), cold cases and a hefty dose of romance. Think The Thursday Murder Club meets Bridget Jones’s Diary, but in small town Wisconsin. Also great for fans for The Golden Girls (if they started solving mysteries), Only Murders in the Building (without a podcast and takes place in Wisconsin) and Murder She Wrote.
All the books are clean, twisty and funny. They can be read in any order but to get the best experience, I would recommend starting with Book 1, The Mysterious Case of the Missing Motive.
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About 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.)
Dug to Death: A Vivien Brandt Mystery by Gianetta Murray
Dug to Death: A Vivien Brandt Mystery Cozy Mystery 2nd in the Series Setting – South Yorkshire, England Publisher : Catmom Press Publication Date : October 28, 2025 Print length : 294 pages Paperback ISBN-10 : 1739547330 ISBN-13 : 978-1739547332 Digital ISBN-13 : 978-1739547325 ASIN : B0DZ3PV2SP
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“Wicked stepmother” wasn’t something Vivien wanted on her resume (or CV!).
But six months after moving from California to join her British husband in a quiet Yorkshire village, Vivien and her cat Sydney are confronted with a volatile 24-year-old stepdaughter and the sparks begin to fly.
It certainly doesn’t help when they join a local protest and a body turns up.
In this sequel to Moved to Murder, Vivien must once again work with her enterprising neighbors to solve a murder and clear her family’s name. Which isn’t easy when you’re dealing with people who “Ear all, see all, and say nowt”!
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Vivien’s Playlist
If music be the food of love, play on!
If you’ve read any of the Vivien Brandt Mysteries, you know Vivien is a devotee of classic pop culture, be it music, film, or repeats of Buffy the Vampire Slayer.
Now you too can relive the glorious songs from the sixties or thrill to the soundtrack of Gone with the Wind or Starsky and Hutch with Vivien’s Playlist and Vivien’s Soundtrack. The links are to YouTube, but you can also find the lists on Spotify, just search on “Vivien Brandt”.
Can’t remember when these songs were mentioned in the books? Well then, it might be time to consult your copy of Moved to Murder or Dug to Death. And if you haven’t yet indulged in the adventures of our California librarian bravely facing the murderous impulses of a quaint English village, you can always get them at https://gianettamurray.com.
Happy listening!
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Vivien Brandt’s Playlist:
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Vivien Brandt’s Soundtrack:
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About Gianetta Murray
Gianetta Murray grew up in California in the heady days of Silicon Valley, but for the last twenty years has lived a slightly more peaceful existence in England with her husband and a minimum of two cats. She enjoys rewatching Hollywood musicals and Buffy the Vampire Slayer, plays guitar and ukulele, and stresses about using all the pears provided by the tree in her back garden. She dreams about one day being spit on by Jonathan Groff.
One Gold Ring (Century Cottage Cozy Mysteries) by Dianne Ascroft
One Gold Ring (Century Cottage Cozy Mysteries) Cozy Mystery Novella related to the main Century Cottage Cozy Mysteries Series Setting – Fenwater – a fictional small town in rural Canada. Independently Published (November 1, 2025) Paperback Print length : 104 pages ISBN-13 : 979-8272391599 Digital Print length : 102 pages ASIN : B0FYX6KXGD
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A busy shopping street, a cozy coffee klatch, a missing ring: Marge Kirkwood has no desire for anyone to gift five gold rings to her. She just needs to find one elegant gold ring sparkling with dainty diamonds and rubies: the one that was stolen due to her carelessness.
When Marge Kirkwood meets her friend Bruce Murray at the Honey Pot diner to reassure him about his choice of an engagement ring for her best friend Lois Stone, she couldn’t be happier for the couple. But a few moments of her inattention could scupper Bruce’s plans for a romantic Christmas proposal. A cunning thief seizes the opportunity Marge’s lapse affords to snatch Bruce’s family heirloom. Soon afterwards Lois arrives and joins Marge and Bruce in the search for the ring. Three heads may be better than one or two but Lois can’t find out that it’s her engagement ring they are hunting for.
And so the week before Christmas begins with dashing through the snow without a sleigh, tangy gingerbread muffins and cinnamon scented apple cider, clever calico cats, slippery snow-sheathed sidewalks, glittering gems set in gold, hazardous high-heeled boots, rushing thieves and bustling Christmas shoppers set against a cheerful holiday clad shopping street, sultry Christmas songs serenading shoppers in the market, the sweet scent of carnations, roses and baby’s breath bouquets in the florist’s window and a mantlepiece twinkling with shiny baubles and lights woven through holly in a comfy century cottage.
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About Dianne Ascroft
Dianne Ascroft is a Canadian who has settled in rural Northern Ireland. She and her husband share their small farm with some elusive wild creatures. She is currently writing the Century Cottage Cozy Mysteries series. She believes that part of the enjoyment of reading a cozy mystery is losing oneself in a pleasing setting so she fictionalized a small town she knew and the first novel in the Century Cottage Cozy Mystery series, and the town of Fenwater evolved from there. She wanted to create a place that beckons readers to step in and stay a while, and characters that readers would remember. Cozy mysteries allow her to explore the characters and the place, as well as the mystery at the heart of the story. Writing stories set in her homeland, Canada, has also been a nostalgic journey for her and she enjoys every minute of it.
