Cozy Mysteries: December 2020 Releases

Today is the first post in a new series called Cozy Mysteries. Each month I will post a list of upcoming releaes in this genre. I’m doing this after I was approached by the moderators of CozyMystery on Reddit to compile a monthly list for them.

When I happily agreed to do this I hadn’t realised that I know very little about the genre and authors, so this hasn’t been an easy task. I am still compiling a list of authors and following them on Amazon so I don’t miss any future releases. I’ve enjoyed learning more about this genre, which I enjoy but don’t often read. Let’s just say my tbr has grown while researching this list.

So, without further ado, here are the Cozy Mystery books being released in December:

The Murder at the Mayfair Hotel (Cleopatra Fox Mysteries 1) by C. J. Archer

SYNOPSIS:
December 1899. After the death of her beloved grandmother, Cleopatra Fox moves into the luxury hotel owned by her estranged uncle in the hopes of putting hardship and loneliness behind her. But the poisoning of a guest throws her new life, and the hotel, into chaos.

Cleo quickly realizes no one can be trusted, not Scotland Yard and especially not the hotel’s charming assistant manager. With the New Year’s Eve ball approaching fast and the hotel’s reputation hanging by a thread, Cleo must find the killer before the ball, and the hotel itself, are ruined. But catching a murderer proves just as difficult as navigating the hotel’s hierarchy and the peculiarities of her family.

Can Cleo find the killer before the new century begins? Or will someone get away with murder?

Published December 1st, 2020

Murder on a Midnight Clear (High Society Lady Detective Book 6) by Sara Rosett

SYNOPSIS:
A snowbound country mansion, a missing butler, and a Christmas case . . .

Olive and Jasper have never been closer—except in one area. Jasper is still reticent about his frequent disappearances from polite society. With the holidays approaching and no paying client on the books, Olive decides to shadow Jasper when he’s unexpectedly called away. Her search brings her to Holly Hill Lodge where an eclectic group has gathered to celebrate an old-fashioned English Christmas.

The guest list includes a celebrated lawn tennis champion, a fussy scientist studying snowflakes, a persuasive luggage salesman, a famous lady explorer, and the family’s eccentric aunt who has a fondness for the newfangled drinks called cocktails.

When the butler goes missing, Olive and Jasper must work together to solve the Christmas crime—as well as the secret Jasper hides. Murder on a Midnight Clear is the latest installment in USA Today bestselling author Sara Rosett’s popular High Society Lady Detective series.

Unwrap this 1920s Christmas mystery with all the trimmings—carols, a Yule log, plum pudding . . . and murder.

Published December 1st, 2020

Hush-Hush (The Village Library Mysteries Book 4) by Elizabeth Spann Craig

SYNOPSIS:
It’s hard keeping secrets in small towns.

At first, librarian Ann Beckett is delighted her director hired another full-time staff member. The Whitby Library is a busy place and another librarian should make life much easier there.

Instead, she soon discovers that the new hire, Ellie, seems to be bent on creating issues instead of solving them. When she’s found dead at the library, no one is as shocked as they might have been.

With time running out and a desperate killer on the loose, Ann starts uncovering all the secrets Ellie was trying to keep hush-hush.

Published December 1st, 2020

Murder on the Ballot (A Myrtle Clover Cozy Mystery Book 17) by Elizabeth Spann Craig

SYNOPSIS:
If you can’t beat them, join them.

Octogenarian Myrtle Clover is so annoyed by the infighting at tiny Bradley, North Carolina’s town council meetings that she decides on a radical course of action: she’ll run for the open seat on the council. After all, she taught most of the elected officials—she should be able to enact some order.

But order apparently isn’t in the works. This becomes clear when a fellow candidate is found . . . murdered.

Myrtle and her senior sidekick Miles must uncover the killer before someone else becomes a lame duck.

Published December 1st, 2020

Heather and Homicide (The Highland Bookshop Mystery Series) by Molly MacRae

SYNOPSIS:
The new novel in the acclaimed Highland Bookshop mystery series finds a true-crime author murdered in the charming seacoast town of Inversgail—can the women of Yon Bonnie Books discover the killer’s identity before he or she strikes again?

True crime writer Heather Kilbride arrives in the seacoast town of Inversgail, Scotland, to research a recent murder for her new book. But if that’s true, why does she seem more interested in William Clark, a shadowy lawyer with no connection to the murder? Her nosy questions arouse the suspicions of Constable Hobbs, the members of a local writers’ group, and Janet Marsh and her crew of amateur sleuths at Yon Bonnie Books.

Heather’s unconventional research methods prove deadly when Janet discovers her lifeless body. Except the “body” turns out to be a dummy dressed-up to look like Heather. Meanwhile, Heather is sitting at a safe distance observing Janet’s reactions.

Then Heather is found dead—again—sprawled at the base of an ancient standing stone; and this time it’s for real. Clutched in her hand is a valuable miniature book last seen at Yon Bonnie Books, and now the police want to know how Heather, the miniature book, and Janet are all connected. But Janet and her group of sleuths have two questions of their own: Who else is interested in knowing that connection—and is that person a cold-blooded killer?

Published December 1st, 2020

Premeditated Mortar (Fixer-Upper Mysteries) by Kate Carlisle

SYNOPSIS:
Shannon Hammer is about to embark on one of the biggest projects of her career. Her best friend Jane Hennessey has purchased one wing of the Gables, formerly the old state insane asylum, located on a bucolic hillside two miles northeast of Lighthouse Cove. Jane plans to turn her section into a small luxury hotel complete with twenty ocean-view rooms, a spa, and a restaurant.

Shannon is raring to get started on the enormous project and is shocked when a group of unruly protesters shows up at the groundbreaking ceremony and wreaks havoc. She’s even more freaked-out when someone pushes her into a pit of bricks in a closed-off room of the asylum. Despite her close call, Shannon wants nothing more than to get back to work . . . until she finds a body not far from where she was pushed. Now Shannon is determined to get to the bottom of the goings-on at the Gables even if it kills her. . . .

Published December 1st, 2020

Witch is the New Black (A Supernatural Speakeasy Mystery Book 4) by Lily Harper Hart

SYNOPSIS:
Ofelia Archer has faced demons, evil witches, and freaky zombies, but nothing could prepare her for the horror of meeting her boyfriend’s mother, Madeline Sully. She thinks she’s ready and able, but she’s really not.
For his part, Zacharias “Zach” Sully isn’t any more thrilled by his mother’s visit than his girlfriend. He’s simply better at dealing with Madeline’s brand of madness.
After one meal, a magical barrage of fire rains down on the group as they’re walking down Bourbon Street. When the flames clear, a young woman is left for dead, and the only thing they know about her is that she was part of a multi-level marketing scheme called Hexential Oils.
Before they realize what’s happening, Sully and Ofelia find themselves knee-deep in an odd world that neither of them really understand … and it leads straight to trouble, as usual. It seems New Orleans is teeming with suspects, and they have no idea which one to focus on.
Ofelia and Sully have a bond that can’t be broken. That won’t stop outsiders from trying. When the hierarchy of Hexential Oils leads to long-forgotten magic and a creature of mythical proportions, they realize they’re in over their heads.
They’ll die to protect one another … and someone desperately wants to make that a reality. It will take both of them working together to make sure that doesn’t happen

Published December 1st, 2020

The Banshee Brouhaha (A Charlie Rhodes Cozy Mystery Book 8) by Amanda M. Lee

SYNOPSIS:
Charlie Rhodes has spent her entire life wondering who her birth parents were, why they abandoned her, and where the magic she’s been learning to hone came from.
She’s finally going to get some answers.
With proof that the new member of the Legacy Foundation is really her brother, Charlie sets off to visit Salem with him and her boyfriend Jack Hanson. She’s never been to the city before and finds that the history swirling is only one of the things that has her excited.
Not long after landing, a body is strung up in Salem Common, and witnesses say it was ghosts doing the dirty work. Jack is intrigued enough to call in the rest of the team. Since Charlie’s parents are supposedly taking refuge within the city limits, the investigation makes for a nice cover.
It’s not long before Charlie realizes that there’s more going on in Salem than witches and white magic. Something dark is festering under the surface, and whatever it is seems to be taking aim at her.
Charlie wants answers. She’s also afraid to get them. During the search for what she’s lost, though, she becomes more determined than ever to hold onto what she has.
There’s evil afoot, and a woman who looks like an older version of Charlie is stalking the group. Could the two things be connected? Charlie won’t leave until she knows for certain.
Salem’s history might be coming back to haunt those who venture into the city and it’s up to the Legacy Foundation to figure out why … that is if they survive long enough to uncover the answers.
Hold onto your broomsticks, because it’s going to be a witchy ride.

Published December 1st, 2020

The Kensington Kidnap (Epiphany Bloom Mystery Book 1) by Katie Gayle

SYNOPSIS:
A missing teenager, a mysterious cult and a case of mistaken identity – just another day’s work for Epiphany Bloom.

Epiphany ‘Pip’ Bloom is down on her luck. She can barely afford cat food, and just because Most has three legs doesn’t mean he eats any less. So she absolutely can’t afford to mess up her latest temp job. But when she walks through the door of the private investigation firm, her new boss mistakes her for a missing persons expert. He then charges her with finding Matty Price – the teenage son of two A-list celebrities – who has mysteriously disappeared from his home in Kensington.

It ought to be a disaster, but Pip reckons it’s actually an opportunity. She’s always been curious (nosy, her mother calls it) and has an uncanny knack for being at the wrong place at the right time (she doesn’t want to know what her mother thinks of that). After years of trying to find something she’s good at, has Pip managed to walk straight into the job she was born to do?

She owes it to herself and poor missing Matty to find out.

But searching for Matty takes Pip into the strange, intimidating world of the rich and famous. And it soon becomes clear that some of these people’s love for themselves doesn’t extend to their fellow humans.

As Pip investigates further, she realises the question isn’t whether Matty ran away – it’s whether Pip will find him alive and make it home safely herself…

Published December 2nd, 2020

A Wreath of Ruin: A Supernatural Mystery Christmas Special (Belinda Drake Mysteries Book 4) by Kate Krake

SYNOPSIS:
It’s Christmas in Blackthorn Springs, and Belinda Drake has big plans to make this the best Christmas ever for her and Conri, and she doesn’t want to use a single drop of her new magic to pull it off.

When culinary catastrophe strikes, Belinda and Conri end up spending the holiday with Lila’s family, including Lila’s grandmother, who’s not at all like Lila had built her up to be. Is Gran just a little bit strange, or is something supernatural threatening to ruin Christmas?

When things take a turn for the worst, Belinda has to reach deeply into herself and the nature of the magic she’s not sure she can trust.

Published December 2nd, 2020

The Fatal Flying Affair (A Lady Hardcastle Mystery Book 7) by T. E. Kinsey

SYNOPSIS:
August 1911. Emily Hardcastle and her inimitable lady’s maid Florence Armstrong are enjoying a fine summer until Harry, Lady H’s brother, turns up out of the blue with a mystery for them to solve.

A routine parachute test at a local aeroplane factory has gone horribly wrong—with pilot Dickie Dupree plummeting to his death. Harry is certain there is more to this ‘tragic accident’ than meets the eye, having discovered that someone at the airfield is leaking top secret intelligence to foreign rivals.

In between strolls to the Dog & Duck and planning for the annual village show, the daring duo dust off the Crime Board and go undercover at Bristol Aviation. With international powers investing heavily in aeronautics, the stakes are high—sky high—and the suspects soon mount up.

Can Lady Hardcastle find the culprit before someone else falls down dead?

Published December 3rd, 2020

Christmas Corpse (A Christmas Cozy Mystery Book 1) by Mona Marple

SYNOPSIS:
Welcome to Candy Cane Hollow, where every day feels like Christmas!
Holly Wood (yes, that’s her real name) is driving home for Christmas and not feeling too happy about the empty house waiting for her.

When her car skids into a snow bank, she’s rescued by a sweet old lady who promises her name is Mrs Claus.

Holly is taken to Candy Cane Hollow to recover, and finds herself in a genuine winter wonderland.

As Christmas Day approaches, the grouchy medical receptionist appears to have been poisoned by a mince pie.

And to Holly’s surprise, Mrs Claus is the prime suspect.

With Mrs Claus under suspicion, Holly vows to return the woman’s generosity by clearing her name.

Maybe it will impress Mrs Claus’ dimpled dish of a son, too?

Published December 3rd, 2020

Shooting Pains (Dr Cathy Moreland Book 3) by Mairi Chong

SYNOPSIS:
When one of Dr Cathy Moreland’s patients attends the surgery with a disturbing story of marital tension, accompanied by a suggestive bruise on her upper arm, the doctor is understandably concerned. The young woman confides that she is afraid of her husband, a local farmhand, but refuses to allow the doctor to help any further.

The following week, Dr Moreland, both overworked and strained, is horrified to hear of a fatal shooting on the local farm estate, and even more so when she realises that the woman and her husband are at the very centre of the tragedy. Was the shooting an accident, or is something more sinister taking place in the sleepy Scottish countryside?

Dr Moreland must draw on all of her courage to uncover the truth, even if it means risking, not only her own mental health but her life.

Published December 3rd, 2020

Dashing Through the Sand (Beach Christmas Mysteries Books 1) by Katherine Hayton

SYNOPSIS:
My name is Santa and I’m fed up. The stress of single-day delivery, elf wrangling, and squeezing through chimneys that grow smaller every year is getting me down, so I decide to take a well-deserved holiday on a sun-drenched beach in Australia.

Sure, there’ll be a lot less milk and cookies but according to my cardiologist, that can only be a good thing.

But when I take my towel down to the glorious foreshore of Mission Beach, Queensland, the world has a nasty surprise in store. A dead body washes up among the sand-bubbler crabs and a witness swears the man was last seen in my company.

The Christmas spirit is nowhere in evidence as I work to clear my name. If I can’t hunt down the true killer and get back home in time for the big day, the Mrs will put me at the top of the naughty list!

Published December 3rd, 2020

Mystery at the Old Mill (An Eve Mallow Mystery Book 4)by Clare Chase

SYNOPSIS:
When the calm of Saxford St Peter is disrupted by a deadly fire at the Old Mill, amateur sleuth Eve Mallow finds herself investigating a most surprising mystery!

Everyone in Saxford St Peter is desperate to know more about Harry Tennant, the newcomer who owns the Old Mill. He usually keeps himself to himself, but he’s finally invited the villagers round for drinks, and Eve Mallow isn’t the only one looking forward to having some questions answered.

But two days before the party, a terrible fire sweeps through the mill, and Harry is found dead. When Eve passes the burned remains of his beautiful house, she can’t resist the call to investigate. Especially when it turns out quiet, charming Harry was living a double life as the famous advice writer Pippa Longford. Eve has to wonder what revelations were contained in the letters he received… and whether one of them was worth killing for.

Accompanied by her reliable dachshund sidekick Gus, Eve starts digging. She soon realises Harry was at the centre of a web of lives – and lies. There’s an uncle desperate to inherit, two women who thought they were his one and only, not to mention everyone who shared their darkest secrets with him. Was one of those strangers much closer to home than Harry knew? And can Eve untangle the truth before she finds herself face to face with a killer?

Published December 7th, 2020

Rocco & the Snow Angel (An Inspector Rocco Mystery) by Adrian Magson

SYNOPSIS:
A former village priest shot dead execution-style in a snow-covered field re-opens memories of a wartime scandal around the villages of Poissons-les-Marais and Fouillmont, when young infatuation led to a spate of coldly efficient assassinations.

But who’s responsible for this particular killing? And why so long after the event?

For Inspector Lucas Rocco, it means pushing aside the veil surrounding old Resistance activities and fighting dangerous political connections to track down a deadly long-range killer with the ability to hide in open countryside.

Published December 7th, 2020

Ghostly Graves (A Harper Harlow and Maddie Graves Mystery) by Lily Harper Hart

SYNOPSIS:
Maddie and Nick Winters are embarking on the biggest adventure of their lives: parenthood. They’re nervous, excited, and prepared to go shopping. That leads them to a special baby boutique in Whisper Cove, where they just happen to participate in a cemetery tour run by Michigan’s most famous ghost hunter.
Maddie and the tour guide Harper Harlow recognize each other for what they are right off the bat, although they don’t initially say anything. Everything spills out in the open, though, when a ghost leads Maddie to the body of a local plastic surgeon.
The dead doctor has an interesting reputation with the women around town, and Maddie recognizes him from her days of nursing. Before anybody realizes what’s happening, the two women have formed a crime-fighting team and they’re determined to uncover answers.
Nick would prefer Maddie shop and embrace their incoming baby but he knows when her inner detective can’t be silenced. While the men bond – and discuss loving a magical woman – the women (and Zander, of course) dig deep and uncover exactly how sordid the tale of an unethical doctor can be.

Published December 8th, 2020

Ghostly Graves and Gunslingers by Lily Harper Hart

SYNOPSIS:
Four women, four magical talents, four mysteries, and four chances at romance.
Spend some time with Hannah Hickok, Maddie Graves, Harper Harlow and Rowan Gray as they crossover in three different mysteries and stir up a whole host of trouble.
You’ll laugh, cry, and be amazed.

Published December 8th, 2020

Cold Wind (Alaska Wild 2) by Paige Shelton

SYNOPSIS:
Beth Rivers is still in Alaska. The unidentified man who kidnapped her in her home of St. Louis hasn’t been found yet, so she’s not ready to go back.

But as October comes to a close, Benedict is feeling more and more like her new home. Beth has been working on herself: She’s managed to get back to writing, and she’s enjoying these beautiful months between summer and winter in Alaska.

Then, everything in Benedict changes after a mudslide exposes a world that had been hidden for years. Two mud-covered, silent girls appear, and a secret trapper’s house is found in the woods. The biggest surprise, though, is a dead and frozen woman’s body in the trapper’s shed. No one knows who she is, but the man who runs the mercantile, Randy, seems to be in the middle of all the mysteries.

Unable to escape her journalistic roots, Beth is determined to answer the questions that keep arising: Are the mysterious girls and the frozen body connected? Can Randy possibly be involved? And—most importantly—can she solve this mystery before the cold wind sweeping over the town and the townspeople descends for good?

Published December 8th, 2020

Reluctant Bumpkin (County Cousins Mysteries Book 6) by Sam Cheever

SYNOPSIS:
She’s just a girl with a dog, a cat, and a pig. And since she’s been drafted into helping her boyfriend scare his younger brother straight, she’s a girl who’s suddenly glad she’s an only child.
Hal’s younger brother has been banished to Deer Hollow because of his proclivity for getting into trouble. Hal’s parents are hoping he’ll take the kid under his wing and straighten him out. But Asher Amity has a knack for finding trouble, and it doesn’t take him long to find it in Deer Hollow. When Asher steps into a steaming pile of murder and treachury, Hal and Joey are destined to get dragged into the mess with him. Who knew how dangerous babysitting could be?

Published December 8th, 2020

Rivera Gold (Mary Russell & Sherlock Holmes) by Laurie R. King

SYNOPSIS:
It’s summertime on the Riviera, where the Jazz Age is busily reinventing the holiday delights of warm days on golden sand and cool nights on terraces and dance floors. Just up the coast lies a more traditional pleasure ground: Monte Carlo, where fortunes are won, lost, stolen, and hidden away. So when Mary Russell and Sherlock Holmes happen across the Cote d’Azur in this summer of 1925, they find themselves pulled between the young and the old, hot sun and cool jazz, new friendships and old loyalties, childlike pleasures and very grownup sins…

Published December 10th, 2020

A Matter of Murder (Campbell & Carter 7) by Ann Granger

SYNOPSIS:
Two years ago, Miff Ferguson chose to opt out of the rat race. Since then he’s been living rough and happily so. That is until now. For, as the first signs of winter approach, everything changes. While looking for shelter, Miff stumbles across the dead body of a young woman inside a dilapidated warehouse. Quickly realising he’s not alone, and what’s worse he’s been spotted, Miff becomes embroiled in a game of cat-and-mouse with a killer that forces him to abandon his life on the streets and take refuge with his aunt and uncle in the village of Weston St Ambrose. But, despite his best efforts to lie low, trouble seems to follow him and when another dead body is discovered at a local farm, it’s clear Miff is not free from danger.

With the clock ticking, Inspector Jess Campbell and Superintendent Ian Carter must join forces once again with the team of police at Bamford to piece together the puzzle before another innocent life is lost…

Published December 10th, 2020

A Dodgy Death (Kat McCoy Lake County Cozy Mystery Series Book 1) by Jacqueline M. Green

SYNOPSIS:
“Kat, someone is trying to kill me!”
A dotty aunt. A death on the staircase. And valuable drawings that have disappeared.
With her aunt’s prophetic final phone call ringing in her ears, Kat McCoy’s visit to England takes a sharp turn. She learns her aunt discovered and subsequently hid four historical drawings reportedly worth thousands of British pounds – and Kat’s not the only one who knows about them. Did her elderly aunt die from an accidental fall or something more sinister?
With help from new friends, including the handsome village constable, Kat tries to settle the question of her aunt’s death, all the while knowing the killer is still out there. Can Kat unmask the killer, find the drawings and still make her flight home to the States? Or will the drawings – and the truth – be lost forever?

Published December 10th, 2020

Preserves & Premonitions (A Southern Charms Cozy Mystery Book 7) by Bella Falls

SYNOPSIS:
Magic and mystery are only part of the Southern Charms of Honeysuckle Hollow…

Charli Goodwin’s future seemed to be nothing but smooth sailing…until the last spell she cast changed the course of everything! Now, it’s not only her life but the lives of others she cares deeply for that are tied up in her fate. Not even help from the creepy and mysterious soothsayers, the Weird Sisters, can give her a clue how to get out of the mess she’s in.

If Charli can’t figure out a way to fix what she’s done and get things back on track, according to the premonitions from the sisters, the future for herself and all of Honeysuckle Hollow is at stake. Will she be able to reverse the effects of her spell in time?

Published December 10th, 2020

Sledding Away with Murder (Sweetfern Harbor Mystery Book 21) by Wendy Meadows

SYNOPSIS:
This winter wonderland isn’t quite so innocent after all…
Determined to create a picturesque winter experience at the Sheffield Bed and Breakfast inn, Brenda Rivers eagerly awaits the arrival of her new guests for the weekend. This year brings a wide selection of visitors from all walks of life – from a soft-spoken Amish couple to a plastic surgeon and Anaesthesiologist who just can’t seem to get along. Brenda tries her best to keep the peace and make sure all her guests have a good time.

But when one of their guests turns up brutally murdered and left almost unrecognizable in the midst of a harmless sledding contest, Brenda’s hopes of a perfect weekend are shattered. With her guest’s rival going strangely quiet, his wife crying crocodile tears, and the Amish couple mysteriously coming last in a sport they claimed to be the best at, Brenda must put all of her sleuthing skills to the test if she wants to unravel the truth.

Can Brenda unmask a killer for Christmas? Or will her guest’s murder slip into the background of cold cases?

Published December 10th, 2020

Waffles at the Wake (Murder in the Mix Book 29) by Addison Moore

SYNOPSIS:
It’s the dead of winter in Honey Hollow, and I’ve got jury duty. As if that wasn’t terrible enough, Carlotta is stirring up trouble with the mob again, and soon enough a member of the family ends up biting the big one. And you will never guess which ghost comes back to help me solve the crime this time… Something like this has never happened before, and I’m hoping it will never happen again. It’s cold outside, and so is the heart of the killer.

Baker Lottie Lemon has a bakery to tend to, one too many suitors, and the supernatural ability to see the dead—which are always harbingers for ominous things to come. Throw in a string of murders, and her insatiable thirst for justice, and you’ll have more chaos than you know what to do with.

Published December 10th, 2020

Holly & the Grand Opening (The Holly Lewis Mystery Series Book 10) by Dianne Harmann

SYNOPSIS:
The excitement is building for the grand opening
Of the long-awaited addition to the Read It Again bookstore
And Holly’s in charge of making sure everything is ready for it.
But when the books to be put on the shelves
Are stolen from a storage unit,
Her best-laid plans fall apart.
Obviously, someone has a grudge against
The bookstore, Holly, or the owner, Fiona.
But who and why?
And even worse,
Holly worries that her best friend may be the one responsible
And she, herself, is to blame.

December 12th, 2020

Red Roses (Hope Herring Cozy Mystery Book 4) by J. A. Whiting and Nell McCarthy

SYNOPSIS:
It is February in North Carolina and Valentine’s Day is fast approaching The holidays are hard for Hope since losing her husband, and this one, in particular, will be difficult.
She and her resident ghost keep looking for clues to his hundred-year old murder and as she continues to research her husband’s death, she finds things that frighten her.
If all that wasn’t enough, Hope is worried about one of her students, and when one thing leads to another she ends up embroiled in a mess of a situation.
Will Hope be able to keep her daughter, Cori, her student, and herself safe or will danger strike before she figures out what’s going on?

Published December 12th, 2020

The Lurid Possibility of Mystery (The Mysteries of Severine DuNoir Book 5) by Beth Byers

SYNOPSIS:
December 1925.

Severine DuNoir has discovered who has been hunting her. Now she needs to discover why. As the foes circle each other, their friends and family get drawn into the conflict.

Just who can Severine trust? How can she stop the rogue? And what will happen to those she loves if she fails? She’s all too afraid the answer is one she won’t be able to live with.

Published December 13th, 2020 by

Courting Can Be A Killer (An Amish Matchmaker Mystery) by Amanda Flower

SYNOPSIS:
Some Amish men don’t know what’s good for them. That’s what Millie Fisher told herself when young Ben Baughman set his heart on marrying Tess Lieb. With Tess’ father refusing to give his blessing and Tess’ ex-boyfriend being a wet blanket, the hapless couple was bound to butt heads more than Millie’s Boer goats. But when Ben tragically dies in a mysterious fire, Millie wonders if someone in her hometown of Harvest, Ohio wanted Ben out of the wedding picture altogether…With the help of her quilting buddies, and her outspoken Englischer friend Lois, Millie is determined to patch together all the clues without even dropping a stitch. She only hopes it won’t be the death of her…

Published December 14th, 2020

Ropes, Riddles & Robberies (A Camper & Criminals Cozy Mystery Book 15) by Tonya Kappes

SYNOPSIS:
Welcome to Normal, Kentucky~ where nothing is normal. A Campers and Criminal Mystery Series is another brainchild of USA Today Bestselling Author Tonya Kappes. If you love her quirky southern characters and small town charm with a mystery to solve, you’re going to love her new cozy mystery series!

Published December 17th, 2020

The Zachery Case (Markham Sisters 26) by Diana Xarissa

SYNOPSIS:
Janet Markham is looking forward to Edward Bennett’s arrival at the bed and breakfast she runs with her sister Joan. She and Edward have been seeing one another for a while now, and he’s meant to be retiring and moving to Doveby Dale for good. Joan is just anxious to get the carriage house cleared out so that she can turn it into a guest room.

When Janet moves the last few boxes and finds a skeleton, though, Joan’s plans get put on hold as the sisters find themselves caught up in a murder investigation. Inspector Harold Colbert from Derby is in charge of the case, and he doesn’t seem interested in getting any help from the sisters’ friend Robert Parsons, the local constable.

When Edward arrives, he’s eager to help with the investigation, but Harold has his own ideas about how things should be done.

Can Janet and Edward work out whose body was hidden in the carriage house? Was it murder or did the victim meet with an unfortunate accident? And will Edward finally give Janet the combination to the safe in the library?

Published December 18th, 2020

Murder Over Easy (A Sunny Side Up Cozy Mystery Book 1) by Rosie A. Point

SYNOPSIS:
Murder has never been this easy…

When Sunny Charles arrives in small-town Parfait, Florida, the last thing she expects is a note from her aunt instructing her to take control of the famous Sunny Side Up Café. After going through a vicious divorce, losing her entire life savings, and, oh yeah, having the Russian mob on her tail, Sunny’s willing to give it a shot, even if it means trying her hand at cooking. Let’s face it, eggs over easy aren’t exactly ‘easy’ to make, but they beat facing off against armed men with guns.

All things considered, her first day in the café goes well, that is, until one of the customers, a food vlogger, tries her aunt’s eggs over easy and drops dead on the spot. Sunny’s set to lose the café unless she can prove her innocence. But with a handsome chef as a distraction, the creeping suspicion she’s being watched, and a detective on her case, she’s got her work cut out for her.

Can Sunny solve the mystery before the murderer stops her? Find out in this funny starter in a brand new cozy mystery series!

Published December 18th, 2020

A Fashionable Fate (Rosa the Cuban Psychic Mystery) by Ileana Munoz Rebfroe

SYNOPSIS:
A psychic, a fashion gala and the death of a runway model.

Not what Boutique owner, Rosa de los Reyes hoped for when she organized the Colten Island Fashion Show.

To save the gala and stop the killer from striking again, she must use her psychic abilities, sift through the gossip at La Misteriosa and navigate increasing danger all while racing against the clock.

Will Rosa, her familiar Raul, and Las Cubanitas find the truth before the murderer kills again?

Published December 18th, 2020

Scones and Scofflaws (A Cape May Cozy Mystery, Book 1) by Jane Gorman

SYNOPSIS:
When a gorgeous man dressed as Bridgette Bardot buys her a Scofflaw and asks her out on a date, Anna McGregor begins to suspect her murder investigation has taken a wrong turn. Her previous work as a medical anthropologist exposed her to a variety of unexpected situations, but none quite like this.

It all seemed so simple: fix up the Cape May Victorian mansion she’d inherited from Great Aunt Louise and re-open it as the exceptional B&B it used to be. Everything’s going great, until her very first guest turns up dead at the breakfast table, crumbs from Anna’s blueberry scones scattered on the lace tablecloth.

As the town’s gossip mill goes into overdrive, Anna leaps into the fray to save her reputation, her business and Great Aunt Louise’s legacy.

With help from a handsome handyman eager to solve all of Anna’s problems and a young police officer new to murder investigations, Anna does her best to convince the town — and her future guests — that while her scones may be killer, someone else was responsible for this murder.

Published December 20th, 2020

Murder Under the Mistletoe (A Darcy Sweet Cozy Mystery Book 30) by K. J. Emrick

SYNOPSIS:
A nice family trip away for Christmas is just what Darcy Sweet needs…

There’s only one problem – trouble tends to follow her wherever she goes.

But she’s determined it won’t this time…

With her track record though, Jon is not convinced.

But hey, what does it matter?

Trouble can just as easily find her in Misty Hollow – and it frequently does.

So why shouldn’t they take some time to relax at the cozy Hideaway Inn?

And if any trouble were to happen, she can handle it…

She hopes.

Published December 21st, 2020

Murder in Hyde Park (A Ginger Gold Mystery Book) by Lee Strauss

SYNOPSIS:
Murder’s a fashion faux pas…

The summer of 1926 brings high fashion to Hyde Park. Ginger’s Regent Street dress shop, Feathers & Flair, is a major sponsor, and when top designer Coco Chanel makes an appearance, the London fashion scene lights up.

Until a model drops dead and Miss Chanel is suspected of murder. The fashion icon hires Lady Gold Investigations to clear her name, but can Ginger discover the murderer before becoming a lifeless mannequin herself?

Published December 22nd, 2020

The Easter Sunday Slaughter (Claire Anderson Murder For All Seasons Book 2) by Imogen Plimp

SYNOPSIS:
APRIL SHOWERS BRING MAY FLOWERS

And a bouquet of murderous intrigue…

Amateur sleuth (and ace baker) Claire Andersen is back! Winter melts to spring in scenic Galway, Maryland, uncovering blooming friendships new and old, a shyly budding romance, the rotten stench of organized crime, and family drama more garish than Claire’s emerging blood lilies.

Settling in just fine to her new Appalachian digs (and getting the hang of this whole proprietress of a B&B thing, too!), NYC native Claire Andersen is living a cozy small town fairy tale. There are quirky local characters and adorable little shops, not to mention a kitchen full of mouth-watering baked goodies. She’s a veritable June Cleaver—if Leave It to Beaver were nestled in the mountains and June were a recently retired empty nester, that is.

There’s just one problem. Claire can hardly say “Gee, golly” before her newly-acquainted and much-beloved neighbor winds up murdered in cold blood, right before Galway’s annual Easter parade. Hot off the heels of her last murder, Claire can’t help but get involved (much to the chagrin of the well-meaning albeit bumbling town sheriff). She can hardly help herself, after all. The murder did take place right next door … and the victim’s family is staying in her B&B… Ever the hostess, poking around is the least she could do.

Little does Claire know the victim’s family is just the tip of the iceberg. The rest of the iceberg consists of age-old secrets so duplicitous, they’d make Eddie Haskell run for the hills.

Mix in Claire’s feisty sidekick Evelyn, her ever-lovable bloodhound Rupert, and a mountain of mocha and strawberry buttercream cupcakes—and Claire finds she’s in business. The sleuthing business. Perhaps even the mafia business. But she’d better tread carefully—or she’ll wind up another discarded, frozen body in the aforementioned iceberg (with a spring thaw nowhere in sight).

Published December 25th, 2020

Corgis & Conspiracy (A Dog Town USA Cozy Mystery) by Meg Muldoon

SYNOPSIS:
The cozy Pacific Northwest town of Dog Mountain is happily humming this December as residents prepare for the season of light.
But when celebrity and controversial pet treat industry guru Madison Shaw is found dead at the bottom of the historic Howliday Inn’s staircase one chilly morning, ace reporter Winifred Wolf finds herself covering a national story.
Was Madison’s fall just a tragic accident?
Or is there more to the story than meets the eye?

Published December 25th, 2020

Ink and Shadows (A Secret, Book, and Scone Novel 4) by Ellery Adams

SYNOPSIS:
Nora Pennington is known for her window displays, and as Halloween approaches, she decides to showcase fictional heroines like Roald Dahl’s Matilda and Madeline Miller’s Circe. A family-values group disapproves of the magical themes, though, and wastes no time launching a modern-day witch hunt. Suddenly, former friends and customers are targeting not only Nora and Miracle Books, but a new shopkeeper, Celeste, who’s been selling CBD oil products.
 
Nora and her friends in the Secret, Book, and Scone Society are doing their best to put an end to the strife—but then someone puts an end to a life. Though the death is declared an accident, the ruling can’t explain the old book page covered with strange symbols and disturbing drawings left under Nora’s doormat, a postcard from an anonymous stalker, or multiple cases of vandalism.
 
The only hope is that Nora can be a heroine herself and lead the Secret, Book, and Scone Society in a successful investigation—before more bodies turn up and the secrets from Celeste’s past come back to haunt them all . .

Published December 26th, 2020

Wedding Cake and Widows: A Comedy Cozy Mystery by Christy Murphy

SYNOPSIS:
You’re invited!
It’s the wedding everyone in Fletcher Canyon has been waiting for. The bride is beautiful. The groom is nervous, and…

There’s a dead body.

But no need to worry, Mom and Christy are on the case.

Published December 26th, 2020

Murdered Mayor (High Desert Cozy Mystery Series 13) by Dianne Harmann

SYNOPSIS:
The famous cowboy movie star
Had become the dearly beloved mayor of Palm Springs.
Too bad he was murdered.
But who could have done it and what was their motive?
Greed? Political rival? An environmental extremist?
Son? Stepdaughter? Ex-wives?
And what about his present trophy wife?
Then there’s that pesky proposed desert windmill turbine project.
They kill a lot of birds,
And the Desert Bird Sanctuary members were certainly
Against the proposal.
The mayor’s vote was needed to approve it.
Maybe he was going to vote against it.
Was that why Monty Madsen was murdered?
And maybe Monty wasn’t the only person in Palm Springs
Who wanted to be the mayor!
There’s a colorful cast of characters,
But only one of them is a murderer.

Join Marty, her husband, Detective Jeff Combs, and their psychic boxer dog, Patron, as they determine not only who had the motive, but also who had the means.

Published December 26th, 2020

Sweet Violet’s Ghost (A Sweet Cove Mystery Book 19) by J. A. Whiting

SYNOPSIS:
It is September in Sweet Cove and Angie and Jenna are taking a walk after work to the town park and up the hill to the cemetery overlooking the ocean. Their daughters are growing fast and are already crawling and saying words. Angie and Jenna take the girls out of the strollers so they can play on the grass, but moments later, something unexpected appears to them and it’s about to draw them into a mystery with connections that reach to another state.It will take all four of the Roseland sisters, Mr. Finch, Chief Martin, two fine felines, and a new friend to find the evil-doer responsible for ending two lives, and maybe more. Will they find the answers they need before it’s too late?

Published December 26th, 2020

Prime Time Murder: A Humorous Cozy Mystery (Hollywood Whodunit Book) by Brittany E. Brinegar

SYNOPSIS:
She’s little. She’s feisty. Spoiler alert, she’s not the killer.

Move to Hollywood. Catch her big break. Become a movie star. Nowhere on Becky Robinson’s to-do list does it say discover a dead body or become the prime suspect.

Becky’s first day on set is anything but glamorous. Between coffee runs and walking the star dog, she discovers the body of a prominent actress. Not exactly how she pictured seeing her name in the papers. And they didn’t even spell it right.

After finding evidence at the crime scene, the cops are on her trail and a Hollywood hunk is in the hot seat.

To clear her name and discover whodunit, Becky rubs elbows with Tinseltown insiders. With the help of her best friend and an adorable puppy, they attempt to expose the killer before he claims his next victim.

Published December 26th, 2020

Chilled to the Cone (A Bakeshop Mystery, 12)by Ellie Alexander

SYNOPSIS:
The deep freeze has thawed in Ashland, Oregon and Torte is gearing up for a busy spring. When a surprise opportunity to launch a pop-up ice cream shop comes her way, Jules jumps at the chance to showcase Torte’s signature iced drinks and cold custards. But selling the desserts of her dreams comes at a price. . .and, before she knows it, Jules’s life swirls into a nightmare. One of the town’s most colorful characters, a street performer known for wearing capes and a cone-shaped hat, turns up dead just as Torte 2.0 is set to open its doors. Can Jules get the scoop on what happened to “The Wizard” of Ashland before her new business venture reaches a chilling conclusion

Published December 29th, 2020

Closely Harbored Secrets (Seaside Cafe Mystery Book 5) by Bree Baker

SYNOPSIS:
It’s almost Halloween, and the small island of Charm, North Carolina is decked out for the festivities. When Everly Swan agrees to close her iced tea shop early to help her aunts host their annual haunted historic walking tour, she expects some good-natured spooks. But the night turns grave when one of the ghostly actors is found dead. To complicate matters, the victim scratched Everly’s name into the ground before she died, making her a key suspect.

The murder mystery heats up when Everly’s potential boo, Detective Grady, takes the case—and he definitely doesn’t want her getting involved. Will their seaside romance be threatened by all the ghostly drama? But when a phantom sailor straight out of local legend starts leaving Everly threatening messages, she has to get involved… With a local election under way, ghosts on the loose, and a search for long-lost buried treasure, Everly can’t help but stir the pot!

Published December 29th, 2020

A Purr-fect Storm (Meow for Murder Book 6) by Addison Moore and Bellamy Bloom

SYNOPSIS:
Confession. I’m no psychic. But I can sort of see the future—albeit not accurately. And you better believe, I’ve never let that little detail stop me from prognosticating my way into a pickle. So when I ticked off the mob, the feds, and my wily ex, I decided to take my Uncle Vinnie’s advice and start over with a new name and new hair color while relying on my old shtick—getting my psychic wires crossed and putting myself in danger.

It’s beginning to look a lot like murder. It’s winter in Starry Falls, the snow is falling and the mobsters are coming in strong. My freedom is in the balance and the only question on my mind is should I stay or should I go now? Shep is willing to risk it all for me—and a thank you, I might just get us both killed.

Living in Starry Falls is proving to be deadly.

Published December 30th, 2020

Marvellous Mary Brown and the Mysterious Manhunt (Mary Brown Mysteries 2) by Bernice Bloom

SYNOPSIS:
Mysterious Manhunt continues the story, as Mary and the unlikely Mysterious Invitation crowd head off in search of a missing family. There are twists and turns and moments of madness. Featuring Juan Pablo on the stage, her boyfriend, Ted, in a fight and Mary Brown in the middle of it all, wondering what in the name of the lord she’s got herself all caught up in…

Mary proves herself to be super sleuth extraordinaire as she finds the clues to help crack the code. But will it be enough?

Published December 31st, 2020

Let’s Bake A Deal (Twin Berry Bakery Book 2)by Wendy Meadows

SYNOPSIS:
Rita and Rhonda Knight set out to enjoy the annual Clovedale Falls Pumpkin Festival. They arrive at the local fairgrounds on a crisp autumn morning full of excitement. With their purses full of money and the morning ahead of them, what could possibly go wrong? Only murder.

When Sheriff Bluestone shows up at the festival and tells Rita and Rhonda that a murder had taken place at the remote Clovedale Falls Retirement Home mansion, a dark cloud rolls over the fun morning. Suddenly, the smell of pumpkin pies, funnel cakes, and apple cider is replaced by the foul stench of crime, involving uncaring kitchen staff and suspicious nurses…and one innocent old man who can barely remember his own name. Together, Rhonda and Rita dive into a mystery that takes them into a mansion filled with secrets and heartbreaking truths as they track down a killer lurking in the shadows.

Will the Knight sisters solve a murder and prove the innocence of an old man, and reveal the secret histories that have brought these shadows down on their beautiful autumn day? Or will they fall victim to a hideous crime and never be remembered again?

Published December 31st, 2020

Are any of these on your wishlist? What’s your favourite Cozy Mystery Series? Let me know in the comments.