Copious Cozy Mysteries

Is the hot weather getting to you? Or maybe it’s cold weather where you are.

Now’s a good time to beat the weather, no matter the temperatures, relaxing with a good book. Berkley Prime Crime/Obsidian has just what you need with a number of interesting new cozy mysteries out this month. Here are several I’ve found intriguing and hope you will too.

TASTE OF THE NIGHTLIFE by Sarah Zettel

Chef Charlotte Caine has a fare for food and a most unusual clientele. She’s called “the Vampire Chef” because she cooks for New York’s burgeoning undead community even though she’s not a member. She and her vampire brother Chet run Nightlife, a Greenwich Village restaurant that specializes in “haute noir” cuisine for humans and their paranormal companions.

The restaurant isn’t a hit just yet but the city’s most influential food critic is suppose to give them a try. With a positive review the restaurant could be a big hit with the city’s after-dark crowd.

The night the food critic arrives, everything goes wrong. A drunk patron causes a scene, cast a spell and almost burns the building down. It make matters worse, the patron is found dead in the doorway with fang marks in his neck. Charlotte has to figure out who the killer is while working on the five star review for the restaurant.

TASTE OF THE NIGHTLIFE is a humorous murder mystery to keep you guessing.

Author Sarah Zettel’s website is http://www.sarahzettel.com/

Taste of the Nightlife by Sarah Zettel, A Vampire Chef Mystery, Obsidian, @2011, ISBN: 9780451234070, Paperback, 320 pages

FTC Full Disclosure - This book was sent to me by the publisher in hopes I would review it. However, receiving the complimentary copy did not influence my review.

PIE A LA MURDER by Melinda Wells

Della Carmichael has her hands full with Operation Pie, a bake sale contest to benefit a charity. Then her sweetie pie Nicholas drops a bomb—he has a teenage daughter, Celeste, who is coming to live with him. When the daughter’s friend is found murdered, the protective Nicholas is a suspect, and Della must find the real killer before they all get burned. You’ll also feel Della’s pain as she tries to bond with Celeste.

This is the fourth installment in the Della Cooks Mystery series, but is a stand alone book. This delightful and entertaining book also contains numerous recipes such as ‘Della’s Strawberry Cloud Pie.’ Other books in the series include: KILLER MOUSSE, DEATH TAKES THE CAKE, and THE PROOF IS IN THE PUDDING.

Author Melinda Wells’ website is http://www.lindapalmermysteries.com/

Pie a la Murder by Melinda Wells, A Della Cooks Mystery, Berkley Prime Crime, @2011, ISBN: 9780425242216, Paperback, 320 pages

FTC Full Disclosure - This book was sent to me by the publisher in hopes I would review it. However, receiving the complimentary copy did not influence my review.

BURN NOTICE: THE BAD BEAT by Tod Goldberg

Michael Westen is still in Miami, trying to survive as a spy without a country. Brent Grayson is a 19-year-old college kid who claims to own a company that doesn’t really exist. And Michael has to save Brent’s father from loan sharks and fend off sinister Russian businessman who see every takeover as an opportunity to be hostile. 

If you enjoy the TV series, you’ll love the book. This is the fifth installment in the Burn Notice series, but is a stand alone book. The other books include: BURN NOTICE: THE FIX, BURN NOTICE: THE END GAME, BURN NOTICE: THE GIVEAWAY, and BURN NOTICE: THE REFORMED.

Author Tod Goldberg’s website is http://todgoldberg.typepad.com/

Burn Notice: The Bad Beat by Tod Goldberg, Obsidian, @2011, ISBN: 9780451234094, Paperback, 288 pages

FTC Full Disclosure - This book was sent to me by the publisher in hopes I would review it. However, receiving the complimentary copy did not influence my review.

LET’S PLAY DEAD by Sheila Connolly

Nell Pratt is invited to a sneak preview of a new exhibit at the Philadelphia children’s museum based on the Harriet the Hedgehog book series. The new exhibit, Let’s Play, isn’t meant to be shocking—but when one of the installers is zapped with a fatal electrical charge, it’s up to Nell to put her detective skills on display. 

Nell is a witty and fun-loving character. This is the second installment in the Museum Mystery series, but is a stand alone book. The first book in the series is FUNDRAISING THE DEAD. 

Author Sheila Connolly’s website is http://www.sheilaconnolly.com/

Let‘s Play Dead by Sheila Connolly, A Museum Mystery, Berkley Prime Crime, @2011, ISBN: 9780425242209, Paperback, 304 pages

FTC Full Disclosure - This book was sent to me by the publisher in hopes I would review it. However, receiving the complimentary copy did not influence my review.

HOW TO MOON A CAT by Rebecca M. Hale

Rebecca’s cat, Rupert, has successfully been sniffing out several tightly wrapped bundles of cash that her Uncle Oscar had apparently hidden throughout his apartment prior to his death. Now Rupert has found a dusty green vase with a toy bear holding a tiny paper flag inside. Could his be another clue to one of Uncle Oscar’s valuable hidden treasures?

The newly found object leads Rebecca; her two cats, Rupert and Isabella; and their nosy neighbor, Monty, on a trip to Nevada City. The road trip and the waiting crowd could put everyone in danger.

This is a funny and whimsical story that contains a good bit of history, a look at frog jumping, and a humorous ending. Cat lovers will especially enjoy this series as the cats play a major role in the storyline. This is the third installment in the Cats and Curios Mystery series, but is a stand alone. The other books in the series include: HOW TO WASH A CAT and NINE LIVES LAST FOREVER.

Author Rebecca M. Hale’s website is http://www.howtowashacat.com/

How To Moon A Cat by Rebecca M. Hale,  A Cats and Curios Mystery, Berkley Prime Crime, @2011, ISBN: 9780425242179, Paperback, 304 pages

FTC Full Disclosure - This book was sent to me by the publisher in hopes I would review it. However, receiving the complimentary copy did not influence my review.

THE DARLING DAHLIAS AND THE NAKED LADIES

by Susan Wittig Albert

Rumors are sprouting in Depression-era Darling, Alabama. The town’s newest visitors, Nona Jean Jamison and Miss Lake, may be the Naughty and Nice Sisters from the Ziegfeld Frolic, who specialize in dancing nearly naked. They’ve come to stay with Nona’s aunt, Miss Hamer, an elderly recluse.

The Dahlias suspect more than modesty when Nona denies her association. The ladies of the garden club, the Darling Dahlias, notice one lady changes her hair color and the other is never seen without a veil. They’ll have to dig through clues to get to the root of the mystery... 

The ladies of the garden club will keep you guessing, as well as laughing while you reach for your glass of iced sweet tea. The ladies also offer housecleaning tips and delicious recipes. This is the second installment in the Darling Dahlias series, but is a stand alone book. The other book is THE DARLING DAHLIAS AND THE CUCUMBER TREE.

Author Susan Witting Albert’s website is http://www.mysterypartners.com/

The Darling Dahlias and the Naked Ladies by Susan Wittig Albert,  A Darling Dahlias Mystery, Berkley Prime Crime, @2011, ISBN: 9780425241288 , Hardcover, 304 pages

FTC Full Disclosure - This book was sent to me by the publisher in hopes I would review it. However, receiving the complimentary copy did not influence my review.

SKIRTING THE GRAVE by Annette Blair

Maddie Cutler owns and operates the Vintage Magic boutique and deals with the consequences of visions she gets from certain pieces of fashion treasures. She agrees to plan her sister Sherri’s baby shower and mentor a design intern. But insteade, she finds the intern dead at the train station under suspicious circumstances. 

However, later a woman claiming to be the intern shows up on Maddie’s doorstep. With the help of some lovely vintage clothes, Maddie is determined to iron out the wrinkles of this mystery before the killer can return.

Maddie is an enchanting and fun character you’ll fall in love with. She will have you laughing out loud and wondering what it would be like to have her ‘gift.’ Each chapter begins with a delightful and witty fashion-related quote and vintage bag tips are included at the end. 

This is the fourth installment in the Vintage Magic Mystery series, but is a stand alone book. The other books include: A VEILED DECEPTION, LARCENY AND LACE, and DEATH BY DIAMONDS.

Author Annette Blair’s website is http://www.annetteblair.com/

Skirting the Grave by Annette Blair,  A Vintage Magic Mystery, Berkley Prime Crime, @2011, ISBN: 9780425242223, Paperback, 288 pages

FTC Full Disclosure - This book was sent to me by the publisher in hopes I would review it. However, receiving the complimentary copy did not influence my review.

So I hope  you find something here to interest you. What are you reading to keep the weather at bay?