Mysteries Abound

I’ve mentioned before that each month Berkley Prime Crime/Obsidian publishes an array of interesting and intriguing cozy murder mysteries.

Here are just a few of this month’s release. Drop by Berkley Prime Crime to find just about any type of cozy murder mystery you’re looking for.

TOWN IN A WILD MOOSE CHASE by B.B. Haywood

A Candy Holliday Murder Mystery
Berkley (Prime Crime)
ISBN-13: 9780425246177
336 pages, Paperback
$7.99 

 

Cape Willington’s annual Winter Moose Fest is in full swing when the sightings of a mysterious white moose—and rumors of a dead body found in the woods—send Candy scrambling to separate fact from fiction before she finds herself in the bullseye of a ruthless killer... 

This delightful cozy also includes delicious recipes such as ‘Sandy’s Favorite Whoopie Pies’ and the yummy ‘Melody’s Chocolate Mousse.’

This is the third installment in the Candy Holliday Murder Mystery series and is a stand alone read. The other installments include TOWN IN A BLUEBERRY JAM (February 2010) and TOWN IN A LOBSTER STEW (February 2011).

B. B. Haywood is a pseudonym of writing team Beth Feeman and Robert Feeman. They conceived the idea for the Candy Holliday mysteries while driving around the Maine countryside, stopping at different small towns throughout the state. For more information, visit http://www.hollidaysblueberryacres.com.

A FITTING END by Melissa Bourbon

A Magical Dressmaking Mystery
Obsidian
ISBN-13: 9780451236142
320 pages, Paperback
$7.99 

 

Former Manhattan fashion designer Harlow Jane Cassidy has a gift for creating beautiful dresses. But when Harlow becomes the prime suspect in a murder investigation, she’ll need more than her sewing skills to unravel the mystery...

Business is booming at Harlow’s custom dressmaking boutique, Buttons & Bows, even with the presence of her great-grandmother’s ghost hanging around the shop. But thanks to the fast approaching Margaret Moffette Lea Pageant and Ball, Harlow has her work cut out for her when Mrs. Zinnia James hires her to make her granddaughter’s pageant gown. 

With the debutant ball getting the whole town of Bliss, Texas into a tizzy, Harlow knows her dress has to be perfect. But when a local golf pro is found stabbed to death with dressmaking shears, the new deputy thinks Harlow and Mrs. James conspired to commit the crime. Now Harlow has to finish the dress on time and clear her name before the next outfit she designs is a prison jumpsuit... 

This book includes a number of sewing tips, a Cassidy Family Tree, and a sneak peek at the next installment in the series, DEADLY PATTERNS, coming in October. This is the second installment in this intriguing mystery, but is a stand alone read. The first installment is PLEATING FOR MERCY (August 2011). 

Melissa Bourbon, who sometimes answers to her Latina-by-marriage name Misa Ramirez, gave up teaching middle and high school kids in Northern California to write full-time amidst horses and Longhorns in North Texas. She fantasizes about spending summers writing in quaint, cozy locales, has a love/hate relationship with yoga and chocolate, is devoted to her family, and can’t believe she’s lucky enough to be living the life of her dreams. She is the author of the Lola Cruz Mystery series with St. Martin’s Minotaur, A Magical Dressmaking Mystery series with NAL, and co-author (with Tonya Kappes) of The Tricked Out Toolbox. For more on Melissa and her writing, visit http://misaramirez.com/misa-ramirez-writing-as-melissa-bourbon-or-visa-versa/

CAKE ON A HOT TIN ROOF by Jacklyn Brady

A Piece of Cake Mystery
Berkley (Prime Crime)
ISBN-13: 9780425246221
304 pages, Paperback
$7.99 

Pastry chef Rita Lucero’s Mardi Gras party turns funereal when one of her guests is found dead after a public fight with her uncle—leaving Rita no choice but to find the real killer and clear her uncle's name... 

This fun mystery also contains yummy recipes Zydeco King Cake and Rita’s Breakfast Casserole. This is the second installment in the series, but is a stand alone read. The first installment is A SHEETCAKE NAMED DESIRE (August 2011). For more on Jacklyn and her writing, visit http://jacklynbrady.blogspot.com.

OLD HAUNTS by E.J. Copperman

A Haunted Guesthouse Mystery
Berkley (Prime Crime)
ISBN-13: 9780425246207
304 pages, Paperback
$7.99 

The ghosts haunting Alison Kerby’s Jersey Shore guesthouse are sad. Maxie wants to know who murdered her ex-husband, and Paul pines for his still-living almost-fiancee. The only one who isn’t missing her ex is Alison—because The Swine just arrived on her doorstep... 

This is the third installment in the series, but is a stand alone read. The other installments include NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD (June 2010) and AN UNINVITED GHOST (April 2011).

E.J. Copperman is a mysterious figure, or has a mysterious figure, or writes figuratively in mysteries. In any event, a New Jersey native, E.J. has written for such publications as The New York Times, Entertainment Weekly, American Baby and USA Weekend. E. J. Copperman is a pseudonym for Jeffrey Cohen. For more on E.J. and his writing, visit http://www.ejcopperman.com.

LUCIFER’S TEARS by James Thompson

An Inspector Vaara Novel
Berkley (Prime Crime)
ISBN-13: 9780425245392
352 Pages Trade Size
$15
First Time in Paperback - trade edition  

Inspector Kari Vaara has left the Arctic Circle and returned—reluctantly—to Helsinki, where headaches and sleeplessness plague him. But he must work through the pain. He has two cases on his plate: the brutal murder of a Russian businessman’s wife, and—more secretively—an investigation into an elderly Finnish national hero who may have played a darker role in World War II than the public knows. Vaara’s past has turned him into a haunted man. The questions he’s asking now may turn him into a hunted man as well... 

This is the second installment in the Inspector Vaara series. The first installment is SNOW ANGELS (February 2011).

James Thompson, eastern Kentucky—born and—raised, has lived in Finland well over a decade and currently makes his home in Helsinki with his wife. Before becoming a full-time writer, he studied Swedish and Finnish and worked as a bartender, bouncer, construction worker, photographer, rare coin dealer, and soldier. For more on James and his writing, visit http://www.jamesthompsonauthor.com.

Have you read any of these new releases or have them in your TBR stack? Have I caught your attention with a new title today? Thanks so much for stopping by and have a wonderful day.