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Book Lists

Book Lists for Adults

Book Lists for Adults

Cozy Mysteries

Cozy, cute, funny, flirty, food, cafe, cats and cheese - no one can escape the shelter of the paperback cozy mystery genre.

Manansala, Mia P., author.
MYSTERY MAN
"The first book in a new culinary cozy series full of sharp humor and delectable dishes-one that might just be killer.... When Lila Macapagal moves back home to recover from a horrible breakup, her life seems to be following all the typical rom-com tropes. She's tasked with saving her Tita Rosie's failing restaurant, and she has to deal with a group of matchmaking aunties who shower her with love and judgment. But when a notoriously nasty food critic (who happens to be her ex-boyfriend) drops dead moments after a confrontation with Lila, her life quickly swerves from a Nora Ephron romp to an Agatha Christie case. With the cops treating her like she's the one and only suspect, and the shady landlord looking to finally kick the Macapagal family out and resell the storefront, Lila's left with no choice but to conduct her own investigation. Armed with the nosy auntie network, her barista best bud, and her trusted Dachshund, Longanisa, Lila takes on this tasty, twisted case and soon finds her own neck on the chopping block..."-- Provided by publisher.

Collette, Abby, author.
MYSTERY COL
"This book kicks off a charming cozy mystery series set in an ice cream shop--with a fabulous cast of quirky characters. Recent MBA grad Bronwyn Crewse has just taken over her family's ice cream shop in Chagrin Falls, Ohio, and she's going back to basics. Wyn is renovating Crewse Creamery to restore its former glory, and filling the menu with delicious, homemade ice cream flavors--many from her grandmother's original recipes. But unexpected construction delays mean she misses the summer season, and the shop has a literal cold opening: the day she opens her doors an early first snow descends on the village and keeps the customers away. To make matters worse, that evening, Wyn finds a body in the snow, and it turns out the dead man was a grifter with an old feud with the Crewse family. Soon, Wyn's father is implicated in his death. It's not easy to juggle a new-to-her business while solving a crime, but Wyn is determined to do it. With the help of her quirky best friends and her tight-knit family, she'll catch the ice cold killer before she has a meltdown . . "-- Provided by publisher.

St. James, Dorothy, author.
MYSTERY STJ
"When small-town assistant librarian Tru Beckett sets up a secret book room in her newly modernized library, she discovers that protecting the printed word is harder than she'd ever imagined. In fact, it's murder. Trudell Becket, known to her friends as Tru, finds herself in a bind when her library in lovely Cypress, South Carolina, is turned into a state-of-the-art bookless "technological center." A library with no books breaks Tru's book-loving heart so she decides to rescue hundreds of beloved tomes slated for the town dump. Under the cover of darkness, Tru, along with her best friends-coffee shop owner Tori Green and mysterious bestselling author Flossie Finnegan-Baker-set up a secret bookroom in the library's basement and prepare to open it to their most loyal, trustworthy patrons. But as Tru and her crew are putting the finishing touches on their new book room, the town manager, who was behind the big push for the library's transformation, is crushed by an overturned shelf of DVDs. Tru becomes the prime suspect as she hadn't hid the fact that she hated having all of those wonderful books replaced by tablets and computers. But if she gives the police her alibi, she'll have to explain about the secret book room and risk losing the books. Tru knows she's in a heap of trouble, and it doesn't help that the officer in charge of the case is her old crush from high school, who broke her teenaged heart. To keep herself out of jail and her beloved bookroom up and running, Tru-with the help of Tori, Flossie, and a brown tabby stray cat named Dewey Decimal-decides to investigate. And faster than you can say "Shhhh!" Tru quickly finds herself on the same page with a killer who would love to write her final chapter. . . "-- Provided by publisher.

Bessette, Alicia, author.
MYSTERY BES
"Target consumer: For fans of resourceful amateur sleuths, thriller-leaning cozies, and readers of Jenn McKinlay's Library Lovers Mysteries. From international bestselling author Alicia Bessette comes an all-new mystery series featuring Callie Padget a former reporter turned bookshop clerk in the Outer Banks who is pulled into a deadly web of secrets when a mysterious fall at a lighthouse echoes a tragedy from her past"-- Provided by publisher.

Rothschild, Peggy, author.
MYSTERY ROT
"When Molly Madison, dog-wrangler extraordinaire, stumbles upon a murder in her new hometown, she must track down a killer to save the day. Ex-police officer and former private investigator Molly Madison is starting over. After the death of her husband, she and her golden retriever, Harlow, move cross-country to California. But as charming and peaceful as the beachside town seems, she soon learns its tranquil tides hold dark secrets. On her first day in the new house, a large, slobbering Saint Berdoodle wanders in. Molly winds up taking on the responsibility of training Noodle since his owner is too busy to do the job. During one of their daily beachside walks, Noodle digs up a severed hand. Once Molly alerts the police and they run a background check on her, an incident from her past makes her an immediate suspect-after all, Noodle's testimony to clear her name won't hold much water in court. To prove her innocence, Molly must rely on instincts keener than a canine's to sniff out the real killer. But when Molly's life is put in danger, will her two very loyal pups be able to rescue her?"-- Provided by publisher.

MacRae, Molly, author.
MYSTERY MAC
"In the latest novel in the beloved Highland Bookshop Mystery Series, a murder at a baronial manor leads to a poisonous game of cat and mouse--with the women of Yon Bonnie Books playing to win. After 93 well-lived years, Violet MacAskill is ready to simplify her life. Her eccentric solution? She'll throw a decanting and decluttering party at her family home--a Scottish Baronial manor near the seaside town of Inversgail, Scotland. Violet sets aside everything she wants or needs, then she invites her many friends in to sip sherry and help themselves to whatever they want from all that's left. Janet Marsh and Christine Robertson, two of the women who own Yon Bonnie Books in Inversgail, enjoy themselves at the party. Not everyone who attends has a good time, though. Wendy Erskine, director of the Inversgail museum, is found dead, and rumors swirl about food poisoning from a local food truck. Then Violet tells Constable Hobbs that a tin of rat poison is missing. And when Hobbs' own grandmother comes under suspicion for murder, he enlists the women from Yon Bonnie Books, and the race is on to find the murderer. But where do they begin? Are there clues in the "Shocking Stockings" exhibit at the museum? Will the antique scrapbook pasted full of trivia about arsenic and bygone poisoners offer a solution? Or does the answer lie closer to home--is one of Violet's friends truly toxic? Poisonous games are afoot in Inversgail and the women of Yon Bonnie Books are playing to win."--provided by publisher.

Lee, R. J., 1946- author.
MYSTERY LEE
"King Kohl...has a reputation for loving three things: the ladies, closing on properties, and playing bridge...After receiving a mysterious message to hurry to King's home, Wendy almost collides with the man's real-estate rival, running out the front door insisting he found King dead when he arrived. Not just dead, it turns out, but murdered...With her detective husband Ross and her father Bax Winchester, the chief of police, Wendy is determined to find the offender who dropped the unguarded King"-- Provided by publisher.

Delany, Vicki, 1951- author.
PBC MYSTERY DEL
Catskills resort manager Elizabeth Grady investigates after a famously antagonistic director chooses their hotel as a shooting location and winds up poisoned at dinner.

Berry, Tamara, author.
PBC MYSTERY BER
"Bestselling thriller author Tess Harrow and her teenage daughter, Gertrude, need a fresh start. Now that Tess's divorce is final, the best place for her and Gertie to heal and reconnect is the rustic cabin in the woods that Tess inherited from her late grandfather. Between the beautiful pond on the property, the majestic mountain views, and the peaceful forest, it should be a relaxing getaway. But they've barely made it through the door when an explosion shakes the cabin and it's suddenly raining fish parts and ...is that a human arm? Tess was hardly convincing Gertie that a summer without Wi-Fi and running water would be an adventure. Now she's thrust into a murder investigation, neighbors are saying they've spotted Bigfoot in the woods near her cabin, and to top it off, the local sheriff is the spitting image of her famous character Detective Gonzales... With so much more than her daughter's summer plans at stake, it's up to Tess to put her crime-writing skills to the test and solve this case before anyone else gets hurt."--Page 4 of cover.

Cole, Stephanie, 1950- author.
PBC MYSTERY COL
Nell Valenti is at ease when managing a farm to table cooking school in sun-dappled Tuscany, but begins to feel the heat when tasked with catching a killer, in this engaging Italian-set cozy mystery series.-- Amazon.

Lloyd, Catherine, 1963- author.
MYSTERY LLO
While attending a house party in the countryside, lady's companion to the wealthy widow Mrs. Matilda Frogerton, Lady Caroline Morton finds things not as they seem when an elderly family member is murdered and attempts to solve the crime with an unexpected ally.

McCall Smith, Alexander, 1948- author.
MYSTERY MCC
"The next book in the perennially adored No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency series sees Precious Ramotswe calling upon all her maternal instincts when she's faced with a two-ton case. They say it takes a village to raise a child, but can Mma Ramotswe and the rest of the No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency come together to raise a pipsqueak pachyderm? We may find out in this novel. We may not. Who can say?"-- Provided by publisher.

Polito, Frank Anthony, author.
MYSTERY POL
Just as they are about to start filming the renovation of twin brothers Terry and Tom Cash's local Tudor, real-life domestic partners and stars of a new reality TV show Peter and JP discover Tom Cash dead and must chip away at the clues to catch a killer.

Flower, Amanda, author.
PBC MYSTERY FLO
"Quilter and widow Millie Fisher must help the man she is sweet on, Uriah Schrock, prove his late sister's innocence in the murder of her husband by stitching together the clues to find the truth"-- Provided by publisher.

Duncan, Emmeline, author.
MYSTERY DUN
Portland, Oregon. Sage Caplin has high hopes for her coffee cart, Ground Rules. Her business partner, Harley, is a genius at roasting beans and devising new blends. Then Sage finds a customer's body in front of her cart, a fatal slash across his neck. She knows the locals have intensely strong opinions, but who would be mad enough to commit murder? Sage is already fending off trouble in the form of her estranged, con-artist mother, but when her very own box cutter is discovered to be the murder weapon, she needs to focus on finding the killer - fast! -- adapted from back cover.

Freeman, Dianne, 1958- author.
MYSTERY FRE
"On the eve of her marriage to George Hazelton, Frances has a great deal more on her mind than flowers and seating arrangements. The Connors and the Bainbridges, two families of American robber barons, have taken up residence in London, and their bitter rivalry is spilling over into the highest social circles. At the request of her brother, Alonzo, who is quite taken with Miss Madeline Connor, Frances has invited the Connor family to her wedding. Meanwhile, Frances's mother has invited Mr. Bainbridge, and Frances fears the wedding may end up being newspaper-worthy for all the wrong reasons. On the day itself, Frances is relieved to note that Madeline's father is not among the guests assembled at the church. The reason for his absence, however, turns out to be most unfortunate: Mr. Connor is found murdered in his home. More shocking still, Alonzo is caught at the scene, holding the murder weapon. Powerful and ruthless, Connor appears to have amassed a wealth of enemies alongside his fortune. Frances and George agree to put their wedding trip on hold to try and clear Alonzo's name. But there are secrets to sift through, not just in the Bainbridge and Connor families, but also in their own. And with a killer determined to evade discovery at any cost-even if it means taking another life-Frances's first days as a newlywed will be perilous indeed"-- Provided by publisher.

Reyes, Raquel V., author.
MYSTERY REY
Food anthropologist Miriam Quiñones-Smith's move from New York to Coral Shores, Miami, puts her academic career on hold to stay at home with her young son. Adding to her funk is an opinionated mother-in-law and a husband rekindling a friendship with his ex. Gracias to her best friend, Alma, she gets a short-term job as a Caribbean cooking expert on a Spanish-language morning TV show. But when the newly minted star attends a Women's Club luncheon, a socialite sitting at her table suddenly falls face-first into the chicken salad, never to nibble again. When a second woman dies soon after, suspicions coalesce around a controversial Cuban herbalist, Dr. Fuentes--especially after the morning show's host collapses while interviewing him. Detective Pullman is not happy to find Miriam at every turn. After he catches her breaking into the doctor's apothecary, he enlists her help as eyes and ears to the places he can't access, namely the Spanish-speaking community and the tawny Coral Shores social scene. As the ingredients to the deadly scheme begin blending together, Miriam is on the verge of learning how and why the women died. But her snooping may turn out to be a recipe for her own murder.

Knight, Nikki, author.
MYSTERY KNI
"In a fit of anger, radio DJ Jaye Jordan blows a snowman's head off with a Revolutionary War-style musket. But the corpse that tumbles out is all too human. Jaye thought life would be quieter when she left New York City and bought a tiny Vermont radio station. But now, Edwin Anger--the ranting and raving radio talk show host who Jaye recently fired--lies dead in the snow. And the Edwin Anger fans who protested his dismissal are sure she killed him. To clear her name, Jaye must find the real killer. It doesn't make matters easier that the governor--Jaye's old crush--arrived on the scene before the musket smoke cleared. Fortunately, Jaye has allies ... if you count the flatulent moose that lives in the transmitter shack, and Neptune, the giant gray cat that lives at the station. If Jaye can turn the tables on the devious killer, she and the governor may get to make some sweet, sweet music together. But if she can't, she'll be off the air ... permanently"-- Provided by publisher

Carcaterra, Lorenzo, author.
MYSTERY CAR
"When a crime on a beautiful Italian island stumps the police, locals locals turn to the nosy, elderly widow Nonna Maria in this transporting mystery from author Lorenzo Carcaterra. Nonna Maria has lived in Ischia, a little island in the Gulf of Naples, her entire life. Recognizable by the widow's black she's worn every day for decades, Maria always has pasta on the stove and espresso in the pot for the neighbors who stop by to ask her advice on life and love. Everyone knows her, and she knows everyone's business. So when something goes wrong, islanders look to her, and not the local carabinieri, to find the solution. A man's fiancé disappears the night before the wedding. Is it a case of cold feet, or is something more sinister in play? A fisherman who knows the waters around the island like the back of his hand is drowned early one morning. Was it a tragic accident, or is there more to the story? While the police appear uninterested in these domestic concerns, Nonna Maria pours herself another glass of red wine and gets to work"-- Provided by publisher.

Bolton, Ginger, author.
MYSTERY BOL
Emily Westhill runs the best donut shop in Fallingbrook, Wisconsin, alongside her retired police chief father-in-law and her tabby Deputy Donut. But after murder claims a favorite customer, Emily can't rely on a sidekick to solve the crime--or stay alive.