Deck the Halls with Homicide

 

Deck the Halls With Homicide: Killer Chocolate Mysteries by Christina Romeril

About Deck the Halls With Homicide

Deck the Halls With Homicide: Killer Chocolate Mysteries Cozy Mystery 3rd in Series Setting - Harriston, Montana (fictional) Publisher ‏ : ‎ Independently Published Publication date ‏ : ‎ October 28, 2025 Print length ‏ : ‎ 326 pages Paperback ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1069554103 ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1069554109 Digital ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1069554116 ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0FKMD2SMX

Perfect for fans of Jacqueline Frost and Vicki Delany, when a holiday decorating contest turns deadly, twin sisters Alex and Hanna trade tinsel and twinkle lights for tracking the twists and turns of a cunning killer.

Alex and Hanna, owners of Murder and Mayhem book and chocolate shop, are hoping for a quiet holiday. That is, after Alex is finished judging the Deck the Halls contest organized by Vanessa, nicknamed “The Dragon.” The whole experience has turned Alex’s usual festive spirit a little grinchy. Instead of inspiring holiday cheer with fun lawn displays, the contest has turned cutthroat and decorations have started disappearing. After Alex’s beau, Tom, is seen in a heated argument with the Dragon about his stolen trimmings, Alex finds him dressed as Santa, kneeling over Vanessa’s dead body…with one of his missing candy cane decorations buried in her chest. It’s no surprise he becomes the sheriff’s top suspect.

Alex and Hanna quickly amass a cast of suspects deeper than Santa’s reindeer roster, including an old family friend tasked by their mother with romantic interference; a nosy reporter eager to reveal Alex’s previous murder-y exploits; and the victim’s psychologist-to-the-stars husband with a spicy secret. But as they try to catch a crafty killer, Alex also grapples with the escalating wrath of Tom’s daughter, and a mysterious psychic dropping cryptic clues, while Hanna deals with her own Christmas crisis.

Murder puts a bitter spin on the twins’ sweet confections and they must find the killer and wrap up the case to keep Santa off the naughty list.

What I Thought:

This is the third installment in the Killer Chocolate Mystery Series. It is Christmas time again in Harriston, MT and Alex and Hanna are busy in their shop making yummy chocolates with killer poison names. Alex is taped to help judge the town's holiday decoration display for the year and is continuing her relationship with Pastor Tom. Vanessa Lindstrom has organized the holiday display contest and she has also taken it upon herself to speak to Tom and his daughter about Tom and Alex's relationship, much to the chagrin of Alex and Tom. Alex is musing that their hasn't been a murder yet this Christmas, but she shouldn't have spoken so soon. When Tom is found kneeling over the body of Vanessa, Alex has her Christmas murder to solve. 

I enjoy visiting Harriston during the holidays. Christina Romeril does such a good job of describing the town, the residents and the decorations, I feel like I am there. This story flowed well and kept my attention. There were many twists and turns that kept me guessing until the end. I cannot wait for another visit to Harriston at Christmastime. 

I received a complimentary copy of this book. 

About Christina Romeril

Christina Romeril grew up in Kitchener, Ontario, and has been devouring stacks of books since third grade when the Trixie Belden series sparked a love of mysteries. She has lived on both coasts of Canada as a former member of the Canadian military. As an Alberta transplant, she is fascinated by mountains and loves to spend time with her husband and two Chihuahuas, Nacho and Paco, exploring Waterton National Park in the Canadian Rockies.

Author Links Facebook https://www.facebook.com/christinaromerilwriter Website https://christinaromeril.com/ Instagram https://www.instagram.com/christinaromerilwriter Purchase Links - Amazon Bookshop.org B&N Kobo Apple Books

Death on Dickens Island

 

Death on Dickens Island: A Books on the Beach Mystery by Allison Brook

About Death on Dickens Island

Death on Dickens Island: A Books on the Beach Mystery Cozy Mystery 1st in Series Setting - On Dickens Island, a fictional island in the Long Island Sound between Long Island and CT. Publisher ‏ : ‎ Crooked Lane Books Publication date ‏ : ‎ October 21, 2025 Hardcover Print length ‏ : ‎ 320 pages ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 979-8892420488 Paperback ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 979-8892422536 Digital ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 979-8892420495 ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0DTNMGQTK Audiobook ASIN: B0DT4WXPWL

A divorced sleuth in her thirties must bring peace back to her small town after a murder tears neighbors and family members apart in this series debut from Agatha Award nominee Allison Brook, perfect for fans of Cynthia Riggs and Eva Gates.

Delia Dickens has come home to Dickens Island, a small island in the Long Island Sound, after a twelve-year stint in Manhattan. She’s looking forward to helping her father revitalize the general store that the family owns as well as curating a small book nook. Most importantly, she wants to reunite with her fifteen-year-old son. But Dickens Island isn’t the peaceful town Delia remembers–and she might be in more danger here than she ever was in the big city.

Delia’s Aunt Reenie and Uncle Brad, both prominent community leaders, are at odds over the sale of a farm and its future use. This has created friction, not only in their marriage, but amongst the citizens of the town. When a young woman, new to the town council and friendly with Brad, is found murdered, everything escalates and reaches a new boiling point.

With Reenie and Brad both suspects in the case and at each other’s throats, the townspeople start to take sides. When the ghost of her grandmother visits her, Delia learns how past events have impacted the present, and it is up to her to expose the farm’s sordid secrets in order to catch a murderer and restore peace to her beloved island.

What I Thought:

This is a new series by Allison Brook, Books on the Beach Mysteries. Once I started this book I almost could not put it down it was that enthralling. Delia has moved back home to the Island named after her family, the Dickens, and gets embroiled in murder mystery, plus a search for possible pirate treasure, and ultimately a murder mystery from decades ago. I loved the setting of this book which is an island off the coast of Long Island and Connecticut. Delia was a great protagonist and very likable. As were other supporting characters in this book. The plot was well thought out and believable and the story flowed very well. Of course it kept my attention from the very beginning until the reveal at the end. There were twists and turns and side mysteries and a little romance that kept this very interesting. I will definitely be reading more in this series and am anxiously awaiting the next installment. 

I received a complimentary copy of this book.  

About Allison Brook

A former Spanish teacher, Marilyn Levinson writes mysteries, novels of suspense, and books for kids. Her books have received many accolades. As Allison Brook she writes the Haunted Library series. Death Overdue, the first in the series, was an Agatha nominee for Best Contemporary Novel in 2018. Other mysteries include the Golden Age of Mystery Book Club series, the Twin Lakes series, and Giving Up the Ghost. Her suspense, Come Home to Death, was released in April 2024, and her suspense, Dangerous Relations, will be republished in 2025. Death on Dickens Island is the first book in her Books on the Beach series.

Marilyn's juvenile novel, Rufus and Magic Run Amok, was an International Reading Association-Children's Book Council Children's Choice and has recently come out in a new edition. Rufus and the Witch's Drudge, the second book in the series, has been released, and the third, Rufus and the Dark Side of Magic, will be out later this year. And Don't Bring Jeremy was a nominee for six state awards. Her YA horror, The Devil's Pawn, came out in a new edition in January 2024.

Marilyn lives on Long Island, where many of her books take place. She loves traveling, reading, doing crossword puzzles and Sudoku, chatting on FaceTime with her grandkids, and playing with her kittens, Romeo and Juliet.

Author Links Website/Newsletter Sign Up: http://www.marilynlevinson.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/marilyn.levinson.10 Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/161602.Marilyn_Levinson X: https://twitter.com/MarilynLevinson BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/marilyn-levinson BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/allison-brook Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marilynlevinsonauthor/ Purchase Links: Amazon B&N Bookshop.org PenguinRandomHouse

Grave Words

Grave Words: A Deadly Deadlines Mystery

by Gerri Lewis

About Grave Words

Grave Words: A Deadly Deadlines Mystery

Cozy Mystery

2nd in Series

Setting - Connecticut

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Crooked Lane Books

Publication date ‏ : ‎ June 10, 2025

Print length ‏ : ‎ 336 pages

Hardcover ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 979-8892421133

Paperback  ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 979-8892422482

Kindle ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0DGPF9R8P

Audiobook ASIN B0F97G3PP3

Winter Snow has had it! With her business in a death drought, her best friend Scoop implicated

in a string of arsons, and an obituary listing Winter herself as deceased, her life is heating up. But

just as she’s trying to cool things down, she receives her newest assignment: an obituary for

Chester, a homeless man found in a burning building.

Promising the local funeral home manager that she will have the obituary by the deadline, Winter

is stonewalled at every turn, failing to discover Chester’s last name, or where he came from.

When it is discovered that Chester was murdered and that the fire was set to cover it up, all

fingers immediately point to Scoop. Not only is Scoop a person of interest in the arsons, he was

also the last person to see Chester alive.

As more nails are pounded into Scoop’s coffin, Winter’s uncle Richard hopes to help by inviting

the notorious town gossips, The Nosy Parkers, to a neighborhood food fest. Unfortunately, the

breadcrumbs they toss set murder in motion.

More determined than ever, Winter must figure out the twists and turns of the case to clear

Scoop’s name, putting her on a deadly deadline to solve the murder and avoid meeting the same

grave consequences.

What I Thought:

This is the first book in the Deadly Deadlines Series that I have read. I thought a series about a professional obituary writer would be interesting, and I was not wrong. In this one, it starts out with Winter finding out her client submitted an obituary she wrote but with her name and picture in it. This progress into and arson and murder investigation in which Winter's best friend, and reporter. Scoop is the main suspect. Winter is dating a local police officer and he warns her not to get involved. Her uncle and neighbor also try to keep Winter out of trouble, but it does not always work.

I enjoyed the setting of this book and as I said, I thought the premise of a professional obituary writer was unique. I did not really know that was a career choice. The plot was well thought out and believable and the story flowed well and kept my attention from the very beginning. There were several twist that kept me guessing. I will definitely be reading more in this series. 

About Gerri Lewis

GERRI LEWIS is the author of The Last Word (2024) and Grave Words (June 10, 2025), the

first two books in her Deadly Deadlines Mystery series published by Crooked Lane Books.  Set

in her Hallmark-worthy hometown of Ridgefield, Connecticut, this cozy mystery is about

obituary writer Winter Snow, who solves murders along with a cast of lovable

characters.  During her career as an award-winning reporter, columnist, and feature writer, Gerri

has become a go-to person in her community for obituaries. When she is not helping her

protagonist solve mysteries, she writes magazine features and is the Public Information Officer

for the Ridgefield Office of Emergency Management.  She lives with her husband in Ridgefield,

Connecticut, the picture-perfect setting for her books.

Murder She Wrote: A Body in Boston

 

Murder, She Wrote: A Body in Boston by Jessica Fletcher and Terrie Farley Mora

About Murder, She Wrote: A Body in Boston

Murder, She Wrote: A Body in Boston

Cozy Mystery 61st in Series Setting - Boston, Massachusetts Publisher ‏ : ‎ Berkley (July 1, 2025) Paperback Print length ‏ : ‎ 304 pages ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0593820193 ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0593820193 Digital ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0DHWR568Q

Jessica Fletcher has dinner with her old pal Harry McGraw and gets pulled into a puzzling murder case.

Invited to deliver a lecture at the Boston Public Library, Jessica Fletcher excitedly makes plans to see local friends. Naturally that includes dinner at Gilhooley’s with PI Harry McGraw. Harry excitedly talks about his latest client, the CEO of Cure All Pharmaceuticals, who’s received anonymous blackmail demands and wants Harry to identify the culprit. Cookie, Gilhooley’s longtime bartender, also has something he wants to tell Jessica: he asked Harry to investigate his daughter Aileen’s boyfriend, who Cookie thinks is too slick by half, but now Harry is too wrapped up in this new case. While Jessica wonders how best to approach Aileen, the young woman stumbles into Gilhooley’s covered in blood. She just discovered her boyfriend’s corpse -- and quickly becomes the chief suspect in his murder!

What I Thought:

Well this was another entertaining installment of the Murder She Wrote Mysteries. There have been so many in this series, I think this is the 61st? In this one, Jessica and Seth travel to Boston for Jessica to speak at a lecture at the Boston Public Library, When a friends daughter's boyfriend is murdered, Jessica has to investigate to try to clear the girl of the charges. As always, Jessica Fletcher is a great protagonist. She is cleaver and completely timeless. This plot was well thought out and believable. There was a couple mystery aspects in this book that ended up being connected together. While the setting was not Cabot Cove, it was still charming and Ms. Farley did a good job describing the setting. I was left guessing till the reveal of the killer, it was interesting how Ms. Fletcher figured out who the killer was. A Murder She Wrote book is always an entertaining book and this one was no exception. 

I received a complimentary copy of this book.   

About the Authors

Terrie Farley Moran is the bestselling author of the Read 'Em and Eat cozy mystery series, including the Agatha Award-winning Well Read, Then Dead. Along with Jessica Fletcher, she co-writes the Murder She Wrote mystery series. She also co-writes the Scrapbooking Mysteries with Laura Childs. Terrie's short mystery fiction has been published in Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine, Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazine, Mystery Weekly, and numerous anthologies. "A Killing at the Beausoleil" was nominated for an Agatha Award for Best Short Story. "Inquiry and Assistance" received the Derringer Award for Best Novelette.

Author Links – Webpage, Facebook Purchase Links – Amazon – B&N – Kobo – Bookshop.org – PenguinRandomHouse –

A Whale of a Crime

 

A Whale of a Crime (A Yorkshire Coast Cozy Mystery) by Mona Marple

About A Whale of a Crime

A Whale of a Crime (A Yorkshire Coast Cozy Mystery) Cozy Mystery 1st in Series Setting - FLAMBOROUGH, YORKSHIRE COAST, ENGLAND Independently Published (April 30, 2025) Print length ‏ : ‎ 254 pages Digital ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0DTZ3KGWP

After ten years away, Ryan Kennedy never planned on returning to Flamborough—the tiny Yorkshire village he once called home. But when his fiercely independent gran, Iris, needs him, he finds himself back behind the counter at her chaotic seaside bookshop, wrestling with jammed tills, nosy villagers, and the memories he’s spent years trying to forget.

What Ryan doesn’t expect is to be swept straight into the heart of a murder investigation.

When a mysterious boat appears on the beach and a body turns up at the exclusive Whale Watch Weekend picnic, all eyes turn to the cliffs—and to the secrets the village has been keeping. As Ryan and Iris dig into the tangled history of the victim, long-buried truths begin to surface, not just about the case... but about the night Ryan’s own husband died.

With the tide cutting them off, a killer on the loose, and a very observant dog named Bracken by their side, Ryan and Iris must work fast—because in Flamborough, the past doesn’t stay buried, and the sea has a habit of washing everything to shore.

For fans of twisty village whodunits, seaside charm, and heartfelt mysteries with a slow-burning emotional pull, A Whale of a Crime is the unforgettable first instalment in a brand-new series.

Excerpt “He hadn't expected it to feel like this—like being punched in the gut and wrapped in a warm blanket all at once.” “Welcome home, little brother.” “Because I very much doubt Vic decided to bash his own head in with a decorative whale.” “You could dress a Flamborough lad in all the fancy clothes you liked, but the salt air would always find a way in.” “They were trapped until morning. Six suspects, one murder weapon, and Iris’ grandson caught in the middle of it all.”

What  I Thought:

This is the first installment in a new series by Mona Marple. I have read some of her other books before and really enjoyed them. In this one Ryan has went back home to Flamborough ten years after the death of his husband, Jason. It is The Whale Watch Weekend Festival and when a dead body is found on the beach at the picnic the night prior to the festival, it brings up bad memories for Ryan. He and his grandmother, Iris, team up to solve the crime. In the process there is another murder and there is evidence it is linked to the death of Ryan's husband. I enjoyed the setting of this book which is the Yorkshire coast. The village of Flamborough seems charming and quaint.. Ryan and his grandmother Iris are both very likable characters. The supporting character were all well developed as well. I did get a little confuse at times about everything that was going on in this book. This will have to be read as a series in order for it to make sense as the ending leads up to the beginning of the next in this series. There were many suspects in this book and some twists that kept me guessing. 

I received a complimentary copy of this book. 
 

About Mona Marple

Mona Marple writes charming cozy mysteries filled with quirky characters, twisty whodunits, and settings you’ll wish you could visit—especially if you love a bit of seasonal sparkle. Best known for her beloved Candy Cane Hollow series, Mona creates worlds where murder meets mistletoe and sleuthing pairs perfectly with a cup of tea. When she’s not writing, Mona can be found walking her Labradoodle, Coco, plotting her next murder (on the page, of course), or hosting reader parties in her cozy online community.

Author Links WEBSITE: WWW.MONAMARPLE.COM FACEBOOK: WWW.FACEBOOK.COM/MONAMARPLEAUTHOR FACEBOOK GROUP: https://www.facebook.com/groups/332562544209625 INSTAGRAM: WWW.INSTAGRAM.COM/MONAMARPLE Purchase Link - Amazon

A Witch Awakens Spotlight

 

A Witch Awakens: A Fire Circle Mystery by Ellis Elliott

About A Witch Awakens

A Witch Awakens: A Fire Circle Mystery Cozy Mystery 1st in Series Setting - In the Tennessee mountains Publisher: Hawkshaw Press (May 19, 2025) Number of Pages: 238 Digital ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0F5LDHNY1

A Witch Awakens is about an accidental detective CeCe (Tennessee) Brown, who returns home to Tennessee after deciding the Big Apple just didn't suit her. While working as the local ballet teacher she helps her friend Bess to put on the annual Fall Ball. Unfortunately, during a thunderstorm the night of the ball, one of the town's most notable women is found dead. CeCe was very close to the victim, and begins to have little dizzy spells where she starts to get pictures of things around her town, and feelings compelling her to visit certain locations. Under the guidance of her grandmother and her Aunt Granny, CeCe begins to realize she shares a family proclivity for a bit of second sight. It's a story where CeCe solves a mystery, but also begins to accept who she is, and where she's from, and what makes her little town, and herself, special. She solves the mystery of herself.

About Ellis Elliot

ELLIS ELLIOTT is a facilitator of the online writing group Bewilderness Writing. She also teaches writing and ballet in an after-school arts education program. Ellis holds an MFA from Queens University. She is a contributing writer for the Southern Review of Books, and serves as an editor/workshop instructor for The Dewdrop contemplative journal.

She is the author of the 2023 poetry chapbook, Break in the Field (Old Scratch Press), which KIRKUS calls “A deeply felt collection of candid verse.” Her work can also be found in numerous publications, including Signal Mountain Review, Plainsongs Poetry Magazine/Award Poem, Euphony Journal, and the Women of Appalachia Project Anthology. Ellis has a blended family consisting of six grown sons. She resides in West Palm Beach, Florida, with her husband, Tim, and a feisty dog named Mabel. Author Links

• Website: https://bewildernesswriting.squarespace.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bewildernesswriting
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/elliselliott2020
• LinkedIn: http://linkedin.com/in/ellis-gatewood-elliott-30ab4059

Purchase Links - AMAZON - a Rafflecopter giveaway

The Diva Poaches a Bad Egg

The Diva Poaches a Bad Egg (A Domestic Diva Mystery) by Krista Davis

About The Diva Poaches a Bad Egg

The Diva Poaches a Bad Egg (A Domestic Diva Mystery) Cozy Mystery 18th in Series Setting - Virginia Publisher ‏ : ‎ Kensington Cozies (May 27, 2025) Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 320 pages ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1496743458 ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1496743459 Digital ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0DFRXP333

Northern Virginia’s own Martha Stewart returns in a brand-new mystery as an interior designer clashes with a killer . . .

Stylish brunches are all the rage this autumn in Old Town Alexandria, and everyone’s posting their parties on social media. But while Domestic Diva Sophie Winston juggles her event-filled calendar, she’s approached by local designer Mitzi Lawson—who is afraid someone is following her. The very next day Mitzi loses her best friend and business partner, Denise. The two were renovating a generations-old house where Denise died unexpectedly, and Mitzi fears that it wasn’t a medical condition to blame, but murder.

It could just be the shock talking, but Sophie agrees to help Mitzi involve the police. Then she receives a panicked phone call from Mitzi, and when she rushes to the old house, Mitzi is nowhere to be found. Now Sophie’s appetite for investigation is piqued even more than her appetite for eggs Benedict and mimosas.

Could Denise’s death be connected to her viper’s nest of in-laws or the house she was working on which her husband just inherited? What of the self-proclaimed etiquette expert with some improper secrets, or the scheming mistress? Or does the old house harbor secrets of its own? There’s a generous buffet of suspects to keep the Diva scrambling for an answer . . .

Includes delicious recipes and fabulous DIY decorating tips!

What I Thought:

Well, Krista Davis has done it again in this series. This is the 18th installment in this series and this series maintains being one of the best series out there. In this one, Sophie goes to the Inger House to meet her friend Mitzi and instead finds a dead body. Sophie and her group of friends, Nina, Mars and Bernie investigate to find the killer. During their investigations they uncover a few more mysteries. I really enjoyed this installment of this series. It kept my attention from the very beginning until the end of the book. I enjoyed visiting Old Town Alexandria and Sophie and her group of friends, and of course her fur babies. Sophie is a very strong protagonist and always keeps a level head. Krista Davis is an excellent author and this series just gets better and better. I will have to say I did not figure this mystery out until the very end. I have not read all in this series yet, but I am making a dent in them because this is one of my favorites series of cozy mysteries. I very much look forward to more in this series. 

I received a complimentary copy of this book. 

About Krista Davis

New York Times Bestselling author Krista Davis writes the Domestic Diva Mysteries, the Paws & Claws Mysteries, and The Pen & Ink Mysteries. Krista lives in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia with a black Labrador mix, an English cream golden retriever, and two very inquisitive cats, all rescues. Her friends and family complain about being guinea pigs for her recipes, but she notices they keep coming back for more.

Author Links Website www.KristaDavis.com Instagram www.instagram.com/kristadavisauthor Facebook www.facebook.com/KristaDavisAuthor GoodReads https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/1555579.Krista_Davis Pinterest https://www.pinterest.com/KristaDavisAuthor/ BookBub https://www.bookbub.com/authors/krista-davis X xhttps://x.com/kristadavis Delicious Mysteries https://www.facebook.com/groups/1573601592919093 Purchase Links Apple Amazon BAM B&N Bookshop.org Hudson Booksellers Indigo Powell’s Rakuten Kobo Tantor Target Walmart