Short Cozy Mysteries

Family meant everything to Ayden Stratton. It always had even when he didn’t always allow it to show. Because of that, he understood the fury in Tobias Blaise’s eyes when they learned that his sister had been dragged out the backdoor of her restaurant despite every effort to stop her from being kidnapped. Fury didn’t begin to describe what he saw in his brother’s face. Cassidy Blaise might be Tobias’s sister, but she was Benjamin’s entire world. Tobias Blaise never expected to find any woman he wanted to spend his life with, let alone one who looked at him the way Ellis did, ...

A cozy mystery short story. Honorable mention in NYC Competition. In, The Missing Butler, Inspector Nigel Brown faces his first case as Chief Inspector with determination and a fresh batch of brownies. When the plump and cheerful Miss Abigail Rochelle proclaims her butler robbed her before meeting an untimely demise, Inspector Brown dives headfirst into the mystery. The case seems insurmountable, given Miss Rochelle’s eccentricities and the lack of tangible evidence. Yet, as Inspector Brown meticulously unravels the threads of Miss Rochelle’s life, from her lonely existence to her ...

Discover how Meghan Truman, Sandy Bay's latest resident and new bakery owner, navigates her way through three murder mysteries as she gets to know the quirky characters in her adopted hometown after failing to make a career as an actress in Hollywood. The town's local detective, Jack Irvin, has an eye for Meghan, but will she find time to build a romance while she tries to clear her name?

Marnie is planning the Winchester family's annual solstice celebration - and it's a lot of work - but the real work comes when niece Bay sees a ghost and Aunt Tillie declares war on her meddlesome great-nieces. Marnie has to find a way to keep the solstice celebration on track - and no one is up to the task of helping. The curses are flying fast and furious, and Marnie is running out of time to help a forgetful ghost move on, find her missing magic supplies and prove she should've been the boss all along.

She bought the cabin on a whim. But will it transform into her perfect getaway? Burnt out from her high-flying author career and dreaming of escaping her busy Manhattan life, when Laura discovers her husband cheating on her with another writer, she knows it’s time for a change. After her brother calls her about a country Bed and Breakfast for sale, Laura ditches New York and buys it on the spot… only to realize that the run-down cabin will need more than a little elbow grease to restore it to working condition. As she’s swept up in the quiet joys of small-town life, an ad in the local...

In the sleepy town of Willow Grove, where flowers bloom and secrets lurk, a delightful group of smart and sassy canines leads an unsuspecting small town on a thrilling cozy mystery adventure in Planting Evidence. Meet Pretzel, the charismatic dachshund, with a nose for mischief and a flair for detective work. Alongside his loyal pack of furry friends, Pretzel uncovers more than just buried bones when a series of thefts shakes Willow Grove to its core. With stolen jewels disappearing and a crime ring operating right under their paws, the stakes couldn't be higher. But these four-legged ...

The Winchester witches are all about love and family - and, well, snark and sarcasm - and no one knows that better than the family members themselves, plus the people who love them. Follow Clove, Thistle, Landon, Winnie, and Aunt Tillie as they share their lives - and innermost thoughts - through a series of short novellas that take you from the present, to the past, and then back again.

Snow, Stars - and murder! When Bernie, the star of breakfast show TV Rise & Shine, is murdered in her dressing room, Celebrity Crimes Investigation Agents Abi and Jake are sent undercover just before Christmas to catch the killer. With suspects aplenty, the snow building up outside and the holidays fast approaching, they’ve certainly got their work cut out!

Bernard Mandeville loves trains. Every Sunday, the elderly and frail Bernard, in perfect attire, purchases a ticket on the Great Cotswold's Steam Railway, takes a seat in First-Class and revels in a journey from the past. But on one particular Sunday, in the midst of that short trip, the impossible happens. Bernard vanishes without a trace... The family reaches out to Sarah and Jack who must make their own remarkable journey on the rails...to track down the vanished gentleman!

The second of the Leger Hotel Mysteries Series sees an unexpected visitor with a massive grudge against Leger arrive - his son, August. Confused when August first arrives at the hotel, Leger asks how the young tomcat made the journey from Glasgow. He learns that August travelled with Verity, the sister of the man who attacked Hugh almost two years ago. Unaware who Verity is, Annabella and Hugh give her a job at the hotel but alarm bells ring when the young girl falls victim to one crime after another. Leger suspects she is conning her trusting employers and friends out of money. August is ...

When Rip Van Winkle disappeared in that old colonial tale, was his over-worked wife suspected of murder? What about Cinderella—did she get on in the castle like everyone said, or was that fairy tale just fiction? These questions and more in the mystery of faulty expectations and quirky twists. Stories include: EVER AFTER: When the fairy tale ended long before intended, Cinderella wasn’t the only one without a happily-ever-after. ALL THE LUCK: Things went from good to perfect when she won a honeymoon trip with a raffle ticket . . . except for what happened next—is she suspect, or ...

The recently rediscovered short story 'The Lost One', perfect for fans of Daphne du Maurier, Santa Montefiore and Anya Seton. First published in Woman's Journal in 1960, and set against the backdrop of unfenced country and dark winding valleys at night, the aptly named 'The Lost One' features The Wind off the Small Isles heroine Perdita West, who brings her characteristic pluck and courage to this classic Mary Stewart tale of suspense and intrigue....

Leila is on her way home for the holidays. She has a big surprise for her family and friends…only to find out there is a surprise of a different kind waiting for her. Lizzie is so ready for Christmas…she’s also ready to solve the mysterious puzzle Harry found carved into the front of the saloon’s very antique bar. A suggestion from Leila has them searching the saloon yet once again for something else they might be missing. If it exists, it could help solve the old puzzle they were beginning to believe was an impossible feat. Kevin is ready for the holidays too. His and Lizzie’s ...

Family meant everything to Ayden Stratton. It always had even when he didn’t always allow it to show. Because of that, he understood the fury in Tobias Blaise’s eyes when they learned that his sister had been dragged out the backdoor of her restaurant despite every effort to stop her from being kidnapped. Fury didn’t begin to describe what he saw in his brother’s face. Cassidy Blaise might be Tobias’s sister, but she was Benjamin’s entire world. Tobias Blaise never expected to find any woman he wanted to spend his life with, let alone one who looked at him the way Ellis did, ...

It’s the hottest heat wave of the summer and Gus’s air conditioner has decided to give up the ghost. It’s not the heat keeping Gus awake at night, though, but a nighttime visit from Father Xavier. He couldn’t sleep either due to the heat and decided it would be best that they didn’t sleep together. While the father was bothering Gus by telling him all about his recent visit to Italy, a welcome phone call came. Someone is going to be murdered at Deimos Technology. It doesn’t matter that the someone that is about to die is only an AI computer infected with a fatal computer virus. ...

Alexis Silver has spent a century dancing between two worlds: the deep, dark ocean that made her a mermaid and the human shores she can never fully leave behind. But when a playful midnight swim near a cargo ship reveals a darker truth: a young woman hidden below deck, destined for a nightmare, Alexis knows she can’t turn away. Soon, Alexis launches a daring, high-speed rescue across the waves. Saving one life won’t change the world. But for Alexis, tonight, it’s enough. Fans of Samantha Moon and urban fantasy will love this heart-racing, emotional short adventure in the Alexis Silver...

Family meant everything to Ayden Stratton. It always had even when he didn’t always allow it to show. Because of that, he understood the fury in Tobias Blaise’s eyes when they learned that his sister had been dragged out the backdoor of her restaurant despite every effort to stop her from being kidnapped. Fury didn’t begin to describe what he saw in his brother’s face. Cassidy Blaise might be Tobias’s sister, but she was Benjamin’s entire world. Tobias Blaise never expected to find any woman he wanted to spend his life with, let alone one who looked at him the way Ellis did, ...

"Eggnog Murder": When a gift-wrapped bottle of eggnog proves to be a killer concoction for a Tinker's Cove local, all Lucy Stone wants for Christmas is to find the murdering mixologist who's stirring up trouble. "Death By Eggnog": Food and cocktails columnist Hayley Powell has never cared much for Bar Harbor's grouchy town librarian, Agatha Farnsworth. But after the Scroogy senior has a fatal - and suspicious - allergic reaction to supposedly non-dairy eggnog, it's up to Hayley to ladle out some justice.

It's the winter of 1995, and the Winchester household is more doom and gloom than mistletoe and merriment. Young Bay, Clove, and Thistle are anything but happy. They're facing their first Christmas without their fathers, and no matter how hard their mothers try, they just can't seem to get the girls to embrace this festive time of year.

Discover six clean and fun best-selling cozy mysteries by Abby Reede to enjoy! The Fern Grove Series: Carnations and Deadly Fixations, One Daisy and Two Crazy Funerals, White Lily and a Fatal Chili, Mistletoe and Deadly Kisses, Freesia and Lethal Amnesia, Daffodils and Poisonous Pills.