Short Cozy Mysteries

In the charming town of Brindlewood Bay, baker Becca Lane’s world is turned upside down when a suspicious death occurs in her shop. Determined to clear her name, she teams up with her sharp-witted journalist friend, Tessa, and her ever-loyal dog, Ranger, to uncover the truth. As they follow a trail of cryptic clues, secret dealings, and unexpected betrayals, Becca realizes the mystery runs deeper than she ever imagined. With the town’s annual baking competition fast approaching, the pressure is on—not just to perfect her scones but to outsmart a dangerous opponent. With humor, heart, ...

Three urban fantasy mystery novellas in one volume: I’m Ivy Weiss, the Stone Whisperer. Though most part-demons in the Demon Underground have incredible powers, like dream walking, fortune-telling, or phasing through matter, I just talk to rocks. But somehow, I end up taking on the most difficult tasks... Sapphires & Souls When a seer makes a vague prophecy that says I am the only one who can save “Selene’s son” and prevent widespread bloodshed in Colorado Springs, I reluctantly head to Colorado to check it out. With the help of my snarky hellhound, a water demon, a vampire, and a ...

Last Meal includes a half dozen flash fiction stories in which things sometimes go horribly wrong and at other times go wonderfully right, or at least they seem to. These six quick reads appeared originally in Gilbert Magazine, the journal of the American Chesterton Society.

When Ed Finnlay - computer programmer and devoted father of two - goes missing, there's not a lot the local police can do. After all, Ed himself told them he would be gone... for quite some time. As the weeks go by with no news, his wife reaches out to Jack and Sarah for help. But they soon learn that there are odd secrets about this missing husband and that he might not only be gone, but also in serious danger. Can Jack and Sarah do what seems impossible.

It’s beginning to look a lot like arson this Christmas season… The Cat Café is buzzing with excitement this holiday season as they prepare for the Holiday Fur Ball & Silent Auction. As Tinsley and her crew put the finishing touches on the treats and decorations, she can’t help but daydream about the new animal shelter she hopes to build with the money from the auction. The excitement soon fizzles, however, when a fire breaks out at the café with the fur babies inside. Thankfully, they’re rescued by firefighters and all safe and sound. But everyone at the Cat Café is shocked when ...

Beloved author Mary Stewart's long-lost novella, now available again for the first time in 40 years. In 1879 a wealthy young woman elopes with an impoverished fisherman, leaving her family, who live on the volcanic island of Lanzarote, distraught. In 1968, 23-year-old Perdita West, secretary to the famous author Cora Gresham, visits Lanzarote, the strangest and wildest of the Canary Isles, on a research trip. They meet Cora's estranged son, Mike, and fall in love with the unusual, beautiful little island.

Harper, a bookshop owner with a sharp mind and her loyal cat, Merlin, never expected to be dragged into a murder mystery. When Sage, her best friend and talented potion maker, is suddenly presumed to be the killer of her rival, Rowena, at the Mystic Market, Harper knows she can’t sit back and let her friend take the fall. As Sage’s life hangs in the balance, Harper races against time to uncover the truth behind Rowena’s death. With the clues pointing in unexpected directions, Harper must navigate a tangled web of magic, betrayal, and dark secrets before her best friend's fate is ...

Kathleen finishes what Paul started… The series isn’t over until true justice is served… Kathleen O’Brien will stop at nothing to honor Paul Madison’s memory and legacy. Chuck Gaylord will do whatever it takes to make sure justice is served and to protect Kathleen. Delilah Rossi, the untouchable crime boss, will have her moment of reckoning. Can Kathleen find a way to honor the loved ones she’s lost without compromising her integrity? A short read cozy mystery filled with mystery, romance, and a touch of magic. After three years of mourning Paul Madison’s death, Kathleen is ...

Landon is happy to spend time with Bay, but things shift a bit when a local woman goes missing and Bay becomes obsessed with finding her. Since she's a witch and magic - and occasionally mayhem - follows Bay wherever she goes, Landon has his hands full putting on a good show for his co-workers and helping Bay stay out of trouble. Landon is determined to prove that he can have it all, a magical girlfriend and her wacky family included. To get what he wants, though, he has to make it through a tough weekend...oh, and solve a crime on the side.

Death by devil's food—but was it really the cake? Savannah Stanton thought she was finally settling into small-town life in Spring Grove. But when a prestigious judge drops dead during the town's annual Dessert Festival—right after sampling Holly's signature devil's food cake—Savannah finds herself kneading through far more than just dough. With the bakery's reputation at stake and whispers of sabotage rising like badly proofed bread, Savannah must sift through a cast of colorful suspects: a fiercely competitive rival baker, a resentful estranged brother, and a host of other townsfolk...

It's Halloween at the Global Tower Theatre, a fantastic and historic theater owned by Adam Harrison and run by spouses of Krewe members. During a special performance, a strange actor makes an appearance in the middle of the show, warning of dire events if his murder is not solved before another holiday rolls around. Dakota McCoy and Brodie McFadden dive into the mystery. With the help of Brodie’s diva mother and his ever-patient father - who were killed together when a stage chandelier fell upon them - Dakota and Brodie set out to solve the case.

It’s time to return to Hemlock Cove with five fun tales of Winchester fun. Join the Winchester witches - and those who love them - for a bevy of mischief and mayhem. Spend time in the present with Clove, Thistle, and Landon and travel through time with Twila and Aunt Tillie. This 140,000-word omnibus includes five shorts: "Four-Leaf Clover", "Thistle While You Work", "Landon Calling", "I Dream of Twila", and "How Aunt Tillie Stole Christmas".

Hollister Daily has a mission. It's been his mission since his best friend's father gave him the task: Keep Fitzie out of trouble! Sometimes, that's easier said than done. When Fitzie gets a bee in her bonnet to turn an old furniture store downtown into a theatre, Hollie, Miss Minnie and the gang are all behind her. Fitzie is the guiding light during the building's renovations and agrees to star in the musical that will open the place to the public. It's all Hollie can do to keep up with her -- until she disappears. Then it's up to Hollie to throw on some drag and take Fitzie's place in the...

In the enchanting town of Sweethaven, CT, Marla Gonzalez, the spirited owner of Tiny Delights Bakery, takes a bold step to expand her business by purchasing the adjacent space. But what starts as a promising venture soon turns sinister when a hidden body is discovered within the newly acquired property. With the help of her trusted companions, Mr. Roundbelly and Lulu, Marla embarks on a quest to unravel the mystery behind the grim discovery. As the investigation unfolds, the small town of Sweethaven is rocked by another unexpected death, casting shadows of suspicion and intrigue. Marla ...

Bored and angry over the latest pandemic restrictions in Canada, retired lawyer David Desroches is desperate to fill his idle time. But to do so is just about impossible because David refuses to get any of the Covid-19 vaccines. He helps out at a collectibles store at Christmas until it closes up at the end of 2021. Next David tries his hand at detective work to stop a rash of break-ins but learns from an ex-con how tough it is to catch the leaders of an organized burglary gang. Finally David decides to become a rebel and fight the Ontario and Canadian governments by ignoring their mask and...

Recently re-edited for your reading enjoyment. Bribing Saint Anthony is an entertaining and humorous mystery. A missing husband. A plot to blow up a national treasure. Fortune telling aunts. Mary Catherine, MC for short, didn’t move as the Queen of Boca Vista, Babbs La-Fleur, placed a pile of cash, which appeared out of a purse she knew cost more than her car, smack dab in the middle of her desk. Word at all the cocktail parties was that MC had a skill that came in handy for an aging socialite going through a divorce. She was good at finding cash in hidden bank accounts. Cash to pay for a...

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 ...

Tillie Winchester is annoyed with the world - what else is new, right? - and she's fraying under the pressure. Her nieces believe she's a bad influence on the youngest Winchester generation - especially an acerbic Thistle - and they want her to set a good example. That's not easy when she's fighting with her arch-nemesis and trying to convince Bay, Clove and Thistle they didn't really discover a dead body at the annual tree-lighting ceremony.

After a near-fatal adventure in another world—a world of dragons, no less—Samantha Moon is ready for her first real vacation in nearly a decade. With a little money in her pocket from the sale of a mansion left to her by her vampire sire, Sam sets her sights on a whirlwind European tour. First stop: Ireland. When a dark shadow races across her hotel suite, followed by something evil watching her son from a suit of armor, Samantha Moon is about to discover that her trip to the Emerald Isle is going to be anything but relaxing... it's going to get deadly. After all, something wicked has ...

Spring is in the air. Gus is feeling pretty good about the change in seasons until an unknown man decides he would rather change from being alive to being dead. He clearly drank something toxic, and it didn’t agree with him. The question is, did he really decide to do that, or did someone make that decision for him. Only that question is buried under a lot of other layers of questions. Why did the man visit Gus a few days before his death proclaiming the end times were near? Why didn’t he take enough poison to kill him near instantly instead of lingering around for days slowly dying? ...