Well, South Texas has finally gotten a (small) hint of fall, although the temps have still been like a roller coaster – 60s yesterday, 77 today, 80s tomorrow, and back in the 90s on Saturday and Sunday. Still, those couple of cooler days do have me thinking about fall, harvest, and Thanksgiving, and that leads to reading fall-themed cozies, right?
Here are a few suggestions. Let me know what you think of these books and/or authors!
Murder at the Playgroup (Pippa Parker Mysteries); by Liz Hedgecock
Eight months pregnant and mom to a toddler, Pippa is not happy about the family’s recent move to Much Gadding. Finding a dead body at playgroup doesn’t do much to endear her to the place, either. When the police include her on the suspects list, Pippa decides that she’d better “assist” in finding the killer, and fast.
The Legend of Sleepy Mayfair (Marcia Banks and Buddy Cozy Mysteries); by Kassandra Lamb
Apparently, the universe doesn’t think service-dog trainer, Marcia Banks, has nearly enough craziness in her life, so it has tossed in a mysterious prankster around town and an odd request from the postmistress. Add to that the octogenarian owner of Mayfair Riding Stables, where Marcia stables her horse, deciding that the barn needs to become a haunted house for Halloween, and that Marcia needs to help out. Can Marcia cope with the nuttiness and still push back the evil that threatens Mayfair?
Wicked Harvest (Dewberry Farm Mysteries); by Karen MacInerney
Welcome to Oktoberfest in Buttercup, Texas, where you can indulge in some brats, some craft beer, and some delicious gingerbread – unless you’re Lucy Resnick. Instead of enjoying a break from her homesteading chores, the former investigative reporter finds herself working to keep less-than-brilliant Sheriff Rooster from railroading Simon Gustafson for the murder of his brother, who was also his business partner in the Sweetwater Brewery.
Death of a Pumpkin Carver (Hayley Powell Mysteries); by Lee Hollis
Island Times food-and-cocktails columnist, Hayley Powell, is all about the party, until her ex-husband, Danny, decides to return to Bar Harbor. Faster than you can say “home brew,” he’s the prime suspect in the murder of his moonshiner uncle, and Hayley feels compelled to prove that he’s innocent.
Pumpkin Spice and a Body on Ice (Dixie Cupp Diner Mysteries); by Willow Monroe
What more could Starla Cupp want? After all, she’s the town’s reigning Cupcake Queen and the owner of the best diner in Sugar Hill, Virginia. Well, finding her arch-nemesis dead behind the diner definitely didn’t make the list; neither did having the hot new police chief suspect her of the murder. It’s all pretty simple, though – she just has to solve the murder, prove her innocence, and prep for the cupcake contest – with a potentially fatal deadline, of course.
The whole paranormal craze isn’t really my “thing,” but these three series are a lot of fun.
Hillcrest Witch Mystery Series; by Amorette Anderson
Business is slow for Penny Banks, private investigator in small-town Colorado; so slow, in fact, that the only space she can afford to rent for her office used to be a closet for a yoga studio. Until, that is, she inherits a book about becoming a witch and sets about turning her knitting circle into a cozy coven. While there are plenty of werewolves, vampires, and ghosts to satisfy your taste for the supernatural, to me, these books are more about the magic of friendship and personal growth than they are about witchcraft. Oh, and no one could ever out-snark Turkey, Penny’s brilliant cat familiar and entrepreneur; the books are worth reading just for him!
The Witch Squad Cozy Mystery Series; by M. Z. Andrews
Follow along as Mercy Habernackle faces up to her choice to avoid incarceration by heading off to witch college, where she meets a motley collection of witches. One the first day of class, Mercy, Jax, Holly, Alba, and Sweets end up as consultants, helping the Aspen Falls police department solve the murder of a teenager. From there, their adventures take off!
The Coffee Coven Mysteries; by M. Z. Andrews
Can’t get enough of the Aspen Falls witches. Then you don’t want to miss Andrew’s spin-off series that centers around Mercy’s grandmother, Phyllis Habernackle, and her off-beat coven of senior-citizen witches.