The Baroness’ Choices for Upcoming Releases for December 2021
Happy Holidays!
How was your Thanksgiving? Are you ready for the winter holidays? I don’t know if I am or not. I want to be but…I am not quite there yet. You know that list can seem overwhelming. So, I am going to break it down into smaller pieces and see how it works. There are a few gifts to pick up for loved ones, and I may send them books. That is what I want for Christmas anyway. 🙂
The Books
My choices for December include cozy mysteries, thrillers, cozy paranormal mysteries, Young Adult romances, Young Adult Dystopian, Fantasy, and Paranormal Women’s Fiction. Some of these books would make great gifts.
Here are my choices for Upcoming Releases for December 2021. I will be reviewing some of these books, so please look for them if you have time.
Murder in the Badlands by Rita Moreau
The Ghost and Camper Kooky Mystery #3
Publication Date: December 1, 2021
Genre: Cozy Mystery, Paranormal
Mabel Gold and her friend—spirit—ghost—whatever you want to call Irma, gets Mabel into yet another mystery. Things can go bad quickly in the Badlands…
Everything about Mabel’s golden years has been a surprise. The divorce, Irma the ghost haunting her vintage camper, dead guys whose murders Mabel must help Irma solve every stop of the way. Mabel and her ghostly roommate Irma, along with friend Lili and her retired homicide detective husband Bob, have made it to the Badlands. From the get-go, they were smack dab in the middle of another murder.
Ralph, an old Marine buddy asks Bob, to investigate the death of his son Danny. His death has been ruled an accident. Ralph didn’t agree. He’s sure his son was pushed off top of Mount Rushmore. Right near the Hall of Records, or as it’s called in the movies and YouTube: the “Secret Chamber.” But why?
Murder in the Badlands is the high-spirited third book in the hilarious Ghost & the Camper Kooky Mystery series. If you like golden girl sleuths, zany characters, and sardonic humor, then you’ll love this kooky mystery.
Cold Brew Corpse by Tara Lush
A Coffee Lover’s Mystery #2
Publication Date: December 7, 2021
Genre: Cozy Mystery, Animal, Culinary
It’s a steamy September, and business is brisk at Perkatory, the hottest coffee shop in Devil’s Beach, FL. Much of the clientele pours in from Dante’s Inferno, the hot yoga studio next door. But the bright, sunny Gulf Coast days turn decidedly dark-roast when the body of the studio’s owner turns up in a nearby swamp.
Between running Perkatory and training Stanley, her golden Shih Tzu puppy, reporter-turned-barista Lana Lewis is too busy to go sleuthing. But when the editor of the local paper asks her to write about the murder, Lana’s dreams of getting back into journalism start to percolate.
Lana discovers that the yogi has a nefarious past and her share of mug shots, so grinding her way through the suspect list is a large task. She learns that the victim was fatally beaned by an SUV before she was dumped in the swamp. But was the killer one of her students? An envious yoga teacher? Or a local photographer who seems to know too much?
But no one tells Lana Lewis what to do. Hunting the caf-fiend who killed the yogi puts Lana and Chief Noah’s relationship–and Lana’s life–in very hot coffee.
Her Second Death by Melinda Leigh
Bree Taggert #0.5
Publication Date: December 7, 2021
Genre: Mystery, Crime, Suspense
When a man is shot in the head, Bree Taggert and her new partner, veteran detective Dana Romano, respond to the call. They break the news to the victim’s ex-wife and learn the estranged couple’s five-year-old daughter was supposed to have been with him. What starts as a murder investigation quickly morphs into a desperate search for a missing child. The case stirs memories of Bree’s own traumatizing childhood. To find the little girl, Bree will have to relive her own terrifying past.
No Beauties of Monsters by Tara Goedjen
Publication Date: December 7, 2021
Genre: Young Adult, Mystery, Thriller, Supernatural
Welcome to Twentynine Palms, where nothing is what it seems.
Rylie hasn’t been back to the military base in Twentynine Palms since her father died. She left a lot of memories out there, buried in the sand of the Mojave Desert. Memories about her dad, her old friends Nathan and Lily, and most of all, her enigmatic grandfather, a man who cut ties with Rylie’s family before he passed away. But her mom’s new work assignment has sent their family to Twentynine Palms again, and now, Rylie’s in the one place she never wanted to return to.At least her old friends are happy to welcome her home. Well, some of them, anyway. It turns out Lily is gone, vanished into the desert. To make matters worse, there are whispers around town of a mysterious killer on the loose.
But it isn’t just Twentynine Palms that feels frightening—there’s something wrong with Rylie, too. She’s seeing things she can’t explain. Visions of monstrous creatures that stalk the night.
Somehow, it all seems to be tied to her grandfather and the family cabin he left behind. Rylie wants the truth, but she doesn’t know if she can trust herself. Are the monsters in her head really out there? Or could it be that the deadliest thing in the desert . . . is Rylie herself?
The Sixth Spell by Michelle M. Pillow
Order of Magic #5
Publication Date: December 8, 2021
Genre: Paranormal Women’s Fiction, Romance
At forty, Kari Grove knows she should be over her strict childhood. The grandparents who raised her had never been loving people. But some feelings are buried deep and contain more dark secrets than even she realizes.
Even after death, it would appear her grandmother isn’t done controlling her life. (and that’s putting it mildly)
With the help of new friends and a new love interest her grandparents would have hated, Kari must finally learn to stand up for herself and unravel the mystery of who she really is.
Heather, Vivien, Lorna, and Sue are back! With the help of Grandma Julia’s ghost, they’re kicking supernatural butt and taking names.
Death by Flamenco by Jennifer S. Alderson
Travel Can Be Murder Cozy Mystery #7
Publication Date: December 10, 2021
Genre: Cozy Mystery, Craft, and Hobbies
When a renowned travel writer is killed during a flamenco workshop, tour guide Lana Hansen is one of the Spanish police’s prime suspects. Can she sleuth out the killer’s true identity and dance her way out of a jail sentence before her group’s tour to Seville is over?
The Travel Can Be Murder Cozy Mysteries are heartwarming stories about making friends, traveling, and celebrating new experiences. Join tour guide Lana Hansen as she leads tourists and readers to fascinating cities around the globe on intriguing adventures that often turn deadly.
Rogue Unbroken by Angie Day
Legends and Shadows Saga #3
Publication Date: December 10, 2021
Genre: Young Adult, Romance, Paranormal, Clean & Wholesome, Sweet
Energy blazed in my body, begging me to move, to use it. If you see her, kill her on sight.
Kate had survived. She had lived through pain and torment and now she was on the other side, where all the happiness was supposed to be. But with Alec’s vengeful punishment for escaping him, she can’t touch anyone without hurting them.
Alec still wants to create a Level Five and he’s dangerously close. That power under his control would mean unraveling the world as it stands. The world Kate has not yet started to enjoy. She won’t be able to rest until her body, her mind is fixed, and Alec won’t get his beloved power without her help.
The two warring sides of Rogues and Shadows will have to meet. Kate will have to confront Alec and his cruel ambition once again. But every moment with the Shadows is detrimental to those she loves, especially Kylan. So she must find a way to outsmart the person who taught her everything she knows, the most feared Shadow in the world.
Kate is strong. She survived once. But even the strongest people can break with the right pressure, and Alec is ready to tear her life apart.
Open this breathtaking young adult, urban fantasy novel for enchanting romance, dazzling adventures, and risky thrills.
Southern Holiday by Amy Boyles
Sweet Tea Witches Mysteries #22
Publication Date: December 12, 2021
Genre: Cozy Mystery, Paranormal
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Pepper’s adventures continue in Southern Holiday! The holidays are upon Magnolia Cove and Pepper has lots of plans. Number one, make Grumpy a girlfriend. Number two, capture Santa Claus.
Wait–number two is definitely not on the list.
But when a man falls from a sleigh, there’s no doubt who he is. The problem–Santa has amnesia and it’s up to the folks in Magnolia Cove to restore his memory and save Christmas.
Can they do it or will Christmas be canceled this year?
Beauty and the Deceased by Debra Sennefelder
A Resale Boutique Mystery #4
Publication Date: December 14, 2021
Genre: Cozy, Mystery
Kelly Quinn’s Long Island consignment shop offers high style at secondhand prices—but when a body is found on the beach, she needs to start hunting for a wolf in sheep’s clothing . . .
Kelly is thrilled when she gets a visit from a cousin she hasn’t seen in years. Becky’s cosmetics company is taking off, and she just might have laid the foundation for a big-money buyout. It’s a time to celebrate—but Kelly is heartbroken when a killer puts an end to their happy reunion during a mysterious midnight meeting near the shore.Despite multiple warnings to steer clear, Kelly starts shadowing a variety of suspects both inside and outside the beauty business—when she isn’t busy filling the racks of the Lucky Cove Resale Boutique with lots of new inventory from a local shopaholic. Gossip and accusations are flying, but there’s no glossing over this ugly crime, and she’s going to make sure the culprit faces justice…
Eyelet Witness by Julie Anne Lindsey
Bonnie and Clyde Mysteries #4
Publication Date: December 15, 2021
Genre: Cozy, Mystery, Animal
Bonnie and Clyde play chicken with a killer in their zaniest adventure yet!
Bonnie Balfour is busy tuning shabby into chic after a local entrepreneur asks for help decorating a soufflé-stand startup on a shoestring budget. The client’s budding egg enterprise and blue-ribbon hen, Thelma, are sure to boost revenue to the new business, especially with Bonnie’s customizing touch on the design.
Unfortunately, feathers begin to fly when the client’s ex-boyfriend launches a dispute over Thelma’s legal custody, only hours before the hen goes missing. And Detective Wright suspects fowl play when the ex’s body turns up in a local lake before sundown.
Now Bonnie and Clyde are pecking on doors and scratching for clues to prove their friend’s innocence, but a series of anonymous attacks threaten to scramble the newly hatched plan. Can Bonnie and Clyde crack the case in time? Or is this sleuthing duo finally out of cluck?
U-Day by Rapha Ram
Memory Full #1
Publication Date: December 17, 2021
Genre: Young Adult, Dystopian, Science Fiction
Would you trust your developing years to a mysterious organization expecting a successful life in return?
In the midst of the 2040s, Livvy Blunt, a girl with an unquiet mind, lives in confinement. Her home is a monastery, a place of silence and meditation created to keep her mind free from the frivolous matters of the modern world.
The Monastery is a corporation with a clear goal: transform young Empty-heads into skilled Silver-hairs. The means to do that are controversial: uploads of skills to the brain. The more youngsters manage to keep their minds empty of gossip and avoid overthinking life, the more skills can be transferred.
Livvy has a hard time trying to keep her mind idle, but her sacrifice should pay off by the promise of a successful future as a Silver-hair, a professional any recruiter would fight to hire. But when time comes for her to choose her set of skills, she is denied every professional and fun skill she ever longed for.
People say she’s lucky for being selected to the Monasterial Upload Program, but she’s not so sure.
How Not to Fall in Love by Jacqueline Firkins
Publication Date: December 21, 2021
Genre: Romance, Young Adult, Romantic Comedy
Harper works in her mom’s wedding shop, altering dresses for petulant and picky brides who are more focused on hemlines than love. After years of watching squabbles break out over wedding plans, Harper thinks romance is a marketing tool. Nothing more. Her best friend Theo is her opposite. One date and he’s already dreaming of happily-ever-afters. He also plays the accordion, makes chain mail for Ren Festers, hangs out in a windmill-shaped tree house, cries over rom-coms, and takes his word-of-the-day calendar very seriously.
When Theo’s shocked to find himself nursing his umpteenth heartbreak, Harper offers to teach him how not to fall in love. Theo agrees to the lessons, as long as Harper proves she can date without falling in love. As the lessons progress and Theo takes them to heart, Harper has a harder time upholding her end of the bargain. She’s also checking out her window to see if Theo’s home from his latest date yet. She’s even watching rom-coms. If she confesses her feelings, she’ll undermine everything she’s taught him. Or was he the one teaching her?
Well, that’s it for the Upcoming Releases for December 2021
Drop a comment if you like one of the books above or if you have one to recommend.
Thank you for stopping by,
Happy Reading!
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