The Baroness’ Choices of New Books Publishing This Week
2022, Week 8’s New Books
My choices for this week include some: Cozy Mysteries, Culinary Cozy Mysteries, Dark Fantasy, Historical, Regency, Romance, Middle Grade, Mystery, Young Adult, Fantasy, and Cozy Animal Mysteries. A couple of these books will be reviewed later in the year. If you get to read any of them, please let me know what you think.
Here are my choices for New Books Publishing Week 8 of 2022, drum roll!
A Fatal Glow by Valerie Wilson Wesley
An Odessa Jones Mystery #2
Publication Date: February 22, 2022
Genre: Mystery, Cozy, Paranormal
From the award-winning creator of Newark private eye Tamara Hayle, the second installment in a spell-binding cozy mystery series featuring a multicultural cast and starring Odessa Jones, a recent widow with a brand new catering business, a full-time real estate gig, and the gift of second sight. When a wealthy businessman dies during a catered brunch, it’s up to Odessa to find the culprit…with a little help from her spirited aunt, loyal co-workers, mischievous cat Juniper and her own psychic skills…
Sometimes even good luck can mean bad fortune. For Odessa Jones—reluctant psychic, part-time caterer, full-time realtor—an elegant affair turned deadly threatens her reputation, and her life…
Recently widowed Odessa Jones is sure the exclusive catering job she’s scored from wealthy businessman Casey Osborne will propel her catering career into the big leagues. So when Dessa’s pesky second sight warns her that Osborne is bad news, she ignores it. She wishes she hadn’t when he drops dead at his brunch after sampling her homemade preserves. Osborne’s death is declared a homicide. Dessa and the friends who helped her cook are considered suspects…
To clear her name and find the truth, Dessa delves into Casey Osborne’s life. Everyone from his sinister business partner to his tormented ex-wife has reason to kill him—and the opportunity to do it. With the help of her spirited aunt, loyal co-workers and mischievous cat Juniper, she desperately searches for answers. Until a second murder leads Dessa down a frightening path filled with insidious hidden agendas—and someone poised to change her life forever.
A Song Called Home by Sara Zarr
Publication Date: February 22, 2022
Genre: Middle Grade
From award-winning author Sara Zarr comes a story of the small moments that show us who we are, and how family is not just something you’re part of, but something you make.
Lou and her family don’t have much, but for Lou it’s enough. Mom. Her sister, Casey. Their apartment in the city. Her best friend, Beth. It would be better if Dad could stop drinking and be there for her and Casey, and if they didn’t have to worry about money all the time. But Lou doesn’t need better—she only needs enough.
What’s enough for Lou, however, is not enough for Mom. Steve, Mom’s boyfriend, isn’t a bad guy, he’s just…not what Lou is used to. And now, he and Mom are getting married, and that means moving. Packing up life as they’ve known it and storing it in Steve’s garage. Lou will be separated from everything in her small but predictable life, farther from Dad than ever.
Their last night in the city, Lou receives a mysterious birthday gift: A guitar, left for her by their front door. There’s nothing saying who left it, but it must be from Dad. And as she leaves the only place she’s ever known, she starts to believe that if she can learn how to play it, maybe she can bring a piece of him, and of her old life, home.
Antique Auctions Are Murder by Libby Klein
A Poppy McAllister Mystery #7
Publication Date: February 22, 2022
Genre: Mystery, Cozy, Culinary, Paranormal
B&B owner and gluten-free baker Poppy McAllister, along with her saucy Aunt Ginny, is on the case at the annual Cold Spring Village antique show in Libby Klein’s seventh deliciously witty, paleo-themed Poppy McAllister Mystery.
When vintage items go up for auction, gluten-free baker and B&B owner Poppy McAllister discovers some people will pay the ultimate price…It’s peak summer season at the Butterfly House Bed and Breakfast in Cape May, with tourists fluttering in and out and wreaking enough havoc to rival a Jersey Shore hurricane. Also back in town is Courtney Whipple and his family of antique dealers for the annual Cold Spring Village antique show. Courtney’s son Auggie has a unique piece he believes will fetch them a fortune if he can get it authenticated in time—a piece rival dealer Grover Prickle insists was stolen from his store.
Poppy and her Aunt Ginny attend the auction, hoping to bid on an armoire for the B&B, and discover a veritable armory for sale—everything from ancient blades and nineteenth century guns to such potential killing devices as knitting needles and a blacksmith hammer. Strangely, they don’t see either Auggie or Grover—or the mysterious item they both claim to own. Then during the auction, a body falls out of the very armoire Poppy was hoping to acquire, stabbed through the heart. Now, surrounded by competitive dealers and makeshift weapons, she must find out who turned the auction house into a slaughterhouse…
Batten Down the Belfry by Diane Kelly
A House-Flipper Mystery #4
Publication Date: February 22, 2022
Genre: Mystery, Cozy, Animal
Batten Down the Belfry is the fourth in the delightful cozy mystery series from Diane Kelly set in Nashville, Tennessee—where the real estate market is to die for.
Here is the church, here is the steeple…
Carpenter Whitney Whitaker and her cousin Buck have successfully flipped houses, but this is the first time they’ve attempted to renovate a house of worship. Still, the colorful stained glass in the country church has caught Whitney’s eye, and she’d love to breathe new life into the abandoned building. What’s more, the place has perfect acoustics. Could the worship hall be reborn as an entertainment venue with its parsonage repurposed as a pre-show bistro?
Open the doors, and see all the trouble.
The owner of the horse farm next door has asserted a legal claim to the church property, rendering their title uncertain. If that’s not bad enough, while rehabbing the church, Whitney’s cat Sawdust discovers a bombshell in the bell tower—the body of the man who’d delivered their beautiful new replacement windows. What transpired in the spire? Who rang the man’s bell and why?
The steeple is keeping its secrets and, when a second body turns up, things become even less clear. Can Whitney help Detective Collin Flynn solve the crimes before someone else is sent to meet their maker?
Batter Off Dead by Maddie Day
A Country Store Mystery #10
Publication Date: February 22, 2022
Genre: Mystery, Cozy, Culinary
In Agatha Award-winning author Maddie Day’s tenth Country Store Mystery, Pans “N Pancakes owner and part-time sleuth Robbie Jordan must untangle the clues to find the killer of a knitting circle member…
In South Lick, Indiana, fine foods and classic cookware can be found at Robbie Jordan’s Pans ’N Pancakes. Unfortunately, her country store also seems to stock up on murder…Robbie and her new husband Abe O’Neill are enjoying a summer evening in the park with fellow townsfolk excited for some Friday night fireworks. In attendance are senior residents from Jupiter Springs Assisted Living including Roy Bird, father to South Lick’s very own Police Lieutenant Buck Bird. Despite his blindness, Roy is a member of his group home’s knitting circle, spending quality time with some lovely ladies.
But when the lightshow ends, one of the knitters who sat with Roy is found dead, a puncture wound in her neck. The poor woman’s death echoes that of Buck’s mother and Roy’s wife—an unsolved homicide. To help find the killer, Robbie’s going to have to untangle the knotty relationships deep in the victim’s past…
Caramel Pecan Roll Murder by Joanne Fluke
A Hannah Swensen Mystery #25
Publication Date: February 22, 2022
Genre: Mystery, Cozy, Culinary
In this scrumptious cozy mystery from New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Joanne Fluke, baker Hannah Swensen is tempted by a high-profile tournament in Lake Eden that quickly turns deadly…
Embracing a sweet escape from her usual routine at The Cookie Jar, Hannah gets asked for her help in baking pastries at the local inn for a flashy fishing competition with big prizes and even bigger names. But the fun stops when she spots a runway boat on the water and, on board, the lifeless body of the event’s renowned celebrity spokesperson…Famed TV show host Sonny Bowman wasn’t humble about his ability to reel in winning catches, and no one knew that better than his tragically overworked sidekick, Joey. Did Joey finally take bloody revenge on his pompous boss—or was Sonny killed by a jealous contestant?
With goodies to bake and a mess of fresh challenges mixed into her personal life, it’s either sink or swim as Hannah joins forces with her sister, Andrea, to catch a clever culprit before another unsuspecting victim goes belly up…
Features Over a Dozen Cookie and Dessert Recipes from The Cookie Jar!
Death of a Knit Wit by Peggy Ehrhart
A Knit & Nibble Mystery #8
Publication Date: February 22, 2022
Genre: Mystery, Cozy, Hobby
With the help of her friends in the Knit and Nibble Club, crafting magazine editor, widower, and amateur sleuth Pamela Paterson must solve the murder of an adulterous professor during a weekend-long knitting bee and fiber arts conference in the eighth Knit & Nibble Mystery from cozy author Peggy Ehrhart.
When a professor is poisoned, Pamela Paterson and the members of the Knit and Nibble knitting club must take a crash course in solving his mysterious murder.
Pamela has organized a weekend-long knitting bee as part of a conference on fiber arts and crafts at Wendelstaff College. But when pompous Professor Robert Greer-Gordon Critter, the keynote speaker at the conference, crashes the bee, he seems more interested in flirting than knitting. The man’s reputation as a philanderer supersedes his academic reputation. After coffee and cookies are served, the professor suddenly collapses, seemingly poisoned—but how? Everyone had the coffee and cookies. Joined by her bestie Bettina and the Knit and Nibble ladies, Pamela sorts through everything from red socks to red herrings to unravel the means and motives of a killer dead set on teaching the professor a lesson…
In a Dark, Dark Wood by Cece Louise
The Forest Tales #4
Publication Date: February 22, 2022
Genre: Young Adult, Historical, Fairytale Adaptation, Fantasy
In a dark, dark wood, there was a dark, dark man . . .
Calia believes in ghosts. How could she not when she is haunted by a past encounter that sent her into hiding? She concocts a plan so crazy, it just might save her— if it doesn’t lead to her downfall. All she has to do is impersonate a missing princess and fulfill that princess’s betrothal to the Prince of Ebonwood.
Prince Brone believes in nothing—certainly not the curse rumored to plague the royal wives of Ebonwood. After the untimely death of his first wife, all he wishes is to be left alone. Once more facing a marriage not of his choosing, he vows not to make the same mistakes that cost him so dearly last time.
Calia soon discovers that fooling the prince will be much harder than she thought. As her complicated feelings for him begin to grow, so does her fear of Ebonwood—a kingdom shrouded in darkness, secrets, and even murder.
Will a warning from beyond the grave save Calia from the fate of the previous Ebonwood wives, or will it spell her ultimate ruin?
Inspired by the classic poem “In a Dark, Dark Wood,” this clean, standalone romantic suspense is perfect for anyone who loves fairy tales with a Gothic twist.
Author’s Note: Recommended for ages 14 and up (due to some mature themes).
Last Duke Standing by Julia London
A Royal Match #1
Publication Date: February 22, 2022
Genre: Romance, Historical
Fans of Bridgerton will love the this sparkling, witty, and sexy new series from New York Times bestselling author Julia London! With a young future queen in the market for a husband, and the charming—and opinionated—Scottish lord tasked to introduce her to the ton’s most eligible bachelors.
Charming. Cheeky. Cunning.
When Crown Princess Justine of Wesloria is sent to England to learn the ropes of royalty, she falls under the tutelage of none other than Queen Victoria herself. Justine’s also in the market for a proper husband—one fit to marry the future queen of Wesloria.
Because he knows simply everyone, William, Lord Douglas (the notoriously rakish heir to the Duke of Hamilton seat in Scotland, and decidedly not husband material), is on hand as an escort of sorts. William has been recruited to keep an eye on the royal matchmaker for the Weslorian prime minister, tasked to ensure the princess is matched with a man of quality…and one who will be sympathetic to the prime minister’s views.
As William and Justine are forced to scrutinize an endless parade of England’s best bachelors, they become friends. But when the crowd of potential grooms is steadily culled, what if William is the last bachelor standing?
League of Liars by Astrid Scholte
Publication Date: February 22, 2022
Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy
In this fantasy thriller, four teens charged with murder and caught up with the illegal use of magic band together to devise the ultimate jailbreak. Perfect for fans of Six of Crows and How to Get Away with Murder.
Ever since his mother was killed, seventeen-year-old Cayder Broduck has had one goal—to see illegal users of magic brought to justice. People who carelessly use extradimensional magic for their own self-interest, without a care to the damage it does to society or those around them, deserve to be punished as far as Cayder is concerned. Because magic always has a price. So when Cayder lands a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to apprentice under a premier public defender, he takes it. If he can learn all the tricks of public defense, the better he’ll be able to dismantle defense arguments when he’s a prosecutor. Then he’ll finally be able to make sure justice is served.
But when he meets the three criminals he’s supposed to defend, it no longer seems so black and white. They’re teenagers, like him, and their stories are . . . complicated, like his. Vardean, the prison where Cayder’s new clients are incarcerated, also happens to be at the very heart of the horrible tear in the veil between their world and another dimension—where all magic comes from.
League of Liars is a dark and twisty mystery set in a richly-drawn world where nothing is as it seems, rife with magic, villains and danger.
Murder Faux Paws by T. C. LoTempio
A Nick and Nora Mystery #5
Publication Date: February 22, 2022
Genre: Mystery, Cozy, Culinary, Animal
Dead men tell no tales, but in the riveting new Nick and Nora Mystery, they sure leave a lot of clues . . .
When a local PI’s untimely death is ruled a suicide by the police, budding sleuth Nora Charles has no intention of letting sleeping dogs lie—or sleeping cats, for that matter. Certain it was a case of foul play, Nora rouses her trusty sidekick Nick and launches an investigation of her own. Then a second PI is murdered, and Nora knows the two men were on to something—and that she’s on to something too.
Following the enigmatic clues left by her late predecessors, Nora soon uncovers a plot that involves a local politician, missing campaign funds, and what could be a bogus real estate deal. But when hints of treason surface, what started as small-time thievery soon balloons into a matter of national security. With the uncanny Nick sniffing out—and spelling out—leads, Nora follows a trail that will take her to the heart of a shadowy conspiracy, and into a trap set by a conniving culprit that will have her wishing she had Nick’s nine lives . . .
Murder on an Irish Farm by Carlene O’Connor
An Irish Village Mystery #8
Publication Date: February 22, 2022
Genre: Mystery, Cozy
The wedding of Siobhán O’Sullivan and Macdara Flannery in the village of Kilbane in County Cork, Ireland, comes to an abrupt halt when the skeleton of a groom is unearthed . . .
If only her mother could be here! The entire O’Sullivan brood—not to mention the regulars from Naomi’s Bistro—have gathered at St. Mary’s Church for the wedding of Siobhán and Macdara. It’s not every day you see two garda marrying each other. Only Siobhán’s brother James is missing. They can’t start without him.But when James finally comes racing in, he’s covered in dirt and babbling he’s found a human skeleton in the old slurry pit at the farmhouse. What farmhouse? Macdara sheepishly admits he was saving it as a wedding surprise: he purchased an abandoned dairy farm. Duty calls, so the engaged garda decide to put the wedding on hold to investigate.
James leads them to a skeleton clothed in rags that resemble a tattered tuxedo. As an elderly neighbor approaches, she cries out that these must be the remains of her one true love who never showed up on their wedding day, fifty years ago. The garda have a cold case on their hands, which heats up the following day when a fresh corpse appears on top of the bridegroom’s bones. With a killer at large, they need to watch their backs—or the nearly wedded couple may be parted by death before they’ve even taken their vows. . .
Night of the Were-Cat by Eileen Watkins
A Cat Groomer Mystery #6
Publication Date: February 22, 2022
Genre: Mystery, Cozy, Animal
In the newest installment of Eileen Watkins’ meow-tastic Cat Groomer Mystery series, expert groomer Cassie McGlone must find a drug-peddling killer at loose in her small New Jersey town before the fur begins to fly!
Cassie McGlone’s Comfy Cats grooming service can turn a scruffy stray into a glamorous Cat-dashian. But with a drug-peddling killer at loose in her picturesque hometown of Chadwick, New Jersey, she’ll need to comb through some dangerous suspects to avert a catastrophe…
To an animal lover like Cassie, all cats are beautiful…though some may be more photogenic than others. When a customer brings in Quentin, a Maine Coon who looks more wolf than feline, it gives Cassie an idea. The owner of Chadwick’s retro movie theater wants to promote an upcoming werewolf movie marathon—how about a werewolf lookalike contest for pets?Things are getting hairy around Chadwick in other ways too. A thief targets the clinic where Cassie’s veterinarian boyfriend Mark works, making off with anesthetics. Soon after, a young woman dies in a related drug incident. Wanting to help the police, Cassie and her good friend, Dawn, go undercover on the singles scene to investigate a suspected “party drug” ring, getting Mark’s protective hackles up. But the villain may be a wolf in sheep’s clothing—someone Cassie knows and trusts. And if her sleuthing skills aren’t up to scratch, the culprit may slink away to kill again…
Only a Monster by Vanessa Len
Only a Monstery #1
Publication Date: February 22, 2022
Genre: Young Adult, Dark Fantasy
The sweeping romance of Passenger meets the dark fantasy edge of This Savage Song in this stunning contemporary fantasy debut from Vanessa Len, where the line between monster and hero is razor thin.
Don’t forget the rule. No one can know what you are. What we are. You must never tell anyone about monsters.
Joan has just learned the truth: her family are monsters, with terrifying, hidden powers.
And the cute boy at work isn’t just a boy: he’s a legendary monster slayer, who will do anything to destroy her family.
To save herself and her family, Joan will have to do what she fears most: embrace her own monstrousness. Because in this story…she is not the hero.
Dive deep into the world of Only a Monster: hidden worlds dwell in the shadows, beautiful monsters with untold powers walk among humans, and secrets are the most powerful weapon of all.
Second Chance Love by Cheryl Harper
Veteran’s Road #5
Publication Date: February 22, 2022
Genre: Romance, Sweet Romance, Clean and Wholesome
Friends reunite
For a second chance…at loveAir force veteran Marcus Bryant lost his best friend, Cassie Brooks, when he joined the military. Now she’s a columnist after a story—and reconnecting with Marcus will help her get it. Decorating for their high school reunion will give her the inside scoop. And the advertising will help Marcus’s new landscaping business. But could the fresh start he’s craving most be with Cassie?
The Cowboy Meets His Match by Melinda Curtis
The Mountain Monroes #10
Publication Date: February 22, 2022
Genre: Romance, Sweet Romance, Clean and Wholesome
She could never love a cowboy
Until she does…Racing boat captain Olivia Monroe never imagined breaking up with the ocean and starting a fake relationship with too-charming cowboy Rhett Diaz. Now her family’s insisting Olivia and Rhett take an adventurous road trip as a “couple.” Only somewhere between zip-lining and rappelling down a waterfall, Olivia’s rediscovering her courage—and dangerous new feelings for Rhett. But how can a sailor love a landlocked cowboy…especially one with secrets?
The Lady Tempts an Heir by Harper St. George
The Gilded Age Heiresses #3
Publication Date: February 22, 2022
Genre: Romance, Historical
A fake engagement brings together a lady with bold and daring dreams, and the heir whose heart she captured—perfect for fans of Bridgerton!
Tall, dark, and brooding—to say that American Maxwell Crenshaw stood out in the glittering ballrooms of London is an understatement. He vowed never to set foot in England again, but when a summons from his father along with an ultimatum to secure his legacy has him crossing the Atlantic for the last time, reuniting him with the delectable Lady Helena March, he can’t deny the temptation she presents. Or the ideas she inspires…Lady Helena March is flirting with scandal. Instead of spending her time at teas and balls in search of another husband, as is expected of a young widow, Helena pours her energy into The London Home for Young Women. But Society gives no quarter to unmarried radicals who associate with illegitimate children and fallen women, and Helena’s funding is almost run out. So when the sinfully seductive Crenshaw heir suggests a fake engagement to save them both—him from an unwanted marriage and her from scorn and financial ruin—Helena finds herself too fascinated to refuse the sexy American.
As their arrangement of convenience melts oh so deliciously into nights of passion, their deception starts to become real. But if Max knew the true reason Helena can never remarry, he wouldn’t look at her with such heat in his eyes. Or might the Crenshaw heir be willing to do whatever it takes to win the one woman he’s never been able to forget…
The Most Eligible Bride in London by Ella Quinn
The Lords of London #3
Publication Date: February 22, 2022
Genre: Romance, Historical
Perfect for the Bridgerton Bingewatcher, USA Today bestselling author Ella Quinn is known for her passion-filled and witty take on the glittering world of the Ton in Regency London. With the third book in her charming Lords of London series, a former rogue on the path to reputation redemption is drawn to the sister of a woman he once wronged. Can he make amends and prove he has turned over a new leaf? Can she put aside a family grudge and look towards a new future?
Love conquers even the most unlikely lord in USA Today bestselling author Ella Quinn’s delightful Lords of London series, as a reformed rogue endeavors to prove himself worthy of his chosen bride…
Mistakes happen, to be sure. Rarely are those mistakes as unfortunate as the one made by Nathanael, Viscount Fotherby, when he abducted the now Lady Merton to save his friend from marriage. Nate has been trying to make amends ever since, leaving behind his self-centered ways to fulfill his duties—and that includes finding a wife of his own. One woman sparks his interest above all others—a lady he helped when she was rescuing a child. Alas, there is a devilish complication…Miss Henrietta Stern, Lady Merton’s younger sister, is intrigued by the stranger who comes to her aid—until she learns his identity. Nate’s stunt could have ruined her sister’s reputation, and her family may never forgive him. With beauty, connections, and a sizeable dowry, Henrietta has plenty of admirers. Yet no other suitor quickens her pulse quite like Nate does. Her heart insists that the gentleman has changed for the better. But can a renowned scoundrel possibly prove himself to be the perfect husband?
The Silent Sisters by Robert Dugoni
Charles Jenkins #3
Publication Date: February 22, 2022
Genre: Mystery, Thriller
An Amazon Charts, Washington Post, and Wall Street Journal bestselling series.
In this pulse-racing thriller by the New York Times bestselling author of The Last Agent, an American sleeper cell in Russia goes silent―and it’s one man’s duty to find them.
After a harrowing escape from Russian agents on his last mission, Charles Jenkins thinks he’s finally done with the spy game. But then the final two of the seven sisters―American assets who have been deep undercover in Russia for decades―cut off all communication with their handlers. Are they in hiding after detecting surveillance? Or have they turned and become double agents? It’s Jenkins’s duty to find out, but he’s been added to a Russian kill list. It will require all of Jenkins’s knowledge of spycraft―and an array of disguises―to return to the country undetected.
But plans go awry his first night in Moscow when Jenkins gets involved in an altercation that ends in the death of the son of one of Russia’s most powerful organized crime leaders. Pursued by mafia henchmen, Russian agents, and a particularly dogged Moscow police detective, Jenkins is determined to track down the final two sisters and get them to America―or die trying. As various forces close in, Jenkins fears this time he might’ve pushed his luck too far.
Unseen Magic by Emily Lloyd-Jones
Publication Date: February 22, 2022
Genre: Middle Grade, Fantasy
The trick to all magic is: you can only see it if you know where to look.
The magic-infused town of Aldermere is the first place eleven-year-old Fin has ever felt safe—and she’ll do whatever it takes to save her home when she accidentally unleashes a shadow self who wreaks havoc everywhere she goes. Emily Lloyd-Jones’s middle grade debut is an enchanting exploration of self-discovery and finding the place you truly belong. Unseen Magic is for fans of A Wish in the Dark and A Tangle of Knots.
Aldermere is a town with its own set of rules: there’s a tea shop that vanishes if you try to force your way in, crows that must be fed or they’ll go through your trash, and a bridge that has a toll that no one knows the cost of. Some say that there may even be bigfoots wandering through the woods.
For Fin, Aldermere is her new home. But she’s worried that she’ll do something to mess it up—that she was the reason she and her mother have constantly moved from place to place for so long. When an upcoming presentation at her school’s science fair gives her increasing anxiety, Fin turns to magic to ease her fears. The cost is a memory, but there are things from her past Fin doesn’t mind forgetting. This will be the last time she relies on magic anyway, she’s sure.
Except things don’t go exactly as planned. And instead of easing her anxiety, Fin accidentally unleashes an evil doppelganger. Suddenly Aldermere is overrun with unusual occurrences—and Fin is the only one who knows why. She will have to face her fears—literally—to stop it.
Emily Lloyd-Jones crafts an atmospheric novel full of magic and mischief while exploring what it means to stand up to your fears and accept yourself. Unseen Magic will captivate readers of Anna Meriano’s Love, Sugar, Magic series and Natalie Lloyd’s A Snicker of Magic.
Well, that’s it for the New Books Releasing Week 8 of 2022
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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