The Baroness’ Choices of New Books Publishing This Week
2022, Week 41’s New Books
My choices for this week include Cozy Culinary Mystery, Paranormal Mystery, Cozy Historical Holiday Mystery, Sweet Holiday Romance, Cozy Animal Mystery, Cozy Crafts and Hobbies Holiday Mystery, Young Adult Fantasy, Romance, Cozy Crafts and Hobbies Mystery, and Cozy Paranormal Mystery.
There are so many lovely books this month. Winter and Holiday ones are coming out now. Seriously, hot chocolate and books, here I come.
Here are my choices for New Books Publishing Week 41 of 2022!
A Christmas Candy Killing by Christina Romeril
Killer Chocolate Mystery #1
Publication Date: October 11, 2022
Genre: Cozy Culinary Mystery
Their chocolates are to die for—but things aren’t so sweet when a real killer comes to town, in this debut mystery perfect for fans of Joanne Fluke and Laura Childs.
Identical twin sisters Alex and Hannah are the owners of Murder and Mayhem, a mystery bookshop that sells their famous poison-themed Killer Chocolates. But now, there’s a real killer in their midst. Shortly before Christmas, their septuagenarian neighbor, Jane, confides to Alex that a murderer from a true-crime show has taken up residence in the village. Unfortunately, she’s also shared her suspicions with town gossip Netta. The next morning, Alex shows up at Jane’s house to watch the show, but instead discovers Jane’s body, with a box of Killer Chocolates nearby.
The sheriff quickly zeroes in on two suspects: Alex, a beneficiary in Jane’s will, and Zack, a handyman who was seen leaving the crime scene. But Alex maintains her innocence and sets out to draft a list of other potential suspects—townsfolk who’d recently been seen arguing with Jane.
When Alex gets hold of Jane’s journal, she begins to understand the truth. But a bearer of ill tidings is arriving early this year—and Alex just might not make it to Christmas.
Bones of Holly by Carolyn Haines
Sarah Booth Delaney #25
Publication Date: October 11, 2022
Genre: Private Investigator Paranormal Southern Mystery
Bones of Holly is the next novel from Carolyn Haines in the series that Kirkus Reviews characterizes as “Stephanie Plum meets the Ya-Ya Sisterhood” featuring sassy Southern private investigator Sarah Booth Delaney.
Sarah Booth and Tinkie, along with baby Maylin, are in Bay St. Louis, Mississippi for Christmas this year, as judges for the annual library tree decorating contest.
The other two judges are writers Sandra O’Day and Janet Malone. They’re bestselling Mississippi authors, but bitter competitors. In fact, the feud between them is the stuff of legends. For years, they’ve brawled, their sales skyrocketing with each cat fight. Sandra’s most recent true crime book documents the 1920s rum-running era of Al Capone, who built a mansion in BSL and a distribution network for his liquor. Janet’s book, scheduled to be published in January, is a fictional account of the same material―which only heightens their bitter rivalry.
Sarah Booth and Tinkie are shopping with little Maylin when they see Sandra and Janet outside a bookstore, fur flying, and when Sandra vanishes from her own gala later that night, suspicion turns to Janet. Janet accuses Sandra of attempting to manipulate the media by a fake disappearance, but is it a stunt, or is something more sinister at play?
Sarah Booth and Tinkie will have to dive deep into the history of Bay St. Louis, and even Al Capone himself, to get to the bottom of this case. But the trail in fact leads them back to several prominent families still residing in the area. Families who may not want their secrets known…
Christmas Angels by Alice Duncan
Mercy Allcutt Mystery #7
Publication Date: October 11, 2022
Genre: Cozy Historical Holiday Mystery
A Saturday Christmas Shopping Trip to Chinatown Leads to Murder in Christmas Angels, a Historical Cozy Mystery from Alice Duncan
1926, Los Angeles, CA
Mercy and Lulu visit one of Ernie Templeton’s favorite Chinatown dives, a silken items shop owned by Ernie’s friend, Charley Wu.
Their Christmas shopping plans take a chill when they witness a young Chinese woman being dragged kicking and screaming into the shop by its proprietor. Even more chilling is the woman’s plea for help as she passes Lulu and Mercy.
When the body of an elderly Chinese man is found in a nearby alley the next day, the police arrest Charley for the murder. Ernie Templeton, concerned about police hostilities toward the community, decides to investigate along with Mercy and Lulu.
But Chinatown doesn’t welcome the prying of outsiders. Known for its seedy underbelly and dark secrets, those who ask questions often meet a bitter end.
Publisher Note: Readers who enjoy cozy mysteries in historical settings are sure to appreciate the Mercy Allcutt series set in 1920s Los Angeles, California. No vulgarity or explicit sex for those who appreciate a clean and wholesome read.
Christmas Town Bake-Off by Melinda Curtis, Anna J. Stewart, Cari Lynn Webb, Beth Carpenter, Cheryl Harper, LeAnne Bristow, and Tanya Agler
Christmas Town, Maine #7
Publication Date: October 11, 2022
Genre: Sweet Holiday Romance
Welcome back to Christmas Town, Maine!
This year, you’re invited to the Christmas Town Bake-Off!
Holly House, one of Christmas Town’s oldest homes and landmarks, needs a significant face-lift and upgrades before becoming the town’s new museum and historical preservation site. It’ll take a lot of holiday magic and special ingredients to pull off Christmas Town’s first holiday baking fundraiser competition, but residents are up to the challenge, even if it means being the target of some holiday matchmaking by the Knotty Elves.
This year’s event features seven new romances mixed in with the flour, sugar, and fun of bake-off competitions. From baking prelims to the crowning of a champion baker, this collection of connected, sweet romances from Harlequin Heartwarming authors will warm your heart.
On your mark, get set, bake…Christmas Town style!
Bonus! Each romance includes a holiday recipe featured in that story.
Compare this anthology to multi-storyline, heartwarming movies like Love, Actually or Valentine’s Day. Inside, you’ll find all kinds of competitors – from men in uniform to the town wallflower – and all kinds of romances, from enemies to sweethearts, blended families, and opposites attract. And be sure to explore the other Christmas Town collections on our series page.
Crime for the Books by Kate Young
Jane Doe Book Club Mystery #3
Publication Date: October 11, 2022
Genre: Cozy Animal Mystery
The Jane Doe Book Club is hot on the trail of another real-life whodunit in Kate Young’s third peach-perfect mystery, for fans of Ellery Adams.
Lyla Moody and her book club, the Jane Does, are hosting a Halloween party at Magnolia Manor, tailored after Agatha Christie’s A Murder is Announced, but when the lights come on after the staged murder, a real victim lies dead with a gunshot wound in her chest. The victim was an estranged relative of Elaine Morgan, operator of the B&B, who’d earlier been seen arguing with her about the fate of the property. Suspicion immediately falls on Elaine, and she’s arrested.
The Jane Does believe Elaine is innocent, and when they get the chance to team up with police officer Rosa Landry—a member of the club—they jump on it. But then, the club discovers that two more murders have been brazenly predicted online and in the Sweet Mountain Gazette—and that one of the intended victims is Rosa.
Lyla thinks she knows who the killer is, but the only way to find out is by laying a trap using Rosa as bait. But, like an Agatha Christie mystery, the truth is never what it seems. Lyla and her trusty book club will have to sleuth out the killer before Rosa meets her final chapter.
Dashing Through the Snowbirds by Donna Andrews
Meg Langslow Mystery #32
Publication Date: October 11, 2022
Genre: Cozy Crafts and Hobbies Holiday Mystery
Dashing Through the Snowbirds is the next merry installment of Donna Andrews’s New York Times bestselling Meg Langslow mystery series.
Christmas in Caerphilly is wonderful! Unless you’re a Canadian whose inconsiderate boss is forcing you to spend the holiday there, far from family and friends, with only a slim chance of a white Christmas. Meg already has her hands full, trying to make the season festive for the dozen programmers who are staying with her and Michael while working on a rush project with her brother’s software company. At least it’s an interesting project, since the Canadian company is doing forensic genealogy and DNA analysis.When the inconsiderate boss is found murdered, there are too many suspects. Even before their Christmas in exile, his own employees had plenty of motives, and the growing number of people suing the company for faulty DNA analysis and invasion of their genetic privacy include at least one notorious murderer. Can Meg crack the case in time to keep the Yuletide bright?
Kill Them with Canvas by Bailee Abbott
Paint By Murder Mystery #2
Publication Date: October 11, 2022
Genre: Cozy Crafts and Hobbies Holiday Mystery
In Bailee Abbott’s second book in the Paint by Murder mysteries, Chloe and Izzie are taking their paint party business on the road—with murder as the first stop!
Chloe Abbington and her sister, Izzie, are enjoying huge success running Paint with a View, their paint party business in the tranquil western New York lakeside town of Whisper Cove. Now, their aunt Constance—president of the local chapter of the Chautauqua Sisterhood—has hooked them up with a gig hosting a Halloween painting party. The guests will be painting a local ghost legend, the Lady of Chautauqua Lake, who died a hundred years earlier and rises from the lake every October to haunt anyone who dares venture out on All Hallows’ Eve.
The event seems to be going off without a hitch, until Chloe overhears an argument between Constance and Viola Finnwinkle, the Sisterhood director, about the fate of the local chapter. Both women leave and the sisters finish their painting. But the next morning, Viola’s body is discovered floating face down near the town ferryboat dock, her long red hair spread around her. Eerily, the image is an exact replica of a painting Chloe and Izzie had discovered at the event the night before.
What’s more, the police find Constance’s purple knit hat lying on the ground near the crime scene. Constance pleads innocence, saying the hat mysteriously went missing during the event. Frantic that she might be charged with murder, she begs Chloe and Izzie to help her. The sisters believe their aunt is innocent, but if so, who’s the real killer—and when will the next victim turn up?
Live and Let Grind by Tara Lush
Coffee Lover’s Mystery #3
Publication Date: October 11, 2022
Genre: Cozy Culinary Mystery
Devil’s Beach is percolating with a hot murder case, and reporter-turned-barista Lana Lewis could be the next to get beaned in Tara Lush’s third Coffee Lover’s mystery, perfect for fans of Cleo Coyle and Lucy Burdette.
Laid-off journalist Lana Lewis is thriving as the proprietor of Perkatory, a coffee shop on quirky Devil’s Beach island, Florida. She’s juggling a relationship with police chief Noah Garcia, enjoying the company of her best friend, Erica, and relishing the companionship of her golden Shih Tzu, Stanley. Only problem is her neighbor, Gus, who incessantly uses his leaf blower, disturbing everyone in the neighborhood. Lana has learned to tune it out, but Erica’s rage boils over and she confronts Gus.
Then Gus is found dead, killed when his leaf blower explodes. Erica immediately becomes suspect number one. But there are plenty of other candidates as well: Gus’s soon-to-be ex-wife, Honey Bailey, who thinks she’ll be written out of his will; Mickey Dotson and Doug Beck, who were scalded financially after purchasing a pirate-themed tourist cruise business from Gus; and plenty of angry neighbors who’ve had run-ins with him.
As the clock ticks down will Lana get someone to spill the beans on the killer so she can clear her friend’s name, or will Erica go to jail for a crime she didn’t commit?
Origins by Kes Trester
Nine #1
Publication Date: October 11, 2022
Genre: Young Adult Fantasy
Eighteen-year-old Blake Wilder usually hides her ability to see pivotal moments in other people’s pasts and futures, but when a premonition compels her to save a classmate’s life, she’s drawn into a centuries-old paranormal society on the brink of civil war.
As she struggles to find her way within a world of political intrigue and shifting alliances, her path is complicated by a budding romance with Nicholas, the chancellor’s son, and her attraction to Jessie, a man who makes up the rules as he goes. However, Blake will soon learn the truism that all is fair in love and war, especially when power is at stake.
When she witnesses a series of bizarre murders that have not yet occurred, it’s not long before the killer learns of her visions. Blake must decide whether to trust her head or her heart in a race to unmask the murderer before she is the next to die.
The Bride’s Pink Shoes by Jennifer Faye
Seabreeze Wedding Chapel #1
Publication Date: October 11, 2022
Genre: Romance
A lost love comes back…
Clara Harrington is secretly arranging the wedding of the year for Hollywood’s latest sweetheart—an event that will make her the West Coast’s most sought-after wedding planner. However, when she discovers the best man is her ex-fiancé, Andrew Cross, Clara is blindsided. Andrew is a changed man, intent on making amends. But will Clara risk her heart again when at long last her career is about to take off?
NOTE: This book was previously released as The Wedding Do-Over. It has since been rewritten and approximately 15K words added.
A Hill to Dye On by Rebecca McKinnon
Clear Creek Mysteries #2
Publication Date: October 13, 2022
Genre: Cozy Crafts and Hobbies Mystery
Summer has made its way up the mountain to Clear Creek, and with the new season, the town is offering a slew of summer classes at the community center. Happy to participate, Jemma and her yarn shop sponsor a fiber-dying class taught by her oldest friend, Kitty.
When a mysterious man walks into class, something about him pulls Jemma into a tangle. Learning Kitty once knew him, Jemma has questions — but her friend is staying mum. Then Jemma goes on an early-morning walk and discovers the man dead.
This time, Jemma’s determined to stay out of the investigation — until she learns that because of a past she’s been hiding, Kitty is the main suspect! Unwilling to turn her back on her friend, Jemma starts looking for a dropped stitch.
Because somewhere, there’s a person with dye on their hands.
Too Much to Candle by Sarah E. Burr
Glenmyre Whim Mystery #2
Publication Date: October 13, 2022
Genre: Cozy Paranormal Mystery
Candlemaker Hazel Wickbury sets out again to bring the truth to light.
Iggy Alewell, Hazel Wickbury’s friend and candle shop assistant, is eager to purchase his own home with the advance from his first big book deal. Iggy is on the hunt for something with character, so what could be better than the old Cragmire house that’s rumored to have buried treasure somewhere on its property? Hazel is thrilled her friend has found success, but things in Crucible take a nasty turn when another potential buyer for the Cragmire house goes missing. He was last seen taking a boat out on Lake Glenmyre, and when the rental is found empty, it’s clear to police that foul play is involved.
What’s worse is that Iggy becomes the prime suspect in the man’s disappearance, and Detective Holden Whitfield’s thorny, new partner is certain Iggy is guilty. To clear Iggy from suspicion and dispel the darkness penetrating their beloved town, Hazel and her Aunt Poppy team up again to find a killer before their friend gets burned.
Return to Crucible in Too Much to Candle, Book Two in the award-winning Glenmyre Whim Mysteries.
Well, that’s it for the New Books Releasing Week 41 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!
Leave a Reply