The Baroness’ Choices of New Books Publishing This Week
2023, Week 8’s New Books
My choices for this week include Cozy Paranormal Mystery, Sweet Romance, Cozy Craft and Hobbies Mystery, Middle Grade, Cozy Mystery, Action and Adventure Mystery Thriller, Young Adult Historical Fantasy, and Cozy Culinary Mysteries.
How was your week? I hope it was as fabulous as you are. You can see I have already read some of the books coming out this week. There are a few other books that I also have on my TBR list too, but don’t these all sound amazing?
Here are my choices for New Books Publishing Week 8 of 2023!
Bakeries and Buffoonery by Elizabeth Pantley
Magical Mystery Book Club #4
Publication Date: February 20, 2023
Genre: Cozy Paranormal Mystery
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It’s a magical book club! When this group chooses a book, magic happens. The mystery comes to life, and they find themselves part of the story. To exit the book and get back home, they need to solve the mystery and reach The End.
This time, the club chooses a book called The Great Cake Rivalry, because, well … cake! They read the back cover and it’s unanimous. So off they go into another grand adventure into a town aptly named Frosting.
Frosting is a rural town in an idyllic setting. The people live quiet lives most of the year. But in the spring, things change. The Annual Cake Competition becomes the focus of every man, woman, and child. They take this competition seriously. The cakes are spectacular. The festival is fabulous. For a week there are contests featuring all kinds of cakes. The people of the community become official tasters and vote for the winning cakes in each category.
The grand finale is a display of finely decorated cakes, made by the town’s bakeries. The winner of the best design receives a prize package that would make any baker dizzy.
Sadly, this event has been tainted. Once a year, each one different, but all somehow related to this event, a person is murdered. The main investigator is stumped, but that could be because he’s an inept buffoon.
Can the book club help the people of this community figure out who is causing this disturbing pattern of deaths, and stop another murder from happening? Can they figure out why some of the citizens dress so oddly, and why they always wear those unique backpacks? All while they fill themselves to the brim with cake, of course.
Her Surprise Hometown Match by Tara Randel
Golden Matchmakers Club #4
Publication Date: February 21, 2023
Genre: Sweet Romance
Can she be honest…
With the rodeo cowboy?Juliette Bishop is living a lie. And she won’t let any man get close enough to discover she’s not the hero Golden residents imagine. But rebellious former rodeo cowboy Ty Pendergrass slips under her radar…and straight into her heart. No stranger to the struggles of shedding a reputation, the daring trick rider could be her perfect match. If she has the courage to come clean with him and her hometown!
Irish Knit Murder by Peggy Ehrhart
Knit and Nibble Mystery #9
Publication Date: February 21, 2023
Genre: Cozy Craft and Hobbies Mystery
St. Patrick’s Day takes an unexpected turn for crafting magazine editor Pamela Paterson and the members of her knitting club when a member of a prominent New Jersey family is found dead…
The Listers have been part of Arborville society for generations—though seventy-something Isobel Lister doesn’t fit the role of upper-crust heiress. She’s always been a colorful character, and her fun-loving spirit is on display at the senior center celebration as she performs some beloved Irish songs. But just minutes later, her body is found backstage.
It’s hard to imagine who’d target such a harmless eccentric, but Pamela finds herself suspecting everyone. There’s the Wiccan who thought St. Patrick wasn’t so saintly; the woman upset about cultural appropriation who feels the commercialization of shamrocks is a sham; the two men Isobel was seeing, who could have been green with jealousy—and old friends and family who may have feared Isobel would spill their secrets. But Pamela’s on the case, and that means for the killer, the jig will soon be up . . .
It Happened on Saturday by Sydney Dunlap
Publication Date: February 21, 2023
Genre: Middle Grade
Thirteen-year-old Julia would much rather work with horses at the rescue barn than worry about things like dating and makeup. But when her BFF meets a boy at camp, Julia’s determined not to get left behind. After a makeover from her older sister, she posts a picture of herself online and gets a comment from Tyler―a seemingly nice kid who lives across town. As they DM more and more, Julia’s sure that Tyler understands her in a way her family never has. Even better, their relationship earns her tons of attention at school.
Then Julia finds out Tyler’s true plan, and her world is turned upside down. She fiercely guards her secret, but could her silence allow her friends to fall into the same trap?
Murder at an Irish Bakery by Carlene O’Connor
Irish Village Mystery #9
Publication Date: February 21, 2023
Genre: Cozy Mystery
Hailed as “queen of the cozy police procedural” (Publishers Weekly), USA Today bestselling author Carlene O’Connor returns to County Cork in Ireland’s lush countryside, where locals are simmering with excitement over the reality TV baking contest coming to town —until someone serves up a show-stopping murder that only Garda Siobhan O’Sullivan can solve.
In Kilbane, opinions are plentiful and rarely in alignment. But there’s one thing everyone does agree on—the bakery in the old flour mill, just outside town, is the best in County Cork, well worth the short drive and the long lines. No wonder they’re about to be featured on a reality baking show.
All six contestants in the show are coming to Kilbane to participate, and the town is simmering with excitement. Aside from munching on free samples, the locals—including Siobhan—get a chance to appear in the opening shots. As for the competitors themselves, not all are as sweet as their confections. There are shenanigans on the first day of filming that put everyone on edge, but that’s nothing compared to day two, when the first round ends and the top contestant is found face-down in her signature pie.
The producers decide to continue filming while Siobhan and her husband, Garda Macdara Flannery, sift through the suspects. Was this a case of rivalry turned lethal, or are their other motives hidden in the mix? And can they uncover the truth before another baker is eliminated—permanently . . .
Murder Served Neat by Michelle Hillen Klump
Cocktails and Catering Mystery #2
Publication Date: February 21, 2023
Genre: Cozy Culinary Mystery
Cozy up to the bar as Michelle Hillen Klump pours another “sparkling cocktail of murder and mystery” (Amy Pershing).
Fans of Diane Mott Davidson and Lee Hollis will savor every delectable sip of this clever and utterly intoxicating cozy.
Reporter-turned-mixologist Samantha Warren has already thwarted one murder. Now, her world is shaken—definitely not stirred—once again as another killing throws her world into chaos.
Samantha is mixing up traditional cocktails at the German Texan Lodge’s Fourth of July festival—a gig she was roped into by her mother. But amidst the bratwurst and brass bands, trouble is brewing. Lodge loyalties are divided over a proposal to build a private, country-club-style tennis center on the lodge grounds. Her mom’s best friend Patty Davis is vehemently opposed to the plan. Society matron Angela Clawson is all for it. At the festival, they’re seen in a heated argument—and hours later, Angela is found dead, killed by one of the ceremonial shovels intended for the groundbreaking.
Samantha’s mother begs her to help clear her best friend’s name, but can she handle another murder case or will the whole investigation go bottoms up?
One Giant Leap by Ben Gartner
Publication Date: February 21, 2023
Genre: Middle Grade
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⭐️ Editor’s Pick, BookLife by Publishers Weekly
⭐️ Gold Medal, Mom’s Choice AwardsI’m pretty sure I’m about to die in space. And I just turned twelve and a half.
Blast off with the four winners of the StellarKid Project on a trip to the International Space Station and then to the Gateway outpost orbiting the Moon! It’s a dream come true until space junk collides with the ISS, turning their epic trip into a nightmare of survival. Alone aboard the Aether starship, the kids have to work as a team to save the adults before the ISS is destroyed. Suit up, cadet, and launch into adventure with One Giant Leap!
Primer and Punishment by Diane Kelly
House Flipper Mystery #5
Publication Date: February 21, 2023
Genre: Cozy Mystery
Primer and Punishment marks the fifth in the delightful cozy mystery series from Diane Kelly set in Nashville, Tennessee. Whitney Whitaker has a knack for nailing down murderers . . . but this time she might just come unmoored.
Carpenter Whitney Whitaker and her cousin Buck are looking once again to rehab and resell a house, only this particular house is made of fiberglass, floats, and has been dubbed the Skinny Dipper. The old houseboat sure could use some work, but the unusual project has Whitney bubbling with excitement.
The charming and handsome Grant Hardisty lives on the cabin cruiser in the adjacent slip, but the cousins soon learn he’s left a half dozen angry ex-wives in his wake and made enemies of all sorts of unsavory folks. The man is clearly caught in an increasingly dangerous current with no life preserver in sight.
Whitney and Buck are spraying primer on their houseboat when―KABOOM!―Grant’s boat blows sky high with the man himself inside. Detective Collin Flynn has no shortage of suspects, but the waters become muddied when several of them confess to the crime. Is one of those who confessed truly guilty, or are they taking a dive for someone else? When anonymous threats are made against the cousins, Whitney must quickly determine who killed their neighbor at the lake, or she and Buck might also be sunk.
Sea Castle by Andrew Mayne
Underwater Investigation Unit #6
Publication Date: February 21, 2023
Genre: Action and Adventure Mystery Thriller
A Wall Street Journal bestselling series. A deep diving investigator is pulled into the depths of a string of unsolved serial murders in a riveting thriller by the Amazon Charts bestselling author of Sea Storm.
When a young woman washes ashore on a Fort Lauderdale beach, Sloan McPherson of the Underwater Investigation Unit is called in to consult. Sloan’s instinct says murder, but even then, there are too many questions.
For answers she reaches out to Gwen Wylder. The Miami homicide detective is notorious for being manipulative, bitter, a tyrant to her peers, and wicked smart. And she demands something in return from Sloan: fresh insight into seemingly unrelated cold-case murders and disappearances―and a possible serial killer trolling the Florida coast.
As loose ends of the old files begin to come together, another woman disappears. Sloan and Gwen are certain she’s the newest link in a deadly chain. They are determined to track her down before she dies, but they soon find themselves in uncharted waters. And the deeper Sloan and Gwen go, the stranger the case gets.
The Betrayed by Jeff Wheeler
Dawning of Muirwood #3
Publication Date: February 21, 2023
Genre: YA Historical Fantasy
When fates collide, a new legend is born in the awe-inspiring conclusion to the Dawning of Muirwood trilogy by Jeff Wheeler, Wall Street Journal bestselling author of The Druid.
Bound by more than the search for a fantastical stolen tome, Eilean and Hoel plummet through the mirror gate into Leoneyis―a world on the brink of disaster as its sovereign’s reign begins to unravel. Enemies converge to destroy King Andrew, who has become headstrong and paranoid. His influence is undermined, and his kingdom is vulnerable. That’s what happens when a king is betrayed by a queen.
The Queen of Brythonica is not just the rival of an anxious king. She’s in possession of the ancient tome that Eilean and Hoel seek, which could help her achieve immortality. She knows Eilean is coming for her, and she is every bit the match for the young wretched. After all, they learned under the same master.
Eilean’s first mission: save King Andrew’s court lest it disappear under the floods of the Deep Fathoms. Her second: retrieve what is rightfully hers from the clutches of the Queen of Brythonica. To do so means confronting the queen in a duel of wits and magic.
The fate of Leoneyis is left to Eilean. She must save one world to secure the future for which she is destined in her own.
The Cowboy Next Door by Cheryl Harper
Fortunes of Prospect #1
Publication Date: February 21, 2023
Genre: Sweet Romance
An unexpected inheritance…
With a surprising cowboy twist
Sarah Hearst thought she’d be welcome in Prospect, Colorado. After all, she and her sisters inherited their celebrity great-aunt’s beloved—if admittedly run-down—hometown property. Instead, she’s getting a serious cold shoulder from the entire town. Sarah’s only ally is Wes Armstrong, her new drop-dead-gorgeous cowboy neighbor. But Wes has his own plans for her land…and falling for him might be the riskiest prospect of all.
Charred by G.P. Gottlieb
Whipped and Sipped Mystery #3
Publication Date: February 22, 2023
Genre: Cozy Culinary Mystery
Alene Baron is dealing with frustrated employees, closed schools, and a homeless man who harasses customers outside the door of her café. Then, two dead bodies turn up in the burned remains of buildings owned by the husband of Alene’s best friend and pastry chef, Ruthie. Both bodies are wearing jackets that once belonged to Ruthie and crumbled in the pockets are the café’s distinctive wrappers. At the same time, Alene’s uncle, a convicted felon, has resurfaced after disappearing for 22 years. It’s all too much for the owner of the Whipped and Sipped Café.
In Farm’s Way by Amanda Flower
Farm to Table Mystery #3
Publication Date: February 24, 2023
Genre: Cozy Culinary Mystery
When the biggest catch at the annual Ice Fishing Derby is the body of brewmaster Wallace, Shiloh must reel in the killer before her farm goes belly-up.
Shiloh Bellamy still expects the last few Winter months to be busy with repairs, spring planning, and networking with local businesses. She might even be able to broker a new partnership with Fields Brewery and its organic brewer’s association. Well, she could if the owner, Wallace, wasn’t found murdered at the county Ice Fishing Derby.
Once again, Shiloh gets tangled up in the investigation when the police ignore an entire crop of suspects to blame one of her friends. She’ll have to dig deep to find the truth, reel in a killer, and convince her city-slicker pug to wear his winter boots. But with Bellamy Farm still struggling, can Shiloh spare the time to look into the town’s fishy characters? Or will her dream farm be the next thing floating belly up?
USA Today bestselling Amanda Flower returns to the Farm to Table cozy mystery series with another exciting sleuthing adventure!
Well, that’s it for the New Books Releasing Week 8 of 2023
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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