New Books Publishing Week 19 of 2023

Posted May 7, 2023 by karenbaron in Upcoming Book Releases / 0 Comments

The Baroness’ Choices of New Books Publishing This Week

2023, Week 19’s New Books

My choices for this week include Cozy Historical Mystery, Cozy Animal Mystery, New Adult Romantic Comedy, Paranormal Traditional Mystery, and Cozy Animal Crafts and Hobbies Mystery.

Have you bought any cool new books? This week we don’t have any reviews planned for any of these new books. Don’t they all look so good, though? We aren’t up to much over here; just getting books read and reviewed.

Don’t forget that Mother’s Day is next Sunday.

Here are my choices for New Books Publishing Week 19 of 2023!

Hotshot Shamus by Heather Haven

Persephone Cole Vintage Mysteries #4

Publication Date: May 7, 2023

Genre: Cozy Historical Mystery

Goodreads | Amazon

THE AD SAID, PERSEPHONE COLE, HOTSHOT
INVESTIGATOR: INVESTIGATE THIS!
A witness says a large redheaded woman wearing a fedora had an argument with the victim. A fedora was found at the scene.

And its owner could be only one person— hotshot P.I. Persephone (Percy) Cole–because it’s 1943 and how many nearly six-foot, red-haired fedora-fancying female P.I.s could possibly prowl the streets of New York? All the cops know Percy.

She’s one of a kind, both in 1940s New York, and also in all of crime fiction. For openers, she’s a single mom living with her adored son Oliver and her parents, each of whom is their own kind of hoot. Pantsuits haven’t yet been invented, so Percy wears men’s suits that her mom alters to fit her: “A seam let out, a seam taken in, and they fit the five foot eleven, one hundred- and eighty-two-pound Percy perfectly.”

(Mom’s an inventive cook too— cranberry and ketchup fish stew is one of her specialties.)

Percy finds out about the case when she sees her name in the personals column: “Persephone Cole, Hotshot Investigator. Investigate this: Wilma Markovich, fifty-eight years old, widow.”

She knows right away she’s being set up, and no sooner has she grasped the particulars than another personal ad appears:

“Still think you’re a hotshot detective, Percy Cole? I don’t think so. And soon everyone else will know you’re not. Check out Elizabeth Wallingford, age fifty-seven, Manhattan.”

Okay, this is war! And she acquires a powerful weapon to fight it—she gets hired to find the first victim’s killer and soon notices a pattern– it seems each murder has a disturbing connection to The Cloisters Museum.

Disturbing because so does Percy—her mom’s producing a fashion show there on Mother’s Day, and her whole family will be there.

In the world of mysteries, P.I. yarns (hard-boiled and otherwise), crime thrillers, and cozies, Percy Cole’s that rare beast—a truly original creation. Men will fall in love with her (even those five-ten and under) and women will want to be her. Author Haven’s pulled off a literary tour-de-force— a mystery that both hard-boiled and cozy fans will love.

Miracles, Mysteries, and Memories by Kathi Daley

Zoe Donovan Cozy Mystery #36

Publication Date: May 9, 2023

Genre: Cozy Animal Mystery

Goodreads | Amazon

It’s funny, it’s family, it’s a Zoe Donovan Cozy Mystery.

Zoe tries to juggle sleuthing with family obligations as Alex and Scooter prepare to graduate high school and Zoe fears that things will never be the same.

Playing it Safe by Ashley Weaver

Electra McDonnell #3

Publication Date: May 9, 2023

Genre: Cozy Historical Mystery

Goodreads | Bookhype | BookBub | Amazon | BAM

The third in the Electra McDonnell series from Edgar-nominated author Ashley Weaver, Playing It Safe is a delightful World War II mystery filled with spies, murder, romance, and wit.

As the Blitz continues to ravage London, Ellie McDonnell―formerly a safecracking thief, but currently determined to stay on the straight and narrow to help her country―is approached by British Intelligence officer Major Ramsey with a new assignment. She is to travel under an assumed identity to the port city of Sunderland and there await further instructions. In his usual infuriating way, the Major has left her task as vague and mysterious as possible.

Ellie, ever-ready to aid her country, heads north, her safecracking tools in tow. But before she can rendezvous with the major, she witnesses an unnatural death. A man falls dead in the street in front of her, with a note clutched in his hand. Ellie’s instincts tell her that the man’s death is connected in some way to her mission.

Soon, Ellie and the major are locked in a battle of wits and a race against time with an unknown and deadly adversary, and a case that leads them to a possible Nazi counterfeiting operation. With bombs dropping on the city and a would-be assassin shadowing their every move, it will take all of Ellie’s resourcefulness and Major Ramsey’s fortitude to unmask the spymaster and avert disastrous consequences―for England and for their own lives.

The Foster Wife by Cindy Dorminy

Publication Date: May 9, 2023

Genre: New Adult Romantic Comedy

Goodreads | Bookhype | BookBub | Amazon

After a devastating breakup, instead of drowning in her tears, Amelia Day starts a new business. For a hefty fee, she uses the methods for training foster dogs to transform men into suitable marriage material. Her track record is impeccable until she meets perpetual bachelor Phin Baxtor. From the start, she’s confused as to why this guitar-playing hunk would even want to hire her, but she needs the money, so she takes him on.

Phin is content with working in his food truck all day and playing the field at night. But his business partner, Jay, offers him a bet he can’t refuse. If Phin can complete Amelia’s program without changing his ways, he will win Jay’s rare guitar. Certain his task will be easier than playing “Hound Dog,” he agrees to enter the program.

With Phin and Amelia spending all their time together, her techniques begin to slip past his defenses. He might become her biggest success, but falling for a client isn’t supposed to be part of the deal.

The House on Prytania by Karen White

Royal Street Novel #2

Publication Date: May 9, 2023

Genre: Paranormal Traditional Mystery

Goodreads | Bookhype | BookBub | Amazon | BAM

A woman is haunted—both literally and figuratively—by ghosts of the past in this second novel of the Royal Street series by New York Times bestselling author Karen White.

Nola Trenholm may not be psychic herself, but she’s spent enough time around people who are to know when ghosts are present, and there are definitely a few lingering spirits in her recently purchased Creole cottage in New Orleans. Something, or someone, is keeping them tethered to this world. And not all of them are benign.

But with the sudden return of Sunny Ryan, Beau Ryan’s long-lost sister, Nola has plenty to distract her from her ghostly housemates. Especially when the tempting—yet firmly unavailable—Beau, wanting to mete out justice to those he blames for Sunny’s kidnapping, asks Nola for a favor that threatens to derail her hard-won recovery and send her hurtling backward. He asks her to welcome Michael Hebert back into her life, even though Michael is the reason for Nola’s bruised heart. Beau is convinced that Michael’s powerful family was behind Sunny’s disappearance and that Michael is the key to getting information the police won’t be able to ignore—if Nola is willing to risk everything for which she’s worked so hard.

Torn between helping Beau and protecting herself, Nola doesn’t realize until it’s almost too late why the ghosts are haunting her house—a startling revelation that will throw her and Beau together to fight a common enemy. Assuming Nola can get Beau to listen to what the spirits are trying to tell him, because ignoring them could prove to be a fatal mistake…

Wild Flower Worries by Agatha Frost

Claire’s Candles Cozy Mystery #8

Publication Date: May 9, 2023

Genre: Cozy Animal Crafts and Hobbies Mystery

Goodreads | Amazon

A FUN SPRINGTIME BRITISH VILLAGE COZY MYSTERY PACKED WITH TWISTS AND TURNS!

Walking can be murder…

When Claire and her boyfriend, Ryan, join a local walking group, they don’t expect their afternoon strolls through the hills to lead them to a body, but that’s precisely what happens. And the body of the member they’ve replaced in the group! Turns out there’s more than fresh air and challenging hills to climb in the countryside. Can Claire get her daily steps in and solve a murder while juggling her busy candle shop?

THE DETECTIVE – Claire Harris, daughter of a retired detective inspector, runs her dream candle shop in a quaint British village. Surrounded by gossiping villagers, tight-knit friends, and loyal family, Claire, in her mid-thirties, can’t help sleuthing when strange things happen on her doorstep…