The Baroness’ Choices of New Books Publishing This Week
2023, Week 26’s New Books
My choices for this week include Cozy Mysteries, Historical Mystery, Middle Grade Fantasy, Cozy Paranormal Mystery, Cozy Animal Mysteries, Sweet Romance, Cozy Culinary Mysteries, Traditional Mystery, Sweet Romantic Suspense, Romantic Comedy, and Cozy Holiday Mystery.
Another week of so many wonderful books. I can’t wait to read some of them. Both Jen and I have some books that we are reading from this week’s worth of wonderful stories. It’s almost July which is shocking. I can’t believe how fast this month and year are going.
Here are my choices for New Books Publishing Week 26 of 2023!
A Sour Note by Jill Piscitello
Music Box Mystery #1
Publication Date: June 26, 2023
Genre: Cozy Mystery
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On the heels of a public, broken engagement, Maeve Cleary returns to her childhood home in Hampton Beach, NH. When a dead body turns up behind her mother’s music school, three old friends land on the suspect list. Licking her wounds soon takes a back seat to outrunning the paparazzi who spin into a frenzy, casting her in a cloud of suspicion. Maeve juggles her high school sweetheart, a cousin with a touch of clairvoyance, a no-nonsense detective, and an apologetic, two-timing ex-fiancé. Will the negative publicity impact business at the Music Box- the very place she’d hoped to make a fresh start?
A Newlywed’s Guide to Fortune and Murder by Dianne Freeman
Countess of Harleigh Mystery #6
Publication Date: June 27, 2023
Genre: Historical Mystery
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Perfect for fans of Rhys Bowen, Deanna Raybourn, and Tasha Alexander, a witty romp through the high society of Victorian England with a touch of romance, an independent female lead, and rich historical detail from the acclaimed and Agatha Award-winning author.
With her new husband George busy on a special mission for the British Museum, Frances has taken on an assignment of her own. The dowager Viscountess Winstead needs someone to sponsor her niece, Kate, for presentation to Queen Victoria. Frances—who understands society’s quirks and constraints as only an outsider can—is the perfect candidate.
Kate is charming and intelligent, though perhaps not quite as sheltered as she might first appear. More worrying to Frances is the viscountess’s sudden deterioration. The usually formidable dowager has become shockingly frail, and Frances suspects someone may be drugging her. The spotlight falls on Kate, who stands to inherit if her aunt passes, yet there are plenty of other likely candidates within the dowager’s household, both above and belowstairs.
Joining forces with her beloved George, Frances comes to believe that the late viscount, too, was targeted. And with the dowager seeming to be in greater danger every day, they must flush out the villain before she follows in her husband’s footsteps, directly to the grave . . .
Conjure Island by Eden Royce
Publication Date: June 27, 2023
Genre: Middle Grade Fantasy
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From the award-winning author of Root Magic comes the story of a girl forced to spend the summer with a great-grandmother she’s never met—only to discover she runs a school for Southern conjure magic.
If you ask Delphinia Baker, she’d tell you she has all the family she needs. Sure, her mom passed away when she was young, her dad is often away on deployment, but even though Del has never had anyone she can call her people, she has always had her grandmother—and that’s enough. Besides, having no roots just makes it that much easier when you have to move again.
All of that changes, though, when Gramma falls ill and Del is sent to stay with her great-grandmother. Del has never even heard of Nana Rose, and she has no interest in spending the summer on an unbearably hot island off the South Carolina coast. And when Nana Rose starts talking about the school she runs dedicated to their family’s traditions—something called “conjure magic”—Del knows she’s in for a weird, awkward summer.
That is, until the magic turns out to be real.
Soon, Del is surrounded by teachers who call themselves witches, kids with strange abilities, creatures and ghosts who can speak to her. She has a hundred questions, but one more than any other: Why didn’t Gramma ever tell her about her family, the island, this magic? As Del sets out to find her place in a world she never knew existed, she also discovers a shadowy presence on the island—and comes to believe that it all might be connected.
Deadly Divination by Kirsten Weiss
Paranormal Museum Cozy Mystery #7
Publication Date: June 27, 2023
Genre: Cozy Paranormal Mystery
Paranormal museum owner Maddie is no stranger to the bizarre. But when she receives a donated Yoruba divination bowl, she can’t shake the feeling there’s something deeply wrong. And when her investigation into the bowl leads her to a mysterious death and a cold case, the situation becomes more sinister than she could have imagined.
With the help of her quirky family and friends, Maddie must untangle the truth from the lies. But can she get to the bottom of this cold case before a crooked killer gets to her?
If you love laugh-out-loud mysteries, witty heroines, and a touch of the paranormal, you’ll love Deadly Divination, book 7 in the Perfectly Proper Paranormal Museum series of mysteries. Read this twisty short mystery today!
Death Steals the Spotlight by T.C. LoTempio
Urban Tails Pet Shop Mysteries #3
Publication Date: June 27, 2023
Genre: Cozy Animal Mystery
It’s exit stage left, permanently, for a big-time director who lands the starring role in an unscripted death scene . . .
Desperate to find a director for their annual production, the Fox Hollow Players have a stroke of luck when Shell McMillan’s actress mother lands a prominent theater director for the job. He’s more gruff and demanding than the small-town cast and crew are used to, but his soft side for animals quickly endears him to pet shop owner Shell. Persuading her to let him use a shed on her property where he can work in peace, Shell is horrified when she finds his dead body there. And with obvious signs of foul play, she can’t help but investigate the murder.
As she digs into the man’s past, it becomes apparent that at one point or another he was romantically entangled with just about every woman involved in the play. And just when Shell discovers he may have been blackmailing one of them, other clues surface that suggest a more sinister motive. With her hands already full with a beautiful stray cat she found and christened Princess Fuzzypants, Shell will have to fill two roles, caring for the Maine coon and trying to track down the killer before it’s her turn for a fatal curtain call . . .
Falling for the Cowboy Doc by Cari Lynn Webb
Three Springs, Texas #4
Publication Date: June 27, 2023
Genre: Sweet Romance
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Can the rodeo cowgirl…
Win his love?
Professional roper Maggie Orr needs to secure a national sponsorship. And orthopedic surgeon Grant Sloan could derail her plans. Falling for the cowboy doctor is a distraction she can’t afford… Plus their careers are taking them in opposite directions. But from picnics to stargazing, Grant is reminding Maggie that there’s more to life than winning in the arena. Can they rewrite their dreams to include each other?
Fatal Fudge Swirl by Meri Allen
Ice Cream Shop Mysteries #3
Publication Date: June 27, 2023
Genre: Cozy Culinary Mystery
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A movie production brings drama―and murder―to a close-knit New England village, forcing Riley Rhodes to scoop out the suspects.
Former CIA librarian and amateur sleuth Riley Rhodes is loving her fresh start as the manager of the Udderly Delicious Ice Cream Shop. The leaves are turning, tourists are leaf-peeping, and Penniman, Connecticut is putting finishing touches on the weekend long Halloween Happening. But the village is also buzzing. Former child star Cooper Collins is overseeing the production of a romantic comedy that’s filming on the town green and his domineering socialite mother, Diantha, is planning her lavish Halloween themed wedding at her Inn on the Green. Her fiancé has run the Inn’s kitchen for years, ably aided by his recent ex-wife, chef Mary Ann Dumas. An old friend of Riley’s, Mary Ann turns to her when the bride requests a spooky ice cream wedding cake.
But the weekend takes a frightful turn when Diantha is found dead and suspicion falls on Mary Ann. The cast of potential suspects is long―each wedding guest had a chilling motive to kill the vicious heiress. Can Riley unmask the murderer before another guest ends up on ice?
Hidden Beneath by Barbara Ross
Maine Clambake Mystery #11
Publication Date: June 27, 2023
Genre: Cozy Culinary Mystery
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In Barbara Ross’ award-winning series featuring sleuth Julia Snowden and her family’s coastal Maine clambake business, two mysteries rock the colony of Chipmunk Island after a suspicious memorial service has Julia and her mother shifting into some family sleuthing.
Serving up mouthwatering shellfish, the Snowden Family Clambake has become a beloved institution in Busman’s Harbor, Maine. But when new clues rise to the surface five years after the disappearance of Julia Snowden’ s mother’s friend, the family business shifts to sleuthing . . .
Julia and her mother, Jacqueline, have come to the exclusive summer colony of Chipmunk Island to attend a memorial service for Jacqueline’s old friend Ginny, who’s been officially declared dead half a decade after she went out for her daily swim in the harbor and was never seen again. But something seems fishy at the service—especially with the ladies of the Wednesday Club. As Julia and Jacqueline begin looking into Ginny’s cold case, a present-day murder stirs the pot, and mother and daughter must dive into the deep end to get to the bottom of both mysteries . . .
Hiss Me Deadly by Miranda James
Cat in the Stacks Mystery #15
Publication Date: June 27, 2023
Genre: Traditional Mystery
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Charlie and Diesel must catch a killer before he strikes another deadly note in this latest installment of the New York Times bestselling Cat in the Stacks Mysteries.
Charlie Harris remembers Wilfred “Wil” Threadgill as one of the outsiders during high school in Athena. Although Wil was a couple of years ahead of him and his friend Melba Gilley, Melba had a big crush on Wil, who dropped out after his junior year. An aspiring musician, Wil hit the road for California and never looked back. Wil eventually became a star, fronting a band and writing award-winning songs.
Coming back to Athena to work for two weeks with students in the college music department, Wil is now the big man on campus. Not everyone is happy to have him back, however. His entourage have been the target of several acts of petty harassment. At first they are easy for Wil to shrug off, but the incidents escalate and become more troubling. When one of the band members is killed Charlie worries that Melba, now deeply involved with the man at the center of the attacks, could be in deadly danger. It is up to Charlie and Diesel to find out who hates Wil Threadgill enough to silence his song . . . forever!
Kidnapped in the Woods by Deena Alexander
Publication Date: June 27, 23, 2023
Genre: Sweet Romantic Suspense
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To solve a kidnapping case
they’ll become the hunted.Firefighter Pat Ryan is stunned when he hears gunfire and two strangers crash through his door. An anonymous tip led journalist Rachel Davenport to a ramshackle cabin, where she helped an abducted teen escape. With Pat and his K-9 rescue dog’s help, they go on the run with deadly kidnappers in pursuit. But with innocent lives at stake, Rachel and Pat must battle foes and fears to live through the night.
From Love Inspired Suspense: Courage. Danger. Faith.
Misfortune Cookie by Vivien Chien
Noodle Shop Mystery #9
Publication Date: June 27, 2023
Genre: Cozy Culinary Mystery
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In Vivien Chien’s Misfortune Cookie, Lana Lee returns for another delectable cozy set in a Chinese restaurant in Cleveland, OH.
They say fortune favors the bold, and Lana Lee is determined to prove that true.
Lana, now officially manager of her family’s restaurant, the Ho-Lee Noodle House, is headed to sunny Irvine, California to attend a restaurant convention with her sister, Anna May, along for the ride. The girls’ very Americanized Aunt Grace has asked them to stay in her posh rental, and as the trip begins, it seems to be just what they both needed. Even the restaurant convention proves to be worthwhile and entertaining, especially when Lana witnesses a dramatic cat fight between a fortune cookie vendor and a journalist.
Lana and Anna May can’t imagine things getting any better until they learn their aunt has yet another surprise in store for them―a swanky cocktail party hosted for the freelancers of Southern California. But on the night of the party, things go south when a close journalist friend of Grace’s mysteriously plunges from the roof top of the hotel. Even more suspicious is the fact that Aunt Grace’s friend is the same journalist Lana saw getting into a screaming match with the fortune cookie vendor at the convention.
The police rule the death a gruesome accident, but Aunt Grace refuses to accept that explanation and begs Lana for her help uncovering the truth. Lana, Anna May, Aunt Grace attempt to keep up appearances as they search for answers, but unwanted attention from suspicious colleagues and convention attendees starts to surface, causing Lana to wonder if they’ll find the killer in time…or if they’ll be the next ones pushed over the edge.
Murder is a Piece of Cake by Valerie Burns
Baker Street Mystery #2
Publication Date: June 27, 2023
Genre: Cozy Culinary Mystery
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Perfect for readers craving the cozies of Joanne Fluke and Ellery Adams, the acclaimed Agatha award-nominated author returns to her charming small-town culinary cozy series featuring a social media expert turned bakery owner and sleuth.
With small town New Bison’s Spring Festival just around the corner, the pressure is on Maddy to continue her late great-aunt Octavia’s legacy. That means scoring the top prize and transforming Baby Cakes into Southwest Michigan’s must-visit bakery, even though her inexperience in the kitchen brings nightmares of humiliating tagged photos and scathing reviews.There’s another reason for lost beauty sleep. A second bakery is opening in town under the ownership of CJ Davenport, a shrewd investor with a reputation for sabotaging anyone who gets in his way. And savvy, flashy Maddy tops his list. It’s a sticky spot to be in—more so when Davenport turns up dead with a Baby Cakes’s knife stuck in his back.
Maddy’s whole life just went from #thriving to barely surviving. Now, supported by the crafty Baker Street Irregulars and her new boyfriend, she must find the courage to face off against a killer who could very well get her name trending for the first and last time . . .
Please Don’t Push Up the Daisies by Diane Vallere
Madison Knight Mystery #11
Publication Date: June 27, 2023
Genre: Cozy Mystery
She killed him, she killed him not…
When interior decorator Madison Night finally meets the family of boyfriend and police captain Tex Allen, the circumstances are less than joyful. His sister’s broody botanist husband left Lily to raise their four rambunctious boys on her own, and she’s at wit’s end. The only bright spot is the mid-century ranch he gave her in their divorce settlement.
The soon-to-be-ex has one request: a face to face with Lily before he says goodbye. Madison offers to go along for moral support, but in lieu of signed settlement papers, she finds the ex’s body crumpled in the corner of the arboretum where he works. When swarm of angry bees sideline Tex, it’s Madison’s job to dig up the secrets that led to the murder — but if she’s not careful, the dirt she uncovers could fill her grave instead.
The Seven Year Slip by Ashley Poston
Publication Date: June 27, 2023
Genre: Romantic Comedy
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A Most Anticipated Book by Entertainment Weekly ∙ Harper’s Bazaar ∙ PopSugar ∙ Real Simple ∙ BookRiot ∙ and more!
An overworked book publicist with a perfectly planned future hits a snag when she falls in love with her temporary roommate…only to discover he lives seven years in the past, in this witty and wise new novel from the New York Times bestselling author of The Dead Romantics.
Sometimes, the worst day of your life happens, and you have to figure out how to live after it.
So Clementine forms a plan to keep her heart safe: work hard, find someone decent to love, and try to remember to chase the moon. The last one is silly and obviously metaphorical, but her aunt always told her that you needed at least one big dream to keep going. And for the last year, that plan has gone off without a hitch. Mostly. The love part is hard because she doesn’t want to get too close to anyone—she isn’t sure her heart can take it.
And then she finds a strange man standing in the kitchen of her late aunt’s apartment. A man with kind eyes and a Southern drawl and a taste for lemon pies. The kind of man that, before it all, she would’ve fallen head-over-heels for. And she might again.
Except, he exists in the past. Seven years ago, to be exact. And she, quite literally, lives seven years in his future.
Her aunt always said the apartment was a pinch in time, a place where moments blended together like watercolors. And Clementine knows that if she lets her heart fall, she’ll be doomed.
After all, love is never a matter of time—but a matter of timing.
Fourth of July Forgery by Tonya Kappes
Holiday Cozy Mystery #6
Publication Date: June 29, 2023
Genre: Cozy Holiday Mystery
CELEBRATE GOOD CRIMES
Get ready to be captivated by a masterful tale of mystery and intrigue that will have you calling in your own inner sleuth in this thrilling Fourth of July Forgery.As the festivities unfold in the picturesque town of Holiday Junction, a shocking murder sends ripples through the community. Journalist Violet Rhinehammer, with her insatiable curiosity and sharp instincts, finds herself drawn into the case, determined to uncover the truth behind the heinous crime.
With each step of her investigation, Violet peels back the layers of a seemingly perfect town, revealing a web of deception and hidden secrets that lie beneath its charming facade. She navigates through a maze of suspects, each as unpredictable as the fireworks lighting up the night sky.
As the clock ticks, Violet must rely on her keen observations and deductive skills to solve the murder before the clock strikes midnight on Independence Day. With the specter of danger lurking in the shadows, every step she takes brings her closer to unraveling the dark truths that threaten to shatter the town’s idyllic image.
In a race against time, Violet’s tenacity and determination lead her down a treacherous path where the line between friend and foe becomes blurred. Will she unmask the killer before the final firework fades away, or will the town be left mourning yet another innocent victim at the hands of a cunning murderer?
Prepare to be enthralled by this captivating holiday cozy mystery as Violet Rhinehammer takes center stage in a tale that combines the charm of a small-town setting with the gripping suspense of a classic murder mystery. With twists and turns that will keep you guessing until the final revelation, this Fourth of July Forgery is a must-read for anyone who relishes a captivating whodunit that will keep you on the edge of your seat.
Purramid Scheme by Eryn Scott
Whiskers and Words Mystery #7
Publication Date: June 30, 2023
Genre: Cozy Animal Mystery
This victim left the town of Button in tiers.
Button residents are normally as wary of pyramid schemes as the next town. But when Vicki Younger comes to town promising a miracle serum, locals jump at the chance to invest in her business. When everyone loses their money and Vicki shows up dead, the town is in hot water—especially one of Lou’s regulars, Silas, who was seen angrily following Vicki mere minutes before she died.
While Silas doesn’t deny his anger, or how he’d been shadowing Vicki, he swears he wasn’t the one to end her life. Sure her friend is telling the truth, Lou asks him to recount Vicki’s activities during her last hours. What Silas describes is odd to say the least, even inexplicable at times, which definitely doesn’t help his plea of innocence. Can Lou untangle the clues and lead them to the true killer before Silas is put away for the rest of his days?
Dear reader, if you love rescue cats, goats who wear pajamas, and a cozy bookstore, you’re going to love this series by Eryn Scott. Hold on to your hats. The town of Button is as cute as they come, but that doesn’t mean it’s free of murder. These books are clean with no foul language or gore. Each book and mystery stands alone. Curl up under a cozy blanket, cuddle with a cat (or two), and come join Lou as she solves mysteries in the town of Button.
Well, that’s it for the New Books Releasing Week 26 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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