The Baroness’ Choices of New Books Publishing This Week
2023, Week 32’s New Books
My choices for this week include Cozy Culinary Mysteries, Sweet Sports Romance, Cozy Mystery, Police Procedural Mystery, Cozy Paranormal Mystery, and Cozy Fantasy Romance.
Can you guys believe that we are already in August? If you have any kids are they heading back to school soon? I always loved back-to-school shopping for the clothes and the school supplies. My Aunt used to send us school supplies too. We really appreciated it because she got us the cool stuff that my mom wouldn’t buy. Autumn is like a new chapter.
Jen has read two of these books already this year, and I am going to be reading four of these books.
Here are my choices for New Books Publishing Week 32 of 2023!
A Clue in the Crumbs by Lucy Burdette
Key West Food Critic #13
Publication Date: August 8, 2023
Genre: Cozy Culinary Mystery
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Bestselling author Lucy Burdette turns up the heat in the next installment of her Key West Food Critic mystery series, perfect for fans of Joanne Fluke and Laura Childs.
Food critic Hayley Snow and her pal Miss Gloria are overjoyed to welcome Violet and Bettina Booth, aka the Scottish Scone Sisters, to Key West. The sisters will host The UK Bakes!—Key West Edition. But the same day they arrive, the bed-and-breakfast the sisters are staying in gets torched.
The contest begins the next morning featuring three local bakers. One is the inn owner’s wife, Rayna, who is not only the most talented chef of the group but now a person of interest in the fire. The next night, a dogwalker discovers a body near the bed-and-breakfast. The victim appears to be Rayna’s husband, and the murder weapon points directly to the Scottish Scone Sisters.
But the show must go on. In between filming sessions, the three elderly ladies and Hayley must search for clues to the brutal murder in order to find out who wants to force them out of the kitchen. But as they draw closer to the answer, the threats from a murderer grow closer too. Are they now in danger of getting baked off?
A Game of Small Victories by Tomi Tabb
Unexpected Royals #4.5
Publication Date: August 8, 2023
Genre: Sweet Sports Romance
In tennis, all games start with love.
Grace Yamashita found early success on the women’s junior tennis circuit. However, making the jump into the next level hasn’t gone nearly as smoothly. Frustrated by her inability to close out yet another match, her coach dumps her.
Just as Grace begins to contemplate whether she should keep playing or retire, one of the world’s top coaches approaches her with a proposition she can’t refuse.
Moving to London, Grace becomes training partners with some of the top men’s talent, including the handsome, witty, Swiss protégé Raoul Fabre.
As Grace refines her tennis skills, she finds her attraction to Raoul also growing. She’s never been closer to that Grand Slam title. Yet like a rapid cross court rally, she will have to make a tactical decision. Should listen to her head and focus on tennis, or to her heart?
This sweet-romance novella is a companion story to “More Than a Passing Shot,” but is written as a stand alone novella.
Berried Grievances by Peg Cochran
Cranberry Cove Mysteries #8
Publication Date: August 8, 2023
Genre: Cozy Culinary Mystery
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Family fireworks lead to murder in the new Cranberry Cove Mystery from USA Today bestselling author Peg Cochran!
The Fourth of July always means endless celebrations in Cranberry Cove, and this year Monica and Greg have the added pleasure of spending it with Monica’s college roommate, Kelly Cargill. When they join Kelly and her family to watch the fireworks, it’s all very exciting—until the elderly matriarch of the family dies on the spot. Then evidence comes to light that she was poisoned, and Monica promises to do what she can to catch the culprit.
Just about everyone in Kelly’s family wanted to get their hands on what was sure to be a sizable inheritance. But Monica also discovers that one of them was trying to hide a messy love affair the older woman had discovered, and that the victim’s caretaker may have wanted revenge for enduring years of mistreatment. And just as more secrets surface and the clues begin to fall into place, Monica realizes that as she’s closing in on the killer, the killer is closing in on her . . .
Includes a mouthwatering cookie recipe!
Honey Drop Dead by Laura Childs
Tea Shop Mystery #26
Publication Date: August 8, 2023
Genre: Cozy Culinary Mystery
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The murder of a political bigwig at a Honey Bee Tea sends Theodosia Browning buzzing for answers in this latest installment
of the New York Times bestselling series.Theodosia’s Honey Bee Tea was an elegant affair set in Charleston’s new Petigru Park amid newly planted native grasses and a community beekeeping project. But when a phony beekeeper shows up and sprays toxic smoke at the guests, the party erupts in chaos. Worse yet, a shot rings out and Osgood Claxton III, candidate for state legislature, falls to the ground—dead.
Holly Burns, the gallery owner who asked Theodosia to cater the tea, is understandably heartbroken. A man is dead, her guests are angry and injured, and the paintings that were on display are left in tatters. When the police don’t seem to have a clue, when old-line politicos don’t want questions asked, Holly begs Theodosia to run a shadow investigation and help restore her gallery’s good name.
Between hosting a Wind in the Willows Tea and a Glam Girl Tea, Theodosia questions everyone that had a bone to pick with Claxton. This includes Booker, an angry outsider artist; Lamar Lucket, Claxton’s political opponent; and Mignon Merriweather, the dead man’s soon-to-be ex-wife. But the investigation becomes a political hot potato following a second murder, the revelation of a messy affair, a chase through a swamp, and a vandalized shop.
INCLUDES DELICIOUS RECIPES AND TEA TIME TIPS!
Murder a la Mode by Lena Gregory
Coffee and Cream Cafe Mysteries #1
Publication Date: August 8, 2023
Genre: Cozy Culinary Mystery
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From author Lena Gregory comes a delicious new series that will warm your heart and leave you guessing until the very end…
When twenty-five-year-old Danika Delaney, black sheep of the Delaney clan, returns home to Long Island to take over Jimmie’s, her eccentric uncle’s old fashioned malt shop on eastern Long Island, she’s not exactly thrilled. But things start to look up when her uncle tells her she can do whatever she’d like with the shop, and it seems she might realize her dream of a small trendy café. That is, until she discovers the body of her ex-boyfriend’s estranged wife in a melted puddle of rocky road in the malt shop basement. With her two sidekicks, her sister and a good childhood friend, in tow, Dani searches for–or stumbles upon—one clue after another. But as she narrows down the suspect list, she realizes if she’s not careful she may end up in a puddle of her own…
Read to Death at the Lakeside Library by Holly Danvers
Lakeside Library Mystery #3
Publication Date: August 8, 2023
Genre: Cozy Mystery
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Perfect for fans of Jenn McKinlay and Ellery Adams, Rain Wilmot must find a novel solution in order to catch another killer—before her book club members are picked off one by one.
Summer is in full swing as tourists flock back to the Northwoods and travel to Lofty Pines, Wisconsin. For Rain Wilmot, owner of the Lakeside Library, this is the perfect opportunity to bring back her mother’s summer book club. But the summer sun starts to really heat up when one of the club’s members, Lily Redlin, is found dead in her own home not long after the first meeting.
Alongside her sidekick and neighbor Julia Reynolds and the charming Jace Lowe, Rain discovers that the murder is seemingly inspired by the book the club recently discussed Agatha Christie’s classic mystery novel Sparkling Cyanide. But who would kill Lily, and more importantly, why?
The deeper Rain dives into the story, the more confusing and complicated the plot becomes. Was Lily murdered to cover up a tragic accident that occurred years ago involving an old classmate? Or were the rumors true—did Lily really possess a priceless original Laura Ingles Wilder manuscript and someone killed her for it? And what about the mysterious letter Lily received just before her death from a supposed long-lost relative? Was it a hoax?
With a long list of suspects and motives, Rain realizes that all leads come back to people involved in the book club. Rain and her friends take a page from Agatha Christie’s book by hosting a reenactment of the club’s first meeting to flush out the killer. Will Rain’s plan succeed—or will this librarian’s book be checked out for good?
Relative Harm by Caroline Fardig
Ellie Matthews #5
Publication Date: August 8, 2023
Genre: Police Procedural Mystery
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When her partner’s family is implicated in a brutal murder, expert criminalist Ellie Matthews must race against the clock to find the real killer…and save the people she loves.
Ellie knows she can’t live without her partner, Detective Nick Baxter. So when Nick’s brother is accused of vandalizing the house of his former kidnapper and goes on the lam, she insists on accompanying Nick home to help with the family crisis.
Marie Collins has just been released from prison after serving her time for kidnapping Shawn Baxter when he was a toddler. Reviled by the whole town, no one is surprised at the defacement of her property, and Ellie and Nick are able to bring Shawn in to face the consequences of his petty crime. Thinking the situation successfully handled and preparing to leave town, Ellie and Nick are blindsided when a dead body is found in a barn. On Baxter property. And the victim is Marie Collins.
Now the entire town thinks they are guilty of murder…and Ellie is quickly discovering that she prefers being an investigator to being a prime suspect. Calling in Vic Manetti for backup, the trio must dig into Marie Collins’ past, unearthing disturbing secrets and a list of potential suspects that keeps getting longer.
But they are playing a dangerous game. Because this killer has gone through hell to get their revenge…and they won’t let anyone undo their good work.
From USA Today bestselling author Caroline Fardig comes a How to Get Away With Murder-meets-CSI series nominated for multiple best fiction awards. Relative Harm is the fifth in a gripping forensic mystery series that will enthrall fans of Melinda Leigh, Kendra Elliot, and Lisa Regan.
Sunshine and Sweet Wine by Kathi Daley
Bistro at Holiday Bay #4
Publication Date: August 8, 2023
Genre: Cozy Culinary Mystery
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It’s summertime in Holiday Bay, and between the outdoor dining option provided by the new rooftop bar and eatery, and the summer concert series held on the roof every Thursday night, the Bistro is busier than they’ve ever been. Beck has an interesting case involving a woman whose mother disappeared when she was a child, Amy is entered into the annual clam chowder cookoff, Dawson has an important decision to make, Nikki has a new guy in her life, and Kennedy is struggling with empty nest syndrome while Addy is visiting her brother in Boston. In spite of a few challenges along the way, life for the gang at the bistro seems to be nothing but blue sky and smooth sailing, until an unexpected visitor arrives on the scene and puts a wrench in things.
The Wizard of Menace by Erin Johnson
Magical Renaissance Faire Mystery #8
Publication Date: August 8, 2023
Genre: Cozy Paranormal Mystery
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Curses, cats and capers! Can this fledgling witch work her magic to save the faire?
Novice witch, Adelaide “Laidey” Ryan is up to her pointy hat in trouble. A hex lingers over the Renaissance Faire she now calls home, and an ancient prophesy hints that time is almost out for everyone inside the walls. But things go from bad to worse, when her black cat familiar Mort pulls a certain famous sword from the stone…
The same sword that’s used in a murder not a day later. Now Laidey must use her magic to prove Mort’s innocence before she can crack the curse. But when her unfolding powers go awry, she jeopardizes the entire faire’s future.
Will Laidey conjure a cure for the curse, or will this spell the end for the faire and everyone inside?
The Wizard of Menace is the eighth book in the humorous paranormal cozy series, Magical Renaissance Faire Mysteries. If you like hilarious heroines, fun faires, and imaginative mysteries, you’ll love Erin Johnson’s charming whodunit.
Buy The Wizard of Menace to conjure a cute and clever magical mystery today!
Bound by Honey by Jamie Dalton
Starry Kingdoms of the Fae #11
Publication Date: August 11, 2023
Genre: Cozy Fantasy Romance
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A magical library, an incurable curse, and a woman who loves her coffee.
Sage thought working in a magical library was already the stuff of fairytales. When a gargoyle named Freddy is your coworker, you know your job is anything but ordinary. But even Sage couldn’t have predicted the chaos that ensues when The Charming Four come knocking.
With their leader, Prince Finn, cursed and Sage in need of a place to stay, she can’t help but get involved in his quest for a cure.
When his brother, the Crown Prince, is up to no good and secrets are being kept, will Sage step up to the challenge or keep her cozy life cozy?
This enemies to lovers low-risk, high-stakes cozy fantasy romance is packed with sass, charm, and plenty of magic. If you enjoy the heavy male cast (but she only ends up with one person) in things such as Meteor Garden, the cozy fantasy vibes of That Time I Got Drunk and Saved a Demon, but need that sprinkled of Beauty and the Beast this book is for you!
Bound by Honey is the 11th book in the Starry Kingdoms of the Fae Collection. These books are all standalones written by your favorite fantasy authors and are the perfect read for your summer vacation. Prepare to be swept away into magical worlds with tropes you obsess over and swoon-worthy romance.
Well, that’s it for the New Books Releasing Week 32 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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