The Baroness’ Choices of New Books Publishing This Week
2024, Week 39’s New Books
My choices for this week include Sweet Cowboy Romances, Paranormal Mystery, Cozy Holiday Mysteries, Young Adult SciFi Adventure, Cozy Animal Mysteries, Romantic Suspense, Historical Holiday Mystery, Cozy Culinary Holiday Mysteries, Holiday Romances, Paranormal Romantic Mystery, Historical Mysteries, Cozy Mysteries, Young Adult Romantic Comedy, Cozy Crafts and Hobbies Mystery, Cozy Culinary Paranormal Mystery, Serial Killer Thriller, Contemporary Romance, Cozy Paranormal Mystery, and Middle Grade Greek and Roman Mythology.
Guess what? It’s officially autumn! Do you have your house decorated for spooky season yet? Or are you waiting until October? Is it at least decorated for fall?
I have a lot of books this week for you to peruse, and I have read at least one of them.
Here are my choices for New Books Publishing Week 39 of 2024!
A Cowgirl on His Doorstep by Anna J. Stewart
Blackwell Belles #3
Publication Date: September 24, 2024
Genre: Sweet Cowboy Romance
Goodreads | Bookhype | BookBub | Amazon
Could his instant family…
Be her forever home?Cowboy Shane Holloway tackles every challenge with rugged determination. But managing his father’s struggling ranch while raising his brother’s three orphaned children is running his wounded heart ragged. When trick-rider-turned-renovator Iris Blackwell shows up to work on his father’s ancient trailer, he discovers two important things—she’s as warm and bright as a Texas sunset, and she’s an unwanted distraction. Until her fun-loving spirit and genuine care start to heal his little family. Can their love entice the vagabond cowgirl and her rescued border collie, Cosmo, to stay?
A Killer Clue by Victoria Gilbert
Hunter and Clewe Mystery #2
Publication Date: September 24, 2024
Genre: Paranormal Mystery
Goodreads | Bookhype | BookBub | StoryGraph | Amazon
Perfect for fans of Anthony Horowitz and Jenn McKinlay, acclaimed author Victoria Gilbert is back with more devious clues and deadly secrets as Hunter and Clewe take on a new case in the second Hunter and Clewe mystery.
When Eloise Anderson, the owner of an antiquarian bookshop, arrives at the grand Aircroft estate to ask retired librarian Jane Hunter and eccentric collector Cameron Clewe for help, Jane and Cam expect a bookish inquiry. But the bookseller has a different sort of assistance in mind—clearing her mother’s name of a murder Eloise is convinced she didn’t commit.
Eloise’s mother has just died after spending many years in prison for allegedly killing Eloise’s father. Armed with new information found in her mother’s effects, the bookseller is determined to uncover the true killer so her mother can rest in peace, even though the case is now colder than ice. When Jane tracks down the original detective from the investigation and discovers him stabbed to death in Eloise’s bookshop, Jane and Cam are sure this murder is connected to the cold case. They think it’s the same killer, but the police unfortunately have their own prime suspect, and this time around it’s Eloise.
Cam and Jane’s cold-case sleuthing turns urgent—find who committed the murders or watch another innocent woman rot in jail as a cold-blooded killer walks free.
A Slay Ride Together With You by Vicki Delany
Year-Round Christmas Mystery #7
Publication Date: September 24, 2024
Genre: Cozy Holiday Mystery
Goodreads | Bookhype | BookBub | StoryGraph | Amazon
The slay bells are ringing in this festive seventh installment of national bestselling author Vicki Delany’s Year-Round Christmas mystery series, perfect for fans of Amanda Flower and Donna Andrews.
Rudolph, New York, shop owner Merry Wilkinson’s best friend Vicky Casey is newly engaged to Chef Mark Grosse and is moving into the historic Cole House–a home surrounded by drama, intrigue, and a possible haunting that is in desperate need of renovation. The wedding is just three weeks away, but all is not bliss for the newly engaged couple as estranged relatives of the late owner fight over her will. Then, late one night, Vicky and Merry come across a dead body in the garden of Cole House–and Mark is the one standing over the corpse.
As Detective Diane Simmonds focuses on Mark as the prime suspect, Vicky asks for Merry’s help to clear her fiancé’s name in time for the wedding. As they dig deeper into the connection between the house, Cole relatives, and town residents, past and present, it becomes clear that plenty of people wanted the victim dead.
With a bakery to run, the busy Easter weekend fast approaching, a house to renovate, and a fiancé to clear of a murder accusation, Vicky’s wedding may end up on the chopping block. It’s up to Merry to put aside the chocolate bunnies and stuffed rabbits and help her best friend save her wedding–and her life.
Aisle Nine by Ian X. Cho
Publication Date: September 24, 2024
Genre: Young Adult SciFi Adventure
Goodreads | Bookhype | BookBub | StoryGraph | Amazon
It’s Black Friday—and the apocalypse is on sale!
Ever since the world filled with portals to hell and bloodthirsty demons started popping out on the reg, Jasper’s life has gotten worse and worse. A teenage nobody with no friends or family, he is plagued by the life he can’t remember and the person he’s sure he’s supposed to be.
Jasper spends his days working as a checkout clerk at the Here for You discount mart, where a hell portal in aisle nine means danger every shift. But at least here he can be near the girl he’s crushing on—Kyle Kuan, a junior member of the monster-fighting Vanguard—who seems to hate Jasper for reasons he can’t remember or understand.
But when Jasper and Kyle learn they both share a frightening vision of the impending apocalypse, they’re forced to team up and uncover the uncomfortable truth about the hell portals and the demons that haunt the world. Because the true monsters are not always what they seem, the past is not always what we wish, and like it or not, on Black Friday, all hell will break loose, starting in aisle nine.
Rising star Ian X. Cho delivers an unforgettably freaky and hilarious YA debut with Aisle Nine, perfect for fans of Grasshopper Jungle or The Last of Us.
Bell, Book, and Corpses by T.C. LoTempio
Nick and Nora Mystery #7
Publication Date: September 24, 2024
Genre: Cozy Animal Mystery
It’s Halloween trick-or-treachery when murder pays a visit to a cursed mansion in the new Nick and Nora mystery . . .
Waincroft Manor has long been tied to rumors of witchcraft and fatal curses, and to Nora Charles, that makes it the perfect place for a Halloween fundraiser. But her first trip to the deserted old mansion turns out to be truly ghoulish when she discovers a dead body. What’s more, the corpse is laid out in a coffin—with two bite marks on its neck. Then the autopsy comes back showing that the body was drained of blood, and there’s no stopping the local gossips from whispering the word vampire to anyone who will listen.
Determined to dispel the rumors and save the fundraiser, Nora sets out to prove the murderer was quite human after all. Sifting through the clues, she learns of a bitter family rivalry that spans generations, and a more recent conflict that may point to the motive for the murder. And when Nick spells out a clue that proves to be the missing piece of the puzzle, Nora knows she’ll have to watch her back—because there’s a killer out there who wants to keep some secrets buried, and they’ll happily bury Nora right along with them . . .
Includes mouthwatering recipes!
Deadly Secrets by Cathy McDavid
Publication Date: September 24, 2024
Genre: Romantic Suspense
Goodreads | Bookhype | BookBub | Amazon
New York Times Bestselling Author
A rancher searching for answers…
uncovers a town’s sinister secretsRancher Ridge Burnham unearths a gun and a strongbox of cash on his property—possible leads in his father’s unsolved murder. The sheriff’s department has ignored the case for years, but rookie deputy Elena Tomes is determined to prove herself by helping him find the truth. Faced with the town’s sordid history of drug running, Elena and Ridge must work together and trust each other. Now this decades-old cold case will expose the rot in their small ranching community…and the secrets that someone will kill for.
Death by Misadventure by Tasha Alexander
Lady Emily Mystery #18
Publication Date: September 24, 2024
Genre: Historical Holiday Mystery
Goodreads | Bookhype | BookBub | StoryGraph | Amazon
In the latest installment of Tasha Alexander’s New York Times bestselling series, Lady Emily must solve a string of high stakes “accidents” while trapped in a lavish villa in the Bavarian Alps.
In the winter of 1906, Lady Emily and husband Colin are invited to the opulent home of Baroness Ursula von Duchtel in the Bavarian alps. Outside is a mountainous winter wonderland with a view of Mad King Ludwig’s fairy tale castle. Inside, the villa hosts a magnificent but eclectic art collection―as well as an equally eclectic collection of fellow guests, among them a musician, an art dealer, a coquette from the demi-monde, and Kaspar, the Baroness’ boorish son-in-law, whom, it begins to appear, someone wants dead.
Almost forty years earlier, Niels, a young German lord, sings to himself in the forest surrounding those same alps, capturing the attention of a not-yet-mad King Ludwig. Niels and the king become fast friends, their relationship deepening into something more as their time together stretches on. But while King Ludwig is content to live out a fantasy where their responsibilities don’t matter and the outside world doesn’t affect them, Niels knows that their bliss cannot last forever…
Decades later, Emily continues to investigate Kaspar’s increasingly lethal “mishaps” when tragedy strikes, ensnaring the guests in a web of fear and suspicion. It’s up to Emily to sift through old secrets and motivations, some stretching far into the past, to unmask the killer.
Death of a Gingerbread Man by Lee Hollis
Hayley Powell Food and Cocktail Mystery #17
Publication Date: September 24, 2024
Genre: Cozy Culinary Holiday Mystery
Goodreads | Bookhype | BookBub | Amazon
When Christmas comes to town in Bar Harbor, Maine, so does a killer with a real taste for revenge . . .
With the holiday season in full swing, food and cocktails columnist and restauranteur Hayley Powell has lots to check off her last-minute to-do list. Not included is the sudden arrival of her father, who hasn’t been in the picture since she believed in Santa Claus. Dwight Jordan’s presence in Bar Harbor might just be the unwanted gift that keeps on giving—especially after he becomes the top suspect in a case of yuletide murder . . .
As Hayley plans a New Year’s Eve bash while handling a hefty helping of family drama, she must lean into her closest friends to unravel a twisted mystery. Because the countdown is on to find out who killed the sore loser at the gingerbread house contest before Dwight disappears again—this time behind bars. And the more Hayley learns about the possible culprits, the more she knows it’s either crack the case ASAP or watch everything crumble like a stale cookie . . .
Essentials of Murder by Kim Davis
Aromatherapy Apothecary Mystery #1
Publication Date: September 24, 2024
Genre: Cozy Mystery
Goodreads | BookBub | Storygraph | Amazon
After a scandalous arrest in San Francisco, Carissa Carmichael has moved back to her small Southern California hometown to start over as she opens her Aromatherapy Apothecary shop and reflexology services. A tourist destination, Oak Creek Valley, seems the perfect place to put the past behind her, but it seems no one will let her forget. When she finds the man who threatened to drive her out of business murdered in her shop, Carissa becomes the primary suspect, especially when her fingerprints are found on the murder weapon. Despite her father’s position as Oak Creek Valley’s chief of police, most townspeople assume she’s guilty.
Refusing to run again, Carissa knows she must prove her innocence to save her shop and save her father’s career when the investigating detective turns his focus on her. With suspects acting as slippery as the essential oils she distills, it’s up to Carissa to apply pressure and sniff out the truth before it’s too late.
Includes essential oil and reflexology tips.
Evergreen Christmas by Janet Dailey
Frosted Firs Ranch #1
Publication Date: September 24, 2024
Genre: Holiday Romance
Goodreads | Bookhype | BookBub | StoryGraph | Amazon | Karen’s Book Review
Welcome to the festive, close-knit town of Noel, North Carolina, where the annual Twelve Competitions of Christmas are underway!
America’s First Lady of Romance combines the cozy magic of her Christmas Tree Ranch series with the relatable small town characters of a Robyn Carr novel in this heartwarming romance filled with family, love, second chances and new beginnings.
Barrel racer Jordyn Banks is thrilled to discover affordable land for sale in charming Noel, perfect for breeding her horses. But that’s not all. A nomad with no family—other than her beloved Quarter Horse, Star—she also hopes to find a home within the close-knit Appalachian Mountain community. Yet Jordyn didn’t bargain on inheriting a controversial Fraser Fir—or falling for a handsome single dad whose adorable little girl tempts her to dream of being far more than a property owner . . .
Since losing his wife in childbirth six years ago, Nate Reed has devoted himself to their daughter, Roxanna, and built up their thriving Frosted Firs Ranch. For nine years straight he’s won Noel’s contest for the most perfect Christmas tree for the Town Square. It’s a tradition he began with his late wife. But this year, Jordyn Banks is determined to harvest her Fraser Fir and compete—meaning Nate will finally be challenged—in more ways than one . . .
Throughout the event, Nate can’t help noticing that Roxanna is dazzled by Jordyn’s strength, beauty, and quirky sense of humor. Soon enough, Nate is falling for her, too. But can a feisty wanderer ever really settle down? Is Nate ready to open his heart to someone new? And is it possible that sometimes love does grow on (Christmas) trees? . . .
Haunted by Kat Martin
Publication Date: September 24, 2024
Genre: Paranormal Romantic Mystery
Goodreads | Bookhype | BookBub | StoryGraph | Amazon
A captivating and twisting tale where a murder in 1898 and one in 2024 dovetail and connect in unexpected ways from New York Times bestselling author Kat Martin and perfect for readers of J.A. Jance, Tony Hillerman, and Ramona Emerson’s Shutter.
1898: Robbery, prostitution, and violence are commonplace in the fabulously rich copper mining city of Jerome, Arizona. But a brutal murder sets the stage for a series of strange events that will echo far into the future.
2024: Jenny Spencer’s Copper Star Saloon and Hotel is one of the best-loved attractions in the popular tourist destination, but eerie occurrences in the newly renovated wing are souring business.
Cain Barrett, the wealthy owner of the nearby Grandview Hotel, has his eye on Jenny. He’ll help her any way he can, but Cain has problems of his own . . .
A brutal murder at the Copper Star, entries in a dusty journal, and ghostly sightings at both hotels . . . is the connection a figment of Jenny’s imagination, or a threat to her life? And who is causing trouble for Cain?
As they work together to solve the mystery, Cain vows not to let anything, or anyone—living or dead—stand between him and the woman he has come to love.
Mrs. Claus and the Nightmare Before New Year’s by Liz Ireland
Mrs. Claus Mysteries #5
Publication Date: September 24, 2024
Genre: Cozy Holiday Mystery
Goodreads | Bookhype | StoryGraph | Amazon
It’s beginning to look a lot like New Year’s in this creative and witty mystery featuring a unique heroine who’s married to the real-life Santa Claus and living in the North Pole. Santaland is scrambling to keep its secrets hidden from a trio of unexpected guests, but before the New Year’s Eve ball drops, the countdown is on for April Claus to catch a killer…
April Claus is looking forward to relaxing with her hubby, Nick (aka THE Santa Claus), in the week between Christmas and New Year’s Eve. But just after Santa departs for his deliveries, an elf pulls into Santaland with three people he found lost in the frozen wilderness. The survivors of a scientific expedition are injured, but their presence endangers the future of Santaland. So, while the strangers recuperate at the infirmary, April convinces Christmastown to pull off its grandest, most impossible, most magical feat yet . . . pretend to be normal!
Posing as a touristy, albeit Christmas-centric, arctic town, the elves cover their ears, snowmen take a vow of silence, and the reindeer keep their hooves on the ground. But as New Year’s Eve draws closer, hiding their true selves becomes harder to do, especially when one of the uninvited guests dies under highly suspicious circumstances. With a murderer in their midst, April sets out to find the uncorked culprit before any auld acquaintances should be forgot . . . or worse.
Murder at King’s Crossing by Andrea Penrose
Wrexford and Sloane Mystery #8
Publication Date: September 24, 2024
Genre: Historical Mystery
Goodreads | Bookhype | BookBub | StoryGraph | Amazon
When the murder of a scientific genius on the verge of a momentous discovery upsets the wedding of their dear friends, Wrexford and Charlotte must risk all they hold dear to deconstruct a sinister conspiracy in the latest installment of Andrea Penrose’s USA Today bestselling Wrexford & Sloane Mysteries.
Celebration is in the air at Wrexford and Charlotte’s country estate as they host the nuptials of their friends, Christopher Sheffield and Lady Cordelia Mansfield. But on the afternoon of the wedding, the festivities are interrupted when the local authorities arrive with news that a murdered man has been discovered at the bridge over King’s Crossing, his only identification an invitation to the wedding. Lady Cordelia is horrified when the victim is identified as Jasper Milton, her childhood friend and a brilliant engineer who is rumored to have discovered a revolutionary technological innovation in bridge design. That he had the invitation meant for her cousin Oliver, who never showed up for the wedding, stirs a number of unsettling questions.
Both men were involved in the Revolutions-Per-Minute Society, a scientific group dedicated to making radical improvements in the speed and cost of transportation throughout Britain. Is someone plotting to steal Milton’s designs? And why has her cousin disappeared?
Wrexford and Charlotte were looking forward to spending a peaceful interlude in the country, but when Lady Cordelia resolves to solve the mystery, they offer their help, along with that of the Weasels and their unconventional inner circle of friends. The investigation turns tangled and soon all of them are caught up in a treacherous web of greed, ambition, and dangerous secrets. And when the trail takes a shocking turn, Wrexford and Charlotte must decide what risks they are willing to take with their family to bring the villains to justice . . .
Murder in an Italian Café by Michael Falco
Bria Bartolucci Mystery #2
Publication Date: September 24, 2024
Genre: Cozy Mystery
Goodreads | Bookhype | BookBub | StoryGraph | Amazon
With her new B&B in the gorgeous Italian village of Positano proving a success, young widow Bria Bartolucci is enjoying her new life in paradise. But when a celebrity chef filming nearby suddenly dies, Bria has her hands full with a most unsavory murder . . .
Though she still misses her late husband, Carlo, Bria couldn’t be happier that their dream bed and breakfast, Bella Bella, is humming along nicely. Of course, even on the stunning Amalfi Coast, things seldom run smoothly. Like Bria’s mother and mother-in-law dueling over a suitable communion site for Bria’s eight-year-old son Marco. Bria’s also juggling the demands of the famous Chef Lugo, his producer, Massimo, and Pippa, a member of the production crew who is staying at Bella Bella for a nice, long-term stay . . .
Until Lugo mysteriously dies on-camera, a victim of apparent murder. But finding out who wanted him gone is no stroll on the beach. Bria soon learns that Chef Lugo’s multi-media empire is at a make-or-break tipping point, and Lugo himself had racked up any number of enemies—financial, professional . . . and very personal. Now to save her friend’s café from a ruined reputation, Bria must delve into the glittering surface of false alibis, pretty lies, and not-so-glamourous hidden identities to catch a murderer determined to serve up another victim . . .
Murder in Berkeley Square by Vanessa Riley
Lady Worthing Mysteries #3
Publication Date: September 24, 2024
Genre: Historical Mystery
Goodreads | Bookhype | BookBub | StoryGraph | Amazon
Embracing the true diversity of the Regency era, award-winning author Vanessa Riley brings readers a vibrant historical mystery starring an engaging heroine with an independent streak, a notorious past, and a decided talent for sleuthing in Murder in Berkley Square the latest novel in her Lady Worthing Mystery series.
A marriage of convenience saved Lady Abigail Worthing’s family from disgrace, but she’s finding her absent husband’s endless conditions increasingly repressive. Unable to stay at their London home during the oncoming winter, she accepts a ride to the country from her neighbor, Stapleton Henderson. However, she’s less than delighted that she’s his excuse to avoid a dinner held by Lord Charles Duncan, one of London’s most powerful—and relentless—magistrates. More irritating, women are decidedly unwelcome at the evening’s prestigious discussion of criminality—even though Abigail and Stapleton have solved several cases together . . .
Then an unexpected blizzard strands them at Lord Duncan’s with his now-houseguests. Suddenly, an evening of fine dining, fine brandy, and insightful debate becomes an inescapable—and deadly—ordeal. The ultimate test for Abigial’s skill. One of the dinner guests is found dead in front of the Berkley Square mansion. And when another party is murdered, Abigail discovers each had received a taunting, prophetic nursery rhyme . . . coincidence, or clues left by a killer on the loose?
Through deft interrogation, she learns everyone present is connected to Lord Duncan’s greatest failure in the courts: the conviction of a Martinique plantation informant for a murder he didn’t commit. But as Abigail races to find who was really responsible for the miscarriage of justice, she’ll be forced to put her own and Stapleton’s lives at risk in a gambit that will alter their fates forever—or end them permanently.
Payal Mehta’s Romance Revenge Plot by Preeti Chhibber
Publication Date: September 24, 2024
Genre: Young Adult Romantic Comedy
Goodreads | Bookhype | BookBub | StoryGraph | Amazon
This laugh-out-loud debut romance introduces perfectly imperfect Payal Mehta, whose plan to get her longtime crush to finally notice her is destined for success, but only if she ignores her budding feelings for her archnemesis…
Payal Mehta has had a crush on popular, athletic, all-around perfect Jonathan Slate ever since he smiled at her in freshman–year Spanish class. At a party during spring break of her junior year, Payal finally works up the courage to ask Jon to hang out. However, her romantic plans are derailed when he vomits on her Keds. Twice. But when Jon offers to take her out to lunch as an apology, Payal is convinced this is the start of their love story.
Over chalupas and burritos at Taco Bell, Payal’s best jokes are landing as planned. Jon is basically choking on his Coke—and then it happens. “Do you have a boyfriend?” Payal is (finally) about to get the guy. And then he tries to set her up with his Indian friend. Payal’s best friends, Neil Patel and Divya Bhatt, are just as mad about the microagression as Payal is, but they think she’s a little too hung up on him.
Determined to teach Jon a lesson by making him fall for her, Payal ropes in her archnemesis, Philip Kim, to help. It’s the perfect plan. Minus Philip’s snarky, annoying quips and lack of faith in its success. But as Payal lies to the people she loves, hides the too-Indian parts of herself in front of her crush, and learns that maybe Philip isn’t the worst, she starts to wonder if what she’s been looking for has been scowling at her all along…
Santa’s Secret by Fern Michaels
Santa’s Crew #3
Publication Date: September 24, 2024
Genre: Holiday Romance
Goodreads | BookBub | StoryGraph | Amazon
Friends since high school, four 30-something women reunite for a once-in-a-lifetime Italian adventure filled with tons of laughter, mischief, great food, and even a little romance in this humorous, heartwarming celebration of friendship and fun from #1 New York Times bestselling author Fern Michaels.
Christmas is filled with beloved and long-kept traditions, but sometimes, there’s nothing better than creating brand-new ones. That’s why Francesca and her high school friends Amy, Rachael, and Nina are traveling to Italy to spend the holidays with Frankie’s boyfriend, Giovanni, and his family.
Giovanni and his brother, Marco, run a small Italian restaurant in Manhattan, where cherished family recipes delight tourists and locals alike. But there’s one recipe that eludes the brothers. Their mama refuses to divulge the special ingredient in her coveted panettone, claiming it is “Santa’s secret.”
While Frankie joins Giovanni and Marco in the kitchen, hoping to uncover the mystery of Mrs. Lombardi’s mouthwatering panettone, Amy, Nina, and Rachael are on their own quests. Amy wants to see the statue of David in Florence, Nina needs career inspiration, and Rachael longs to meet some eligible Italian men.
Can one trip provide the answers everyone seeks? With a stunning Italian backdrop and a sprinkling of holiday magic in the mix, there may be all kinds of sweet surprises in store…
Shear Terror by Dorothy Howell
Dewing Studio Mystery #3
Publication Date: September 24, 2024
Genre: Cozy Crafts and Hobbies Mystery
Goodreads | Bookhype | BookBub | Amazon
In small-town Hideaway Grove, California, newcomer Abbey Chandler’s sewing prowess is inspiring her entrepreneurial spirit—but stumbling upon a murder might kill more than her enthusiasm . . .
Abbey’s life in Hideaway Grove is comfortable, and she’s grateful for her small sewing studio in the back room of her aunt’s bakery, but she’s feeling stuck. Her plan to expand her custom tote bag business by selling to a chain of gift shops has hit a snag. Making enough totes to distribute to all the stores requires large-scale production—which requires money Abbey doesn’t have. To make ends meet, she takes a part-time job at the town’s bustling Visitor Center . . .
Abbey is soon sorting items with her co-workers for the Visitor Center’s annual Lost and Found Day when unclaimed items are displayed and offered for sale. Thanks to tourism, there’s enough to fill a huge stockroom. But something is amiss. Eleanor Franklin, devoted to all things Hideaway Grove, hasn’t shown up for work—and when Abbey discovers her whereabouts, it isn’t pretty . . .
Eleanor is dead inside a clothing bin, dressmaker shears impaled in her chest—shears the sheriff reports are engraved with Abbey’s name. Under suspicion, Abbey will have to launch her own investigation. But who would want to kill thoughtful Eleanor, a model resident always so full of good advice about how to uphold Hideaway Grove’s high standards? As it turns out, not everyone appreciated Eleanor’s advice . . .
Now Abbey will have to cut through a tattered trail of greed, theft, and revenge to sew up the case before a killer cramps her style—for good . . .
Silent Nights Are Murder by Libby Klein
Poppy McAllister Mystery #9
Publication Date: September 24, 2024
Genre: Cozy Culinary Holiday Mystery
Goodreads | Bookhype | BookBub | StoryGraph | Amazon
Gluten-free baker Poppy McAllister and her aunt Ginny are looking forward to a quiet, homey Christmas at their B&B in Cape May, but unfortunately, death isn’t taking a holiday this year . . .
Ever since Thanksgiving, when an engagement ring in a velvet box—and no gift tag—was left behind, Poppy and her pals have been left with an unsolved mystery. But at least this mystery isn’t the kind that involves murder. That all changes when the body of a fish supplier is discovered in the kitchen of her ex’s restaurant—and he’s frozen, not fresh.
For once, it’s not Poppy who tripped over the corpse, yet she can’t escape being drawn in since the victim has a note taped to him reading Get Poppy. Figures—an engagement ring isn’t labeled, but the dead guy is addressed to her. Now, while Aunt Ginny plans a tree-trimming party and pressures Poppy to decode a mysterious old diary, the amateur sleuth is asked to “unofficially” go undercover at the restaurant to help the police. Until then, the only crime Poppy had been dealing with was the cat Figaro’s repeated thefts of bird ornaments from the tree; now it looks like it’s going to be a murder-y Christmas after all . . .
Six Stunning Sirens by Lynn Cahoon
Kitchen Witch Mystery #6
Publication Date: September 24, 2024
Genre: Cozy Culinary Paranormal Mystery
Goodreads | Bookhype | BookBub | StoryGraph | Amazon
In the latest in the enchanting series by New York Times bestselling author Lynn Cahoon, Mia Malone is looking forward to catering the Miss Magic Springs Harvest Pageant, part of the local coven’s big autumn celebration—until death puts a chill in the air . . .
In a triumph for Mia’s catering business and cooking school, Mia’s Morsels is chosen to host a fall festival event in their Idaho mountain town—which means managing a bunch of stage moms and their social-media obsessed daughters as they get ready for the big beauty contest. There’s a lot riding on the results of the Harvest Moon Festival—it’s where the winning family receives an inside track to coven power.
But after one stage mom is found dead, and another winds up in the hospital, the coven suspects magical meddling. With a week to go before the coronation of the new queen, Mia must draw on her sleuthing powers to find out what’s going on—and whether this competition has gotten a little too cutthroat . . .
The Christmas Cottage by Davis Bunn
Miramar Bay #9
Publication Date: September 24, 2024
Genre: Holiday Romance
Goodreads | Bookhype | BookBub | StoryGraph | Amazon
In the ultimate Christmas comfort read for fans of Nicholas Sparks and Karen Kingsbury, internationally bestselling author Davis Bunn brings readers a magical tale of second chances and holiday blessings, as childhood friends cross paths at Christmas in the kindhearted coastal town of Miramar Bay.
Pushing through his troubled childhood, Dillon Farrow was seventeen when he said goodbye to Miramar and did himself proud, thriving as a successful investment counselor. But a betrayal by a trusted friend has brought everything crashing down. Dillon’s only recourse—return to Miramar, penniless and feeling defeated—more so when a winter flood sweeps away all roads to town. Now he and his fellow stranded travelers are destined to spend Christmas at the only available accommodations—the local jail. Yet it’s in this makeshift inn that Dillon sees her. His first love. The girl he left behind.
After an emotionally and financially devastating divorce, Olivia Greer has no choice but to come back to her hometown of Miramar. Less a retreat than a surrender, it’s the first time in years—since Olivia’s mother, her best friend for life, passed away. In the interim, their hillside cottage has remained empty, as forlorn as Olivia herself. The flood only seems like fate testing her resilience one more time. But providence comes in myriad forms: Dillon Farrow, the sweet boy who once had dreams of better things. Just like Olivia.
The future can hold dreams as well. Crossing paths is a Christmas blessing Dillon and Olivia never expected—a reunion with the potential to impact other lives too. And for both of them, perhaps in the cottage on the hill, Miramar could finally start feeling like home again.
The Christmas Inn by Pamela M. Kelley
Publication Date: September 24, 2024
Genre: Holiday Romance
Goodreads | Bookhype | BookBub | StoryGraph | Amazon
Explore this delightfully cozy and joyful novel of second chances at the most wonderful time of the year, from USA Today bestselling author Pamela Kelley.
A feel-good novel as delightful and comforting as a cup of hot chocolate on a cold winter’s night, The Christmas Inn is bestselling author Pamela Kelley’s most heartwarming and magical book yet.Riley Sanders didn’t plan on losing her job as a content marketing manager right before Christmas. When she calls her sister Amy to vent, she learns that their mother has broken her leg and could really use some help at the inn. Riley decides to head home to the inn, nestled along the shores of Cape Cod, in time for the Christmas rush. She is happy to help and needs something to distract her as mistletoe is hung and snowflakes begin to fall.
When she gets there, she not only finds delicious cookies and a crackling fire to lift her spirits, but also the sense of family she’s been missing all along. There’s Franny, a woman who has just lost her sister and has four unopened letters from her that she plans to use to open her up to new experiences on the Cape. And there’s Aidan, her high school sweetheart, now a widower, who is staying at the inn with his nine year-old son, Luke. What begins as a quick stay over the holidays to help her mom turns into something that means much more―a second chance at romance, a deeper sense of found family, and all the joy and wonder that comes with Christmastime on Cape Cod.
The Cold Light of Day by Anna Lee Huber
Verity Kent Mystery #7
Publication Date: September 24, 2024
Genre: Historical Mystery
Goodreads | Bookhype | BookBub | StoryGraph | Amazon
Remarkable heroine Verity Kent must follow the leads of a dangerous investigation that will pull her into a conspiracy spilling dangerously out onto the streets of Interwar Dublin, Ireland in the next installment of this highly acclaimed series.
June 1920, Ireland: The streets of Dublin seethe with revolution as the Irish Republican Army clashes with British authorities. Roving assassination squads mean nowhere is truly safe, particularly for Verity Kent and her war hero husband, Sidney. Given their celebrity as society darlings and intrepid sleuths, they must tread carefully to go unnoticed—nearly impossible when they are called upon to search for Verity’s fellow spy and friend . . .
Captain Alec Xavier has seemingly vanished after traveling to Dublin to infiltrate the IRA at its highest levels. Doing her best to maintain a modicum of normalcy and stay under the radar of both the rebels and British Intelligence, Verity works undercover by day and waltzes through the city’s elite social scene by night. Still, she fears the worst for Alec—until shocking evidence mounts that not only is he alive, but that he has switched sides . . .
Already disillusioned with the British government, the news leaves Verity and Sidney reeling. Worse, they learn of a conspiracy within Dublin Castle, where personal vendettas are being carried out and sanctioned by British Intelligence under the cover of revolution. With the distinction between friend and foe never more blurred—or the margin for error narrower—Verity and Sidney cannot turn a blind eye. Especially when a familiar adversary appears, bringing a threat almost too terrifying to confront—even in the cold light of day . . .
The Rodeo Star’s Reunion by Melinda Curtis
Cowboy Academy #5
Publication Date: September 24, 2024
Genre: Sweet Cowboy Romance
Goodreads | Bookhype | BookBub | Amazon
If you lose your heart to a cowboy…
It’ll be nothing but trouble!Bess Glover had a sweet spot for reckless cowboy Griff Malone—until he ghosted her on prom night. No explanation was ever given, and Bess was too proud to ask for one. Now, years later, he’s suddenly offering to help with her ranch and with the high school rodeo team that she coaches, which rekindles a spark from long ago. But will their resurfacing feelings survive when Bess discovers the real secret that Griff’s been holding on to for all these years?
The Serial Killer Guide to San Francisco by Michelle Chouinard
Publication Date: September 24, 2024
Genre: Serial Killer Thriller
Goodreads | Bookhype | BookBub | StoryGraph | Amazon
In Michelle Chouinard’s clever mystery The Serial Killer Guide to San Francisco, the granddaughter of a serial killer shows readers another side of the beloved city.
Welcome to San Francisco, a city with killer charm.The chill of a San Francisco summer can be deadly. No one knows this better than Capri Sanzio, who makes her living giving serial killer tours of the city. Capri has been interested in the topic since she was a kid, when she discovered she’s the granddaughter of serial killer William ‘Overkill Bill’ Sanzio. She’s always believed in his innocence, though she’s never taken the leap to fully dive into the case.
But now an Overkill Bill copycat has struck in San Francisco. And Capri’s former mother-in-law, Sylvia, just cut off Capri’s daughter’s tuition payments. Needing cash, Capri wonders if this is the time to exonerate her grandfather. The case is back in the news and the police will be looking to understand the past to catch a present-day killer. Capri could finally uncover the truth about Overkill Bill―documenting the process with a podcast and a book―and hopefully earn some money.
Before Capri can get very far, the cops discover the copycat’s latest victim: Sylvia. Capri soon finds herself at the heart of the police’s investigation for an entirely different reason. She and her daughter are prime suspects.
The Slowest Burn by Sarah Chamberlain
Publication Date: September 24, 2024
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Goodreads | Bookhype | BookBub | StoryGraph | Amazon
Most Anticipated by The Nerd Daily * Brit + Co
Business or Pleasure meets Evvie Drake Starts Over in this delicious opposites-attract romance from debut author Sarah Chamberlain.
Sometimes the perfect recipe just needs a little extra heat.Ellie Wasserman’s life is neat and tidy, and that’s exactly how she wants it. Really. A top ghostwriter for celebrity cookbooks, she was widowed three years ago and has no interest in taking chances―not on writing her own cookbook, not on telling her still-grieving in-laws she wants to move out, and certainly not on dating, which is about as intimidating as a recipe with fifty steps.
Kieran O’Neill isn’t known for being organized. An up-and-coming chef who scored big on a reality television competition, he’s been the guy who cracks jokes and makes messes―something his chilly family has never let him forget. The only place he feels truly capable is at the stove. But when he’s paired with an uptight ghostwriter with cool blue eyes and distracting curves to write his debut cookbook, she shreds his class clown act like a paring knife cuts an orange peel.
As Ellie and Kieran are forced to work closely together in a hot kitchen for weeks on end, their sharp edges and harsh judgments slowly soften and sweeten into a wildly delicious attraction. Long, steamy days turn into even steamier nights, but they have to face their painful pasts to know if this tender new love can transform into something lasting.
The Village Library Demon-Hunting Society by C.M. Waggoner
Publication Date: September 24, 2024
Genre: Cozy Paranormal Mystery
Goodreads | Bookhype | BookBub | StoryGraph | Amazon
A librarian with a knack for solving murders realizes there is something decidedly supernatural afoot in her little town in this cozy fantasy mystery.
Librarian Sherry Pinkwhistle keeps finding bodies—and solving murders. But she’s concerned by just how many killers she’s had to track down in her quaint village. None of her neighbors seem surprised by the rising body count…but Sherry is becoming convinced that whatever has been causing these deaths is unnatural.
When someone close to Sherry ends up dead, and her cat, Lord Thomas Crowell, becomes possessed by what seems to be an ancient demon, Sherry begins to think she’s going to need to become an exorcist as well as an amateur sleuth. With the help of her town’s new priest, and an assortment of friends who dub themselves the “Demon-Hunting Society,” Sherry will have to solve the murder and get rid of a demon.
This riotous mix of Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Murder, She Wrote is a lesson for demons and murderers alike: Never mess with a librarian.
Wrath of the Triple Goddess by Rick Riordan
Percy Jackson and the Olympians #7
Publication Date: September 24, 2024
Genre: Middle Grade Greek and Roman Mythology
Goodreads | Bookhype | BookBub | StoryGraph | Amazon
In his continuing quest to earn college recommendation letters from the gods, Percy has to pet sit the goddess Hecate’s polecat and giant mastiff during Halloween week. What could go wrong?
Rick Riordan’s newest Percy Jackson adventure is full of hilarious set pieces, a diverse cast of gods and monsters, and many other delightful tricks and treats.Percy Jackson, now a high school senior, needs three recommendation letters from the Greek gods in order to get into New Rome University. He earned his first one by retrieving Ganymede’s chalice. Now the goddess Hecate has offered Percy another “opportunity”—all he has to do is pet sit her polecat, Gale, and mastiff, Hecuba, over Halloween week while she is away. Piece of cake, right?
Percy, Annabeth, and Grover settle into Hecate’s seemingly endless mansion and start getting acquainted with the fussy, terrifying animals. The trio has been warned not to touch anything, but while Percy and Annabeth are out at school, Grover can’t resist drinking a strawberry-flavored potion in the laboratory. It turns him into a giant frenzied goat, and after he rampages through the house, damaging everything in sight, and passes out, Gale and Hecuba escape. Now the friends have to find Hecate’s pets and somehow restore the house, all before Hecate gets back on Saturday. It’s going to take luck, demigod wiles, and some old and new friends to hunt down the animals and set things right again.
Bad Boy by Winona Kent
Jason Davey Mystery #5
Publication Date: September 26, 2024
Genre: International Mystery
resh from a 34-day, 18-city tour of England, professional musician and amateur sleuth Jason Davey accepts an invitation from a fan, Marcus Merritt, to meet at Level 72 of The Shard to sign one of his band’s programs. Marcus hands him the booklet, then leaps to his death from the open viewing platform. Thus begins a week-long quest, during which Jason is tasked with retrieving a stolen collection of scores by England’s most famous composer, Sir Edward Elgar.
Marcus shared Elgar’s love of eccentric puzzles and games, and the challenging clues he’s assembled for Jason seem to mirror the 14 themes in Elgar’s renowned Enigma Variations. Jason’s journey takes him to Derbyshire and then back to London, and a four-hour walking tour of Soho’s lost music venues where, in Denmark Street, he faces a life-threatening battle with two adversaries: a treacherous Russian gangster who is also hunting for the stolen collection, and Marcus’s sister—who holds the key to a decades-old mystery involving a notorious London crime lord’s missing daughter.
Bad Boy is the fifth book in Winona Kent’s mystery series featuring jazz musican-turned-amateur sleuth Jason Davey.
Murder in the Hidden Cargo Hold by Denise Jaden
Olivia Ocean Cruise Ship Mysteries #1
Publication Date: September 26, 2024
Genre: Cozy Mystery
Murder at sea!
Olivia Ocean’s dream job aboard the Moonlit Majesty turns into a nightmare when she witnesses an attempt to dispose of a helpless kitten at sea. Rescuing the kitty entails a chase, which leads her to discovering a dead body!
Armed with her camera and newfound feline friend, Olivia must navigate the ship’s dark corners, pounce on the clues, assist the swoon-worthy security manager, and capture the killer before the ship reaches its final destination.
Panic in the Panhandle by J.C. Kenney
Elmo Simpson Mysteries #1
Publication Date: September 26, 2024
Genre: Cozy Animal Mystery
Goodreads | BookBub | StoryGraph | Amazon
This is no ordinary wild animal removal call…
In the sleepy panhandle of Florida, Benjamin “Elmo” Simpson has carved out a comfortable niche as the go-to wild animal removal specialist. Life is sweet until a peculiar service request takes him to a local condo and an unexpected scene. Retired lawyer Fran Cohen is missing and in his apartment is a well-fed alligator that appears to have enjoyed a nice breakfast with…or rather, of…Fran.
All evidence points toward murder, and local alligator farmer, Waldo “Rambo” Quigley has the motive and the means. When Rambo pleads for help to clear his name, old debts and a history of friendship leave Elmo no choice but to investigate. With his girlfriend, Nicola, by his side, and Rambo’s freedom on the line, Elmo’s on the hunt for the real killer, but don’t panic…Elmo’s got a plan…sort of. Maybe.
Reptilian clues lead to unexpected allies, and the call of danger is addictive. Can Elmo uncover the identity of Fran’s killer before becoming the next victim, removed from the scene like an unwanted pest?
Well, that’s it for the New Books Releasing Week 39 of 2024
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!
Baroness’ Book Trove is an Amazon affiliate, meaning that if you click the link and purchase something, this blog gets a tiny percentage back. Mainly, this helps with the cost of the website and a few giveaways.
Leave a Reply