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Cozy

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The Author Weekend

by Chris Kahn

Book of the Week April 9, 2026

Faye Wader, NYT bestselling author of the Kitty Howe mystery series, finally makes the plunge with the encouragement of her assistant, Jade, and hosts her first ever author event. On Misery Island, a place of nostalgic fun and hijinks for Faye, the 50 attendees will be able to attend Pre- Post- or Peri-Menopausal Mermaid Meditation; Publishing Confidential: Inside the Book Business, with Faye’s editor and agent; a Kitty Howe-themed Clambake, and more. The swag bags include plenty of kitsch, including signature Kitty Aviators, binoculars, and a lobster bib, along with copies of her last, and newest, title. And never mind that Faye’s number-one fan and critic, Peggy Mercer, will be there, surely with news of a misplaced comma or incorrect tense – all those other loyal adoring Kitty loyalists will lift Faye above that. The arrival of Faye’s franchise series rival, though not a complete surprise, ups the competition for attendees’ attention, as well as that of her editor, Merry, and her agent, Hal. Distracted by concerns with her forthcoming manuscript and lack of feedback from Hatchet, her publisher, Faye slips up on a plot point detail, which Peggy recognizes as a lie in Faye’s own backstory. Meanwhile Xoey, a social media maven who’s crippled without her phone, is desperate to tell the “author weekend story.” Feeling trapped by a prescribed wardrobe and envy, Faye begins to spiral. Before long, the bodies start to pile up. Readers will delight in discovering who ends up on the top of the heap, both literally and figuratively. A sharp, gossipy, and hilarious satire of the publishing business.—Dodie Ownes

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Review

Murder on Charity Lane

by Brian Kenney

This series is wonderfully reminiscent of Armistead Maupin’s series Tales of the City, Richard Osman’s The Thursday Murder Club series, and Only Murders in the Building—all of which have a wonderful sense of community, an abundance of love, and a good dollop of eccentricity. It’s six months or so after the first murder solved by Mrs. B., the Marigold Cottages’ eccentric proprietor, who follows the lives of her tenants by keeping the cottages very quiet—too quiet, she is beginning to think. So she invites a friend, Elsa, to occupy one of the empty homes well located in Santa Barbara. But when a tragic death occurs, and several of the residents have reason to believe that Elsa is the protagonist, Mrs. B. has no choice except to call together the members of the Murder Collective to figure out who is responsible, and why. Then there is another death, with Elsa again the suspect. Can the collective free Elsa from their many doubts?—Brian Kenney

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Review

Murder at First Slice

by Brian Kenney

Book of the Week March 26, 2026

Dogs and drama, detectives and divas. There is a whole lot going on in this, the fifth in Burns’s Baker Street series. But despite all the balls she has in the air, it looks like the wedding of Maddy (bride-to-be, social media queen, beloved daughter, full-time baker, dog parent to an adored 200 lb. English mastiff) and veterinarian Michael will go off without a hitch. Scores of people are arriving in New Bison, Michigan to celebrate the event, although a few participants have come just to complain about or to one another. This would include two cousins who always clash, Dorothy (pure negativity) and Hannah (whom most people believe is incapable of killing). But then Dorothy is found dead, her body left outside the bakery. And Hannah is discovered standing over her, the alleged murder weapon, a bloodied rolling pin, in hand. What is going on here? To get to the bottom of it all, Maddy calls in the Baker Street Irregulars, a group of non-professionals who excel at helping the police solve crimes. A fun, high-energy narrative that does a brilliant job of illuminating life in small-town America.—Brian Kenney

 

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Review

The Mysterious Affair of Judith Potts

by Brian Kenney

This latest work of the Marlow Murder Club, one of the most popular cozy crime series, is the fifth, with a major TV presence as well. Yet as cozy as this volume might be, it’s the darkest of the books to date, with blackmail, murder, and scandal all playing a major role. The murder of two of Marlow’s best known celebrities—soccer-player Gary Wise and thriller-writer Tony Sexton—galvanizes our three amateur female detectives, who travel all about the town to discover the killer, an endeavor both serious and hugely comic. But what’s changed? DI Malik, who always assisted the women in their previous searches, has now been suspended from duty; it’s a huge loss. And Judith, who has always been at the center of any investigation, shows up only to shortly disappear and then repeat again. Where is she going? Aficionados of the Marlow Murder Club can only worry that the three brave women may not survive and make it through to the other side.—Brian Kenney

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Review

Murder Unabridged

by Brian Kenney

There are three things you can rely on in the Old Juniper Bookshop in the college town of Enigma, Georgia. Expect the staff and readers to be unremittingly quirky. Anticipate that the past and the present will always be connected, somehow. And assume that friends and relatives will keep popping up out of nowhere, to the surprise of Madeline Brimley, the bookstore owner, manager and resident as well. In this episode, a worn-out gentleman arrives late one night claiming to be a distant, 60-plus relative. And not just a relative, but one claiming that he was involved in a murder that took place in the bookshop/cafe decades ago. While most people might call the cops, Madeline acquiesces—it’s kind of the spirit of the place—figuring that all can be straightened out once everyone gets a good night’s sleep. Except the next morning our gentleman is dead, from poison no less. The bookstore has morphed into a crime scene, and Madeline is likely a suspect. Readers who enjoy well-paced cozies with a small-town atmosphere and plenty of droll humor will be delighted with Nelson’s latest offering.—Brian Kenney

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Review

Murder Like Clockwork

by Dodie Ownes

Full of twists and turns and characters whom readers will both love and hate, Murder Like Clockwork is the second title in Whyte’s 10 Marchfield Square series—and if you didn’t read the first, don’t worry! You can still drop right into this delightful mystery that’s set in the Belgravia area of London, overseen by grande dame Celeste. Audrey is a housecleaner, and Anton Petrov’s apartment is a special case. She cannot arrive early, or leave late. And then there are the dozens of antique clocks that must be wound every week. And, it never seems like anyone has been there between her weekly visits. One frigid day, she arrives early and discovers a body neatly placed on a plastic sheet. When the police finally get there, they go inside to find…nothing. No body, no blood. When Audrey consults with co-sleuth Lewis, who hates his job as a recruiter and would rather be a mystery writer, the hunt to find the murderer takes off. Whyte delights readers with characters eccentric and homey, willingly ignorant and intensely involved. Was it revenge? A contract kill? A money grab? Audrey and Lewis slowly but surely unravel the mystery and offer a completely satisfying wrap-up. Here’s hoping that Whyte keeps this recruiter and cleaner and their clever banter busy for many more titles.—Dodie Ownes

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Review

A Murder Most Camp: A Mystery

by Danise Hoover

In an unlikely combination of coming of age, family saga, gay romance, and cold-case mystery, we have Mikey (what almost 30-year-old is still called Mikey?), who’s compelled by his father to serve three months at a rustic summer camp as counselor to save his access to his outrageously huge trust fund. He needs to supervise Annabelle, his 12-year-old aunt (family drama), as part of his penance for his wastrel lifestyle. His special group of campers latches onto the story of Rose, a camper who went missing back when Annabelle’s mom was a counselor. The cabin at the center of the mystery is still there, but it’s long unoccupied and decrepit. The intrepid kids and Mikey, a born rule-breaker, work to find answers. Jackson, Mikey’s hunky cabinmate and camp lifeguard, aims to be the voice of reason between steamy sex sessions with Mikey. Do they find the answers? Does Mikey survive the grime and spiders of camp life? Does he actually grow up? Does anyone figure out why they are there in the first place? Confusing and somewhat silly, but ultimately fun.—Danise Hoover

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Review

Murder Most Delicious

by Henrietta Thornton

Someone with no taste seems like the last person who would enjoy Paris, but Olivia Beech has a good reason for a trip. She’s a master sommelier—a highly expert wine taster—whose sense of taste has been destroyed by COVID. Before this catastrophe, she was a rising star in the wine world, and, trying to maintain her New York Michelin-star-restaurant career using only her sense of smell and the help of a trusted coworker, she has kept her malady secret. But the problem was revealed and Olivia was humiliated, and now she’s trying for a job at a Paris bistro. There’s only one problem: her arrival sees the poisoning death of the chef who might hire her, and she’s the main suspect. Thus starts a delightful mystery set in a cozy Paris neighborhood that houses friends for decades. They have formed a quirky neighborhood watch and are determined to find the killer, bringing Olivia into their kindly fold. The clever storytelling and vibrant language that Postel-Vinay brings to the books that she writes as Danielle Trussoni are here on clear display, along with intriguing glimpses of the high-end wine and perfume worlds. Lovers of European-trip books and friends solving mysteries à la Richard Osman’s The Thursday Murder Club will especially enjoy this whodunit.—Henrietta Thornton

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Review

A Will to Kill

by Danise Hoover

Book of the Week January 29, 2026

In a classically framed and styled mystery set in India rather than the English countryside of classic novels past, readers start off with our wealthy head of family, Bhaskar Fernandez. He’s so sure that someone is trying to kill him he has written two wills: one if he dies of natural causes, the other if under suspicious circumstances. Athreya, famed solver of crimes, has been invited to the country house to be charged with the task of solving the murder should it occur.  As the family is all gathered, there is a landslide that traps all within the compound and thick pea-soup fog that heightens confusion and adds to the intrigue. Confusion and intrigue are the least of it, though, and while murder does occur, it is not what or who was expected. In a lovely throwback to tradition, the book includes area maps and floorplans, and our investigator sorts things as methodically as Poirot might have. This is charming, character driven, and great fun to read.—Danise Hoover 

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Review

The Body in the Kitchen Garden

by Brian Kenney

Pudding Corner in the quaint parish of Pepperbridge. The name says it all, doesn’t it? The sleepy village, a bit twee. The regular offerings of teacakes or fruitcakes. The sharing of what can only be described as gossip, and quite excellent gossip at that. But then there is the shocking smell of smoke, seemingly coming from the gardens of the very grand Darlington Hall. Could it be a fire, set off by the homeless man who had taken up residence on the property, Daphne wonders? Yes, indeed! Closer inspection by Daphne—an antiques dealer helping to renovate the Hall—reveals the horrible end the man experienced, burnt to death in the Hall’s gardens. But as traumatizing as this incident might be, it does not stop Daphne from trying to determine who the man was and why he was murdered. Suffice it to say that Daphne is like some heat-seeking missile—kids, husband, even friends are pretty much moved aside while the search is on. “These villages had been the silent witnesses to secrets both harmless and grim, they had been the background of love trysts and betrayals, of an abundance of happiness and the stage set for a deluge of tears and hidden mystery.” Readers who appreciate S. J. Bennett, Janice Hallett, or Anthony Horowitz will be delighted by Sutton’s latest.—Brian Kenney

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