Genre: Cozy mystery
Publisher: Minotaur Books
Publication Date: March 19th, 2024
Pages: 352, hardcover
Source: NetGalley

In heroine Tempest Raj, modern-day queen of the locked room mystery Gigi Pandian has created a brilliant homage to the greats of classic detective fiction.

Secret Staircase Construction is under attack, and Tempest Raj feels helpless. After former client Julian Rhodes tried to kill his wife, he blamed her “accident” on the home renovation company’s craftsmanship. Now the family business—known for bringing magic into homes through hidden doors, floating staircases, and architectural puzzle walls—is at a breaking point. No amount of Scottish and Indian meals from her grandfather can distract Tempest from the truth: they’re being framed.

When Tempest receives an urgent midnight phone call from Julian, she decides to meet him at the historic Whispering Creek Theater—only to find his dead body, a sword through his chest. After a blade appears from thin air to claim another victim, Tempest is certain they’re dealing with a booby trap… something Secret Staircase Construction could easily build. Tempest refuses to wait for the investigation to turn to her or her loved ones. She knows the pieces of the puzzle are right in front of her, she just has to put them together correctly before more disaster strikes.

Multiple award-winning author Gigi Pandian and her heroine Tempest Raj return in A Midnight Puzzle, where an old theater reveals a deadly booby trap, secrets, and one puzzle of a mystery.

Confession – I skipped reading The Raven Thief, as I wasn’t sure I was going to continue the series after the first book, Under Lock and Skeleton Key because I just wasn’t all that interested in Tempest. I found her a bit bombastic and immature with the whole “I am The Tempest” stage bit, and I was probably unjustly comparing her to Pandian’s other heroines, who I love.

But I got an invitation to read A Midnight Puzzle, saw that it was an “impossible mystery,” and gave it a go, and I am so glad I did. I did miss some backstory and character development by not having read the second book, but it didn’t take away from my reading experience.

I do still enjoy the secondary characters, such as Tempest’s grandparents and her best friend, a bit more, but I like how Tempest has worked on herself and grown since the first book. I like how we see a bit of how her grandfather has made friends with people from all over their community and hope we get more glimpses into her family and friends.

This is also a great nod to John Dickson Carr and all impossible mysteries. I had the whodunnit narrowed down to one of two characters fairly early on, but the howdunnit stumped me pretty much to the end. I love that!

Why you should read this: If you like a more cerebral cozy, this is your series. There are red herrings, twists, turns, and all sorts of misdirection.

Why you might not want to: Tempest has a LOT of internal monologue. Because of the nature of the mysteries she solves, that’s kind of unavoidable, since she has to work through multiple puzzles, but it make for a lot of telling and not showing.

Genre: Cozy mystery
Publisher: Bookouture
Publication Date: March 13th, 2024
Pages: 261, ebook
Source: NetGalley

The joyous crowd applauds as the happy couple strides down the aisle. This Cotswolds country wedding has everything – friends and family, beautiful flowers and… murder?

When Julia Bird’s ex-husband Peter and his lovely partner Christopher decide to get married in Berrywick, Julia is delighted – after all, who doesn’t love a country wedding? Little does Julia know that normally calm and collected Christopher will turn into a full-on Groomzilla – and that by the end of the night, someone will end up dead.

The morning after the big day, the jolly nuptial mood turns grim when Julia discovers the lifeless body of the caterer, Desmond. Someone locked him in the cold truck and the poor man froze to death. Now looking for a murderer, all eyes are on Christopher who, mid-tantrum, had publicly threatened to kill him. Convinced that Christopher is innocent, Julia vows to find the real culprit.

Julia soon discovers Desmond had a long list of enemies as she races against the clock to clear Christopher’s name. Could his death be the work of the respected wedding planner who was heard exchanging choice words with the victim? Or perhaps it was his wife – ‘til death do them part – who didn’t shed a single tear at his funeral?

But just when Julia thinks she’s cracked the case, her prime suspect is found dead with a knife in their back. Can Julia find the murderer before they strike again?

An utterly gripping, charming cosy mystery set in the English countryside. Fans of M.C. Beaton, Faith Martin and Betty Rowlands will love the Julia Bird Mysteries.

How many of us would track down a murderer to clear the name of our ex-husband’s new spouse? Probably not many, but that’s all part of Julia’s charm, and the reason for her putting on her sleuthing shoes for the fifth time.

A mix-up with the catering which could have had fatal consequences causes Christopher, the new spouse of Julia’s ex, Peter, to blow up at the caterer. When the caterer is later found dead, Christopher becomes the prime suspect.

Gayle gives us lots of robust characters and a wonderful taste of village life in Berrywick. Julia has integrated herself into the community in the process of building her post-divorce retirement life, and that helps with her investigations. This time, we get a better sense of where she came from, as her daughter has come to stay for the wedding, and Julia is interacting more with her ex due to the case.

Julia has also settled into a romantic relationship with the local doctor, Sean, and made some strong friendships with the local librarian, Tabitha, and police detective Hayley. As always, there’s Jake the failed service dog, who provides not only comic relief, but clues, and, it must be confessed, messes.

Why you should read this series: This series is everything a cozy should be. Berrywick isn’t St. Mary Mead, and Julia isn’t Miss Marple, but there’s a comfort and simplicity I find in English village cozies that I enjoy.

Why you might not want to: I can’t imagine any reason you wouldn’t want to, if you like cozies.

Genre: Cozy mystery
Publisher: Kensington Cozies
Publication Date: February 20th, 2024
Pages: 304, mass market paperback
Source: NetGalley

Small-town Wilfred has turned into a quaintly cozy Oregon destination—but it also keeps turning up corpses! As the bones pile up, librarian and apprentice witch Josie Way will need to use all the sorcery at her disposal to stop a killer . . .

When human bones are discovered beneath an old outhouse covered in blackberry vines, no one knows who they once belonged to. But elderly Helen Garlington wants Sam the sheriff to test the remains, suspecting they may solve the mystery of her long-vanished husband. It’s not a match, and Helen takes it hard, drowning her disappointment in sherry at the tavern—where she sees a contestant on a game show who she swears is her missing spouse, Martin. To ease the woman’s mind, Josie contacts the show to track down the look-alike guest, who kindly agrees to travel to Wilfred—and is then found dead the next morning.

Horrified by this fatal turn of events, Josie asks the spellbound books for help, seeking the aid of Sherlock Holmes. But strange things continue to happen—frightening images flash on the screen of a long-abandoned movie theater and flocks of crows seem to appear wherever she goes. Is Josie about to meet her own Moriarty? It will take all her courage to untangle the twisted vines of this mystery before this chapter in the colorful story of Wilfred claims another life . . .

“Gone with the Witch” is the fifth book in the Witch Way Librarian series, but new readers are fine to jump in with this one. There’s a great balance of backstory without too much narrative to catch up new readers and jog the memories of existing fans.

This time, Josie, full-time librarian and fledging witch, gets pulled into a decades-old missing persons case. Bones are found under an outbuilding, and they may belong to the husband of one of Josie’s library patrons, Helen. If so, though, who is the man Helen saw on a game show, who she swears is her missing spouse?

Josie uses all her research skills, and finds new witchy ones, to figure out who’s who and what’s what before a not-so-missing killer strikes again.

This series is the very definition of cozy with a supernatural splash, but there’s also a lot of character growth in this book. Josie is still developing her magical abilities, with the help of letters from her deceased grandmother. She’s ready to advance her romantic relationship with Sam, the local sheriff. She’s become a fixture in the town, and the townspeople trust and like her.

Why you should read this: These are good comfort reads, not too heavy, and not to fluffy. The townspeople are quirky without being outrageous, and, if there are some elements that require suspension of disbelief, well, you have to with a cozy, anyway. Who in their right mind would play amateur sleuth to find a murderer who could just as easily kill them?

Why you might not want to read: Josie’s dithering over whether to move forward with a relationship with Sam could be mildly exasperating, and she does jump to conclusions a bit. The only really annoying thing for me is Sam’s thing about frowning when he’s happy and smiling when he’s upset. It gets mentioned multiple times in each book, and it just throws me off each time.

Genre: Cozy mystery
Publisher: St. Martin’s Paperbacks
Publication Date: December 26th, 2023
Pages: 320, mass market paperback
Source: NetGalley

While Geneva Bay’s upper crust gets ready to party down at a Prohibition-themed fundraiser, pizza chef Delilah O’Leary is focused on seeing her struggling restaurant through the winter slow season. The temperature outside is plummeting, but Delilah’s love life might finally be heating up, as hunky police detective Calvin Capone seems poised to (finally) make a move.

But Delilah’s hopes of perfecting a new “free-from” pizza recipe for a charity bash are dashed when a dead body crashes the party. Soon, Capone, Delilah, and her entire staff are trapped in an isolated mansion and embroiled in a dangerous game of cat and mouse.

To catch an increasingly-desperate killer, Delilah will have to top all of her previous crime-solving accomplishments, and a few pizzas, too.

Public Anchovy #1 is the third in the Deep Dish mystery series by Mindy Quigley. In this outing, Delilah and her staff are catering a library fundraiser with a Prohibition theme. After one of the former library board members takes a header down the stairs, a snowstorm blocks the way out for the remaining guests and the catering crew. Have no fear, though, Butterball the cat has stowed away and will help unravel this mystery (and scarf down some pizza).

Delilah has been lamenting that she doesn’t get to spend much time with her love interest, police detective Calvin Capone (yes, related to THAT Capone). Well, she gets more than she asked for when she gets snowbound with not only Calvin, but his mother, who is hiding something that could be related to the death of the former board member. Jarka, who was a doctor in her home country, but now works for Delilah, who may be a former, or a current, lover, and who is acting suspiciously.

This one had a twisty plot and, while you might guess the who, you might not guess the why or the how right away. Delilah uses her resources well, and there’s enough misdirection to keep the plot interesting without frustrating the reader.

Why you should read this book: Well-written, great plot, and manages to make the “dark and stormy night trapped in a country house” fresh. Also, there are recipes, including a gluten-free vegan pizza option (this may or may not be a red herring in the story).

Why you might not want to read this: It is the third book, so you might want to read the others first, although this does work as a standalone.

Genre: Cozy mystery
Publisher: St. Martin’s Paperbacks
Publication Date: July 25th, 2023
Pages: 304, mass market paperback
Source: NetGalley

CATCHING A KILLER WITHOUT SKIPPING A BEAT.

It’s springtime in Cedar River, Texas. The annual Bluebonnet Festival is brewing and the whole town is in harmony. Juni Jessup and her sisters Tansy and Maggie thought opening Sip & Spin Records was going to be their biggest hurdle, but the Frappuccino hits the fan when the mayor drops dead―poisoned by their delicious coffee.

Since Tansy was the one to brew the coffee, and Juni was the unfortunate citizen who stumbled upon the mayor’s body, the sisters find themselves in hot water. Family is everything to the Jessups, so with Tansy under suspicion, the sisters spring into action.

Between the town festivities, a good old-fashioned treasure hunt, and an accidental cow in the mix, Juni will have to pull out all the stops to find the mayor’s killer.

Juni and her sisters think they’ll be able to grow their business by having a booth at the annual Bluebonnet Festival. When the mayor dies after drinking their coffee, though, they have to investigate before they lose the record/coffee shop they’ve worked so hard to get going.

Years ago, there was a bank robbery during the festival. The thieves were killed, and the money was never recovered. The mayor collected memorabilia from the robbery, and Juni wonders if that was the motive. People are still looking for the money, and Juni and Tansy’s house gets broken into.

Juni also still can’t decide between thoughtful, dependable Teddy, and fickle, manipulative Beau. (I’m pro-Teddy, in case you couldn’t tell.)

I’m rooting for Juni and her sisters to succeed in their shop. They have a great relationship, and each has a well-defined personality. The town of Cedar River and its inhabitants feels real, and readers will want to visit.

There are enough possible motives and murder suspects to keep you guessing, and a good amount of clues to help you solve this. There’s also a random cow, because Juni didn’t have enough on her plate already.

Genre: Cozy mystery
Publisher: Bantam
Publication Date: May 2nd, 2023
Pages: 256, hardcover
Source: ARC

Nonna Maria has a lot on her plate—and it’s not just fresh pasta. Two crimes have rocked the sun-drenched island of Ischia, and once again, the island’s denizens have called upon the espresso-brewing, sage counsel-giving sleuth.

A wealthy woman alleges a valuable necklace was stolen from her hotel room. The necklace, she claims, has been in her family for decades. She blames one of the young women working on the cleaning crew as the most likely suspect—a young woman who turns out to be Nonna Maria’s goddaughter. She takes the heat, but privately, she proclaims her innocence.

Nearby, the body of a woman found on a curved road near the borough of Barano. The woman is not known to anyone on the island. She has no purse, no identification. The one potential suspect is a young friend of Nonna Maria’s who drove by the area that very night and thinks that he may have hit something—a pothole; an animal; or maybe, the woman in question.

It turns out, this woman has a history on the island, having left it decades ago. But why did she return, and more importantly, why did she turn up dead? And what really happened to the missing necklace? Nonna Maria needs to find the answers.

Nonna Maria’s friends and family span the length and breadth of the island of Ischia, and beyond. Maria always helps her friends, and in this second book, Maria has to clear her goddaughter’s name after she has been accused of stealing a necklace from a guest at the hotel where she works. At the same time, an old friend who disappeared decades ago may or may not have turned up again, and an old sin casts a long shadow.

Nonna Maria is a character, but never a caricature. She only drinks espresso and wine, to the despair of her doctor, and doesn’t eat anything in restaurants. She has the respect of the local police, and the admiration of her community. Her friends also help her, though, by providing information, and, when need arises, protection, as she investigates.

While you don’t have to have read the first book to enjoy this one, you’ll want to. You’ll also want to visit Ischia, although maybe in the off-season, as tourists do seem to cause a bit of trouble for Nonna Maria’s friends.