One sleepy seaside town. Three old friends, who love a natter and a cuppa. A killer who’s anything but vanilla.It’s the end of a long day at the Dogs Need Nice Homes charity shop. Fiona, Daisy and Partial Sue, the three retired ladies who volunteer there, are ready to lock up for the night.The chippie is beckoning. But supper will have to wait.The ladies watch aghast as a clapped-out ice-cream van lurches up to their door. With Daisy’s daughter Bella behind the wheel!Newly divorced Bella has only just gotten rid of her rotten husband. Now she’s bought herself a van — and a whole world of trouble. Because this is a van with a history.Its freezer may be stocked with sweet treats today, but it once held something much more sinister. The dead body of its former owner!The culprit, known only as the Vanilla Killer, melted away without a trace.When Bella starts receiving poison pen letters, the ladies can’t help but worry. What if their beloved Bella’s next?There’s only one thing for it, the ladies agree over a steaming pot of tea.They need to track down the Vanilla Killer — before anyone else dies . . .Fans of Richard Osman, Robert Thorogood, Janice Hallett, Simon Brett, Ian Moore and Sarah Yarwood-Lovett will adore this exciting new talent in cozy crime.Readers ADORE the Charity Shop Detective Mysteries:‘Witty and knowing.’ Simon Brett, bestselling author????? ‘A lovely British mystery, perfect for fans of the Thursday Murder Club.’ Lisa S.????? ‘A fun storyline filled with red herrings and creativity . . . Five stars.’ Sara????? ‘Keeps the reader guessing right until the very end.’ A reader in the UK????? ‘Another fantastic visit to the Charity Shop Detectives . . . looking forward to the next adventure with the ladies.’ Gill‘Another highly enjoyable read! The characters are strong and well developed. Great plot. And a dog show! Love it!’ Renee????? ‘Definitely a good read for anyone who loves these cozy mysteries with a little fun mixed in.’ DeniceTHE CHARITY SHOP DETECTIVESLevel-headed Fiona has found a quiet sanctuary volunteering at the local charity shop, Dogs Need Nice Homes. A charity shop that raises money for dogs in need of nice homes. And she’s found firm friendship with the strong-willed Partial Sue (she’s ever so partial to a cup of tea) and the kindly and surprisingly tech-savvy Daisy. Together, these ladies, with Simon Le Bon, Fiona’s scruffy-haired terrier cross, investigate murders as the Charity Shop Detective Agency.THE SETTINGThe lovely coastal town of Southbourne is, on paper, little more than a small suburb hemmed in by Bournemouth to the west and Christchurch to the north. But it’s home to the prettiest avenues lined with gorgeous Georgian homes which lead to a grass-topped cliff standing guard over a sweeping bay of blond sand, soft as Demerara sugar. Some say it’s also home to the best charity shops in the country. The ladies of the Charity Shop Detective Agency maintain that Dogs Need Nice Homes — though musty and more than a little cramped — is certainly number one. Well, they definitely solve the most crimes at least!

Laid off and laying low, I wasn’t looking for trouble—but trouble found me anyway.When stuntwoman Whitley Leland is banished to the mountain town of Arrow Springs to “keep an eye” on her spirited grandmother Bobbie, she’s counting the days until she can return to Los Angeles. But things take a sudden turn when Kit—the precocious rescue Chihuahua she's inherited—leads her to a neighbor sprawled at the bottom of her back steps.Bobbie, undeterred by her age and fueled by a passion for mystery-solving (and possibly sherry), believes something more sinister is afoot. With her neighbor hospitalized, another woman mysteriously missing, and whispers of strange “accidents” spreading through the town's ukulele-playing social circle, Whit finds herself roped into an investigation—whether she wants to be or not.Balancing sarcasm with survival instincts, Whit must navigate nosy neighbors, cozy conspiracies, and her own messy past if she hopes to solve the mystery... or at least keep her grandmother out of jail.Get your paws on the first book in the Last Call Crime Club mystery series today!

In World War II–era England, it seems a noblewoman may have come back from the dead   Anne Jocelyn and a friend were killed trying to escape the first German assault on France. Before leaving to join the war, it was up to Anne’s husband, Phillip, to bury her body for burial. That was three years ago—and now Anne has returned to England. Looking and talking exactly like Phillip’s wife, the woman insists he mistook her friend’s body for her own and buried it by mistake. After three years hiding from the Nazis, Anne has finally escaped and come back to him. Phillip doesn’t believe her, but as far as she’s concerned Anne Jocelyn’s riches are her own. Only the brilliant governess-turned-sleuth Miss Maud Silver will be able to divine the truth . . .

American Writing Awards Mystery Finalist, 2024Literary Titan Gold Medal Winner"...a delightful mix of suspense, charm, and heart. Mystery fans will devour it..." - Thomas Anderson, with Literary Titan"...hilarious, heartwarming, whimsical, and full of surprises..." - Nino Lobiladze, with Readers' FavoriteWelcome to The Three Hounds Bakery, where sweet treats and secrets mix, and every wag of the tail might lead to danger!When mystery novelist Willa Lattner inherits her great-aunt Mina’s charming bakery in the coastal town of Humboldt Cove, she expects to find solace in new friends, fresh air, and all the pastries she can eat. Instead, she’s met with a trio of heartbroken dachshunds and an unsettling mystery surrounding Mina’s sudden death.As Willa digs into her aunt’s legacy, she uncovers a web of old grudges and hidden agendas lurking beneath the bakery’s warm facade. With each clue, the stakes rise, and she realizes that someone is desperate to keep the past buried—at any cost.With her clever canines by her side, Willa must navigate quirky neighbors, mend a tattered reputation, and uncover dark secrets. Can she piece together the puzzle before the killer strikes again, or will her first adventure be her last?Trouble Afoot at The Three Hounds Bakery is a deliciously twisty mystery full of memorable characters, cozy peril, and non-stop dachshund fun."...a wonderfully lighthearted, cozy mystery with plenty of fun and intrigue." - Anne-Marie Reynolds, with Readers' Favorite

“Smart, entertaining, and laugh-out-loud funny!” —Liliana Hart, New York Times Bestselling AuthorShe’s a beautician with a plummeting reputation. Can she catch a strangler before her salon is financially frizzed out?Valentine Beaumont is desperate to revive her dying business. Trying to recover from an infamous incident where she defended herself with a perm rod to her attacker’s privates, the last thing she needs is another scandal. So when a wealthy socialite is strangled with a steamer cord while awaiting her facial, Valentine has no choice but to start combing through clues.Battling a sexy, hard-headed detective who can’t tell pigtails from a pompadour, Valentine is convinced he’s pursuing the wrong suspect. And despite his warning not to meddle, the gutsy stylist vows to clear her name before the killer claims another client.Can Valentine tie up the culprit before more lives are cut short?Murder, Curlers & Cream is the first book in the hilarious Valentine Beaumont Mystery series. If you like ambitious heroines, laugh-out-loud dialogue, and unlikely romances, you’ll love Arlene McFarlane’s clever tale!Buy Murder, Curlers & Cream to detangle a deadly case today!

In this fifth book in the Victoria Trumbull series, the ninety-two-year-old sleuth finds herself embroiled in a series of murders after she is fired from her job as West Tisbury correspondent for The Island Enquirer (the editor claims the newspaper needs a younger look).Victoria, determined to show that age is no barrier to news papering, immediately throws her weight behind The Grackle, intent on turning the two-page West Tisbury newsletter into a formidable competitor of the Enquirer. And it looks as though she will.In the meantime, the Enquirer's narcissistic editor has been receiving a series of obituaries, each naming him as the deceased. He would dismiss them as a sick joke, but the obituaries follow the actual deaths of people close to him. Rather than going to the police, he grudgingly rehires Victoria to uncover the identity of the obituary writer. Victoria knows almost everybody on the Island, and she may be the only person who can solve the mystery before the editor needs a genuine obituary of his own.In The Paperwhite Narcissus, as in the four previous books in the series, Cynthia Riggs explores the rich and varied setting of Martha's Vineyard in a way that only a native Islander can. The story glides from Wasque, the desolate southeast corner of Chappaquiddick, to the Coast Guard boat ramp in Menemsha; from the elegantly maintained Captains' houses in Edgartown to the wild Atlantic Ocean beach at Quansoo.A delightfully cozy read, steeped in rich characters and a sense of place, this latest Victoria Trumbull mystery is sure to charm long-time fans and first-time readers.