Historical Cozy

The only ambition Miss Emily Mifford holds for her first season in London is to endure it without completely humiliating herself; a difficult task when one has an unfortunate habit of saying precisely the wrong thing at the wrong time... After clashing publicly with the odious Lady Hardthistle, Emily soon learns that there are worse things than being embarrassed—like being accused of murder! When the belligerent baroness is found strangled to death at a ball, the finger of blame points at Emily.

Rosalind Thorne's quick wits and discretion have proved invaluable to London's haut ton. Success has at last brought her financial stability and a new home, which she shares with her best friend, Alice Littlefield. But now trouble has infiltrated Rosalind's sanctuary, and the reputations in danger include her own.

England, 1925. After years shut away from the world, former detective Lord Edgington of Cranley Hall plans a grand ball to celebrate his seventy-fifth birthday. But when someone starts bumping off members of his scheming family, the old man enlists his teenage grandson to help find the killer, before one of them is next.

It’s 1900, and Kat Livingston jumps at the chance to become one of the first female journalists in a small town just outside of old Chicago. Born to society and wealth, the death of her parents has forced her out into the working world. Kat’s good friend returns after a long and secret absence and the threat of scandal hangs in the air. When a suspicious stranger is murdered, casting blame on her friend, Kat uses her wits and natural gifts to find the cold blooded killer.

Irish immigrant and private detective Molly Murphy is thrilled to have a ticket to see world-famous illusionist Harry Houdini. But before he can even take the stage, the opening act goes horribly wrong—and the sensational Signor Scarpelli’s lovely assistant is sawed in half. In the aftermath, Scarpelli accuses Houdini of tampering with his equipment. Who else but the so-called Handcuff King could have got a hold of his trunk of tricks, which he keeps under lock and key?

Autumn, 1921. Lady Eleanor Swift is invited to her old school, St Mary’s, as a guest speaker. Her favorite teacher, Mrs. Wadsworth, has asked that Eleanor talk about her intrepid travels around the globe - travelling the Silk Road by bicycle, crossing the Himalayas and even befriending the Maharaja of India. But in the circumstances, perhaps it would have been a good idea to talk about her career as a daring detective. Because no sooner has Eleanor brushed up on her times tables than she is greeted by terrible news: Mrs. Wadsworth has been murdered.

An earl’s wager turns into a London scandal that threatens to ruin Lady Ellen’s and Lord Hartley’s lives. Lady Ellen’s first London Season is a very exciting time. Her dear friend, Lady Charlotte, has been kind enough to introduce her to many eligible gentlemen. However, Lady Charlotte also warns her to stay away from known rogues, such as Lord Hartley. Lord Hartley has no interest in marriage for the time being and certainly does not believe in love. He is fully aware of his bad reputation, but does not care one jot! When Lord Mallon makes a bet with him that he will not be able to...

As the war begins, Hanna Rombauer, a young German woman, is sent to live with her aunt and uncle after her mother’s death. Thrown into a life of luxury she never expected, Hanna soon finds herself unwillingly matched with an SS officer twenty years her senior. The independence that her mother lovingly fostered in her is considered highly inappropriate as the future wife of an up-and-coming officer and she is sent to a “bride school.” There, in a posh villa on the outskirts of town, Hanna is taught how to be a “proper” German wife.

It is 1953, the coronation year of Queen Elizabeth II. Sidney Chambers, vicar of Grantchester and honorary canon of Ely Cathedral, is a thirty-two-year-old bachelor. Tall, with dark brown hair, eyes the color of hazelnuts, and a reassuringly gentle manner, Sidney is an unconventional clerical detective. He can go where the police cannot. Sidney discovers that being a detective, like being a clergyman, means that you are never off duty, but he nonetheless manages to find time for a keen interest in cricket, warm beer, and hot jazz.

With the social season just around the corner, the women in Cleo’s family are having new outfits made by the most sought-after designer in the city. Madame Poitiers is bold, self-absorbed, and not French, despite her claims. When Cleo stumbles on her dead body in the salon, she is in a unique position to gather clues and speak to witnesses. But she doesn’t expect to find Harry Armitage’s business card in Madame’s possession. What is the alluring private detective’s connection to the victim? And why is he avoiding Cleo?

England, 1926. When esteemed detective Lord Edgington and his novice grandson Christopher plan a trip to the beautiful Forest of Dean, they hope for nothing more than a relaxing weekend with old friends. What they discover among the dark halls and secret passageways of Clearwell Castle is a centuries-old injustice and a rivalry that has ripped the area apart. After two apparently unconnected villagers are murdered, Lord Edgington must pick the killer from a parade of cheery locals, cagey aristocrats and their sworn rivals.

Bobby thought a weekend getaway at the Hearst Castle would be a refreshing break from murder and movies. But when a storm isolates the party guests and one of the maids is found dead, Bobby and his friends spring into action realizing all their lives could be in danger. It's 1924 and the party never stops with Marion Davis as the hostess with the most coveted invitation to the newly built castle at San Simeon. When Bobby wrangles an invite, of course, he brings along his pals Clara Bow and his not-so-secret crush Rick Suarez. Joyce, Bobby's eccentric mother, even gets to tag along. They ...

A town judge shot dead in a house full of suspects. Can a curious young female nurse turned amateur sleuth uncover the truth before someone else dies? It’s a mystery that will keep you guessing. Berkshire Mountains, Massachusetts, 1931. Aggie Burnside is ready for her next chapter. But when her New York job falls through unexpectedly, the young nurse jumps at another opportunity and moves to her best friend’s hometown. Though she’s barely settled into the small community before she’s entangled in the local judge’s shocking murder. With the dead man’s shooting going unheard in a ...

The Queen of England has concocted a plan in which penniless aristocrat Lady Georgie is to entertain a Bavarian princess and conveniently place her in the playboy prince's path, in the hopes that he might finally marry.

But queens never take money into account. Georgie has very little, which is why she moonlights as a maid-in-disguise.

The citizens of New Orleans have a right to know when there’s a murderer in their midst. Investigative reporter ‘Justice’ Harper stumbles onto the fresh murder scene of a hated New Orleans businessman. His mere presence causes police to suspect him—along with three upstanding citizens, each with a unique motive. The Sinner: Blaze Barbeau, a wealthy woman married to a local businessman, who supposedly had an affair with the victim. The Saint: Lucinda Boyd, a generous widow heavily involved with charity events, who had her business stolen through dubious means. The Serpent: Belladonna...

Bubble, bubble, toil, and murder... When a woman is found dead near her village in Norfolk, the verdict is suicide. Not everyone agrees. Detective James Simpson is ordered to investigate and he brings Agatha Aston, Betty Simpson and Talleyrand the hound, with him. They stumble across a tale of murder that stretches back two centuries. Part occult story, part murder mystery - this creepy tale is steeped in witchcraft and strange rural festivals where everything is not as it seems. The second Agatha Aston murder mystery is full of laughs, twists and things that go bump in the night. Golden ...

The most original crime novel in years - British ‘Golden Age’ sleuth meets American hard-boiled crime! It’s the summer of 1920: Kit Aston travels to San Francisco for his cousin’s marriage to the mysterious Dain Collins. When a private investigator tailing Dain Collins is killed, Kit Aston, his fiancée Mary and Aunt Agatha team up with Pinkerton detective, Dashiell Hammett, in a case involving murder, kidnap and the theft of a certain legendary bird from Malta. The latest Kit Aston mystery is a delightful reimagining of some of Dashiell Hammett’s greatest novels: the Maltese ...

A mail-order bride mystery romance to warm your heart. Nora expected to be marrying old Peter Shaw, but when she steps off the train as his mail-order bride, she’s flung headlong into a mystery. Her husband-to-be has died and his son, Joseph, has taken over the family business. Reluctantly giving her a job as his housekeeper, Nora finds herself growing closer to Joseph as he begins to open up to her. However, the presence of Mr. Arbuckle, a distant relative of Peter Shaw, throws everything into confusion when Nora discovers that there might be more to Peter Shaw’s death than just a ...

Irish immigrant Molly Murphy and her New York City P.I. business are in the midst of a sweeping influenza epidemic and a fight for women’s suffrage that lands her in jail. Her betrothed, Police Captain Daniel Sullivan, finds her, but he hardly has time to bail her out, what with Chinese gangs battling for control of a thriving opium trade. The only consolation Molly can take from her vexing afternoon in the clink is that it made her some new friends among the Vassar suffragists - and brought her a pair of new cases.

Highly sought-after cook Kat Holloway takes a position in a Mayfair mansion and soon finds herself immersed in the odd household of Lord Rankin. Kat is fine with the family's eccentricities as long as they stay away from her kitchen, but trouble finds its way below stairs when her assistant is murdered. Afraid for her life, Kat turns to the mysterious Daniel McAdam for help. Daniel takes a position in the house as a footman and stand-in valet so that he can investigate covertly, but Kat cooks up a suspect list of her own.