Short Cozy Mysteries

Sometimes it is better leaving the past in the past… The Paul Madison PI cozy mystery series continues… A determined private investigator learns that even heroes aren’t perfect. A compassionate Medical Examiner must watch as the past begins to destroy the present. A vengeful crime boss systematically eliminates everyone who has wronged her. A shadowy spirit guide always shows up in the nick of time. A short read cozy filled with mystery, romance, and a touch of magic. Paul Madison finds himself facing family secrets that have the power to change his life forever. An unwelcome relative...

I must have missed the "Santa Clause"… When I won an all-inclusive vacation to a luxury mountain resort over the holidays after entering a sweepstakes on the back of my cereal box, I assumed it was Fate announcing it was finally Merri Bianchi’s time to relax and have a little fun. But you know what they say about assumptions.... As it turns out I neglected to read the fine print, aka the "Santa Clause," and now I’m dressed as an Elf working my red-and-white striped stockings off at Santa’s Toyshop to make sure every parent finds the perfect gift for their precious little snowflake ...

Five thrilling tales of mystery, mayhem, and murder from an exceptional quintet of Edgar, CWA Dagger, and National Book Award winners.

A casual glance out his apartment window turns Magician Eli Marks’ life upside down. After spotting a dead body in the projection booth of the movie theater next door, Eli is pulled into the hunt for the killer. As he attempts to puzzle out a solution to this classic locked room mystery, he must deal with a crisis of a more personal nature: the appearance of a rival magician who threatens not only Eli’s faith in himself as a performer, but his relationship with his girlfriend.

Her life was once filled with love and the promise of new beginnings. But she'd given up on her hopes and dreams of marriage and a family and instead buried herself in her big city career and the small home in her quiet home-town neighborhood. Then everything changed. Jessie Richards found herself in just about the worst possible position. It wasn’t as if she hadn’t been in difficult situations before in her life, but this one pretty much outdid all the others. And it didn’t help that she had no choice but to tell her new boss. The feelings that she had for the man…romantic feelings...

Did Artificial Intelligence exist in the ancient past? Is it possible to kill someone from beyond the grave? Do demons and Bigfoot exist? Are Leprechauns and zombies real? The novella, "The Mystery of the Fox Down Dog," and a series of seven short stories, answer these questions in the author's own unique way. From the cozy, to the humorous, to the creepy, these stories will keep you guessing and turning the pages to the very end.

Disillusioned, with their dreams of running an island hotel shattered, the McInnes family return to Glasgow. Hugh and Annabella are planning to go travelling, leaving Leger in the care of the Goldsworthy family while they are gone. He wastes no time on self-pity though and throws himself back into his work. Shortly before arriving back in the city, he learns Nicole has been attacked. With the police taking too long to track down the culprit, Leger and Bob get on the case. However, Isabella can't stop flirting, Ginger is acting out of character and Amber is taking risks that put lives in ...

Inspired by vintage Film Noir and Alfred Hitchcock, enjoy this eclectic collection of short stories regarding clumsy attempts at retribution or retaliation, also known as a bit of comeuppance. Come on, everybody has that urge now and then. BTW: resemblance of these characters to ANY colleagues of friends (past or present) is PURELY coincidental! (No, really!). Stories include: OFF THE BEATEN PATH: A bickering couple and a robbery that goes from bad to worse . . . to unexpected. LIVING DOLL(Badgers and Colors): A little girl, a doll who looks like her and people who don’t seem to notice ...

Discover how Meghan Truman, Sandy Bay's latest resident and new bakery owner, navigates her way through three murder mysteries as she gets to know the quirky characters in her adopted hometown after failing to make a career as an actress in Hollywood. She's finally started a relationship with Jack Irvin, a detective, but will she find time to build a romance while she has to deal with betrayals, ungrateful staff, culture clashes and murder? Three complete best selling cozy mystery stories in one boxset!

Question: What does an escaped prisoner, a missing plane, and poisoned pies have in common? Answer: Tabitha Clive! Amateur sleuth, part-time reporter, and baker extraordinaire Tabitha Clive is back to make sure justice is served! Eric Sorenson will not give up! The citizens of Kornville, Nebraska, may not see him but the cunning criminal is making his presence known. Is there someone in Kornville helping the foxy fugitive destroy the town? * The Clive family makes some difficult life choices. * Eric Sorenson will not give up without a daring fight. * Sheriff Deborah Ortega discovers a long,...

Zoe Donovan is a cozy mystery series with enduring friendships, memorable characters, an enchanting setting, and a generous dollop of romance. When a ghost hunter is found dead in a haunted house just days before Halloween, it looks like the killer may be living-impaired. When the cat lady of Ashton Falls is found dead in her home days before Thanksgiving, Zoe must track down a killer while dealing with a house full of socialites. Zak and Zoe fly to Alaska after Zoe is asked by her dog trainer to fly to Moosehead to deliver a search-and-rescue dog to a team desperate for canine help.

Successful attorney Larry Scott checks his watch and realizes that he is still working in his law office at four minutes past midnight which means that Larry has just turned sixty years of age while chained to his desk. He is disgusted with his workaholic ways and decides right then and there to retire from the Indianapolis law firm where he has toiled for his entire thirty-five year legal career. Larry has no idea that a bizarre set of circumstances will soon have him sorting through cryptic clues to solve three very old murders back in his home town of Vevay, Indiana. Can Larry make the ...

Halloween is supposed to be fun, right? It's Flynn family tradition to host Keyhole Lake's annual Halloween party. This year, Noelle is in charge and she’s about to lose it. Between forgetting to pick up the candy and trying to work around a histrionic, living-impaired aunt, things are spiraling out of control fast. The situation goes from bad to worse when she buys a cool crystal pendant in a thrift shop, because it isn’t long before she finds out that what she really bought is trouble.

When Tabitha Clive is on the case, nothing stays hidden for long. Question: What does a jailhouse interview, a fugitive out for revenge, and a kidnapped judge have in common? Answer: Tabitha Clive! Amateur sleuth, part-time reporter, and baker extraordinaire, Tabitha Clive is back to make sure justice is served. Now that the Butler cousins are locked away, Tabitha and the good people of Kornville, Nebraska, are returning to their peaceful way of life. The Clive family won’t let their guard down while one smart and dangerous mastermind remains at large. When a well-respected judge vanishes...

Enjoy three stories of romance, mystery, and the magic of Christmas! THE OXFORD STREET COFFEE HOUSE DETECTIVES Two young women and one young man lead unobtrusive lives working at a Victorian coffee house, for the owner Mr. McDougal. But when a famous painting is stolen, they must assume their other identities--for they moonlight as apprentice detectives under the employ of Mycroft Holmes. THE ROOKS OF MISSELTHWAITE - PART 1: IN THE FORGOTTEN GARDEN Lilias Lennox and her sister Evelia have lost everything. Their parents are dead, their brother is serving in India, and now their sole ...

Dark and hazy nights were both their sword and shield... Liz Danger surrounded her. Escape seemed impossible. Hope came from the last place she expected. She knew his name...everyone did. But she knew nothing about the man he really was. Or if he had any chance at saving her. Sam The plan was a good one. If it worked. He had the perfect cover story. He’d be the one asking all the questions. Looking for answers was the story of his life and everyone knew it...expected it. This time though...the stories could turn out differently than expected. Sam and Liz knew the trip wouldn’t be easy ...

Manhattan ghostwriter Jake O’Hara has been meaning to get her so-called love life—and her career—back on track. But lately, it hasn’t been easy. Especially now that her soon-to-be-married mother has witnessed a murder—in a confessional, no less. Shortly after Maura O’Hara arrived at the church, Father Billy Blake—controversy-plagued priest, anti-death penalty activist, and spiritual advisor to a notorious hit man—was shot dead. It’s no secret that Father Blake had a number of enemies—from a scheming drug lord to a dangerous clan on death row. Coming up with a list of ...

It’s just one thing after another for magician Eli Marks: The bizarre death of a barista. Performing close-up magic at a funeral. A homicidal husband looking for ideas. An unexpected customer encounter. An impossible stabbing during a show. A Halloween murder. A life-changing magic lesson. A mystifying murder/suicide. A puzzling jewel heist and an even odder painting theft. And more! A dozen new Eli Marks short stories (10 never-before published), which means you now have a dozen more reasons to spend some quality time with Eli Marks.

Gus has traveled out of state and up to the city of Seattle to visit his daughter. She’s sharing an apartment with two criminology majors. Naturally their thoughts turn toward talking about crime and they ask Gus to talk about one of his cases. Since he doesn’t want to discuss anything too recent or else his daughter might know the people involved, he digs down deep into his memory banks for the perfect case from his first year as a sheriff. It also just so happens to be the first case he crossed path with Father Xavier. As he remembers it, Gus was called in to investigate an apparent ...

A witch who has lost magic, turned vampire, wants to find who cursed the vampires. Without her magic Opal isn’t as powerful as she needs to be to save those she cares about. If she’s not careful the others may find out about her secret and then she would lose her position in the cast. But that’s not the biggest problem she’s facing, there’s something odd with the vampire blood, it’s tainted, some died and some didn’t during the purge. This has something to do with the vampires having witch friends… why would someone put a curse on the vampires? The path she is on is pulling ...