Happy May fellow sleuths! We have some wonderful titles for you this month and we can’t wait for you to get into them! Plus, a GIVEAWAY: Because who doesn’t love FREE books?
We will pick ONE winner to receive a digital book of their choice from the May mystery releases. Comment down below saying which book you’re looking most forward to reading! Giveaway is open INTERNATIONALLY. The winner will be randomly selected and announced at the end of the month.
Good luck and happy reading!
Dead in the Ditch
By: J.C. Kenney
Wild animal removal specialist Elmo Simpson needs to act fast before the good people of Paradise Springs decide to remove him!
Halloween has arrived, and all is well in Elmo Simpson’s life until his beloved cat Oscar wanders off and doesn’t return. While searching for Oscar, Elmo discovers a body in a ditch. A body that turns out to be Elmo’s former arch-nemesis, a man who Elmo believes stole intellectual property from him worth millions.
When word gets out who the victim is, the town becomes convinced Elmo is the murderer, intent on taking revenge. With nowhere to turn and the reputation of his recently purchased Sea Breeze Resort on the line, Elmo takes it upon himself to figure out who the real killer is. All the while, trying to assemble the threads that connect a dark time in his past with the equally perilous present.
A Wedding and A Murder
By: Vickie Carroll
No one invited a murderer to this wedding, and yet …
The announcement sounded innocent enough: five romance writers have chosen Peachtree Valley for their annual gathering. One of the writers is Kirk’s aunt Lily, and as one of Helen Rogers’s newest investigators at the PI firm, he’s eager to show off his new job.
Helen and her fiancé, Ted Morgan, are eager to show guests a good time at their wedding.
But then someone shows their true stripes and murders one of the visiting writers, and police have no witnesses or clues to work with. It’s an investigator’s nightmare, but the Rogers, Adams, and Brown agency isn’t daunted by hard cases. Their deep dive into the publishing world uncovers jealousy, resentment, and a boatload of motives. Including clues that the killer has their sights on Aunt Lily next.
Can the team pool their talents one more time to save their lives and the wedding too? Or will Helen have to turn the page on this new chapter in her life?
Double-Edged Reckoning
By: Nicole Helm
As a teenager, Samantha Price helped bruised and bloody classmate Nate Bennet disappear after his father’s violent attack. Fifteen years later and now a private investigator, she hunts Nate down in Tennessee, needing his help. Her father’s been unjustly accused of a murder that looks tied to a past murder on the Bennet ranch. Sam’s convinced Nate is the key to prove her father’s innocence.
After an injury ended his army career in Special Forces, Nate’s life is at a crossroads. Going home to Marietta, Montana, was never an option until Sam finds him. He’s not convinced his mercurial father is the real murderer, but maybe it’s time to finally unearth the truth. He knows the prodigal son role will rip open bitter wounds, but it’s long past time to face all he left. Including his brothers. Will they protect their father or face the past when he and Sam come asking difficult questions?
As new evidence is unearthed, both Sam and the Bennets are forced to question their long-held beliefs and discover that nothing is what it seems.
Vanilla and Vendettas
By: Lisa Siefert
Stolen sparkling bling. A shocking murder. Will her single-minded sleuthing free her from a sour situation?
Pastry chef Ava Decker is delighted to prepare a special cupcake for her BFF’s surprise engagement. But after the diamond ring disappears from its sugary hiding place, the empty-handed baker is suddenly suspect number one. So when a witness comes forward to the cops, Ava eagerly tracks him down… only to stumble across his dead body.
With the police insisting she mind her own business and an unhelpful psychic more worried about Ava’s stalled love life than useful clues, the amateur snoop might have bitten off more than she can chew. But when she’s arrested for possession of a poached Aston Martin, she’ll need more than her is-he-or-isn’t-he boyfriend and her impulsive bestie to extract herself from the gooey mess.
Can she turn the tables on a thief-turned-killer before she’s baking cakes behind bars?
Blackmail and Kitty Tails
By: DeAnna Drake
A glamorous gala, a cursed dagger, and a killer on the loose—Rebecca Cuthbert and her talking cat, Aneksi,
When Rebecca Cuthbert volunteered to help with the Citrus Grove Women’s Club gala, she envisioned a night filled with elegant silk drapes, Egyptian-themed decorations, and tasty hors d’oeuvres—certainly not murder. But then the lights flicker out during the party setup, and club president Deborah Ralston is found dead, stabbed with an ancient dagger.
With Aneksi purring by her side and a murder weapon steeped in legend, Rebecca must unravel a twisted web of secrets, blackmail, and bitter rivalries behind this sinister murder. Everyone from suspicious club members to scorned lovers is a suspect, and time is running out as Rebecca’s own antique shop becomes linked to the deadly artifact.
Can Rebecca and her cat corner the killer before tragedy slashes her world again?
A cozy mystery perfect for fans of charming small towns, clever cats, and amateur sleuths!
Final Exit
By: Raemi A. Ray
Careful what you wish for…
Winter has settled over the island of Martha’s Vineyard, and newspaper columnist Kyra Gibson is relieved when her partner, forensic profiler Tarek Collins, returns home. As a birthday surprise, she arranges a meet and greet with the hosts of his favorite true-crime podcast while they’re on island to investigate a notorious cold case.
Forty years ago, a beautiful young actress was brutally murdered and her enigmatic bunkmate disappeared from the prestigious Oak Bluffs summer theater camp. Nothing about the podcasters’ attitude, their lack of preparation, or disdain for the island makes sense. When they disappear, leaving behind a bloody mess, Kyra and Tarek are ensnared in a decades-long web of intrigue. To find the podcasters, they must untangle the historic crime, but someone wants to keep the case cold. Someone willing to kill.
Every islander holds tight to their secrets, and each question leads down a dark and twisted path. When a lead draws Tarek off the island, Kyra embarks on a perilous rescue before the final curtain claims them both.
