#cozymysteries

[mr-divabetic]

Enjoy this excerpt from Divabetic's 10th Annual Mystery podcast, Murder Plain As Vanilla, streaming on Spotify, iTunes, and BlogTalkRadio. Our mystery podcast isn't only for mystery lovers. It's a fun way to learn about diabetes and self-care. In between colorful characters, crazy adventures, and mysterious surroundings, we pack health and wellness tips that can help you take charge of your diabetes. We also hope to encourage you to think like a detective the next time you experience unexpected blood sugar fluctuations. Search for clues, collect data, talk to witnesses, and bring your ideas to the authorities (healthcare collaborators) for solutions. A team approach to managing your diabetes isn't a bad idea either. Here's a short synopsis: When Mr. Divabetic's arch-nemesis baking sensation Renata Whisk calls, offering a chance to participate in the Visions of Vanilla baking competition, he can't refuse. It's an invitation to compete against culinary giants Best-Selling Cookbook Author Lily Frost, Green Thumb Gourment, Hazel Honeywell, and the Cannoli Countess and, most importantly, a chance to pay back his debt owed to his mother. But before Max's hands touch flour, he discovers the dead body of the Vanilla King of Madagascar. As luck has it, Max is the last person to see the Vanilla King alive. To prove his innocence, he enlists his team, USA Today's best-selling author Tonya Kappes, health educator MaryAnn Nicolay MEd, NDTR, and his mother, Mama Rose Marie. But when another baker's dead body is found near Max's station, even his mother tastes a recipe for disaster. Now, armed with only Renata Whisk's Puffed Pastry recipe, a rolling pin, and his team's expertise in solving murders and dispersing diabetes health information, Max has no choice but to solve the mystery or at least die trying. Co-Starring Lorraine Brooks, Catherine Schuller, Dave Jones, Seveda Williams, and Amparo Peterkin. Script Editor Wendy Radford. Producer, Leisa Chester Weir. Music from the Broadway Cast albums of Anything Goes courtesy of SONY Music.

[j-rants-reviews-random-stories]

Andy Grey and the Abbott Mansion Murderer (Part 2)

Carl went to get himself a glass of water from the kitchen around 11pm, only to find the body of Ms. Stewart, clad in only her pyjama shorts and a t-shirt, sprawled across the dining room floor in a pool of blood. After Carl, I was the first to arrive at the site of the murder. Quick to follow me were Diane, Luna, Chadwick, Will, Thomas, and then Emerson, who was still donning her beautiful maroon dress she had worn to dinner earlier in the evening unlike everyone else, who opted to change into lounge wear or pyjamas soon after dinner. Based on the smudges of her eye makeup and water stains on her dress, I assumed she had been preparing to take her makeup off when she heard Carl screaming like a little girl and came running.

Carl seems like the type to get in the middle of a lot of things. It must be quite annoying for Emerson to have smudged makeup across her face.

Everyone began to talk at once when we all recovered from the shock of seeing the cadaver on the floor. Diane quickly took control of the situation and ordered us to remain calm. Her calculating gaze that she held when she looked at us told me she was analyzing us all. I did the same. When looking everyone up and down for clues, maybe blood or perhaps offensive wounds from Ms. Stewart, I came to a startling realization.

“Where’s Colin?” I asked quietly. Everyone’s eyes shot to me, then quickly to their surroundings to see that Colin Dawson was nowhere to be seen.

Luna suggested that Colin was the killer and that he ran. We all opted to stay on guard and go back to our rooms and lock our doors since the hurricane left us with very few options, but everyone seemed uneasy at the thought of going upstairs. Diane finally led the charge to head up the staircase and everyone followed like some twisted follow the leader game.

When I got to the top floor I looked around quickly for any signs of Colin, and noticed that the door to the room he was staying in was ajar. I tapped Chadwick on the shoulder, who had been walking in front of me, and pointed to the door. Chadwick crept silently over to the door, catching everyone’s attention. We watched as he stopped in front of the door, paused for a moment, and swiftly kicked the door the rest of the way open, only to lurch back in surprise.

On the floor was Colin Dawson, throat slit and a rose placed stem first in an open wound in his chest.

Things quickly spiralled from there. Everyone began to run about like headless chickens. I hid myself in the bathroom nearest to my room for a few minutes to recompose myself, and noticed a bit of blood on the sink after I gathered myself and took in my surroundings. I found this odd, I didn’t think I had gotten blood on myself when I was downstairs near Ms. Stewarts’ body.

I was broken from my thoughts by a knock at the door.

“My dear, there have been another two bodies found, and someone is missing,” the soft voice of Diane vibrated through the heavy bathroom door. I ripped the door open to see Diane’s ashen face, and she led me to the library where the bodies of Luna and Chadwick were found.

“What happened?” I questioned her. “How could this have all happened so fast? There were only ten of us here, who could be the killer.

“I don’t know, most of us went to our rooms. Chadwick said he was going to go downstairs and try to find any clues pointing to who the killer is. The rest of us went to our rooms. We only came out when we heard glass breaking downstairs, but we all waited before rushing downstairs. This is when I found them like this. Emerson, Will and Carl came down soon after.”

The shock I had felt earlier began to set in again as I realized the reality of the situation I was in.

So far the only body we haven’t found is that of T​​homas Hunter, the 40 year old writer who recently faced a lot of backlash for a controversial book he wrote when he was 23 and had quickly been blackballed in the industry. It’s a miracle he was invited to this convention.

“Yes but he's the one with the most motivation!” cried Will, the calm man who reminded me of my grandfather in a way, quiet, reserved, and not quick to raise his voice. Now is a special circumstance however.

“Yes,” voiced Emerson, finally speaking up and moving closer to the group. We all stood in the atrium of the house, debating whether to brave the hurricane and walk to the closest town. It was a good 3 kilometres from the mansion, but facing the storm seemed a lot more appealing than facing a murderer right now.

“He does have the most motive, but Andy is right about the red herring. Theres a high likelihood that the real murderer has planted a red herring to lead us off his trail.” Emerson continues.

“But if that's the case, then who else is here that could be a suspect besides the 5 of us currently in this room?” asks Carl, who eyes everyone suspiciously. We all eye each other up and down uneasily, wondering which one of us had the potential to be the killer. I quickly realize Carl is right, no matter how much of an asshole he is.

“Jesus Christ I'm too old for this shit,” mutters Will, shaking his head and putting his hands over his face. “

“Excuse me young man, I am 5 years older than you, don’t go calling yourself old just yet. You sure as hell better not be trying to say we aren’t going to make it out of here alive. I have too much life left in me yet to go out without a fight,” exclaims Diane loudly. Something tells me she isn’t the murderer, and I have a sneaking suspicion that neither is Will. To be completely honest, they just seem like they want to get out of here, but I can’t rule them out. I don't plan to be one of those idiots in a horror film or novel that ends up trusting everyone and gets killed. I’m actually genre aware.

“Okay, we can’t start turning against each other right now, we need to figure out what the fuck we need to do to get out of here. We obviously can’t call the police because of the hurricane, so what are our other options?” Questions Emerson.

“I vote that we high tail it out of here and walk to the closest town,” Carl snarks back in a ‘duh’ tone.

“You know what Carl, you can go right ahead and go out in that hurricane and walk to the next town which happens to be a 4 kilometre walk. If you can make it to town without getting blown away then you can get the police, but right now I’m doing the smart thing and staying here. I can fight another person, but I can’t fight the elements. If you're confident that you can fight mother nature herself then have at it,” Diane condescendingly says. Damn, I really like this woman. Explains why I love her books so much .

Carl looks down at his feet, unsure of how to respond, and looks back at the front door which is a mere 6 feet from where he is standing, and looks away in defeat.

“I’m with Diane,” sighs Will in resignation, realizing that Diane’s plan was perhaps the safest option right now. Emerson and I silently agree and nod.

“Okay, well if we’re going to stay here then what are we going to do, wait for whoever the murderer is to come out and slit out throats too?” Retorts Carl. Goddamn I wish someone would slit his throat to shut him up.

Well, maybe don't actually slit his throat, but at least knock him out.

“No,” I finally cut in. We aren’t going to wait for the killer to come after us. We are going to find him.”

[joyffree]

New Book Release in the Martha's Vineyard Murders Series!

The Wraith’s Return a Murder Mystery by Raemi A Ray

Release Blitz & Author Interview

Determined to prove Gully’s innocence, Kyra, Tarek, and reformed playboy Chase Hawthorn team up to clear their friend’s name. But someone wants the treasure for themselves. And with someone willing to kill for it, there is more than just danger lurking along the island’s caves and coves. There is death.

[ciellekenner]

Happy birthday, Agatha Christie! (September 15, 1890-January 12, 1976)

[jimfostercoc]

Nancy Atherton, author of "Aunt Dimity and the Family Tree," talks about how becoming a writer happened out of nowhere and where Aunt Dimity of the long-running series came from.  The full interview from a 2011 episode of "Conversations On The Coast with Jim Foster" can be heard now wherever you get your podcasts. 

[gentlyhaunted]

Today on "Cozy, She Wrote," we welcome Mallory Pierce, who writes about sassy sleuths and supernatural shenanigans. medium.com/cozyshewrote

[joannmathews]

Women and Adversity: Karen C. Whalen, Novelist

     Women and Adversity: Karen C. Whalen, Novelist Friends Come to Call, Karen C. Whalen’s fourth novel in her Tow Truck Murder Mysteries, captivates the reader to the very end. Mystery, romance and intrigue combine to make the reader question, deliberate and draw conclusions, although not necessarily the solution to the mystery. With the Christmas theme, it’s a perfect gift to engross teens…

[thetarotman]

Some Books I Look Forward to Reading

[rmmcdermott]

These are the books that I am reading this week. I’m really enjoying 3 out of the three of these.

[parentingroundabout]

On our latest weekly roundup, we are once again grateful that we don't have to deal with all the logistics surrounding high school events (even though we have a front-row seat to some of them). What we're watching: On Only Murders in the Building's "Thirty" (episode 9), the trio started to close in on Ben's killer (killers?). We were quite proud of some of the predictions and connections we made last week, as well as those discussed over on Drinks with Broads, the Substack from the Fug Girls. We also did get the season premiere of Dancing with the Stars after all, and found it enjoyable even at two and a half hours long. So many dances! Mentioned: Jason Mraz's songs "Lucky" (featuring Colbie Caillat) and "I'm Yours." ​ Catherine's library find this week highlights the cozy mystery phenomenon, especially the punnily titled food-themed books. There's one for everyone! In the archives, we revisit episodes in which we discussed what cheers us up (October 8, 2020), Apple Watch features for parents (October 7, 2019, and October 6, 2022), and children's books we've loved and loathed (October 2, 2015). ​ We'll be back with a new episode next Tuesday. Our TV watch will cover S3 E10 of Only Murders in the Building (“Opening Night,” the finale!) and "Latin Night" on Dancing with the Stars. If you miss hearing from us every single day, the archives await you!

[bonnettsbooks]

Today, a couple of cute books suitable for the season just arrived. Get them before they're gone!

9/23/23 Open 6-9p. No open containers please.

[mr-divabetic]

Enjoy this excerpt from Divabetic's 10th Annual Original Mystery podcast, "Murder Plain As Vanilla," streaming on Spotify, iTunes, and BlogTalkRadio.

Our mystery podcast is not just for mystery lovers. It's an engaging way to learn about diabetes and self-care. Amidst colorful characters, thrilling adventures, and delightful settings, we offer health and wellness tips to help you take charge of your diabetes self-care. We also promote the idea of thinking like a detective when you experience unexpected blood sugar fluctuations. Look for clues, gather data, talk to witnesses (friends, co-workers, and family members ), and present your ideas to healthcare professionals for solutions. A team approach to managing your diabetes is also a great idea.

[j-rants-reviews-random-stories]

Andy Grey and the Abbott Mansion Murderer (Part 1)

I had always prided myself on being analytical and cool in the face of fear and danger, but when I was confronted with the real possibility of being trapped in a house with a murderer, that cool facade flew out the window.

“I only write about murder! I don't want to be part of a real murder! I’m too young to die!”

“Diane, you are 70 years old, I’m pretty sure you're past your expiration date”

“What do you know about expiration dates Carl? Your stories expired on the shelves years ago, it's a wonder you were even invited to this convention,”

“I’m pretty sure the only reason people were invited to this was so the coordinator could slowly pick us all off one by one,” I pipe up frantically, in hopes to get the others to shut the fuck up so I could think.

After being a murder mystery novelist for the past 15 years I was thrilled to be invited to this convention, with the chance to meet some of the best writers from the past 50 years, but a couple of things kind of ruined that.

The hurricane that is cutting off all cell service.

The corpses that began showing up.

There had originally been 10 of us at the convention, now only 5 of us were left, potentially 6, but there is a chance that if the sixth is alive, they aren’t on our side.

“And what would you know, I hadn’t even heard of you before coming to this convention, what could you possibly know about murder and the motives of a murderer,” mutters Carl, who I was quickly beginning to despise as the night went on.

“Just because you haven’t heard of me doesn't mean shit,'' I spit at him. “There are 4 bodies and 1 person missing right now, I don't think you should be focusing on how little recognition I've had over the years, maybe more on finding out who is killing us and why they want to do this! In case you haven't noticed, we are trapped here with no cell service until the hurricane calms down which isn’t likely to happen for at least another 12 hours,” I continue. Carl looks ashamed at his actions.

Diane quickly steps in and adds “Yes, but don’t we already know who’s doing it? It's obviously the person that went missing - their body is the only one that hasn't turned up yet, so they are the most likely suspect,”

“Not necessarily,” I reason with her. “Isn’t it the first rule of a murder mystery to throw off the detectives, to create a red herring?”The other four in the room murmur their agreement

“I suppose you're right,” replies Emerson in a quiet voice. She is the only one close to my age, being the youngest here at 22 and me being 28.

Both Emerson and I started writing out murder mystery stories at a young age, catching the attention of publishers before we each reached 18. Before that I had only had recognition on small blog posts as a writer, until I hit the big tims. After my first novel that sold however I was struggling to keep up with sales and demand for new books. This struggle to keep up with popular demand over the years is what made me skepctical of my invitation to the convention at Abbott House.

Many rumours circulated for years, inspiring many of the famous mystery writers invited to the convention, especially Diane.

So far this evening 4 bodies have been found, all displayed the same way as the Abbot family was; throats slashed and a rose stuck in the open stab wound through their hearts. The first victim was found after everyone heard a shrill scream around 11pm, at which time most of us were in our assigned guest rooms. The victims tonight were Christina Stewart, a 45 year old writer who had been topping sales charts for the past 20 years. Colin Dawson, a 37 year old writer from the south who was well known for his detective series inspired by Agatha Christie’s Poirot novels, Luna Harkin, 53 years old from Spain, who specialized in amateur detective novels, and lastly the body of Chadwick Bradbury was found, 68 year old writer who was famous in his prime for his gruesome stories based in the 50’s about women being slain for their organs.

All found dead within an hour, and nobody knows who did it.

[joyffree]

Welcome to Mystic Hills, where magic swirls through the air and mysteries abound…

Belinda thought all hope of a life with Reed was gone, but when a relationship rewind spell hits Mystic Hills, she gets another chance. Thanks to the magic, Reed believes they're still together, reliving the past they once shared.

As Belinda navigates this unexpected reunion, she is drawn into a new mystery. The mayor entrusts her with a vital task: finding a powerful object before the upcoming Summer Solstice Festival. This artifact is the key to keeping their enchanted town hidden from the outside world. Without it, Mystic Hills faces exposure and danger like never before.

With time running out and the pressure mounting, Belinda must work to solve the mystery of the spell and uncover the missing artifact, all while keeping her own heart in check. Can she and Reed set aside their past to save their home, or will old wounds and new magic tear them apart?

Spellbound a Paranormal Cozy Mystery by Chris Cannon

[ciellekenner]

My book, "The Enchanted Antique Shop," is free today! Here's the link: cozymysterybookclub.com/bookblast

[thebooklush]

For all of my romance lovers, a question: have you tried my cozy mysteries? The first book in the series is on sale for this month only, and it’s the start of a slow burn romance! Let me know if you like 🍭 sweet or 🔥spicy romance in the comments! #cozymystery #cozymysteries #cozymysteryseries #cozymysterylover #cozymysterybooks #cozymysteryreader #onlymurdersinthebuilding #murdermysterybooks #crimefiction #crimefictionaddict #crimefictionbooks #bookstagram #bookish #amreading #weekendreads #thebooklush #floridafiction #weirdflorida #crimenovel #traditionalmystery @crookedlanebooks #bookstagram #romancebooks #sweetromancereads #friendstolovers https://www.instagram.com/p/CppsTverYOK/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=