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A midnight puzzle / by Pandian, Gigi,1975-author.;
"Secret Staircase Construction is under attack, and Tempest Raj feels helpless. After former client Julian Rhodes tried to kill his wife, he blamed her "accident" on the home renovation company's craftsmanship. Now the family business - known for bringing magic into homes through hidden doors, floating staircases, and architectural puzzle walls - is at a breaking point. No amount of Scottish and Indian meals from her grandfather can distract Tempest from the truth: they're being framed. When Tempest receives an urgent midnight phone call from Julian, she decides to meet him at the historic Whispering Creek Theater - only to find his dead body, a sword through his chest. After a blade appears from thin air to claim another victim, Tempest is certain they're dealing with a booby trap ... something Secret Staircase Construction could easily build. Tempest refuses to wait for the investigation to turn to her or her loved ones. She knows the pieces of the puzzle are right in front of her, she just has to put them together correctly before more disaster strikes. Multiple award-winning author Gigi Pandian and her sleuth Tempest Raj return in A Midnight Puzzle, where an old theater reveals a deadly booby trap, secrets, and one puzzle of a mystery"--
Subjects: Detective and mystery fiction.; Recipes.; Novels.; Architectural firms; Blessing and cursing; Dwellings; East Indian Americans; Family-owned business enterprises; Grandfathers; Interior decoration; Magicians; Murder; Women detectives;

Four cuts too many / by Goldstein, Debra H.;
When it comes to murder, there's no need to mince words . . . Sarah Blair gets an education in slicing and dicing when someone in culinary school serves up a main corpse in Wheaton, Alabama... Between working as a law firm receptionist, reluctantly pitching in as co-owner of her twin sister's restaurant, and caretaking for her regal Siamese RahRah and rescue dog Fluffy, Sarah has no time to enjoy life's finer things. Divorced and sort-of dating, she's considering going back to school. But as a somewhat competent sleuth, Sarah's more suited for criminal justice than learning how many ways she can burn a meal. Although she wouldn't mind learning some knife skills from her sous chef, Grace Winston. An adjunct instructor who teaches cutlery expertise in cooking college, Grace is considering accepting an executive chef's position offered by Jane Clark, Sarah's business rival--and her late ex-husband's lover. But Grace's future lands in hot water when the school's director is found dead with one of her knives in his back. To clear her friend's name, Sarah must sharpen her own skills at uncovering an elusive killer...
Subjects: Detective and mystery fiction.; Divorced women; Murder; Sisters;

A death in the Dales / by Brody, Frances,author.;
"A murder most foul. When the landlord of a Yorkshire tavern is killed in plain sight, Freda Simonson, the only witness to the crime, becomes plagued with guilt, believing the wrong man has been convicted. Following her death, it seems that the truth will never be uncovered in the peaceful village of Langcliffe . . . A village of secrets. But it just so happens that Freda's nephew is courting the renowned amateur sleuth Kate Shackleton, who decides to holiday in Langcliffe with her indomitable teenage niece, Harriet. When Harriet strikes up a friendship with a local girl whose young brother is missing, the search leads Kate to uncover another suspicious death, not to mention an illicit affair. The case of a lifetime. As the present mysteries merge with the past's mistakes, Kate is thrust into the secrets that Freda left behind and realizes that this courageous woman has entrusted her with solving a murder from beyond the grave. It soon becomes clear to her that nothing in Langcliffe is quite as it appears, and with a murderer on the loose and an ever-growing roster of suspects, this isn't the holiday Kate was expecting . . ."--Provided by publisher.
Subjects: Detective and mystery fiction.; Murder; Women private investigators;

Suburban dicks / by Nicieza, Fabian,author.;
From the co-creator of Deadpool comes a hilariously entertaining debut featuring two unlikely and unforgettable amateur sleuths. An engrossing and entertaining murder mystery full of skewering social commentary, Suburban Dicks examines the racial tensions exposed in a New Jersey suburb after the murder of a gas station attendant. Andie Stern thought she'd solved her final homicide. Once a budding FBI profiler, she gave up her career to raise her four (soon to be five) children in West Windsor, New Jersey. But one day, between soccer games, recitals, and trips to the local pool, a very pregnant Andie pulls into a gas station--and stumbles across a murder scene. An attendant has been killed, and the bumbling local cops are in way over their heads. Suddenly, Andie is obsessed with the case, and back on the trail of a killer, this time with kids in tow. She soon crosses paths with disgraced local journalist Kenneth Lee, who also has everything to prove in solving the case. A string of unusual occurrences--and, eventually, body parts--surface around town, and Andie and Kenneth uncover simmering racial tensions and a decades-old conspiracy. Hilarious, insightful, and a killer whodunit, Suburban Dicks is the one-of-a-kind mystery that readers will not be able to stop talking about.
Subjects: Detective and mystery fiction.; Domestic fiction.; Suburban life; Pregnant women; Journalists; Service stations; Murder;

Murder's no votive confidence / by Brecher, Christin.;
Nantucket candle store owner Stella Wright specializes in creating unique candles for every occasion. But someone sets the stage for murder when a Memorial Day celebration becomes a wedding to die for... Jessica Sterling's candlelight-themed nuptials promises to be the perfect kick-off to the summer's first official holiday weekend. Stella's thrilled to have been chosen to provide the decorative centerpiece for the wedding ceremony: a two-foot-tall scented unity candle--a symbol of the happy couple's love. But it looks like the bride-to-be's uncle won't be walking his niece down the aisle after he's found dead. The murder weapon is Stella's seemingly indestructible candle, now split in two. When a beloved local bartender is arrested, Stella's sure a visiting police captain running the case made a rush to justice. With superstitious brides-to-be canceling orders and sales waxing and waning at her store, the Wick & Flame owner decides to do some sleuthing of her own. Abetted by a charming reporter and challenged by the town's sexiest cop, Stella's determined to shine a light on the truth and uncover a killer who's snuffing out her own flame.
Subjects: Detective and mystery fiction.; Women merchants; Candles; Weddings; Murder;

A dark and stormy tea / by Childs, Laura,author.;
"A possible serial killer on the loose sends tea maven Theodosia Browning into a whirlwind of investigation in this latest installment of the New York Times bestselling series. It was a dark and stormy night, but that was the least of Theodosia Browning's troubles. As she approaches St. Philips Graveyard, Theodosia sees two figures locked in a strange embrace. Wiping rain from her eyes, Theodosia realizes she has just witnessed a brutal murder and sees a dark-hooded figure slip away into the fog. In the throes of alerting police, Theodosia recognizes the victim--it is the daughter of her friend, Lois, who owns the Antiquarian Bookshop next door to her own Indigo Tea Shop. Even though this appears to be the work of a serial killer who is stalking the back alleys of Charleston, Lois begs Theodosia for help. Against the advice of her boyfriend, Detective Pete Riley, and the sage words of Drayton, her tea sommelier, amateur-sleuth Theodosia launches her own shadow investigation. She quickly discovers that suspects abound, includng the dead girl's boyfriend, a nefarious real estate developer, a private-security man, a bumbling reporter, and her own neighbor who is writing a true-crime book and searching for a big ending"--
Subjects: Detective and mystery fiction.; Cozy mysteries.; Recipes.; Novels.; Browning, Theodosia (Fictitious character); City and town life; Murder; Serial murder investigation; Tearooms; Women detectives;

Corpse in the gazebo / by Sennefelder, Debra.;
Food blogging is turning Hope Early into a household name. But the dead body down the block makes her a #1 suspect... It seems everyone loves Hope's blog these days, and she's busier than ever volunteering to help other women create their own paths to success. So she's shocked when a neighbor petitions to run Hope right out of her small Connecticut town! Set in her ways, apparently Birdie Donovan doesn't like the chaos Hope's sleuthing creates, the police activity and crime scenes, and it's happening way too often lately. Eager to make amends, Hope bakes Birdie a batch of her best muffins. The delicious treats might have smoothed things over-until Hope discovers Birdie dead in her gazebo the very next day... Now instead of worrying about holding on to her beloved home, Hope is trying to stay out of jail. Because suddenly she's the lead suspect in the case. Not even her boyfriend, Police Chief Ethan Cahill, is promising he can clear her name, much less discuss the investigation with her. It's up to Hope to get to bake new ground on the case before the lifestyle brand she's created-and her whole life-crumbles...
Subjects: Detective and mystery fiction.; Cozy mysteries.; Murder; Bloggers;

Mrs. Christie at the Mystery Guild Library / by Chapman, Amanda,author.;
"Book conservator Tory Van Dyne and a woman claiming to be Agatha Christie on holiday from the Great Beyond join forces to catch a killer in this spirited mystery from Amanda Chapman. Tory Van Dyne is the most down-to-earth member of a decidedly eccentric old-money New York family. For one thing, as book conservator at Manhattan's Mystery Guild Library, she actually has a job. Plus, she's left up-town society behind for a quiet life downtown. So she's not thrilled when she discovers a woman in the library's Christie Room who calmly introduces herself as Agatha Christie, politely requests a cocktail, and announces she's there to help solve a murder- that has not yet happened. But as soon as Tory determines that this is just a fairly nutty Christie fangirl, her socialite/actress cousin Nicola gets caught up in the suspicious death of her less-than-lovable talent agent. Nic, as always, looks to Tory for help. Tory, in turn, looks to Mrs. Christie. The woman, whoever or whatever she is, clearly knows her stuff when it comes to crime. Aided by a found family of unlikely sleuths-including a snarky librarian, an eleven-year-old computer whiz, and an NYPD detective with terrible taste in suits-Tory and the woman claiming to be her very much deceased literary idol begin to unravel the twists and turns of a murderer's devious mind. Because, in the immortal words of Miss Jane Marple, "murder is never simple.""-- Provided by publisher.
Subjects: Detective and mystery fiction.; Novels.; Books; Cousins; Libraries; Man-woman relationships; Murder; Preservation and restoration; Women;

A controversial cover / by Barrett, Lorna,author.;
"Tricia Miles is ready to close the book on all her amateur sleuthing - she's tired of finding dead bodies and being accused of murder. But even the best laid plans often go awry. Stoneham is all abuzz when Lauren Barker, a famous children's book author, arrives for an event at the local library. Lauren is a Stoneham native, and her new book strikes some members of the town as controversial. But when Lauren is found strangled to death after an altercation at the event, the plot twist throws Tricia right back into the middle of things. Who could possibly have wanted Lauren dead? Was it Dan Reed, who had to be thrown out of the signing for spouting conspiracy theories and causing a disturbance? Stella Kraft, Lauren's high school teacher, who thought of the author as a protégé-something Lauren violently disputed? Or the mystery man who spoke to Lauren just before she was found dead? With the suspect count climbing higher and more information about Lauren's past coming to light, will Tricia be able to give this story a happily ever after?"--
Subjects: Detective and mystery fiction.; Cozy mysteries.; Recipes.; Novels.; Authors; Booksellers and bookselling; Miles, Tricia (Fictitious character); Murder; Sisters; Small cities; Women booksellers;

Without a brew / by Alexander, Ellie,author.;
"Amateur sleuth Sloan Krause delves into a murderous winter wonderland in another delightful mystery from cozy writer Ellie Alexander, Without a Brew. It's winter in the Bavarian village of Leavenworth, Washington, which for Sloan Krause means lots of layers, pine and citrus-flavored craft beers, and getting the new guest rooms at Nitro, the brewery where she works, into tip top shape before the next weekend's IceFest. Unfortunately, Sloan and her boss Garrett are learning that not every guest in the brewery is up for a hopping good time. While the couple staying with them, Brad and Ali, seem completely smitten, a quartet arrives in the evening demanding rooms and showing off flashy Seattle credentials. Sloan and Garrett are less than impressed, but agree to rent rooms to the quarrelsome quartet. The final guest, Liv, wasn't planning on an overnight stay in Leavenworth, but seems eager to take Sloan up on the offer of sanctuary from the snow-at least before she has a strange run in with local mechanic Taylor, to say nothing of the knowing looks and even physical altercations that take place between Liv and the other guests. Sloan could be imagining things, but when Liv's room is found trashed the next morning, a hateful message painted on her car, and Liv herself is no where to be found, Sloan is convinced another mystery is brewing. And with many of the potential suspects hunkering down under Nitro's roof, she knows her co-workers and friends won't be safe until serves up the killer a hoppy pint of justice"--
Subjects: Detective and mystery fiction.; Microbreweries; Brewers; Women detectives; Murder;