One of the important components of mysteries is a sleuth who gets out and about. They need to hear gossip, see what’s going on in town, know the townspeople, and make note of strangers. In my Domestic Diva Mysteries, Sophie Winston is an event planner. She knows all kinds of people from hotel security to restaurateurs and people who attend elegant galas. In my Paws & Claws Mysteries, Holly Miller runs an inn with her grandmother, which keeps her busy meeting visitors and their dogs and cats.
But one of the best ways to be involved with the locals and visitors is to own a shop. Because everyone needs to shop. Whether you prefer to spend hours lingering in a bookstore, like the Color Me Read bookstore in my Pen & Ink Mysteries, or you’re on the hunt for something as elusive as a fairy in Daryl Wood Gerber’s fairy garden store, there’s something for everyone.
In my Pen & Ink mysteries, Florrie Fox is a coloring book artist by night. But by day, she runs the Color Me Read bookstore in Georgetown, Washington, DC. It’s located in a building that was once a home, but now it’s a neighborhood gathering place where retired professors, authors, families, coloring book enthusiasts, and the occasional murderer gather.
In the winter, there’s a warming blaze in the fireplace in the parlor and plenty of comfy sofas to lounge on while chatting with friends or pouring over books. Not only does the wonderful aroma of books entice shoppers, but there’s always coffee percolating and usually some indulgent baked treats to sample. In the background, classical music plays softly. Visitors are likely to run into local authors, not to mention a gossip or two.
A Colorful Scheme, the fourth book in the series, focuses on the lives of several local authors and a scathingly wicked reviewer. When one of them turns up dead, will the others be able to hide their own secrets any longer?
There’s a fun bonus in the Pen & Ink Mysteries. You can color the front and back covers to make the book look the way you imagine it! But don’t be deceived, there’s a real mystery novel in between those covers.
A Baker Street Mystery by V.M. Burns
If you’re looking for mouth-watering cakes, head for New Bison, Michigan, where Maddy Montgomery just inherited her great-aunt’s bakery. The only problem is that Maddy doesn’t bake! In Two Parts Sugar, One Part Murder, by Valerie Burns, Maddy has to tackle her great-aunt’s award-winning cake recipes, a huge challenge. When the mayor is murdered and Maddy’s fingerprints are on the knife, she needs a little help from her great-aunt’s friends, the Baker Street Irregulars, to save her life.
Amish Candy Shop Mysteries by Amanda Flower
Maybe you have a sweet tooth, and you’d rather shop for candy. In that case, you might want to stop by Swissmen Sweets in Harvest, Ohio, where English and Amish live and work together in Amanda Flower’s Amish Candy Shop Mysteries. In Peanut Butter Panic, Bailey King’s delicious desserts come under scrutiny when someone dies from an allergy at a Thanksgiving celebration.
Shamelessly Adorable Teddy Bear Mysteries by Meg Macy
Could anything be cozier than a teddy bear? Meg Macy’s sleuth, Sasha Silverman, manages the Silver Teddy Bear Shop! In Bear a Wee Grudge, Sasha’s father is accused of murder during the town’s Scottish Highland Fling and it’s up to Sasha to find the real killer before her dad lands in the slammer!
Country Store Mysteries by Maddie Day
Pans and Pancakes, the country store in Maddie Day’s series, sells fine food and classic cookware. In Batter Off Dead, the community of Southlick, Indiana gathers for a summertime light show. But when it ends, they find one of their own has been murdered, a local woman who is part of a knitting circle.
Full Moon Mysteries by Cate Conte
Are you in search of stones that might heal your ailments? Then the Full Moon crystal shop in North Harbor, Connecticut might have just what you’re looking for. Cate Conte writes the new Full Moon mystery series. Proprietor Violet Mooney has her hands full in Witch Trial when a customer goes missing and turns up dead. She finds herself facing supernatural and mortal enemies.
Fairy Garden Mysteries by Daryl Wood Gerber
Are fairies more your style? Daryl Wood Gerber’s Fairy Garden Mysteries are set in whimsical Carmel, California. Courtney Kelly owns a fairy-garden and tea shop with its own resident fairy. In A Hint of Mischief, an indulgent spa day turns into a disaster when a facial kills a famous actress. Fortunately, Courtney has a sleuth-fairy to help her dig up the truth.
Deputy Donut Mysteries by Ginger Bolton
When you’ve browsed through enough cozy shops, wrap up your shopping at Deputy Donut with an adorable cat appropriately named Deputy Donut. Indulge in a delicious Frosty the Donut treat! In Ginger Bolton’s Deputy Donut Mysteries, Emily Westhill and her father-in-law, a retired police chief, run the most popular donut shop in town. It’s Christmas in Deck the Donuts when a tour bus crashes in a snowstorm and the townspeople have to take in the stranded passengers. But when they discover the bus driver’s body, it may take a Christmas miracle to solve his murder.
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