A romantic seven-day cruise is the perfect start to bakery owner Hannah Swensen’s marriage. However, with a murder mystery heating up in Lake Eden, Minnesota, it seems the newlywed’s homecoming won't be as sweet as anticipated...   After an extravagant honeymoon,...  more

A romantic seven-day cruise is the perfect start to bakery owner Hannah Swensen’s marriage. However, with a murder mystery heating up in Lake Eden, Minnesota, it seems the newlywed’s homecoming won't be as sweet as anticipated...   After an extravagant honeymoon, Hannah’s eager to settle down in Lake Eden and turn domestic daydreams into reality. But when her mother’s neighbor is discovered murdered in the condo downstairs, reality becomes a nightmarish investigation. Victoria Bascomb, once a renowned stage actress, was active in the theater community during her brief appearance in town... and made throngs of enemies along the way. Did a random intruder murder the woman as police claim, or was a deadlier scheme at play? As Hannah peels through countless suspects and some new troubles of her own, solving this crime -- and living to tell about it -- might prove trickier than mixing up the ultimate banana cream pie...   Features Over a Dozen Cookie and Dessert Recipes from The Cookie Jar!

Maisie Dobbs is back, and this time she has been hired to find a wealthy grocery magnate's daughter who has fled from home. What seems a simple case at first becomes complicated when Maisie learns of the recent violent deaths of three of the heiress's old friends. Is there a...  more

Maisie Dobbs is back, and this time she has been hired to find a wealthy grocery magnate's daughter who has fled from home. What seems a simple case at first becomes complicated when Maisie learns of the recent violent deaths of three of the heiress's old friends. Is there a connection between her mysterious disappearance and the murders? Who would kill such charming young women? As Maisie investigates, she discovers that the answers to all her questions lie in the unforgettable agony of The Great War.

Daisy Dalrymple's mother has decided that for Christmas the family will all gather in Cornwall. But the family gathering quickly goes awry. So Daisy and her husband must spend the holiday trapped in an estate with a history of lore, ghost stories, and rumors of hidden treasure and secret...  more

Daisy Dalrymple's mother has decided that for Christmas the family will all gather in Cornwall. But the family gathering quickly goes awry. So Daisy and her husband must spend the holiday trapped in an estate with a history of lore, ghost stories, and rumors of hidden treasure and secret passageways with a family seething with resentments, grudges, and a faintly scandalous history. The veneer of civility that pervades the halls begins to wear thin when long-held family secrets threaten to bubble over and one of the Christmas guests is found savagely murdered. It is once again up to Daisy to sort out the truth that lies beneath a generation of poisonous secrets.

Thanksgiving has a way of thawing the frostiest hearts in Lake Eden. But that won't be happening for newlywed Hannah Swensen Barton -- not after her husband suddenly disappears...   Hannah has felt as bitter as November in Minnesota since Ross vanished without a trace and left their...  more

Thanksgiving has a way of thawing the frostiest hearts in Lake Eden. But that won't be happening for newlywed Hannah Swensen Barton -- not after her husband suddenly disappears...   Hannah has felt as bitter as November in Minnesota since Ross vanished without a trace and left their marriage in limbo. Still, she throws herself into a baking frenzy for the sake of pumpkin pie and Thanksgiving-themed treats while endless holiday orders pour into The Cookie Jar. Hannah even introduces a raspberry Danish pastry to the menu, and P.K., her husband’s assistant at KCOW-TV, will be one of the first to sample it. But instead of taking a bite, P.K., who is driving Ross’s car and using his desk at work, is murdered. Was someone plotting against P.K. all along or did Ross dodge a deadly dose of sweet revenge? Hannah will have to quickly sift through a cornucopia of clues and suspects to stop a killer from bringing another murder to the table.   Features Over a Dozen Cookie and Dessert Recipes from The Cookie Jar!

When her old friend Karen drops by with two-year-old son Timmy, Meg Langslow reluctantly agrees to babysit 'just for a little while.' But when nightfall comes, the toddler is still in residence and Karen isn't answering any phone calls. Meg decides she must find out what's...  more

When her old friend Karen drops by with two-year-old son Timmy, Meg Langslow reluctantly agrees to babysit 'just for a little while.' But when nightfall comes, the toddler is still in residence and Karen isn't answering any phone calls. Meg decides she must find out what's happening, so the next morning, with Timmy in tow, she retraces her friend's footsteps---and begins to suspect that Karen's disappearance is tied to at least one serious crime. Has Karen been killed or kidnapped? Is she on the run from the bad guys? Or is she one of the bad guys? The police don't seem to care, so Meg once again plays sleuth---this time with a toddler as her sidekick. As usual, Meg's extended family adds to the complications in her life. What covert animal welfare project are Dad and the curmudgeonly zoologist Dr. Montgomery Blake working on---and will Meg have to make another late-night trip to bail them out of jail? Why does Meg's brother keep disappearing---is he merely trying to avoid babysitting, or is he involved in something more mysterious? Will taking care of Timmy dampen newly married Meg and Michael's enthusiasm for starting a family of their own? And are any of Meg's relatives reliable enough to be trusted with a two-year-old---especially a two-year-old whose whereabouts might be of interest to some very dangerous people?

In the summer of 1898, reporter Emma Cross investigates a shocking death among the bright lights of Newport's high society . . .   After a disappointing year as a society columnist for the Herald, Emma has returned to the salty air, glittering ocean vistas, and grand stately mansions of...  more

In the summer of 1898, reporter Emma Cross investigates a shocking death among the bright lights of Newport's high society . . .   After a disappointing year as a society columnist for the Herald, Emma has returned to the salty air, glittering ocean vistas, and grand stately mansions of Newport, Rhode Island, more determined than ever to report on hard news.   But for now she?s covering the social event of the season at Ochre Court, a coming-out ball designed to showcase Cleo Cooper-Smith, who will be on display as Cleopatra in an elaborate tableau vivant. But as the deb ascends to her place of honor, the ballroom is plunged into darkness. When the lights come back on, Cleo sits still on her throne, electrocuted to death.   Quickly establishing that the wiring was tampered with, Emma now has a murder to investigate. As Emma begins to discover this crime has unseen connections to a nefarious network, she puts her own life at risk to shine a light on the dark motives behind a merciless murder . . .   ?Plenty of red herrings and an intimate look at the world of the wealthy and famous make for a rich broth of a mystery.? ?Kirkus Reviews

England 1925. When a strange young woman is found murdered on the grounds of Unsworth Castle, the Earl and his family are astounded at first, but quickly become enraged when the police begin asking all sorts of questions. And when suspicions dare to fall on one of their own, it is up to Mr....  more

England 1925. When a strange young woman is found murdered on the grounds of Unsworth Castle, the Earl and his family are astounded at first, but quickly become enraged when the police begin asking all sorts of questions. And when suspicions dare to fall on one of their own, it is up to Mr. Quayle, Lord Unsworth's exceedingly efficient secretary, to find the true culprit. But Mr. Quayle soon learns that the House of Unsworth is not quite as innocent as it seems, and with the family closing ranks around him, Mr. Quayle must sift through a web of red herrings and lies before the murderer can strike again...

Two of her four kids may be out of the nest, but Lucy Stone knows only too well that mothering is a lifetime commitment. At least that commitment means she gets to kick back and enjoy a fancy Mother's Day brunch-that is, before the festivities are interrupted by a nasty scene between two moms...  more

Two of her four kids may be out of the nest, but Lucy Stone knows only too well that mothering is a lifetime commitment. At least that commitment means she gets to kick back and enjoy a fancy Mother's Day brunch-that is, before the festivities are interrupted by a nasty scene between two moms feuding over the popularity of their teenage daughters. Even after witnessing that scene though, Lucy never expected to see actual blood spilled. But when one of the moms is found dead at the tennis court, Lucy begins to unravel the mystery and comes face-to-face with a killer who has a thing or two to learn about motherly love.

Angie Roseland has closed her Sweet Dreams Bake Shop for a few months until she can move the shop to its new location. Her sister, Ellie, has just opened a bed and breakfast in Sweet Cove and Angie is helping her run it. Their youngest sister, Courtney, has a part time job at Finch Confectioners...  more

Angie Roseland has closed her Sweet Dreams Bake Shop for a few months until she can move the shop to its new location. Her sister, Ellie, has just opened a bed and breakfast in Sweet Cove and Angie is helping her run it. Their youngest sister, Courtney, has a part time job at Finch Confectioners where the owner is known around town for being nasty and mean. When Finch is found murdered in his shop, the Roseland sisters, with the help of two fine felines, are drawn into the search for the killer.

On a remote Scottish island, American antique dealer Kate Hamilton sleuths a killing that eerily replicates a murder still unsolved after 200 years. Autumn has come and gone on Scotland's Isle of Rothsay, and the locals gather for the Tartan Ball, the annual end-of-tourist-season gala....  more

On a remote Scottish island, American antique dealer Kate Hamilton sleuths a killing that eerily replicates a murder still unsolved after 200 years. Autumn has come and gone on Scotland's Isle of Rothsay, and the locals gather for the Tartan Ball, the annual end-of-tourist-season gala. Among the invited guests is American antique dealer Kate Hamilton. Returning to the island where her husband died is brutal, but Kate is determined to repair her relationship with her sister-in-law, Elenor Spurgeon, the proprietor of Rothsay's deluxe country house hotel. Kate has hardly unpacked when a body turns up, murdered in an eerie recreation of an infamous unsolved murder two hundred years before. And the only clue to the killer's identity lies in a curiously embellished antique casket. When Bo Duff, the gentle handyman who had tried to save Kate’s husband's life, is taken into custody, she teams up with vacationing Detective Inspector Tom Mallory to clear Bo’s name. To accomplish that, they’ll have to unmask a killer who seems bizarrely fixated on the past…because two hundred years is an awfully long time to hold a grudge.

Addie Greyborne loved working with rare books at the Boston Public Library -- she even got to play detective, tracking down clues about mysterious old volumes. But she didn't expect her sleuthing skills to come in so handy in a little seaside town . . . Addie left some painful memories...  more

Addie Greyborne loved working with rare books at the Boston Public Library -- she even got to play detective, tracking down clues about mysterious old volumes. But she didn't expect her sleuthing skills to come in so handy in a little seaside town . . . Addie left some painful memories behind in the big city, including the unsolved murder of her fiancé and her father's fatal car accident. After an unexpected inheritance from a great aunt, she's moved to a small New England town founded by her ancestors back in colonial times -- and living in spacious Greyborne Manor, on a hilltop overlooking the harbor. Best of all, her aunt also left her countless first editions and other treasures -- providing an inventory to start her own store. But there's trouble from day one, and not just from the grumpy woman who runs the bakery next door. A car nearly runs Addie down. Someone steals a copy of Alice in Wonderland. Then, Addie's friend Serena, who owns a nearby tea shop, is arrested -- for killing another local merchant. The police seem pretty sure they've got the story in hand, but Addie's not going to let them close the book on this case without a fight . .