Independent publisher of award-winning books by Kelly Brakenhoff
Friends, I feel like the last mystery reader on Earth who hasn’t picked up The Thursday Murder Club until now. With the movie out (yes, it is a Netflix production) and every publisher using it as the comparison title for anything remotely cozy, quirky, or British, I figured it was finally time to see what all the fuss was about.
When I picked The Faculty Lounge for an October read-along, I hadn’t cracked the spine yet. I figured we’d all try a literary experiment together and see what happened. The verdict? Somewhere between “This is alarmingly accurate” and “Surely no real school is this dramatic… right?”
If you’ve ever lived in a small town or visited one long enough to have someone’s great-aunt judge your life choices, Fixin’ to Die will feel right at home.
Every August, I like to slide something nostalgic into the mix. Something that feels like summer: muddy riverbanks, barefoot mischief, and that magical kind of childhood freedom that seems both charming and a little dangerous in hindsight.
The Case at Barton Manor has all the ingredients for a classic cozy mystery: a grand manor house, a murder at a fancy party, and a reluctant sleuth who’s way too good at investigating to stay in mourning forever.
Cozy mystery with horses, royalty, and a murder at Balmoral Castle. A Corpse at the Castle by R.B. Marshall is a fun series starter worth saddling up for.
Hello friends, I didn’t finish a single shiny new series book this month—probably because I’ve spent the first few months of the year juggling seven nonfiction titles, three ongoing mystery series, and surviving my IRL book club choosing Yellowface. So yeah, welcome to The Mixed Bag Edition, a look at what I’ve been reading so far in 2025. Want […]
If you’re a Gen Xer like me, imagine The Love Boat meets Murder, She Wrote and Top Chef. For Millennials: picture Doctor Odyssey meets Clue. Set sail with a cruise director who’s just trying to keep things afloat, both literally and figuratively. That’s the vibe of A Cruise for Sous, the second book in M.J. Mac’s Cozy Cocktail Cruise Mystery series.
Stephanie Plum is back, and despite living through 30 (Yes, 30!!) books’ worth of car explosions, perilous bounty hunts, and Lula’s daring fashion choices, she’s barely aged a day. Meanwhile, Janet Evanovich, her fearless creator, is now in her eighties. Which begs the question: Is the end in sight?
Saltcliff on the Sea sounds like the perfect getaway—quaint California seaside vibes, charming locals, and a cozy inn with Instagrammable sunsets. But murder has a way of ruining even the best vacations.
