As a cozy mystery lover with a sweet tooth, I devour dozens of mystery novels every year (many featuring food) and I love to sample new series while also following my long-time favorites. I have also written and published more than 15 cozy mysteries of my own, many of which have a culinary theme. Although I grew up in Vancouver, British Columbia, I now live in a small town and I have a particular fondness for cozy small-town mysteries set by the ocean, as well as those featuring scrumptious treats.
Former actress Becca Ransom lived her dream in Hollywood before returning to her hometown of Larch Haven, known as the Venice of North America. The Vermont town has canals instead of roads, gondolas instead of cars, and charming stone cottages. It’s also where Becca is pursuing her newest passion as a chocolatier at the chocolate shop owned by her grandparents, Lolly and Pops.
It's the height of summer and Larch Haven is gearing up for the annual Gondola Races, but local curmudgeon Archie Smith is doing his best to derail the event. Following a heated argument with Pops, Archie is found dead, and Pops is a suspect. Becca’s determined to clear her grandfather’s name, but that could lead her to a sticky end.
The donut shop at the center of this book is the perfect place for owner Emily Westhill to gather gossip and clues while solving a local murder.
The star of this series is, in my mind, the sweet and adorable cat, Deputy Donut. Survival of the Frittersmight have left me hungry for donuts, but the mystery and characters also left me craving more of the series.
Emily Westhill runs the best donut shop in Fallingbrook, Wisconsin, alongside her retired police chief father-in-law and her tabby Deputy Donut. But after murder claims a favorite customer, Emily can’t rely on a sidekick to solve the crime—or stay alive.
If Emily has learned anything from her past as a 911 operator, it’s to stay calm during stressful situations. But that’s a tall order when one of her regulars, Georgia Treetor, goes missing. Georgia never skips morning cappuccinos with her knitting circle. Her pals fear the worst—especially Lois, a close friend who recently moved to town. As evening creeps in,…
I picked up Asking for Truffle because I love another series written by Dorothy St. James (the Beloved Bookroom Mysteries), and this series hooked me as well.
The quirky characters and seaside setting are the perfect ingredients for a delightful cozy mystery, and the chocolate at the center of the story adds a delicious note to the well-rounded and intriguing mystery plot.
When Charity Penn receives a letter saying she won a trip to Camellia Beach, South Carolina complete with free cooking lessons at the town’s seaside chocolate shop, The Chocolate Box, she’s immediately skeptical. She never entered any contest. Her former prep school friend offers to look into the phony prize—only to end up drowned in a vat of chocolate.
Struck with guilt, Penn heads to the southern beach town to investigate why he was killed. But as wary as she is of the locals, she finds herself lured into their eccentric vibe, letting her defenses melt away and even learning…
All Fudged Upfeatures one of the most charming real-life settings I’ve come across in cozy mysteries.
The series takes place on the delightful Mackinac Island, where there are horse-drawn carriages instead of cars and plenty of historic buildings like the McMurphy Hotel and Fudge Shop.
The main character, Allie McMurphy, spends her days whipping up batches of fudge, keeping the hotel running, and solving murders whenever her sweet puppy finds a body.
Welcome to the Historic McMurphy Hotel and Fudge Shop--where life is sweet, revenge is sweeter, and murder is here to to stay. . .
You Can't Fudge An Alibi
Allie McMurphy is up to her neck in renovations at the grand old hotel that's been in her family for generations. With its quaint Victorian charm--and world-famous fudge shop--the place is one of Mackinac Island's most beloved landmarks.
Sure, every family has a skeleton or two in the closet. But Allie didn't expect to find an actual corpse inside hers, especially one Joe Jessup, who had a long-running feud with her…
In The Rocky Road to Ruin, CIA librarian Riley Rhodes returns home to the charming Connecticut town of Pennimen, where she helps run the Udderly Delicious Ice Cream Shop and solves a murder to clear her friend’s name.
The mystery kept me guessing, the ice cream flavors made my mouth water, and the two adorable cats melted my heart like the summer sun melts ice cream.
Riley Rhodes, travel food blogger and librarian at the CIA, returns to her childhood home of Penniman, Connecticut - land of dairy farms and covered bridges - to attend the funeral of her best friend Caroline's mother and owner of the beloved Udderly Delicious Ice Cream Shop. Despite the melancholy circumstances, it's a bittersweet first day home filled with reunions with old friends, a walk around her father's cosy bookshop on the green, and late night conversations with Caroline. And, of course, long and joyful hours spent behind the counter serving delicious ice cream to the masses. It feels like…
As a chocoholic, I had to check out the Death by Chocolate Mysteries by Sarah Graves, and I definitely wasn’t disappointed.
Protagonist Jacobia “Jake” Tiptree and her best friend sell their delectable chocolate creations from their shop, the Chocolate Moose, in Eastport, Maine, while solving local mysteries.
Death by Chocolate Cherry Cheesecake is sprinkled with intense, page-turning scenes and plenty of chocolate, making this a fun and delicious cozy mystery.
Life just got a little sweeter in the island fishing village of Eastport, Maine. Jacobia “Jake” Tiptree and her best friend Ellie are opening a waterfront bake shop, The Chocolate Moose, where their tasty treats pair perfectly with the salty ocean breeze. But while Jake has moved on from fixing up houses, she still can't resist the urge to snoop into the occasional murder.
Jake and Ellie have been through a lot together, from home repair to homicide investigation. So when they decide to open a chocolate-themed bakery, they figure it’ll be a piece of cake. With Ellie’s old family…
Wendy Lee Hermance was heard on National Public Radio (NPR) stations with her Missouri Folklore series in the 1980s. She earned a journalism degree from Stephens College, served as Editor and Features Writer for Midwestern and Southern university and regional publications, then settled into writing real estate contracts. In 2012 she attended University of Sydney, earning a master’s degree by research thesis. Her books include Where I’m Going with this Poem, a memoir in poetry and prose. Weird Foods of Portugal: Adventures of an Expatmarks her return to feature writing as collections of narrative non-fiction stories.
Weird Foods of Portugal describes the author's first years trying to make sense of a strange new place and a home there for herself.
Witty, dreamlike, and at times jarring, the book sizzles with social commentary looking back at America and beautiful, finely drawn descriptions of Portugal and its people. Part dark-humor cautionary tale, part travel adventure, ultimately, Hermance's book of narrative non-fiction serves as affirmation for any who wish to make a similar move themselves.
"Wendy Lee Hermance describes Portugal´s colorful people and places - including taxi drivers and animals - with a poet´s empathy and dark humor. Part travel adventure, part cautionary tale, Weird Foods of Portugal is at it´s heart, affirmation for all who consider making such a move themselves."
