69 books like The Preacher's First Murder

By K.P. Gresham,

Here are 69 books that The Preacher's First Murder fans have personally recommended if you like The Preacher's First Murder. Shepherd is a community of 12,000+ authors and super readers sharing their favorite books with the world.

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Book cover of Interview with a Dead Editor

Tiffany Seitz Author Of And They Danced

From my list on mystery and suspense that are based in Texas.

Why am I passionate about this?

I have enjoyed mysteries since childhood. Nancy Drew, Trixie Belton, and others filled my bookshelves. Mysteries continue to be one of my favorite genres, and I particularly love the way Texas is represented in these stories. Texas has a rich and unique history, culture, topography, and climate that stimulates the creative spirit but is rarely represented accurately in most genres. As a native Texan, I enjoy reading others’ take on my favorite state, and it’s where I chose to base my writings. The added benefit is that these are female authors who have inspired my own work.

Tiffany's book list on mystery and suspense that are based in Texas

Tiffany Seitz Why did Tiffany love this book?

Based in the fictional town of Stirling Mills, Texas, Lexie Lincoln’s history of being in the right place at the right time served her well as a journalist until she is laid-off. When she arrives for an interview at a small town newspaper, she finds the editor murdered and herself as the suspect. To get to the bottom of the mystery and clear her name, Lexie uncovers not only the town’s unusual history but the reality that her luck stems from ghostly interactions.

After thoroughly enjoying Ms. Swendon’s Enchanted, Inc series, I was pleased to hear she was writing a cozy series. With seven books to date in the Lucky Lexie series, the quirky town of Stirling Mills is a great place to visit.

Book cover of Deadly Keepsakes: A Tori Winters Mystery

Tiffany Seitz Author Of And They Danced

From my list on mystery and suspense that are based in Texas.

Why am I passionate about this?

I have enjoyed mysteries since childhood. Nancy Drew, Trixie Belton, and others filled my bookshelves. Mysteries continue to be one of my favorite genres, and I particularly love the way Texas is represented in these stories. Texas has a rich and unique history, culture, topography, and climate that stimulates the creative spirit but is rarely represented accurately in most genres. As a native Texan, I enjoy reading others’ take on my favorite state, and it’s where I chose to base my writings. The added benefit is that these are female authors who have inspired my own work.

Tiffany's book list on mystery and suspense that are based in Texas

Tiffany Seitz Why did Tiffany love this book?

Tori Winters learns she has inherited a house in Granbury, Texas, and the timing is perfect. As a hospice nurse, she is the primary witness in a homicide. To escape the threats, she packs up and heads to Texas, where she finds a house and a family history that she never expected.

Ms. Dickason is a retired Dallas police officer who wove a little-known part of Dallas’ prohibition history into this novel. The characters and plot are believable and well-written. I am looking forward to the second book.

By Anita Dickason,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Deadly Keepsakes as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

The past becomes a deadly future.

When Tori Winters becomes the star witness in a murder trial, someone tries to kill her. Terrified, she’s not giving the killer a second chance. With all her worldly possessions packed in her car, Tori is on the run. A mysterious phone call about an inheritance leads her to Granbury. After all, who would look for her in a small, quaint Texas town?

Instead, Tori’s life is about to spin into an existence where nothing is as it seems. The historic house she inherits is steeped in secrets from the past. Secrets that may…


Book cover of Chicken Scratch

Tiffany Seitz Author Of And They Danced

From my list on mystery and suspense that are based in Texas.

Why am I passionate about this?

I have enjoyed mysteries since childhood. Nancy Drew, Trixie Belton, and others filled my bookshelves. Mysteries continue to be one of my favorite genres, and I particularly love the way Texas is represented in these stories. Texas has a rich and unique history, culture, topography, and climate that stimulates the creative spirit but is rarely represented accurately in most genres. As a native Texan, I enjoy reading others’ take on my favorite state, and it’s where I chose to base my writings. The added benefit is that these are female authors who have inspired my own work.

Tiffany's book list on mystery and suspense that are based in Texas

Tiffany Seitz Why did Tiffany love this book?

Maddy Reynolds returned to her hometown to straighten out her life. She started a business doing odd jobs, including that of a chicken farmer. Discovering the body of her boss in a chicken house wasn’t something she wanted to be added to her list of accomplishments. When a neighboring farmer is arrested, the accused’s mother hires Maddy to investigate.

The stories and people that make up the charm of Small Town, Texas, are well-represented in this book. Maddy’s story and motivations are relatable, as well as her mistakes and missteps. Her need to take care of her family is shown in her willingness to do any work and in her need to survive.

By Becki Willis,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Chicken Scratch as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Named 2016 Best Mystery Series by Texas Association of Authors. When Madison Reynolds finds herself widowed and penniless before forty, she does the only thing she knows to do – she packs up her teenage twins and moves back home with her eighty-year-old grandmother. Life in The Sisters, Texas has not changed much since she’s been gone, but at least her best friend Genesis is there to soften the transition back into small-town life. To make ends meet, Madison opens In a Pinch Temporary Services. Her first real client is Ronny Gleason, but when she shows up for the first…


Book cover of Ghost Agents

Tiffany Seitz Author Of And They Danced

From my list on mystery and suspense that are based in Texas.

Why am I passionate about this?

I have enjoyed mysteries since childhood. Nancy Drew, Trixie Belton, and others filled my bookshelves. Mysteries continue to be one of my favorite genres, and I particularly love the way Texas is represented in these stories. Texas has a rich and unique history, culture, topography, and climate that stimulates the creative spirit but is rarely represented accurately in most genres. As a native Texan, I enjoy reading others’ take on my favorite state, and it’s where I chose to base my writings. The added benefit is that these are female authors who have inspired my own work.

Tiffany's book list on mystery and suspense that are based in Texas

Tiffany Seitz Why did Tiffany love this book?

Based in Galveston, Texas, Claire Abelard works as a ghost tour guide as a cover for her real job for The Bureau of Historical Preservation. As a high-level sensitive, her responsibilities are to protect the projections (ghosts) under her care, although she frequently answers the call of rogue projections. While assigned to give a private tour to a ghost-hunting group, she receives reports that rogue projections are disappearing.

Ghost Agents and the subsequent two books were page-turners. I don’t normally subscribe to newsletters for additional materials, but I especially wanted to discover more once the series ended. The projections (ghosts) are entertaining, the historical elements are well-researched and support the plot. I particularly enjoyed the family dynamics and the romance that develops for the main character.

By Nita DeBorde,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Ghost Agents as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

An organization that has operated in secret for centuries... a mystery that threatens to burn it all to the ground... and she's the only agent who can stop it... To the residents and tourists of Galveston Island, Claire Abelard is the friendly young woman who works at the local candy store by day and leads ghost tours of the island's haunted locations by night. They don't realize this persona is a cover for Claire's real job as an agent of the Bureau for Historical Preservation, a clandestine organization that monitors and assists energy projections, or the entities more commonly known…


Book cover of Sugar Daddy

Savannah Kade Author Of Crash & Burn

From my list on steamy romantic suspense for savvy readers.

Why am I passionate about this?

I'm a contemporary romance writer who does some series in paranormal romance and some in romantic suspense. I know lots of romance is about the fantasy and I write to that, but I want each of my romances to have you walking away believing in real-life love, too. I want heroes and heroines who could walk right off the page! I want to acknowledge smart women finding men who love a snappy comeback and a sharp brain. My favorite stories come together when our heroine is the only one who could solve this crime or mystery. I was first invited to write RS in the Dark Falls series and I shockingly won a Maggie for my first book. I loved the genre so much that I went on to build a whole series of my own!

Savannah's book list on steamy romantic suspense for savvy readers

Savannah Kade Why did Savannah love this book?

Kleypas is better known for her historical fiction, but her contemporary series knocks it out of the park. There’s never been a better enemies to lovers pair than Gabe and Liberty. This book also has wrong side of the tracks vibes as well as rags-to-riches gold. Their reasons for hating each other are sound—not the kind of ridiculous drivel we sometimes get served. Secrets abound, and when these two finally feel like they’re finding their footing, Liberty’s first love comes back… and then it really heats up! Sugar Daddy isn’t what you expect when you open the book, it’s so much better!

By Lisa Kleypas,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Sugar Daddy as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Two men. One woman. A choice that can make her or break her. A love story you'll never forget.

Liberty Jones fell in love with Hardy Cates when she was just fourteen-and-three-quarters. But at seventeen, the ambitious Hardy craves a life bigger and better than their parochial hometown of Welcome, Texas, can offer. While he's fond of Liberty and feels a responsibility to protect her, her crush is a complication he doesn't need.

Yet something continues to draws Hardy and Liberty to each other, especially when she blossoms into a proper beauty. So when he chooses to follow his head…


Book cover of Call Me Irresistible

Katerina Simms Author Of Sapphires and Secrets

From my list on contemporary romance that are a little bit extra.

Why am I passionate about this?

I have a little secret. I was late to the romance table. Though I grew up with a romance reading mother, my initial interests lay in the fantastical worlds of Paulo Coelho, Anne Rice, and David Gemmel. Romance seemed forbidden, and I didn’t touch the genre until my late twenties, when a nasty breakup sent my disillusioned heart looking for more. And what a revelation! Romance taught me to expect more from myself and my relationships. At the close of one creative career, it lit an unstoppable passion to become a contemporary romance author. And here I am, a decade on, writing romance and sharing my book recommendations with you!

Katerina's book list on contemporary romance that are a little bit extra

Katerina Simms Why did Katerina love this book?

I’m not one to read a book twice, but this is one of those rare gems I go back to every once in a while.

Personally, I loved that the hero, Ted Beaudine, is more of an antihero in his aloofness and—kinda justified—vendetta against the heroine. Now, if an author can convince me to like a dislikable hero, I will sing about their book from the rooftops. So, here I am, singing.

Without giving too much away, Phillips does a masterful job of breathing life into her small-town Texas setting, as well as humanity into some truly surprising characters.

This is one of those books to kick back with and enjoy all the tingly good feels that will inevitably come.

By Susan Elizabeth Phillips,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Call Me Irresistible as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

R.S.V.P. to the most riotous wedding of the year ...To most people, Lucy Jorik is the luckiest girl on earth. Not only is she the daughter of a former president of the United States, she's about to marry Mr. Irresistible - Ted Beaudine - the favorite son of Wynette, Texas. The offspring of living legends, Meg Koranda is definitely not most people. She knows Lucy is making the biggest mistake of her life and she's determined to save her best friend from a mess of heartache. But even though Meg knows that breaking up the wedding is the right thing…


Book cover of The Last Death of Jack Harbin

Linda Howe-Steiger Author Of Terroir: A Morgan Kendall Wine Country Mystery

From my list on cozy mysteries that have a secondary ethical theme.

Why am I passionate about this?

Born in Ohio, transplanted to Northern California, I’ve played many roles in life, including college teacher, environmental writer, urban planner, political activist, and mom. In the evening, when my body aches with tiredness, but my brain won’t stop churning on whatever subject I wrestled with that day, I love a good but “meaty” little cozy—one with a clever puzzle, something to make me smile, and a secondary theme that goes a bit into an important, really engaging topic. Then I snuggle down and enjoy my kind of decompression reading. After retirement, I started to write my own “cozies plus.” I hope you enjoy my picks.  

Linda's book list on cozy mysteries that have a secondary ethical theme

Linda Howe-Steiger Why did Linda love this book?

Shames’s fiction should be better known.

This book wasn’t what I expected, given its set-up in a small west Texas town filled with testosterone-laced popular imagery of today—a fundamentalist cult smelling of illicit sex, anti-feminism, and gun show economics; bored adults insanely consumed by high-school football rivalries; a chain-rattling motorcycle crowd; and far too many sour, flag-waving vets.

Take your pick about important themes to follow in this well-crafted cozy featuring Sam Craddock. Sam is asked to stand in as policeman while the one local cop dries out. He’s cranky, flawed but likable, persistent, competent.

The puzzle mysteries are tricky enough to be interesting, no overwhelming thriller-type fight scenes or chases. I thoroughly enjoyed this surprisingly gentle read. 

By Terry Shames,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked The Last Death of Jack Harbin as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Small town mystery and veteran's issues collide as retired police chief Samuel Craddock investigates a murder. Right before the outbreak of the Gulf War, two eighteen-year-old football stars and best friends from Jarrett Creek signed up for the army. Woody Patterson was rejected and stayed home to marry the girl they both loved, while Jack Harbin came back from the war badly damaged. The men haven't spoken since. Just as they are about to reconcile, Jack is brutally murdered. With the chief of police out of commission, trusted ex-chief Samuel Craddock steps in--again. Against the backdrop of small-town loyalties and…


Book cover of 1960s Austin Gangsters: Organized Crime That Rocked the Capital

Scott Montgomery Author Of Austin Noir

From my list on crime with a whole lot of Texas.

Why am I passionate about this?

I have spent over twenty years over (fifteen in Texas) recommending crime fiction as a bookseller in a couple of prominent stores. Texas and its writers have always fascinated me. Now that I get to call myself one, I am connected more to the genre literature of my adopted state and have an insider's view as both writer and resident.

Scott's book list on crime with a whole lot of Texas

Scott Montgomery Why did Scott love this book?

This coverage of the crime wave of the Overton gang who burgled, pimped, and committed various crimes up and down I-35 is nonfiction, but hard to believe at times.

The story paints vivid time in Austin with a supporting cast of colorful lawyers, madams, and even UT Tower sniper Charles Whitman. Jesse Sublett, author, musician, painter, journalist, and photographer is basically as close as Austin has to royalty and portrays the events in a rock n’ roll style.

I’d also recommend Jesse’s fiction series staring bass player and skip tracer Martin Fender.

By Jesse Sublett,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked 1960s Austin Gangsters as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Timmy Overton of Austin and Jerry Ray James of Odessa were football stars who traded athletics for lives of crime. The original rebels without causes, nihilists with Cadillacs and Elvis hair, the Overton gang and their associates formed a ragtag white trash mafia that bedazzled Austin law enforcement for most of the 1960s. Tied into a loose network of crooked lawyers, pimps and used car dealers who became known as the "traveling criminals," they burglarized banks and ran smuggling and prostitution rings all over Texas. Author Jesse Sublett presents a detailed account of these Austin miscreants, who rose to folk…


Book cover of The Fate of Texas: The Civil War and the Lone Star State

Ed Cotham Author Of Battle on the Bay: The Civil War Struggle for Galveston

From my list on Civil War Texas.

Why am I passionate about this?

Ed Cotham, is the prize-winning author of numerous books and articles on Texas Civil War history. A frequent lecturer, with appearances on television and radio, Ed has probably given more tours of Texas Civil War battlefields than anyone. Ed has written the texts for many historic markers and has served as project historian for several important shipwrecks in Texas waters.

Ed's book list on Civil War Texas

Ed Cotham Why did Ed love this book?

This book includes 11 essays by an all-star cast of historians. It goes well beyond the military events of the war and covers the impact of the war on various groups of people. The essays discuss previously unexplored topics ranging from the wartime experiences of Texas women to the impact of the war on German immigrants. It also includes essays discussing the post-war impact of the conflict. Of particular interest is Carl H. Moneyhon’s essay on the reaction of Texans to Confederate defeat. This is not only an important book, but will also be interesting even to casual history lovers.

By Charles D. Grear,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked The Fate of Texas as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

What was Texas' role in the Civil War? In its examination of a state too often neglected by Civil War historians, The Fate of Texas presents Texas as a decidedly Southern, yet in many ways unusual, state seriously committed to and deeply affected by the Confederate war effort in a multitude of ways. When the state joined the Confederacy and fought in the war, its fate was uncertain. The war touched every portion of the population and all aspects of life in Texas. Never before has a group of historians examined the impact of the war on so many facets…


Book cover of One Fell Sweep

Alea Henle Author Of Sanctuary Hall

From my list on fantasy novels with mysterious missing parents.

Why am I passionate about this?

Once upon a time, I came to the realization that I had no idea what my parents were thinking, much less anyone else. This has turned into a life of repeated musing over how much I do and don't understand about other people. More recently, my mother's death brought to light the many different ways family and friends remembered her, with joy and pain, loss and wariness. I chose this topic for the list because these books help highlight and explore the mysteriousness of family and memory and how a person can be whole and complete and sure of what they've lived through, only to turn and see a new angle never before recognized.

Alea's book list on fantasy novels with mysterious missing parents

Alea Henle Why did Alea love this book?

I appreciate Dina's dedication. It makes her predictable in some ways, but this book does such a great job of showing the many facets of her dedication and endorses many of her actions while also forcing her to face the consequences and the need to rethink some things.

But I also come and stay and reread for the many wonderful, diverse secondary characters! I'd love to stay at Gertrude Hunt and listen (and shiver) over Caldenia's stories. I'd go for the chance to try Orro's cooking in an instant! There are too many other great characters for me to pick from, or I'd go on and on and on.

It's Dina's story, but I admire how multi-faceted her world is and how many secondary characters are fully realized. Not to mention Dina's skill at making guest rooms to suit guests, can she come and do my place?

By Ilona Andrews,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked One Fell Sweep as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Dina DeMille may run the nicest Bed and Breakfast in Red Deer, Texas, but she caters to a very particular kind of guest… the kind that no one on Earth is supposed to know about. Guests like a former intergalactic tyrant with an impressive bounty on her head, the Lord Marshal of a powerful vampire clan, and a displaced-and-superhot werewolf; so don’t stand too close, or you may be collateral damage. But what passes for Dina’s normal life is about to be thrown into chaos. First, she must rescue her long-distant older sister, Maud, who’s been exiled with her family…


Book cover of Interview with a Dead Editor
Book cover of Deadly Keepsakes: A Tori Winters Mystery
Book cover of Chicken Scratch

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