The beginning of fall has officially arrived, and you know what that means—it’s time to brew your favorite warm beverage, curl up with your softest throw blanket, and finally crack open those cozy, autumnal reads you’ve had on your TBR since the beginning of summer.
To achieve that perfect fall mood of crisp, pine-scented air, freshly-baked pumpkin cookies, and warm apple cider, leave your to-do list at the door and check out these five cozy mysteries that you’re guaranteed to fall for this autumn!
A Bittersweet Murder by Kaz Delaney
“Captivating, entertaining and a truly delightful read” —Goodreads Reviewer
For one brief hour on a sunny Texas morning, amateur baker Rosie Hart glimpses the life she’s always dreamed about—thanks to a surprise inheritance from the late Miss Alice. But her benefactor is barely cold in the ground when Rosie is accused of her murder.
As the only stranger in the tight-knit Airlie Falls community, and the only person with an obvious motive, all eyes turn to Rosie. Especially when more bodies begin to pile up and mysterious letters from the grave start circulating faster than Rosie can pull a tray of cherry nut clusters out of the oven.
When Rosie begins to suspect the murders have links to a sixty-year-old suspicious death on the very property she’s just inherited, town locals become uneasy. But how can Rosie prove the two are related—and prove her innocence—before the killer strikes again?
In High Spirits by Beth Prentice
“A classic ‘Murder, She Wrote’ mystery, but with a heavy dose of spirits and magic” —Starred Goodreads Review
Daisy Montgomery was living her best life until she was attacked by a force so powerful that it separated her body from her soul. Now neither living nor dead, her spirit form lacks ghostly abilities like walking through walls, and she can’t communicate with anyone. Except one.
Luckily her connection to her little dog, Alfie, led her to super sexy Charlie O’Sullivan, a man who can not only see her spirit and open doors for her but someone who makes her question everything she thought she knew about her life, love, and almost death.
The more she, Charlie, and his merry band of spirit helpers uncover, the longer her suspect list grows. But when someone else she knows dies, Daisy must use her newfound knowledge to discover who the killer is before they strike again. If she can’t, not only are her loved ones at risk but the killer could come back to finish the job they started the night of her attack. And Daisy’s not ready to rest in peace.
If you’re a fan of magic, some good, old-fashioned mystery solving, and the paranormal, then Louise Marvin’s The Hellebore Haunting is perfect for you!
Pax Hawthorne (née Thatcher) has inherited a new name and a legacy she isn’t sure she wants. And now her deceased mentor’s herb shop belongs to her too.
It’s a lot to process, so when the opportunity arrives to escape for a day and check out an exhibit of ancient plants, Pax and her best friend, Sam, jump at the chance for a little R&R.
When they arrive, however, instead of cool flowers, they find a lonely ghost in need of their help. She’s been haunting the Gilded Age mansion on the property for over a century, unable to remember how she died. Hoping that discovering the answer will let their new friend rest in peace, Pax and Sam start digging for clues.
But the more truth they uproot, the more it seems there’s something much darker that would prefer the past stay buried. And when this dark force proves it isn’t afraid to play dirty to stop the investigation, Pax must call upon her loral friends for help, or else she may join her ghostly friend in the afterlife.
Black Cat Comes Back by Emmie Lyn
“A fun, whimsical read…A great set up to the series” —Goodreads Reviewer
I’m Audrey Fernsby, just a ghost of my former self floating around Moonlight Mansion in Frog Hollow, Georgia.
My death was ruled accidental… but nothing is farther from the truth.
When my precious black cat, Mocha, returns on the same night that two friends, Tilly and Sunny arrive from Maine, I plan to out my ghostly self and enlist their clever sleuthing capabilities.
Mocha knows the truth but can she help catch the killer before someone else ends up dead in my rose bushes?
If you’re a fan of The Thursday Murder Club series, then you’ll definitely like The Magician Card by Vickie Carroll
When Harper Kagel receives word that her cousin had taken a deadly fall, she drops everything and returns to her hometown of Steepwick, Maine.
She’s avoided the odd town with a witchy past for decades, and only planned to stay long enough for the funeral. But her cousin had other plans. Now Harper’s the new owner of her cousin’s home, café-bookstore, and opinionated Westie named Einstein.
The town’s residents welcome Harper’s return with open arms, including her ex. The secret crime solvers’ society even inducts her into their Cold Case Club.
But when Harper finds herself the target of a killer, she’ll need the Cold Case Club’s help to solve an ancient family mystery. If they can’t figure it out, Harper will follow in the footsteps of her dearly departed cousin.
Fall and Halloween go hand in hand, but at Tule Mystery, we believe this duo works better as a trio. That’s why we add readers to the mix, too!
So bring out your pumpkins, your colored leaves, your ghosts, your costumes, your hot cider and s’mores to celebrate September and October with these crisp mysteries:
You are cordially invited to the Halloween Tuxes and Tails fundraiser, complete with a one-eyed pirate, a flirty waitress, a real live scarecrow—and a murder at the dance. But Sunny Shaw and her cat, Jasper, will untangle the lies from the truth alongside of you, so bring your heels to this Mind Chocolate Chip Mystery installment.
College classes have started, making it the perfect time for Angel Warren to build up local tourism for her curiosities gift shop in Stonebridge, Pennsylvania. But a walk in the woods uncovers a body and a murder that leaves the town buzzing. A cozy Shop ‘Round the World mystery that will leaf you guessing.
Ah, something to cheer about: a fall carnival to raise funds for the local high school drama club. What’s not so fun for Rainbow Falls newcomer Annie Abbott: stumbling across the body of an unpleasant teacher. She really needs these clues to add up because the police have pinned her as the suspect!
The past becomes a haunting place for Detective Chief Inspector John Shadow when the notorious rivalry between York’s iconic ghost walk tour guides spirals out of control this Halloween. Shadow finds the body of one guide hanging from a tree, a la highwayman Dick
Turpin, and the assistant is killed by an explosion of gunpowder just like Guy Fawkes. Are the murders a business feud or the work of a madman?
It’s chilling déjà vu for Sheriff Elizabeth Benoit when her department is called in on a copycat murder from 25 years ago, when the victim was Benoit’s best friend. It’s time to finally nail the crooked ex-sheriff up to his elbows in these young women’s blood—but only if Benoit can keep her emotions under control after her sister, too, goes missing …
We asked our cozy authors what made them tuck tail and run, and their answers might surprise you. From heights, to bugs, to footsteps in the dark, let’s find out which author you just might share a fear with. Happy Summerween!
Jody Holford
“I don’t like having people follow me up the stairs, I don’t like people in my space in public places, I dislike walking into a dark room especially if the door has been closed.”
Jody Holford is the author of the Wannabe Sleuth series. You can find her books here.
Geri Krotow
“When I get injured or am bleeding. I can handle yours, no problem. Mine, not so much.”
Geri Krotow is the author of the Shop Round’ The World series. You can find her books here.
J.C. Kenney
“I’m not a fan of heights. Six-legged bugs creep me out, too. The weird thing is that spiders don’t bother me. I don’t know what to make of that off factoid, other than maybe I watched too many horror flicks with cockroaches in them when I was younger.”
J.C. Kenney is the author of the Elmo Simpson Mysteries series.You can find his books here. His first book, Panic in the Panhandle is releasing next month! Don’t miss out! Pre-order it today!
Kaz Delaney
“Footsteps echoing on the pavement behind me if I’m walking down a dark street (obviously at night) alone. That’ll do it. But then again, I think as mystery/crime writers, any situation can appear dangerous because our heads are always on the job. My occasionally eccentric husband once decided to bring me a cup of tea in bed, and brough two for himself. Crazy I know. His argument was that he knew he’d want a second, so made it in advance. (Don’t ask – the male brain is tricky to decipher). Anyway, I was convinced (very big tongue in cheek here) MY tea was poisoned because then he’d still have two cups beside the bed. He could get rid of mine containing the vestiges of poison and the police would find two perfectly innocent cups. No dregs of poison. He still tells people, thirty years later. Actually, I’m wondering who comes out worse in this story? The crazy husband or the paranoid mystery writer? (Caveat – obviously I didn’t really believe I was being poisoned but it was fun watching him splutter his innocence and yes, with more than a touch of the frustration that I have caused in his life. Good thing he loves me.)”
Kaz Delaney is the author of the Hart of Texas Murder Mysteries series. You can find her books here.
Candace Havens
“Parking garages late at night freak me out. I am not a fan. I’ve seen far too many television shows and movies. Nothing good ever happens late at night in a parking garage.”
Candace Havens is the author of the Ainsley McGregor series. You can find her books here. Her first book in the series, A Case for the Winemaker, is coming to screen October 5th and you won’t want to miss it! Read the first book now to get ready for it!
So, dear readers, what is the one thing that gives you the creeps?
*Feel free to email your responses to jaidencolling@tulepublishing.com to be featured in one of our articles!
Even occasional television viewers have caught an episode or two of NCIS since it began airing in 2003. Yep, that’s 21 years of the Naval Criminal Investigative Service digging into criminal cases and bringing the bad guys to justice.
So if you love these characters, you’ll definitely relate to these Tule mysteries, too:
Leroy Jethro Gibbs:
He’s the tough, no-nonsense leader of the NCIS team, a former Marine with a strong sense of duty and justice. But he also struggles with personal tragedies, finds it difficult to open up emotionally and is known for his gut instincts.
If he’s your guy, you don’t want to miss Can’t Go Home by Melinda Di Lorenzo. Detective Trinity Calhoun joined LEO to make a difference after her best friend was killed — but now someone wants her to relive the experience.
Abby Sciuto:
Ah, the upbeat forensic scientist who’s also into goth. Her childlike enthusiasm is a breath of fresh air in a serious profession, but don’t confuse quirky with careless. Abby is highly intelligent and brings the skills!
Rebecca Cuthbert is certainly comfortable with quirky as she consults with a talking cat to clear herself from the suspect list when the town’s shady antiquities dealer is found dead in Deanna Drake’s Paws, Claws, and Curses.
Timothy McGee:
This tech-savvy agent has grown from an insecure probie to a confident senior agent due in large part to the fact that he’s often the voice of reason. He’s also by the book—literally, as one of his nerdy interests is writing.
True crime writer Dougal Lachlan, the hero in C.J. Carmichael’s Buried, understands. Lachlan finds himself needing answers to a cold case and ends up working with a local librarian to unearth the secrets buried in small-town Twisted Cedars.
Ziva David:
As a former Mossad officer turned NCIS agent, she’s highly trained in combat and interrogation. Even though her playful side emerges a times, her complex relationship with her past makes her an intriguing character.
Agent Heather Slade in The Package by Kimberley Troutte is as badass as you expect from a highly trained government asset with no memory and no home. But this mission to smuggle a package from the oppression’s leader challenges all of that.
Donald “Ducky” Mallard:
The medical examiner may be known for his rambling stories, but there’s a method to his storytelling. He knows people, and that along with his war experiences make him an excellent profiler, too.
Kate Tessler of Something Shady at Sunshine Haven by Kris Bock can relate. A war injury has sidelined this news correspondent back home, where she finds a new purpose for her observation skills by investigating suspicious deaths at a nursing home.
Jenny Shepard:
She has solid connections that helped her become NCIS director, but she struggles to balance her personal need for revenge on her father’s killer with her professional duties—and that obsession ultimate leads to tragic consequences.
If only Sheriff Elizabeth Benoit of Straight for the Kill by Winter Austin had taken a page from Jenny’s book. But she’s not about to turn down the opportunity to finally nail the former sheriff for his sins, regardless of what it costs her.
Caitlyn Todd:
She’s one of NCIS’s dedicated profilers who is a whiz at counterfeit bill analysis and protection detail. But her compassion can sometimes be a fault, as she tense to get emotionally attached to victims and lets her personal believes and emotions influence her judgment.
She has a kindred spirit in KB Jackson’s Charlotte McLaughlin. In A Matter of Life and Depths, Charlotte finds herself being asked to find evidence that clears her late husband’s former mistress from murder charges—and there’s more on the line than just karma.
Ellie Bishop:
As a profiler, she’s top-notch. But NCIS fans know and love her for her knack of remembering details by connecting them to what she was eating at the time.
Ms. Bishop has a doppelganger in Ellie Hart, the heroine in Emmie Lyn’s Sprinkles and a Situation. She’s all about walking dogs with a donut in her hand, but murder and mystery manage to find her on these jaunts.
As I was plotting MAID OF DISHONOR, Maddie Bell’s mother/Jenna Bell’s grandmother, Gloria “Gigi” Phillips burst onto the scene and jumped into the plot of MAID OF DISHONOR. During the first three books, Gigi lived in California and didn’t appear on the page, but after the death of her fourth husband, she decided to move back to Hemlock, NC, to be closer to Maddie and Jenna. Suddenly she wanted to be part of the Wedding Bell Mysteries.
Gigi came mostly fully formed (she’s a Betty White lookalike and an eternal optimist), but I still had to ask some “what if” questions.
The first question was where has she been all this time? I thought what if she was married to a man who lived in California? That’s a good distance away and could explain her absence. Then I wondered, what if Gigi had been married more than once? What if she’d outlived four husbands?
For the record, all of Gigi’s husbands died of natural causes. There’s nothing sinister afoot where she’s concerned, but I digress. Despite being widowed four times, Gigi is still in love with the idea of love. What if now that she was back in Hemlock, this hopeless romantic, joined her daughter and granddaughter in the wedding business? But what could she do? She didn’t seem the type who would be content tending Maddie’s bridal show. Since Maddie owns the bridal boutique and Jenna plans the weddings… the only thing missing in their bridal trifecta is a fabulous venue with a storied history.
What if Gigi purchased and renovated a storied mansion after she sold her Malibu beachfront home, and moved east to Western North Carolina?
Enter Gracewood Hall.
Of course, Gracewood Hall needed an enticing history. So, I imagined its origin…
Those who know me well know I’m enamored with Biltmore Estate, in Asheville, NC. We live a short drive from it. So, I make a point to tour it several times a year. Its history and the stories surrounding the estate always leave me wistful and wondering what it was like to be a guest in that magnificent home during such a glamorous age. What if the venue in Hemlock was like the Biltmore? Well… as much as I love the Biltmore, it was just too big… But what if it was the inspiration for Gracewood Hall?
During the Gilded Age, George Vanderbilt visited Asheville, NC, frequently and fell in love with western North Carolina’s beautiful landscape and temperate weather. The story goes that in 1889 he endeavored to build his own “summer house” in Asheville. After six years of construction, George finally welcomed family and friends to his new place on Christmas Eve of 1895.
What if the man who built Gracewood Hall – Let’s call him Mr. Wood — was one of George Vanderbilt’s first guests at the Biltmore Estate that Christmas Eve? What if Mr. Wood was so impressed with Biltmore House that he was inspired to build his own grand mountain retreat on a piece of property thirty miles south of Asheville in Hemlock, NC?
Of course, Mr. Woods’s pockets weren’t as deep as his friend George, but Mr. Wood was willing to settle for something a bit more modest – say, a third of the size of the opulent 135,280 sq ft Biltmore.
Of course, that meant Gracewood Hall was still a staggering forty-five thousand square feet. What if poor Mr. Wood died as he was moving into his dream house and he never got to enjoy it? Poor Mr. Wood.
That was a good start, but it needed more history…
What if we fast-forwarded a few decades… Enter 1940s-era movie star Carter Stanton (think Cary Grant). What if leading man Carter was staring in a film that was being made at the Biltmore Estate when he met Linda Conti, a pretty waitress at a diner in downtown Asheville. It was love at first sight. After a whirlwind romance, the two married in June of 1944.
What if the public loved Carter and Linda together. Linda was the perfect every woman. If a man like Carter could fall in love with a girl-next-door like Linda, it gave every woman hope that a handsome man like Carter would fall in love with them. The public was obsessed. Carter and Linda became American royalty.
What if the couple spent their honeymoon at Gracewood Hall. Linda fell in love with the place, and Carter bought it for her. They planned to live there and raise their family.
What if their fairy tale was short-lived?
What if after their honeymoon, Carter joined the war effort and died later that year. After his death, Linda moved out of Gracewood Hall but couldn’t bring herself to part with the place that was meant to be her fortress. So, it sat vacant until her death (a few months before MAID OF DISHONOR starts) and the Linda Conti-Stanton estate put the place on the market. Our Gigi knew someone who knew someone, and she managed to purchase Gracewood Hall before it even hit the market, renovated it, and opened it as an events venue.
With this history, it stands to reason that Gracewood Hall’s tragic past would foster rumors that the place was cursed. So, when the maid of honor at the mansion’s inaugural event is murdered before the ceremony, the tragedy resurrects the curse of Gracewood Hall. Of course, the rumors of a curse don’t bother Gigi because she believes love can conquer all.
That’s the basic rundown of how I came up with Gigi and Gracewood Hall, both newcomers to the Wedding Bell Mysteries. I hope you’ll read MAID OF DISHONOR and enjoy it as much as I loved writing it. While it’s book four in the Wedding Bell Mystery cozy mystery series, it does stand on its own. So don’t worry if you haven’t read the first three books in the Wedding Bell Mysteries series. Reviewer Kair says, “Although this is the fourth book in the series, the author does a great job filling in the characters’ backstories so you can read this book as a standalone and not be confused about all the characters.”
If you’re starting with MAID OF DISHONOR, after you finish it, I hope you’ll go back and read the first three books in the series.
If you’ve already read books one – three, welcome back to Hemlock!
Advanced praise for MAID OF DISHONOR:
“Once again, Ms. Thompson drew me into Maddie and Jenna’s world that now includes Maddie’s mom, Gigi, who is delightful! No one draws characters quite as deftly as Ms. Thompson…” ~ Nan Reinhardt – Goodreads
“The storyline has many twists and turns… I highly recommend you read this book.” ~ Kair – Goodreads
“I got caught up in the fuss and enjoyed it immensely.” ~ Beverly – Goodreads
“Super book!” ~ G. Terenzio – Goodreads
“…keeps you guessing right up until the end.” ~Renee – Goodreads
About The Author
Award-winning and USA Today Bestselling Author Nancy Robards Thompson has worked as a newspaper reporter, television show stand-in, production and casting assistant for movies, and in fashion and public relations. She started writing fiction seriously in 1997. Five years and four completed manuscripts later, she won the Romance Writers of America’s Golden Heart award for unpublished writers and sold her first book the following year. Since then, Nancy has sold more than 50 books and found her calling doing what she loves most – writing mysteries, romance, and women’s fiction full-time.
