Regardless of how or why you celebrate, December is a jolly month.
But at Tule, we’ve enjoyed an entire jolly YEAR, courtesy of bringing Tule’s Cozy Mystery Café onboard and introducing you to top cozy mystery writers. Readers can’t get enough of DeAnna Drake’s Rebecca and her talking cat, the lovable pooches in M. Alfano’s town of Pecan Springs, the delicious worlds from Emmie Lyn, and Vickie Carroll’s energetic group of retirement home friends starting a second business with their detective agency. Their series will continue, along with favorites like the hilarious brilliance from J.C. Kenny’s Elmo Simpson.
So would you like to know a secret? I’ve got the line-up of debut Cozy Mystery Café authors to share with you from Santa’s bag:
Cupcakes and Chaos
USA Today bestselling author Lisa Siefert will re-release her Frosted Misfortune series with Tule in January—and she’s adding more stories for baker Ava Decker.
Her new employer has met her maker, and she’s the only suspect. Can she sift out the truth and serve the villain their just desserts?
Ava Decker longs to fulfill her lifelong dream of owning her own bakery. Ready for a fresh start, the former forensic accountant turned pastry chef is excited to turn life’s lemons into sugary success. But her hopes crumble when her mean boss turns up dead in the back of the delivery truck Ava was driving.
Arrested as the prime suspect, things get worse when the police discover the victim left Ava the shop and her house in her will. And with only an adorable kitten who thinks he’s a dog and an exasperated best friend as the voice of reason, the newly bequeathed owner must turn super-sleuth to clear her name.
Can Ava solve the crime before she’s baking behind bars?
Cupcakes & Chaos is the delicious first book in the Frosted Misfortunes cozy mystery series. If you like cute animal sidekicks, an appetizing listen to curl up with, and hilarious hijinks, then you’ll love Lisa Siefert’s perfectly dusted recipe.
Releasing January 13th!
Death by Deception
Yes, Tracy Gardner’s Edgar Award finalist Shepherd Sister Mysteries also gets a makeover under the Tule logo beginning in February, and you can count on more stories for art authenticator Savanna Shepherd and her siblings.
Join the Shepherd sisters—Savanna, Skylar, and Sydney—as they use their unique skills to solve the mystery in their small town.
As a former art authenticator, Savanna Shepherd has a talent for spotting secrets hiding in plain sight. She can pinpoint a forgery from the real thing, sometimes in a glance.
After being fired and dumped in the same terrible day, Savanna moves back to her idyllic home on the banks of Lake Michigan. At least she’s close to her sisters again, and she’s enjoying her new job as an elementary school art teacher.
Savanna even rediscovers her creative soul when an old family friend hires her to paint a mural. But then a cozy book club meeting ends with a possible murder, dangerous incidents begin plaguing her friend’s mansion, and Savanna’s sharp eye is put to the test. With a little help from her sisters―and from Aidan, the intriguing town doctor―will she be able to figure out what’s wrong with this picture before they become the killer’s next canvas?
An artful cozy mystery perfect for fans of Krista Davis and Joanne Fluke.
Releasing February 17th!
Old Habits Die Hard
What happens when author Melissa Westemeier pairs a nosey retired nun with one of her cheekiest students, now a detective? You can’t even begin to guess the fun waiting for you in April with the Nun the Wiser mystery series!
Meddling and murder can both be deadly sins.
When retired nun and teacher Sister Bernadette returns with her fellow residents to The Abbey: Senior Living, she is the first to discover the body sprawled in the hallway of the converted school where she once taught English and now lives. Instead of freezing with horror, Sister Bernie has questions. Lots of them. Why does Toni Travi, the bedazzled and bejeweled resident from apartment 218, have so much chest hair? Did anyone at The Abbey know Toni was a man? Was Toni’s death related to allegations that she cheated at cards? Where’s the murder weapon? Who had motive? And did someone kill Toni, or the man hiding beneath the Revlon foundation and blonde wig?
Detective AJ Lewis is in charge of the investigation though Sister Bernie acts as if he is still her student. With unholy stubbornness, she dogs his every step, eavesdrops, sneaks beyond the police tape and offers unsolicited conjecture and clues. He wants to keep her safe, but she’s determined to lend a helping hand—it’s her habit, after all!
Releasing April 2nd!
Player Elimination
Calling all board gamers! Shelly Jones has created a cast of risk-taking sleuths who use their Catan skills (among other games) to suss out the bad guys. August launches the Wren Winters mysteries.
Releasing in August 2025!
And to unwrap next December … Candace Havens is hard at work right now on another Ainsley McGregor book, the character you’ve fallen in love with from Candace Cameron Bure’s GAC movie inspired by the series.
Certainly, 2025 holds plenty to anticipate, but in this moment we want to say, from our hearts to yours, may the joy of the season bring smiles and lifelong memories to cherish.
Written by Tule Editor, Julie Sturgeon.
