As the new year kicks off, there’s no better way to start fresh than with a stack of books waiting to be devoured. So get ready to settle into that cozy reading nook, grab a nice warm cuppa jo’ and some snacks, because you’re gonna be busy for a while. If you’re looking for the perfect page-turner to energize your reading goals for the year, January’s book releases are here to deliver. From gripping thrillers to heartwarming cozy mysteries, the literary world has something for everyone to kick off 2025. Get ready to mark your calendars, because these upcoming releases are sure to make your reading list a little longer—and a lot more exciting! Here’s a sneak peek at the most anticipated books of the month.
Whipping Up Worry by Emmie Lyn– Little Dog Diner series, book #8
Release Date: January 6th, 2025
April showers bring murder near the lighthouse flowers!
A missing teenager shows up at Dani Mackenzie’s Sea Breeze home on Blueberry Bay, but the runaway is too terrified to reveal anything about herself. The police, however, aren’t the least bit shy when they arrive right behind her, searching for Claire. It seems the teen was hiding at the Kitty Point Lighthouse—exactly where a body was discovered.
There’s a long list of people who are happy this victim, the Misty Harbor town manager, is dead, but Claire’s circumstances make her the prime suspect. Dani hesitates to bring more drama into her world, but after she learns that Claire is related to a dear friend in Misty Harbor, she agrees to hide the young woman to keep them both safe from harassment or worse.
But the evidence keeps coming, whipping everyone’s fear into a frenzy. Dani, along with her Jack Russel terrier, Pip, jump into high gear to unravel a deadly tangle of greed before another body is found.
This time it could be Dani’s.
Retirement Can Be Deadly by Vickie Carroll – Retirement Can Be Murder series, book #2
Release Date: January 8th, 2025
What if retirement isn’t the utopia it’s cracked up to be?
Helen Rogers never imagined that she’d be bored at Sunny Days Retirement Village in lovely Peachtree Valley, Georgia, but she wasn’t expecting to start this phase of life as early as her fifties, either. Then fate gave her a hand in solving her friend’s murder, and the sense of accomplishment was heady.
But was it a fluke?
Fate answers again when she stumbles over her second dead body, the city’s deputy mayor. The corpse is barely cold before the mayor’s wife is killed in a suspicious accident. Bodies are piling up—so Helen and her buddy, Carol Adams, take the next step: enroll in PI classes, apply for her license, and open an official investigation firm.
Helen has found her purpose, and it comes with new partners and a handsome assistant, Ted Morgan.
Yet business will grind to halt before it gets off the ground unless she can break open the truth. Plenty of folks have a motive, but which one of the suspects is desperate enough to plan such elaborate murders?
Cupcakes & Chaos by Lisa Siefert– Frosted Misfortunes Mysteries series – book #1
Release Date: January 13th, 2025
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.
A Golden Guilt Trip by M. Alfano – The Pecan Texas Pet Groomer Cozy Mystery series, book #5
Release Date: January 22nd, 2025
In A Golden Guilt Trip, life in the small town of Pecan, Texas, is anything but ordinary for dog groomer and aspiring business owner, Leslie Winters. Juggling her growing mobile grooming business, her soon-to-be husband Detective Adam Waltz, and her quirky circle of dog-loving friends, Leslie is ready to put down roots. But when Councilman Rodriguez—who couldn’t tell a dog comb from a rake—starts blocking her plans for a new storefront, things quickly take a turn for the worse.
In a moment of unfiltered honesty, Leslie can’t resist giving her unflattering opinion of the councilman’s grooming skills. Unfortunately, that little remark might have just earned her a one-way ticket to the top of the suspect list when the councilman turns up dead, and she’s the one with the motive.
With the police closing in and the scent of scandal in the air, Leslie teams up with her tail-wagging companions and her loyal group of friends to sniff out the truth. But with a killer on the loose and her own future on the line, can Leslie clear her name before she’s locked up and forced to eat kibble in the jailhouse? Or will she be left barking up the wrong tree? It’s up to Leslie—and a few good pups—to solve this case, one clue (and dog treat) at a time.
Murder Under the Marquee by J.C. Kenney – Elmo Simpson Mysteries series, book #2
Release Date: January 27th, 2025
In Murder Under the Marquee, wild animal removal specialist Elmo Simpson once again finds himself tangled in a murder investigation, but this time, it’s personal. When the body of Desiree LaFontaine, the former first mate of Elmo’s girlfriend, Nic, is discovered washed up on the beach near the Paradise Springs marina, the quiet Florida town is shaken to its core. To Elmo’s horror, Nic is quickly swept up in the investigation as the prime suspect, being the last person seen with the victim.
Though the evidence seems damning, Elmo refuses to believe that Nic is capable of murder. As he digs deeper, he uncovers a cast of suspicious characters—Craig Abbott, the shady tour boat owner with a bitter grudge against Nic; Bobby Darrin, Desiree’s elusive ex who’s disappeared into the shadows; and Drunk Paul, the oddball marina regular whose behavior seems more erratic than usual.
With time running out and Nic’s freedom hanging in the balance, Elmo is plunged into the seedy underbelly of Paradise Springs’ tight-knit, yet cutthroat, tourist industry. As he pieces together a trail of lies and betrayals, Elmo must confront his own fears and fight to uncover the truth—before the tides of fate pull both him and Nic under for good. The clock is ticking, and in a town where everyone has something to hide, Elmo must take a dangerous plunge into the heart of darkness to save the woman he loves.
