Book recommendations from Fresh Fiction Senior Reviewer, Debbie Wiley! You can read more of her reviews and columns here. Enjoy! — Comfort reads have always been an important part of my life. Some of my oldest (and favorite) books I own have been read and reread, particularly when life seems a bit tougher than normal. While many nowadays struggle to agree on just about anything and tensions and turmoil are heightened, comfort reads are a great escape and an excellent form of self-care. One of my all-time favorite comfort reads, THE RED CARNELIAN by Phyllis Whitney immediately pops to mind. However, I’m also finding comfort in new read, particularly cozy mysteries and I want to share a few of my recent enjoyable book escapes. Any book featuring a bookstore is almost guaranteed to be a hit with me and Lauren Elliott’s Beyond the Page Bookstore Mystery series is certainly that! In A PAGE MARKED FOR MURDER, Addison Greyborne has her hands full. Not only is she the owner of Beyond the Page, a book and curio shop, but her flakey cousin isn’t coming to work regularly leaving only Addison and her shop assistant, Paige Stringer, during the Fire and Ice Festival. Worse…

1–What’s the name of your latest release?    My latest book in the Dr. Kate Vet series is called SADDLED with MURDER. It will be available on October 27, 2020. The word saddle in the title has a duel meaning, one of which involves a wild mustang who has been adopted out and is having difficulty adjusting to his new home. 2–What is it about? It’s a mystery that reminds us to be careful what you wish for. The story begins at the Oak Falls Animal Hospital Christmas party, where Cindy, the receptionist, suggests playing a party game. Everyone is asked to share a secret selfish holiday wish. It’s been a long day for Dr. Kate Turner. She’s juggling a lot in her professional life and private life and when it is her turn, she stands up in front of the staff and says she’d like to make two problem clients disappear. Kate isn’t specific – but the audience yells out some names. “Abracadabra, poof, they’re gone,” she says. That night a video taken at the party is posted on social media, which makes Dr. Kate feel terrible. But she feels even worse when the first of those clients is found…

It’s that time of year when all the ghosts and goblins appear! Unfortunately, 2020 has made it difficult for them to visit your doorstep, so why not let them visit your library instead:) My guest at the Cozy Corner will allow you to do just that, and so much more. Maggie Toussaint loves to captivate readers with her eclectic writing that captures the imagination no matter what genre you prefer, she’s offering a sea full of great books! *** Kym: Welcome to the Cozy Corner, Maggie! Maggie: Thanks! It is my pleasure to be here. What an interesting mix of writing you do! Mystery, romance, and sci-fi, but what you left out in your bio was how beautifully you incorporate paranormal in your Dreamwalker Mysteries. Can you tell our readers about the series? I have had an arm’s length fascination with the paranormal for most of my life. When I decided to write in this genre, I blended my fear and fascination into a reluctant sleuth’s strengths and weaknesses, and Baxley Powell formed on the page. You see, she’d denied her psychic abilities for so long, that her journey of self-discovery involves learning about a new extrasensory talent with each…

I fell in love with Seattle’s famed Pike Place Market as a college freshman, not long after the city’s voters saved it from “urban removal.” I made it my mission to eat my way from one end to the other, and since the Market is constantly changing, that mission will keep me happy, and well-fed, for a long time! The Food. The Market is the heart and soul–and stomach–of the city. You can eat just about anything here. Start with a slice of pizza at DeLaurenti’s Italian grocery. Sample spice tea at Market Spice. Italian, French, Greek, Thai, Middle Eastern, Chinese, Persian, Vietnamese. Clam chowder, oysters, barbecue, dim sum, piroshky. Bagels, crumpets, crepes, and cheesecake. Stop at the original Starbucks. Sip wine, beer, ginger beer. Okay, I’m hungry now. History. Founded in 1907, the Market is considered the oldest continuously operating farmers’ market in the country. It was the first mixed-use commercial and residential project named to the National Historic Register. The Architecture. A historic commission oversees the Market’s physical operations, with a mandate to keep the look and feel accurate. Pike Place, the street running through the Market, is still cobbled. Buildings maintain their original designs, colors, and materials….

Hi! My name is Denise Swanson and I’m really excited to participate in this fun challenge!  My newest mystery, WINNER CAKE ALL, is the third book in my Chef-to-Go series.  This series is perfect for readers of culinary cozy mysteries and small-town cozy mysteries. Dani Sloan will have to solve the murder of a bride to clear her almost-boyfriend’s name. Once again, it looks like Dani will get a slice of the action. . . In the small town of Normalton, IL, there aren’t a lot of opportunities for business owner Dani Sloan to cater big-ticket events. But that’s about to change–a client named Yvette Joubert is marrying Franklin Whittaker, the richest guy around, and they want Dani to cater their engagement party! The swanky event is the perfect opportunity to put Dani on the map for wealthier clients. But when a storm hits the party after guests arrive, it becomes clear that more than the dinner is ruined: Yvette is found dead beneath the marquee. Is her death a tragic accident, or a perfectly orchestrated murder? Then the case gets even juicier–it turns out that Yvette’s ex-husband is Spencer Drake, Dani’s almost-boyfriend, and the police start circling. Now Dani…

Everyone needs a little charm in their life. Whether it comes from grandma, the old man next door, or a best friend, it will never be turned away. It’s what makes the cozy genre welcome on any reading list. Today’s feature is full of delightful Southern charm wrapped in lovable characters, recipes and a few grisly crime scenes–the perfect go-to ingredients when a reader needs a break from the real world. And don’t worry, Kate Young just keeps on giving after the last page, because then it’ll be time to rush into the kitchen and whip up some of her fabulous goodies!  Kym: Welcome to the Cozy Corner, Kate! Kate: Thanks so much for having me. I’m thrilled to be here.  In May you released your second Marygene Brown Mystery, Southern Sass and a Crispy Corpse, which is set the adorable island community of Peach Cove Georgia. Is there a real Peach Cove that you’ve modeled your island after? Peach Cove is loosely based on and inspired by both Seaside, Florida, and Savannah, Georgia. I took the small community feel of Seaside and combined it with the old southern roots of Savannah.  I love that Marygene’s mother haunts her–don’t all parents leave…

Murder in the Bayou Boneyard, the sixth book in my Agatha Award-winning Cajun Country Mystery series, revolves around Halloween in the fictional village of Pelican, Louisiana. All the books in this series (as well as in my Catering Hall Mysteries, which I write under the pen name, Maria DiRico) include recipes. I wanted this particular book to contain a couple of recipes that were Halloween themed but also had a distinctly Louisiana touch. After a long search and much experimentation, I came up with a recipe for Cajun Pecan Cookie “Fingers.” These cookies are similar in texture to pecan sandies.  They’re tasty and not super sweet. I tinkered with this recipe to prepare it for Fresh Fiction and it’s slightly different from the one in the book. I added two more tablespoons of powdered sugar, but another change was the result of a happy accident. I read the measurement for vanilla as four tablespoons instead of teaspoons. Oops! But you know what? It made the recipe even better. If you want to add a real Cajun kick to these cookies, mix a 1/4 to a 1/2 teaspoon of cayenne pepper into the dry ingredients. That’s the secret ingredient in my…

Looking for an escape? Cozy Mystery author Daisy Bateman shares her Top 5 Destination mysteries so you can travel from the comfort from your own home… which we all need right now!  *** Gaudy Night by Dorothy Sayers Harriet Vane, Sayers’s mystery-writer love interest for her hero Lord Peter Whimsey, returns to visit her old college at Oxford, only to find that the place is being plagued by a prankster whose attacks are growing in seriousness. Called on to help, she reaches out to Lord Peter, and together they unravel who is out to bring down the tight-knit community of female scholars. Less a mystery than a thinly-veiled contemplation of the author’s own artistic life and choices, there is plenty of time for exploration of the “city of dreaming spires,” with its famous architecture, to say nothing of a classic scene of punting on the River Thames. Scot Free by Catriona McPherson Most people wouldn’t consider California’s Central Valley a vacation destination, especially in the height of summer, when temperatures can easily reach triple digits (but it’s a dry heat!). One of them is Lexy Campbell, recently transplanted from Scotland to the fictional Valley town of Cuento and even more…

For more of Debbie Wiley’s articles and Fresh Fiction reviews, you can visit here. *** Everyone knows I love cozy mysteries, but I also love mysteries and thrillers with a mental health component. After all, my life’s work is devoted to working with children and families grappling with social and emotional needs and mental health is a major aspect of that. COVID-19 brought to the forefront the desperate need for both more mental health services as well as improved accessibility and availability to services in the United States. Hopefully, this need won’t be ignored once “normal” resumes as COVID-19 merely exacerbated a need that already existed. One trend I’ve been thrilled to see in the book publishing industry is increased attention to mental health issues and I’d like to highlight just a few books recently that have included mental health as part of the storyline in some capacity. The Helping Hands series by Annelise Ryan is quickly becoming one of my favorites as it features a social worker as the heroine. In NIGHT SHIFT, it’s only Hildy Schneider’s second official night on her new grant-funded side job riding alongside the local police officers with her canine therapy dog, Roscoe when trouble strikes….

Summer has almost reached its end, school’s in session, and many of us are looking forward to the cooler temps of fall, but life is far from normal. An escape from the constant turmoil of our world is high on my list of must-dos. With travel being out of the question for many of us, however, the need to escape has never been greater and what better way than to delve into the world of mystery and intrigue between the pages? With that in mind, I chose to feature a few books that may not be on your radar this fall. From a debut series, to Kindle Unlimited titles, my list is rounded off with a few series that will grab your attention from across the pond; I found these novels a refreshing look into new worlds. Take a chance and travel that uncharted path, these books are well worth your time. For Whom the Book Tolls An Antique Bookshop Mystery Laura Gail Black 9/8/2020 In this cozy series debut from Laura Gail Black, Jenna Quinn finds her uncle murdered in his antique bookstore, and Jenna–his primary beneficiary–becomes the prime suspect. Trouble follows Jenna Quinn wherever she goes. Fleeing some unsavory…