Cozy Pet Mysteries

Parrots will repeat anything. They don’t talk sense—or do they? When Pru Marlowe is called in to retrain a foulmouthed African gray after its owner’s death, she can’t help hearing the parrot’s words as a replay of a murder scene. But the doctor on call scoffs at the idea, and the heirs just want their late mother’s pet to stop cursing.

Winter is hard in Beauville, where the melting snow can reveal much more than last season's dead leaves. So when a wealthy, obnoxious tourist and his ski-bunny girlfriend surface in Pru Marlowe's little Berkshire town, she knows she should stay out of their way. The bad-girl animal psychic has to focus on more immediate concerns, including Henry, a supposedly tamed wild rabbit illegally living with an 84-year-old lady. Henry, who seems to be acting out and hiding, avoids responding to Pru.

I always thought weddings were supposed to be about joining lives...Not ending them. But when an unexpected guest shows up dead on the beach and the groom seems to be hiding more than just cold feet, I need to take my chef's hat off and don my deerstalker once again. Who was this mysterious stranger that came to town claiming to be a long lost relative, and why is she now dead? Who is the groom really, and are his intentions for my friend pure?

Autumn on the Maine coast is stunning, which brings the tourists out in droves. My restaurant, the Little Dog Diner, is teeming with them, thanks to the locally famous fall festival. Usually that's a great thing...this year, however, the discovery of a dead body puts a damper on business awfully fast. Add to that the fact that the victim had a vendetta against almost every small business owner in town, and now I've landed right in the middle of the very long and tedious suspect list.

One of Laguna Beach's best-known plastic surgeons may need a new leash on life. Unless he's just taking a very long nap on the bench outside Melinda Langston's Bow Wow Boutique... Dr. O'Doggle continued to give us the silent treatment. Fluffy eyed him intently. I studied him too. Tova Randall wasn't my BFF, to say the least, but I didn't wish her boyfriend any bad luck. My neighbor, Darby, relaxed her grip on Fluffy's leash. The big Afghan lunged toward Dr. O and knocked him over.

Caro Lamont, pet therapist, and her cousin Melinda Langston, owner of The Bow Wow Boutique, pamper the kitties and pooches of Laguna Beach's elites. Unfortunately, their human clients keep turning up dead.

Something sinister invades a shoe dealers' convention where Grace hopes to pick up free samples. As quickly as her pumps can carry her, Grace is off with Jack and their magical cool cats, Tatania and Zeus, investigating a conventioneer's wife's disappearance.

The award-winning, laugh-out-loud adventures of antiques dealers Brandy Borne and her drama-queen mom Vivian have made Trash 'n' Treasures "one of the funniest cozy series going" (Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine). In the latest installment, after flames consume a historic mansion full of priceless treasures, along with its occupant, the question arises: who charred the corpse? Brandy and Vivian are on the case in their 14th Trash 'n' Treasures Mystery!

Dog-nappings are an owner's worst nightmare. When three rare, expensive, and sought-after puppies go missing within a few days of each other, Olivia doesn’t even need to be asked to take the case. Her clients are like family, and she can’t stand to see a family grieve over their missing canine member. But when the investigation leads her to a local jeweler, Olivia reveals to her best friend that she’s ready to make things official with Andrew. In her shock, Jackie lets it slip that Andrew was thinking the same thing (and has a new ring to prove it).

Olivia Rickard has turned over a new leaf. She’s done with outside investigations. Olivia has decided that, to be a better girlfriend, she’s going to turn a blind eye to the mysteries in town. Besides, her sister Janelle is acting fishy enough lately. For Olivia, that mystery is more important to solve than finding out where Andrew’s missing report is. However, Andrew isn’t letting this particular bone go. He’s worried about his coworker, and scared that something might be very, very wrong. Olivia tries to track down Hattie and her missing data so Andrew can present the report to his fullest potential. But when Olivia finds more than one suspect sneaking around Hattie’s house, her gut begins to ping and Olivia’s sheepdog, Goodwin agrees. Sure enough, Hattie Dominick is nowhere to be found, and there’s ice cream melting on her porch. Now time is ticking away faster than the Rocky Road.

Roses are red, violets are blue, and Olivia Rickard is officially the worst at fixing relationships. Case in point: Olivia decides the best way to go about getting her boyfriend back is to tail him around town. There’s no way daring to spy on Andrew’s date was going to end well...but Olivia didn’t expect it to end in death. Hannah Maclin, Andrew’s date, is found dead in the parking lot of the restaurant with a tacky rose sticking out of her chest and lots of suspects near the scene of the crime.

While trying to shut the door on the mess of her relationship, Olivia accidentally opens the door to a murder investigation. Olivia’s friend, the owner of a boutique dog food brand, has been killed at her warehouse - bludgeoned with a side of beef. Olivia tries to run off her emotions but only stumbles upon the main murder suspect acting suspicious. She sees this as a sign. If she can’t solve her romantic problems, she can solve the murder of her good friend.

Olivia Rickard would kill to keep everything just the way it is. Changing the status quo has always been disastrous for Olivia, and now everything is changing at once.... What Olivia needs is a distraction, and she’s found one in stumbling upon Yvette Dunn dead in her coffee food truck - drowned in a vat of fresh coffee. Olivia starts out as an unlucky bystander to the crime, but she’s forced to dig in deeper when it looks like her sister could be involved in Yvette’s death.

Something borrowed, something blue, Olivia’s a bridezilla, and Andrew’s pretty scared too…Olivia is on the warpath of wedding planning. She’s ticking off her tasks rapid fire: flowers, food, and fireworks. Those all are checked off just in time for Andrew to get hit writing a big check of his own. He’s beginning to get suspicious of her motives, since his blushing bride has gone from dragging her feet on a proposal, to suddenly running down the aisle. Olivia doesn’t want to admit that she’s trying to get hitched before her cold feet get the best of her.

Jackson Ruck travels to the Verlorland Islands to retrieve his wayward older brother, Henry. But just as Jackson arrives, Henry's farcical career as a British private detective gets a serious boost when he lands the case of a murdered German woman with a massive estate. Unable to watch his brother fail, Jackson joins Henry's investigation into the strange Henbit family. The dead woman leaves behind a contentious will, angry relatives, and a life full of secrets that Henry must unravel. When a second body appears, it becomes clear that more than Henry's career is at risk.

Thanks to Aunt Peg and her enthusiastic dog show pals, Melanie's aptly named Bite Club reading group has book lovers all over town burying their noses in thrilling murder mysteries. But another pet project surfaces when Melanie reluctantly agrees to train a Bulldog puppy for elusive member Evan Major. Between the unusual bruise on his face and a bizarre run-in with an unknown dog show attendee, introverted Evan's penchant for trouble sends him to an early grave - while landing Melanie in the hot seat for homicide.

As Greenwich, Connecticut, slows down during a bitterly cold February, Melanie and her spunky Aunt Peg head to the city that never sleeps for the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show at Madison Square Garden. Aunt Peg can't wait to demonstrate her judging chops on national TV, even after being hounded by frustrating mishaps - all seemingly orchestrated by Victor Durbin, an ousted Paugussett Poodle Club member with a bone to pick. But the bright lights of the show ring grow dim when Victor is found murdered, and she's the one topping the suspect list.