Only One Lie by Audrey J. Cole

With 850+ ratings and a 4.4 star average, Only One Lie by Audrey J. Cole is a thrilling kidnapping saga set in 1940s Seattle.

Karen M. describes in her five star Amazon review why you should add this to your TBR list, “Well developed characters that intertwine in an astonishing storyline that reveals not only the grip of a powerful and ruthless banking family, it showcases the amazingly heroic actions of the women in WWII that ferried war birds across our country. Kudo’s Audrey J. Cole, you hit this one out of the park!”

“This incredible story of one woman’s courage and desire to do the right thing takes us on a rollercoaster ride through the potential criminal activities of a rich entitled family with no regard to the war going on around them,” Lisa concurs in her five star Amazon review. “I enjoyed the short chapters and fast-paced storyline with almost non-stop action keeping me glued to the pages…”

When She Gets Hot by Miriam Allenson

With 8 ratings and a 4.7 star average, When She Gets Hot is a hidden gem which follows Tootsie Goldberg, an amateur sleuth who will keep you laughing and guessing with each turn of the page.

“This was such a fun book to read,” Jen L. raves in her five star Amazon review. “It’s one of those books that makes you laugh out loud but also keeps you emotionally in touch with the main character. Tootsie is a lot of fun but clever and complex. A fantastic representation of a later-in-life character who has dimension and depth and isn’t just played for a stereotype. Thank you, Miriam for a relatable and compelling read!”

N. Theo concurs in their five star Amazon review, “Do you like to laugh? Then you should grab When She Gets Hot, a hilarious romp starring the irrepressible Tootsie Goldberg. I rarely laugh out loud when I read, but Tootsie’s fun quirkiness tickled my funny bone so hard, I snort-laughed. There’s also a really hot cop that I drooled over. All the characters are so vivid that they leap off the page to perform their shenanigans. I highly recommend this fun mystery!”

Will Stop At Nothing by Linda Coles

With 18 ratings and a 4 star average, Will Stop At Nothing is the third and final book in the Will Peters mystery series by Linda Coles.

Lindsay explains in her five star Goodreads review, “I love Will Peters and his merry band of friends and as always was not disappointed with this new book in the series, but it also broke my heart a little bit. I won’t ruin it for anyone but keep the tissues handy as you will need them. This time around Will gets himself tangled into a murder investigation when he finds a dead body that has links to his past and means it’s time for Will to face some of the history of his family. Loved it.”

“…Linda Coles is a wonderful storyteller and proves it again with this book which is well written and well developed,” JohnandDebbie concurs in their five star Amazon review. “Will is one of those characters that becomes a friend by the end of the book. This is truly a quality read…”

Suspicion and Shamrocks by Madelyn Scott

With 25+ ratings and a 4.4 star average, Suspicion and Shamrocks is part of the Holidays are Murder series by Madelyn Scott. This installment follows Lucy as she and her canine sidekick, Ollie, unravel a murder.

Pamela writes in her five star Amazon review, “Great addition to the Holidays are Murder series with wonderful characters you feel like you know and a fun mystery that quickly became a page-turner when Lucy [stumbles] across the body of Sean McCutchen just outside the pub on St. Patrick’s Day. If you enjoy well-crafted cozies, don’t miss Suspicion and Shamrocks by gifted author Madelyn Scott…”

“This is such a cute cozy mystery in a fun series,” Rose concurs in her five star Amazon review. “I really enjoyed it. We continue to follow Lucy as she becomes more entrenched back in her small Louisiana hometown after many years as a New Yorker. The mystery is engaging and the cast of characters is fun. If you love dogs, you will enjoy this as Lucy is being gradually won over by her newly inherited dog Ollie while she tries to save the Dip and Clip, her newly inherited business. In between she solves the murder case.”

Tales of the Time by CB Laurence

With 7 ratings and a 4.7 star average, Tales of the Time is the fourth installment in the Express Investigations series, which follows a team of investigators set in 1940s Los Angeles. Readers beware, according to the Amazon listing, this book contains darker themes which some may find distressing. This book shares the background of various members of the Express Investigations team.

Aunt Sarge explains in her five star Amazon review, “Rather than being one long mystery story, this book is composed of four short stories: 23-year-old Tom Belmont talks about identifying a serial murderer when he was 14; private investigators Squint and Andy tell their stories of how they met the owners of Express Investigations; and the owners, Várlumo and Trix, talk about their very first case. The shorter mysteries make reading the book much easier, and each story is written in a different voice: a teenaged boy; a world-weary, hard-boiled PI; an angry police officer; and two neophyte detectives who are concerned they might make mistakes…

Content warnings from the author’s website: racially motivated murders; racism; adult child death; murder; graphic violence; attempted drowning. I’m not certain I would have read the book if I had known about the content warnings, but I am so glad I did. I look forward to reading more of her books…”

“This is my favorite book of the series to date giving the background of different members of Express Investigators,” JohnandDebbie writes in their five star Amazon review. “Each section is its own story and could be read in any order. I enjoyed learning the background on the well-developed characters that make up the team. These books are very well written and stay in character for the time period (1920’s – 1930’s). Grab a snack and a beverage because you won’t be putting this book down until the end. I have reread a few of the earlier books, enjoying knowing more of the back story and enjoying them just as much as I did when first read…”