A Mystery With Recipes Series

Two sisters get into catering and crimesolving in “a delicious mystery…that will have readers begging for second helpings” (Leslie Maier). Bernadette Simmons wasn't sure what to expect when she left L.A.—and her no-good, cheating boyfriend—to move back in with her family in New York. And her sister Libby had no idea what she was in for when she hired Bernie to work for her catering business. But in between cutting up canapés and dishing up desserts, the two find themselves in the midst of a mystery they can sink their teeth into… Right now they’re baking cookies and slicing rare beef tenderloin to serve at a high school reunion. The dinner has a Dracula theme and a very strange guest of honor: Laird Wrenn, a New York Times-bestselling author of vampire novels. Libby and Bernie know this will be an evening unlike any other. And they're proven right when Laird pours a glass of water, takes a long sip—and drops stone-cold dead. Now, with murder on the menu and Libby under suspicion, the sisters must put their heads together to figure out whodunit, in a mystery that promises to be deadly to the very last bite. Includes 7 delectable recipes for you to try! “A naturally flowing narrative, lively and likeable characters, and plenty of clever word play amid the foul play set this first novel above the common run of cozies.”—Publishers Weekly “Fans who love culinary mysteries are going to gain pounds after reading this delicious who-done-it.”—I Love a Mystery

Someone’s shot an arrow at the bride, and it isn’t Cupid…A mystery filled with “clever dialogue and an eccentric supporting cast” (Publishers Weekly).   Bernadette and Libby Simmons have been working twelve-hour days, and between whipping up sweet treats and catering high school graduation parties, the sisters have to fit one more event into their busy schedule: catering a high-society wedding that takes a very low turn… Leeza Sharp is getting ready to have the wedding of her dreams. She’s got a $25,000 dress (gorgeous and made to order), a rich Estonian fiancé (head of a multimillion-dollar caviar empire) and a four-star menu (planned by none other than Bernie and Libby). Never mind that she's not really in love with her boring, bland groom-to-be. But the dream wedding turns into a nightmare. Hours before she’s scheduled to walk down the aisle, Leeza takes an arrow to the chest. Now Libby and Bernadette have more on their minds than pouring Cristal and cutting up wedding cake: they’ve got an archery-inclined killer to find… Includes 6 delectable recipes for you to try! “The sisters’ playful rivalry, clever dialogue and an eccentric supporting cast make for plenty of cozy fun.”—Publishers Weekly “Frequent humor, a couple of little-old-lady Marxists, and several delicious recipes complete the cozy picture. Recommended for culinary mystery fans.”—Library Journal

A dysfunctional family holiday turns deadly in this “sprightly” mystery (Publishers Weekly).   Whipping up Thanksgiving dinner can be stressful for anyone, but that goes double for the Field family. Everything has to be perfect, or they risk getting cut out of dominating patriarch Monty’s lucrative will. That’s where sisters Bernie and Libby’s catering company, A Little Taste of Heaven, comes in. Surely with their lumpless mashed potatoes and to-die-for gravy, even the super-dysfunctional Fields can get along for one meal. But no one can dress up disaster when the turkey goes boom right in Monty’s scowling face, sending him to that great dining room in the sky. With everyone harboring their own cornucopia of secrets, discovering who wanted to carve up Monty won’t be easy. Worse, the Field Mansion is draped under a snowstorm, trapping them with a killer determined to get more than his piece of the pie. Bernie and Libby will have to find out who the culprit is, fast, before the leftovers—and their chances of surviving—run out for good…   Includes tasty recipes!   “Fans of culinary cozies by Joanne Fluke and Diane Mott Davidson will enjoy discovering Crawford.” –Library Journal

A haunted-house party turns homicidal: “Fun, well-plotted…A selection of delectable seasonal recipes rounds out the volume.”—Publishers Weekly With the promise of a hefty commission and some valuable word-of-mouth for their catering business, A Little Taste of Heaven, sisters Bernadette and Libby Simmons agree to cater the charity haunted house being staged at the old Peabody School. But when wealthy socialite Amethyst Applegate is found dead in the haunted house, Bernie and Libby wonder if a murderer might also be lurking about Peabody’s gloomy halls… While almost everyone Amethyst ever met might have a motive for killing her, not everyone had access to the Peabody School. All Bernie and Libby know is if they don’t solve this mystery soon, they might become the next stars in a real-life horror flick…   “Fans of culinary cozies by Joanne Fluke and Diane Mott Davidson will enjoy discovering Crawford.”—Library Journal Includes recipes!

“Cozy fans will appreciate the zany characters, witty dialogue and puzzling plot.”—Publishers Weekly   To most of the people of Longely, New York, St. Paddy's Day means good food, great music, and plenty of Guinness. But when the lifeless body of Mike Sweeney floats to the top of a vat of green beer, it looks like the luck o' the Irish has just run out. Unfortunately for the Simmons sisters, Bernie and Libby, the number one suspect is related to one of their very best catering customers, the pampered and powerful Bree Nottingham. When Bree visits A Little Taste of Heaven to beseech them to clear her nephew's name, they just can't say no. But the more information Bernie and Libby stir up, the more Duncan Nottingham looks like a killer. For Bernie and Libby, the situation is in danger of boiling over. And they can't count on good old Saint Pat to drive out the snake in their midst…they'll have to do it themselves. “Fans of culinary cozies by Joanne Fluke and Diane Mott Davidson will enjoy discovering Crawford.”—Library Journal Includes original recipes for you to try!

“Fans of culinary cozies by Joanne Fluke and Diane Mott Davidson will enjoy discovering Crawford.”—Library Journal Bernie and Libby Simmons, caterers extraordinaire, are hosting a televised cookie contest just in time for Christmas, but unfriendly rivalries cook up a cutthroat competition… The feisty members of the Christmas Cookie Club Exchange are busy perfecting their recipes once again. And with the Baking for Life cookie contest on the line, the stakes are higher—and deadlier—than ever. When the odds-on favorite dies in a suspicious car accident en route to the show, Bernie and Libby start digging and are shocked to uncover a soap opera of sinister secrets and clandestine affairs. But they'll stop at nothing to get to the truth, because no holiday treat is sweeter than justice. Includes original recipes for you to try! “A chatty, cozy mystery.”—Library Journal

A billionaire is felled at a fundraiser: “Fans of culinary cozies by Joanne Fluke and Diane Mott Davidson will enjoy discovering Crawford.”—Library Journal    Everyone in Longely, New York is talking about Blue House, an art complex that will bring the quaint little town a theater, an art gallery, and even a restaurant and coffee bar. But they’re less than enthusiastic about Ludvoc “Zeb” Zalinsky, the self-made billionaire who’s funding the complex—and rubbing everyone the wrong way.   Sisters Bernie and Libby Simmons are catering an elaborate tea party for an opening night gala fundraiser. But just when it seems the Alice in Wonderland-themed tea party is going according to plan, Zeb lifts an electric tea kettle, clutches his chest, and falls to the floor. It doesn’t take long for police to decide that this seemingly random accident was actually cold-blooded murder.   As Bernie and Libby set out to find the culprit, they realize Zeb might have had more enemies than money. With so many possible culprits to sort through, only one thing is clear: Zeb was poured a steaming cup of revenge—and a second serving may be on the menu…   Includes original recipes for you to try!

A mom feels taken for granted—but she’s got bigger problems when she’s taken in for murder: “Engaging…cozy fans will find plenty to like.”—Publishers Weekly   It’s Mother’s Day in sleepy Longely, New York, and catering sisters Bernie and Libby Simmons’ friend Ellen is an overworked, underappreciated mom who’s fed up. She’s a dutiful wife and mother while also running her pet-treat business—yet her birthday and anniversary have both been forgotten.   But when she tries to fake her own kidnapping as a prank to get back at her family, things go very wrong. The phony ransom note directed her husband to come to a local motel, but when he gets there, Ellen’s being arrested for murdering the man whose body is in her room. She insists she doesn’t even know him—but her staged abduction doesn’t exactly inspire confidence in the police. Now Bernie and Libby will have to cook up a plan to clear their pal’s name… Includes original recipes for you to try!

It’s murder by musket at a Revolutionary War re-enactment: “This satisfying cozy will appeal to fans of Joanne Fluke’s Hannah Swensen mysteries.”—Booklist   High noon on July Fourth in the quiet town of Longley, New York, and it’s got to be a hundred degrees. Thankfully, sisters Bernie and Libby are setting up their yummy catering in a shady gazebo for the reenactment of The Battle of Meadow Creek—and not baking in those Revolutionary War uniforms with their fellow townspeople. After a few cheery exchanges of “Moveth” and “Thou speakest treason,” the muskets are fired and the fake battle is over. But the blood on the notorious town playboy looks very real. Is it possible he’s had his last tryst? When town councilman and resident loudmouth Rick Evans accuses Libby’s beau, Marvin, Bernie and Libby know they’ve got to get cooking on the case. But the former Casanova has burned half the town—including the hotheaded politician and his occasionally faithful wife. And what about the re-enactor who’s training as an EMT yet almost fainted at the sight of the deceased’s blood? Bernie and Libby have their plates overloaded with suspects, and will need to work fast to clear Marvin’s name. The simmering killer is still out there, armed and taking shots, and unless the sisters quickly get to the bottom of this patriotic pre-meditation, their goose may be cooked… Includes original recipes for you to try!   “Scorned women, jealous husbands, Wiccans, and Hilda the pet pig add to the cozy fun.”—Publishers Weekly

Sisters Bernie and Libby Simmons are reunited with a distant relative who wants them to cater a New Year’s Eve event—and help find a guilty party . . .   It’s been years since Bernie and Libby’s parents became estranged from Ada Sinclair’s side of the family—though the reasons for the rift are lost to history. The sisters, however, are intrigued when Ada makes contact and tells them about the long-ago deaths of her father and his business partner—both of which were ruled accidental.   Ada thinks otherwise—and has a plan. On New Year’s Eve, she’ll gather a group of guests and read from a diary she’s found in her mother’s attic that she thinks will expose the culprit. The Simmons sisters agree to provide refreshments for the bash, but when the night arrives, a guest drops dead. In the tumult, the diary disappears. When Ada is arrested for murder, she’ll have to hope that Bernie and Libby can provide a resolution before the clock runs out.   Includes Original Recipes for You to Try!   “Fast paced and lively, this mystery will appeal to fans of Joanne Fluke and Laura Childs.” —Booklist  

A man is found hanging at a Halloween party, and two sleuthing sisters must unmask a killer: “Charming.”—Publishers Weekly   When sisters Bernie and Libby Simmons agree to cater an extravagant Halloween party in their little town of Longely, New York, they figured a ghost or two and a bloodcurdling scream might be part of the menu, but they never expected to be haunted by the specter of murder.   Darius Witherspoon isn’t giving up on his plan for a catered costume party—despite the recent disappearance of his wife, Penelope. He may be heartbroken, but perhaps throwing a big shindig in her honor will boost his spirits. He hires Bernie and Libby to provide the treats. They’d prefer to avoid the festivities altogether, but as always, there are bills to be paid. And in the midst of the celebration, Darius is discovered hanging from a noose outside one of the ballroom’s French doors—with a note left behind that suggests this was not suicide. It’s up to Bernie and Libby to find out whodunit…    Includes original recipes for you to try!   “Recurring characters, especially the sisters’ widowed father, retired police chief Sean, add depth and humor.”—Publishers Weekly   Includes Original Recipes for You to Try!

An “amusing” mystery filled with “lively characters, irresistible food descriptions, and witty dialogue” (Publishers Weekly).   Susie Katz is known as the crazy cat lady of Longely, New York, and goes out of her way to earn the title, right down to her cat T-shirts and porcelain Hello Kitties. She’s a fanatic for anything feline. Humans, not so much.   So when she decides to put up a tent on her property and hold an extravagant wedding ceremony for her two Russian blues, she makes sure to include a few two-legged guests—primarily to raise some hackles. All her favorite enemies will be there: her bird-loving neighbor, a rival cat breeder, a local animal rights activist, and the niece and nephew who stand to inherit her considerable fortune…if she doesn’t spend it all on cat tchotchkes first. Susie can’t wait for them all to watch as Boris and Natasha slink up the aisle in their very expensive diamond-studded collars, before everyone starts digging in to the poached salmon and caviar provided for the occasion by catering sisters Bernie and Libby.   But chaos erupts when a wedding gift is unwrapped and a mischief of mice jump out of the box—followed by the disappearance of all the pampered partygoers. Just a few hours later, Susie is stabbed in the back while searching for her missing kitties near the now-empty tent—and it’s up to the Simmons sisters to sniff out the killer.   Includes original recipes for you to try!

Sisters Bernie and Libby Simmons are used to catering lip-smacking treats to an artsy group of book lovers—until fiction spills into reality . . .   If anything can be said about endearingly predictable Margo Hemsley, it’s that she always serves elaborate desserts at her mystery book club meetings. That’s why everyone fears the worst after she doesn’t pick up her order from Bernie and Libby and skips out on the monthly gathering. The Simmons sisters can’t imagine their acquaintance vanishing like a character from one of her favorite novels, at least not willingly.   When the search ends with the discovery of a dead body, Bernie and Libby agree to help the nine remaining book club members prove their friend was murdered. But a speed read through Margo’s background reveals there was more to the victim than harmless hobbies and frumpy cardigans would suggest. As the sleuthing sisters unearth scandalous secrets about the book club members, they’ll have to determine who was connected to Margo’s shady dealings—and who sent her to an early grave . . .