by Sunny Frazier

No better Mom’s Day gift than a fun mystery to read in the garden. If you’re the mom, drop a few hints for these books. Even better, ask for a gift card.

Introduce Mom to Vannetta Chapman’s new Amish Bishop mysteries. In the San Luis Valley of Colorado, an out-of-control fire takes the life of an elderly Amish bachelor. Bishop Henry Lapp discovers the fire wasn’t an accident. Someone wanted the unpopular man dead. The bishop must decide whether to use his mysterious talent (which is not disclosed right away). What the Bishop Saw is intriguing and a good start to a series.

Why not treat Mom to a bed-and-breakfast in Colorado where a writer’s retreat is going on? It’s Hospitality and Homicide in the eighth Tourist Trap series by Lynn Cahoon. Owner Cat Latimer take the authors to a ski resort. The authors aren’t interested in the slopes but more interested in the bar. One writer takes a special interest in a ski bum. He’s found dead in a hot tub, and the writer is covered with blood. Oh, and where’s that missing rare Hemingway
book?

Or maybe Mom would rather write by the seashore. She can join Bayside Book Writers in the eighth outing for Ellery Adams Books by the Bay series. While newly married Olivia Limoges’ life is going well, her friend is struggling. When the woman finds her husband fooling around with her mom’s hospice nurse, she lets the threats fly. Now the nurse is dead, and the group becomes very divided. Killer Characters will keep Mom intrigued.

Careful Mom doesn’t enjoy writing so much she becomes A Writer’s Apprentice in the second book in Julia Buckley’s series. Lena London is assistant to a suspense novelist and friend. She lives rent free in the Gothic house and has a new boyfriend. He’s just been cleared of murder charges and the town of Blue Lake, Indiana, are remorseful. One blogger wants to apologize in person, but then she’s found dead behind his house. It’s Death in Dark Blue as Lena has to unravel the mystery and save her man!

Does Mom go for a healthy lifestyle? Organic farmer Cam Flaherty waits for a good rain and instead gets a visit from her parents. A neighbor has set up a hydroponic greenhouse and claims her food is also organic. When Cam’s mother discovers it’s not true, she sets up a protest. The rival farmer is found dead in the sludge of her hydroponic operation. There are plenty of suspects in this Massachusetts town and Cam recruits her dad, an amateur sleuth, to help. Mulch Ado About Murder is the fifth in the Local Food mysteries by Edith Maxwell.

Or maybe you can get Mom to splurge on Monica Albertson’s cranberry relish. She’s selling it to a chain store and business is good. The cranberry bogs are in bloom, and a beekeeper and his assistant are bringing in the bees. When one of the bees fatally stings the assistant, Monica discovers that more than a few people in Cranberry Cove were victims of the woman’s venom. Author Peg Cochran gives us Dead and Berried, her third in the Cranberry Cove mysteries. Cranberry Recipes are Included!

Does Mom enjoy browsing in bookstores? If she’s in Broward’s Rock Island, South Carolina, she has to drop in to Death on Demand. Run by Annie and Max Darling, the couple are concerned about their fellow shop keeper. The woman hosts a dinner for prospective people to inherit the money and then dies of a suspicious fall. There are lots of motives but no evidence. Walking on My Grave is the twenty-sixth Death on Demand mystery by Carolyn Hart. Tell you mom to skip this dinner.

Why not check out a museum with Mom? Of course, there’s a wedding going on right now at Barton’s Farm. That’s normal for museum director Kelsey Cambridge, but she draws the line at hosting her ex’s wedding. The wedding planner wants a Civil War-themed wedding, which would impact the museum’s grounds. The argument ends when the planner’s body is found at the church steps. The Final Vow is third in the Living History Museum series from Amanda Flower, one of Abby F. and Joanne K’s favorite authors.

Can’t make it to be with Mom this Mother’s Day? Promise her a trip to Dixie, Tennessee, for their Fourth of July celebration. Party planner Liv McKay has gone all out for the day, however, finding the body of a town councilman on the grounds could spoil the day. The number one suspect? Liv’s mom’s fiancé. Best friend Di goes into action before anyone else is killed. One Fete in the Grave is Liv and Di in Dixie third from Vickie Fee.

Is Mom into ghost stories? When a terrified woman goes to Driscoll Investigations, she insists her house is haunted. Giulia Driscoll explains they don’t do ghosts. But the woman’s housekeeper and rich cousin also plead the case and believe someone is trying to ruin the woman’s business. They want the agency to do Tarot readings, ghost hunting sessions, and even an exorcism. Guilia is in for some strange experiences as well as an attempt on her life. The Clock Strikes Nun is the fourth in the series by Alice Loweecey.

If all else fails, make traditional perfume untraditional by buying from Scents & Nonsense in Poppyville, California. Elliana Allbright’s “special” knack for creating scents that magically stop headaches, inspire change, and bring joy. Plus, customers love to relax in the garden behind her shop. A journalist comes to town to write a feature for a national magazine but is found dead. Now Elliana has to sniff out the killer. Nightshade for Warning is the second Enchanted Garden mystery from Bailey Cattrell (who also writes the Magical Bakery Mysteries as Bailey Cates).

Check out other mystery articles, reviews, book giveaways & short stories in our mystery section. Check back every month for Coming Attractions!

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Sunny Frazier worked with an undercover narcotics team in Fresno County for 17 years before turning her energies to writing the Christy Bristol Astrology Mysteries. Based in the San Joaquin Valley of California, the novels are inspired by real cases and 35 years of casting horoscopes.

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