New Releases I’m Excited About: Mid 2021 Mystery/Suspense Fiction

Greetings, dear readers! We’re still piling the books on top of our teetering TBR stacks and sliding into my fave genre today. Cue the cheers and squealing & break out those lists (<cough> Susan <cough>)  because Mid 2021 is bringing TONS of GREAT looking books including Mid 2021 Mystery & Suspense New Releases (May-August).

Here is the schedule of posts for the week so you can zero in on your fave genre(s)!

Monday: Contemporary Fiction (non-Amish & non-suspense)
Tuesday: Historical Fiction (non-Amish & non-suspense)
TODAY: Mystery/Suspense (non-Amish, non-speculative)
Thursday: Amish Fiction
Friday: Speculative/Youth
Saturday: Non-Fiction

Because if I included ALL the books I want to read we would be here all year,  I’m only selecting a few* I’m most giddy about to spotlight here. I’ll also include links to ALL the May-August 2021 releases, each in their own list by month. Or you can keep up with 2021’s new books as I learn about them by bookmarking my ‘2021 Releases‘ page & checking it each month!

*HAHAHAHAHA oh who am I kidding? There’s a lot.

spotlight on titles i’m most giddy about

(click on book title to go to its goodreads page if available)

THE SILVER SHADOW
(True Colors)
Liz Tolsma
Barbour Fiction / May 1, 2021

Denver of 1900 is still a dangerous place to be following the silver crash of 1893. And of out of the dark comes a shadow intent on harming women. Ambitious young Denver newspaper reporter Polly Blythe is searching for the big story that’s going to launch her career. On Friday evening, August 24, 1900, she gets her break when two women are cracked over the head within a two-minute walk of each other. But policeman Edwin Timmer thwarts Polly’s ideas of a serial criminal. . .until the shadowy figure strikes again. Will the reporter and the policeman team up to find the culprit before her strikes too close for comfort?

THE PARIS BETRAYAL
James R. Hannibal
Revell / May 4, 2021

After a rough mission in Rome involving the discovery of a devastating bioweapon, Company spy Ben Calix returns to Paris to find his perfectly ordered world has collapsed. A sniper attack. An ambush. A call for help that brings French SWAT forces down on his head. Ben is out. This is a severance–reserved for incompetents and traitors. Searching for answers and anticipating a coming attack, Ben and a woman swept up in his misfortunes must travel across Europe to find the sniper who tried to kill him, the medic who saved his life, the schoolmaster who trained him, and an upstart hacker from his former team. More than that, Ben must come to grips with his own insignificance as the Company’s plan to stop Leviathan from unleashing the bioweapon at any cost moves forward without him–and he struggles against the infection that is swiftly claiming territory within his own body.

NEVER MISS
Melissa Koslin
Revell / May 4, 2021

Former CIA sniper Kadance Tolle possesses a special set of skills and a rare pedigree. She comes from a family of assassins, and by saving Lyndon Vaile’s life she risks being found by them. Despite the danger, Kadance feels compelled to help Lyndon discover who is after him–and his research that seems to prove that the Ebola virus was manmade and is about to be weaponized. With shadowy figures pursuing them and a Mastermind watching their every move, Kadance and Lyndon must scramble to stop an impending bioattack at the State of the Union address. But their warnings fall on deaf ears, and it becomes increasingly clear that there’s no one they can trust–except perhaps each other.

HAILEY’S HAVEN
(Smoky Mountain Secrets #1)
Laura Scott
Readscape Publishing, LLC / May 4, 2021

After escaping her abusive foster parents thirteen years ago, Hailey Donovan thought her nightmare was over. Gatlinburg Tennessee had been a safe place to live, until she’s nearly hit by gunfire while hiking the Smoky Mountains. Her instincts are to avoid law enforcement, especially handsome park ranger Rock Wilson, but when more gunfire echoes around them, they’re forced to work together to escape. More attempts against Hailey convinces her to leave the city to start over someplace new. Rock talks her into staying and fighting against the unknown assailant. Rock senses Hailey has been traumatized in the past, and is determined to uncover the mystery surrounding her. As Hailey and Rock seek the truth behind the escalating attacks, Rock realizes he’s also in danger of losing his heart. Can Rock provide Hailey the save haven she desperately needs?

AFTERMATH
Terri Blackstock
Thomas Nelson / May 11, 2021

Criminal attorney Jamie Powell will accept the consequences for defending her lifelong friend, Dustin, when he’s accused of setting the bombs that killed dozens at a local political rally. But she hasn’t seen him since he aged out of foster care, and he’s always lived on the edge. Can she still trust him? As Jamie investigates his case and the people in his life, she realizes the facts coming to light could be devastating. Someone is setting him up . . . but proving it might destroy Dustin more than the accusation itself. Dustin overcame his childhood, but how can he overcome this?

PEACHES AND SCHEMES
(Georgia B&B #3)
Anna Gerard
Crooked Lane Books / May 11, 2021

Nina Fleet might be new to the innkeeping business, but she’s savvy enough to know that Cymbeline’s tourists aren’t enough to keep her fledgling bed and breakfast going. And so, Nina decides to tap into the destination wedding market by taking a booth at the Veils and Vanities Bridal Expo. The twice-yearly event is sponsored by the town’s two wedding pros: Virgie Hamilton, the sixtysomething owner of Virgie’s Formals, and Roxanna Quarry, a Gen X event planner and Nina’s new friend. But everything goes wrong during the expo’s fashion show, when Roxanna comes tumbling out of an oversized prop wedding cake, strangled to death by her own scarf. Virgie is arrested for the crime, thanks to Nina’s statement to the police about having overheard the woman accusing her partner of embezzlement. Certain that Virgie’s only offense is a bad temper, Nina decides to do her own investigating. As Nina gets close to the truth, she’s putting her own life at danger. And when Virgie vanishes after being bailed out of jail by an unknown benefactor, Nina fears that if she can’t find the dress shop owner in time, tying the knot will take on a whole new meaning for them both.

DEADLY EVER AFTER
(Lighthouse Library Mystery #8)
Eva Gates
Crooked Lane Books / May 11, 2021

They’re getting married! Lucy Richardson and Connor McNeil have announced their engagement. Their friends throw a party for the couple at Coquina Beach, close to Lucy’s beloved Bodie Island Lighthouse Library. As they’re packing up the presents and the (few) leftovers from Josie’s Cozy Bakery, who should arrive, but Richard Eric Lewiston III, Lucy’s former almost-fiancé and his overbearing mother Evangeline. Push comes to love when Evangeline makes no secret of why she’s here: to get Lucy and Ricky back together. Lucy isn’t temped in the least, and Ricky is nothing but embarrassed at his mother’s desperate ploy. Before returning to Boston Evangeline throws a dinner party at Jake’s Seafood Bar for a reluctant Lucy and her family. Lucy hopes to get the dinner over with and see Evangeline and Ricky returning to Boson. But when a body is found at the restaurant’s kitchen door, Lucy is again forced to unwillingly put on her detective’s hat and do what she can to save her family and her engagement.

SURVIVE THE NIGHT
(Harmony Grove #4)
Carol J. Post
May 18, 2021

Tracking a serial killer in Harmony Grove turns personal for Detective Lexi Simmons when her cousin becomes a victim. The situation goes from bad to worse when she’s teamed up with Officer Alan White whose heart she broke seven years ago. But she is determined to find justice for Kayla and the other women brutally murdered and won’t let her and Alan’s shared past interfere. Harmony Grove Police Officer Alan White has lost a good friend. He vows to help the Sheriff’s Department in any way he can, even if it means working alongside the woman who left him with a rejected ring and lots of excuses. The only connection between the victims is their approximate age and that they are beaten, strangled and left in the woods, with pictures mailed to the local newspaper shortly thereafter. Eventually, the investigation leads them to a decade-old incident on a college campus…and the realization that Lexi is a shoo-in for the killer’s next target.

SAWYER’S SECRET
(Smoky Mountain Secrets #2)
Laura Scott
Readscape Publishing, LLC / May 18, 2021

After escaping a horrible foster home thirteen years ago, Sawyer Murphy has made a new life for himself, working as a cop in Chattanooga Tennessee. But the truth of the night he and his foster siblings escaped the fire, haunts him. He’s never told anyone his secret, one he is determined to take to his grave. When he rescues Naomi Palmer from the men who’d kidnapped her, he risks his career, and his life to help her find the men responsible. Naomi is determined to find her half-sister Kate, who disappeared from Dalton, Georgia without a trace. Even when danger followers her every move, Naomi refuses to lose hope. Sawyer’s determination to find the men responsible is a blessing, and she soon loses her heart to the solitary cop. Can she convinced Sawyer to forgive himself long enough to accept her heart?

PINT OF NO RETURN
(Shake Shop Mystery #1)
Dana Mentink
Poisoned Pen Press / May 25, 2021

After her divorce from her thrice-married embezzler husband, Trinidad Jones is finally ready for a fresh start. So when she’s left one of ex’s businesses in Upper Sprocket, Oregon, she decides to pack up her dog, cash in her settlement, and open her dream business: the Shimmy and Shake Shop, introducing the world to her monster milkshakes. And even with a couple sticky situations underway, namely that the other two ex-wives also call Sprocket home, Trinidad’s life seems to be churning along smoothly. That is, until she discovers her neighbor, the Popcorn King, head down in his giant popcorn kettle. When one of Trinidad’s fellow ex-wives is accused of the murder and Upper Sprocket descends into mayhem, it’s going to take a supersized scoop of courage to flush out the killer.

BEYOND A REASONABLE DONUT
(Deputy Donut Mystery #5)
Ginger Bolton
Kensington / May 25, 2021

Emily and her assistant, Nina, are looking forward to manning the Deputy Donut tent at the Faker’s Dozen Carnival in Fallingbrook, Wisconsin—a festival held on Friday the thirteenth to celebrate good and bad luck. But Emily has barely dropped the corn fritters in oil when bad luck boils up. First, their bucket of confectioner’s sugar disappears—and then while a mime creates a distraction, a magician robs their cash register. After the carnival, their misfortune continues. Emily discovers that someone has broken into artist Nina’s loft and vandalized a large painting in progress with the bucket of stolen sugar, which is now on the head of the mime, who seems to have been suffocated. Emily would bet Nina was the intended victim, but the cops think Nina silenced the mime. Now Emily must catch the killer white-handed—before someone else kicks the bucket . . .

RISING DANGER
Jerusha Agen
Love Inspired Trade / May 25, 2021

Someone’s planting explosives on dams in the Twin Cities, and Bristol Bachmann and her bomb-sniffing dog must move quickly to find them before everything ends up underwater. That means relying on the dams’ supervisor—an ex-boyfriend Bristol never thought she’d see again. Hopefully Remington Jones has grown up from the rakish charmer she knew in her academy days. Because lives now depend entirely on them… It’s an environmental terrorist who wants the dams gone, and his bid to set the waters free has lethal consequences. When he sees Bristol and her K-9 working to stop him, he sets his sights on them. Can they evade him in a lethal game of cat and mouse and protect the cities from devastating destruction before the clock runs out?

COLD CASE TRAIL
Sharee Stover
Love Inspired Suspense / May 25, 2021

Temporarily working in the cold case division was supposed to mean less danger for state trooper Trey Jackson and his injured K-9 partner, Magnum—until they thwart an abduction. Now he must protect profiler Justine Stark, even as she blames him for her friend’s death ten years ago. Can he right past wrongs by finally solving the murder…and making sure Justine lives to find closure?

TAKEN IN THE NIGHT
(Mount Shasta Secrets #3)
Elizabeth Goddard
Love Inspired Suspense / May 25, 2021

Widow Danielle Collins runs into her ex, Reece Bradley, just in time—right after she and her daughter are abducted from their campsite. Only the former navy SEAL can save them from a mystery enemy who shot her brother. Now as they run for their lives, Danielle must figure out why they’re being hunted…and how to tell Reece the little girl he’s protecting is his daughter.

BODY IN THE BOOK DROP
(Cat Latimer Cozy Mystery Novella)
Lynn Cahoon
May 28, 2021

In this Cat Latimer mystery prequel – Cat’s just starting her graduate degree program that will set her up as a Covington professor. Her mom is working at the local public library, but if a board member has his cost cutting way, not for long. When he’s found dead at the library, Cat’s mom is the primary suspect since her banana bread knife is the murder weapon. Cat has to prove that her mom isn’t a killer – before the real culprit decides that curiosity really does kill the Cat.

DARBY’S DECISION
(Smoky Mountain Secrets #3)
Laura Scott
June 1, 2021

Darby Walsh made the difficult decision to betray Gage Killion to the police so she could get into rehab for the sake of her unborn child. Six years later, she’s managed to stay on track with the help of a wonderful woman who treats Leo like the grandson she never had. When the zip line cable Darby is using pulls free, sending her crashing into a tree, Darby doesn’t think it’s an accident. And when Gage Killion arrives on the scene, he’s her first suspect. She doesn’t tell him about their son, until it becomes clear that the drug dealers they helped put away, are now seeking revenge. Gage can’t believe he has a five-year-old son. He realizes the baby was the reason Darby had turned him in to the authorities six years ago, and he doesn’t blame her. Ironically, being in jail turned his life around, mainly because of Pastor Davies Bible Study group. Now that Gage knows about Leo, he wants to be a part of the boy’s life, but first he needs to protect Darby, and help find those responsible for the multiple attacks against them. Will he convince Darby her next decision should be to accept his love?

ON SKEIN OF DEATH
(A Riverbank Knitting Mystery #1)
Allie Pleiter
Berkley Books / June 1, 2021

Libby has come home to Collinstown, Maryland to live her dream and open her own yarn shop, aptly named Y.A.R.N., along the Chester River. To Libby, Y.A.R.N. stands for You’re Absolutely Ready Now. But the acronym changes whenever inspiration strikes, and customers add to the list of suggestions that fill the blackboard wall in a shop stuffed with color, fiber, and comfort. Libby is thrilled when she lands famous Norwegian knitting celebrity Perle Langager for a series of events at Y.A.R.N. Libby’s English bulldog, Hank, has been modeling one of Perle’s doggie sweaters, and customers just can’t wait to see Perle in action. The mayor of Collinstown even decrees a Collinstown Yarn Day to celebrate. But once Perle arrives in town, she seems distracted and on edge. And when she’s found strangled with a skein of red yarn, Libby knows she has to solve a knotty mystery before her new life unravels.

ON THE CLIFFS OF FOXGLOVE MANOR
Jaime Jo Wright
Bethany House / June 1, 2021

1885. Adria Fontaine has been sent to recover goods her father pirated on the Great Lakes during the war. But when she arrives at Foxglove Manor–a stone house on a cliff overlooking Lake Superior–Adria senses wickedness hovering over the property. The mistress of Foxglove is an eccentric and seemingly cruel old woman who has filled her house with dangerous secrets, ones that may cost Adria her life. Present day. Kailey Gibson is a new nurse’s aide at a senior home in a renovated old stone manor. Kidnapped as a child, she has nothing but locked-up memories of secrets and death, overshadowed by the chilling promise from her abductors that they would return. When the residents of Foxglove start sharing stories of whispers in the night, hidden treasure, and a love willing to kill, it becomes clear this home is far from a haven. She’ll have to risk it all to banish the past’s demons, including her own.

POWER PLAY
(Capital Intrigue #3)
Rachel Dylan
Bethany House / June 1, 2021

When State Department attorney Vivian Steele witnesses two ambassadors collapse as if poisoned at a diplomatic dinner in Washington, DC, she is recruited to be a member of a joint FBI task force assigned to investigate. But she soon finds her by-the-book ways clashing with a special agent in the Diplomatic Security Service, Jacob Cruz. A former Navy SEAL and in charge of the event’s security, Jacob takes the attack personally and is driven to act quickly, even ahead of the rules and regulations.  As Viv starts to work her diplomatic sources, her past as a State Department lawyer comes back to haunt her, and secrets held tightly by the government thrust her into a web of danger. Afraid, Viv turns to the one man bent on protecting others. But can she accept Jacob’s reckless ways as exactly what she needs to stay alive and to discover the truth behind the attacks?

THE ART OF BETRAYAL
(A Kate Hamilton Mystery #3)
Connie Berry
Crooked Lane Books / June 8, 2021

Antiques dealer Kate Hamilton is spending the month of May in the Suffolk village of Long Barston, enjoying precious time with Detective Inspector Tom Mallory. While attending the May Fair, the annual pageant based on a well-known Anglo-Saxon folktale, a body turns up in the middle of the festivities. Kate is even more shocked when she learns the murder took place in antiquity shop owner Ivor Tweedy’s stockroom and a valuable Chinese pottery jar that she had been tasked with finding a buyer for has been stolen. Ivor may be ruined. Insurance won’t cover a fraction of the loss. As Tom leads the investigation, Kate begins to see puzzling parallels between the murder and local legends. The more she learns, the more convinced she is that the solution to both crimes lies in the misty depths of Anglo-Saxon history and a generations-old pattern of betrayal.

DEATH BY LEPRECHAUN
(Travel Can Be Murder #6)
Jennifer S. Alderson
Traveling Life Press / June 18, 2021

When an old friend is arrested in Dublin for murdering a disgruntled coworker, tour guide Lana Hansen will need the luck of the Irish to help clear him of the crime. The Travel Can Be Murder Cozy Mysteries are heartwarming stories about making friends, traveling, and celebrating new experiences. Join tour guide Lana Hansen as she leads tourists and readers to fascinating cities around the globe on intriguing adventures that often turn deadly.

NIGHT MOVES
(Night Hawk Security #4)
Susan Sleeman
Edge of Your Seat Books, Inc. / June 18, 2021

County social worker, Natalie Dunn discovers a horrible secret about the father of her juvenile clients. The man not only killed one woman, but Natalie suspects he’s killed several others. She plans to go to the authorities, but before she can, the killer turns his sights on her. Fearing for the lives of this man’s children, she removes them from their home and calls in former U.S. Marshal, Drake Byrd of Nighthawk Security to protect her and the children and help her prove their father is a ruthless killer. As they investigate, Drake learns the father is a former elite sniper and assassin, and he has done a professional job of hiding any evidence of his wrong doing. Drake vows to protect Natalie and the three children—all of whom he has come to care for—putting everything on the line for them. When bullets start flying, can he save them all from a certain death?

MOCHA SHE WROTE
(A Bakeshop Mystery #13)
Ellie Alexander
St. Martin’s Press / June 29, 2021

Summer has ushered in a new season in the charming hamlet of Ashland, Oregon. Torte is bustling with tourists taking in star-drenched shows at the Elizabethan, setting out to hike in the surrounding Siskiyou Mountains, and sampling the bakeshop’s summer lineup of raspberry lemon tarts and mint mojito cold brews. Jules and the team are buzzing with excitement when they learn that Andy, Torte’s head barista, has been selected to compete in the West Coast Barista Cup. The prestigious competition draws coffee aficionados from up and down the coast to Ashland. The winner will not only claim to be best-in-brew, but also be awarded a hefty cash prize. Andy’s nervous about his chances, but Jules is confident that her star barista will shine. However, things take a grim turn when head judge Benson Vargas spits out Andy’s first offering, claiming it to be the worst thing to ever touch his lips–and hours later, is found dead clutching Andy’s creamy latte.

PERIL ON THE RANCH
Lynette Eason
Love Inspired Suspense / June 29, 2021

When an infant is abandoned on her ranch, foster mother Isabelle Trent will do anything for the child—even put her own life on the line. She might not know who left the little girl, but it’s clear someone’s after her and will kill to reach their target. With Isabelle’s ranch hand, Brian “Mac” McGee, at her side, can she survive long enough to protect the baby?

BREACH OF HONOR
Janice Cantore
Tyndale House / July 6, 2021

As a police officer in Table Rock, Oregon, Leah Radcliff puts her life on the line to help others every day. But at home, Leah’s battling her own personal nightmare: Brad, her abusive husband, a fellow officer, celebrated hero, and beloved son of a powerful prominent family. Brad’s violent outbursts and suspicious activities have left Leah physically and emotionally scarred, until one desperate action to put a stop to his abuse results in deadly consequences. Though public opinion seems ready to convict Leah, Officer Clint Tanner is one of the few to believe she acted in self-defense. As he works with Leah’s attorney to produce the evidence they need, new truths about Brad’s dark side come to light—and reveal a deep-rooted problem in Table Rock. There are some who have breached their sworn duty to serve and protect . . . and they’ll do anything to keep their secret safe.

A PUMPKIN SPICE KILLING
(A Farm-to-Fork Novella)
Lynn Cahoon
Lyrical Press / July 6, 2021

Angie and her County Seat staff are all prepared for some much-needed R&R. Hope’s been hinting at an arts-and-crafts themed retreat. Instead, they end up at a military veteran’s home, where it’s their job to get it spic and span for summer. In between weeding the garden and painting the rooms, Angie starts up a conversation with an older vet who wants to make amends with his son before it’s too late. Unfortunately, he has no idea of his son’s whereabouts. It’s the perfect side job for the County Seat team, but someone keeps blocking their efforts. And the more they try to find out why, the more they’re certain someone’s life might be in danger . . .

THE CHASE
(U.S. Marshals #2)
Lisa Harris
Revell / July 6, 2021

US Marshal Madison James may not be sure who shot her three months ago, but she does know one thing–it’s time to get back out into the field. When her partner, Jonas Quinn, receives a message that a federal warrant just came in on a man connected to a string of bank robberies, Madison jumps at the chance to get back to work. What she and Jonas find is a bank robbery in progress that’s gone wrong–and things are about to get worse. For these bank robbers, it’s never been just about the money. It’s about taking risks and adrenaline rushes, and getting caught is not part of the game. When the suspects escape, Madison and Jonas must hunt them down and bring them to justice before someone else–someone close to them–gets hurt . . . or worse.

WOMAN IN SHADOW
Janice Cantore
Thomas Nelson / July 13, 2021

Darby Graham thinks she’s on a much-needed vacation in remote Idaho to relax. But before she even arrives at the ranch, an earthquake strikes—her first clue that something is amiss. Then when a cabin on the edge of town is engulfed in flames and problems at the ranch escalate, Darby finds herself immersed in a chilling mystery. A serial arsonist sends taunting letters to the press after each fire. As a forensic linguist, this is Darby’s area of expertise . . . but the scars it’s caused her also the reason she’s trying to escape from her life. As the shadows continue to move in, the pieces of the town around her come into sharper focus. Can she trust the one man who sees her clearly?

DOGGED BY DEATH
(A Furry Friends Mystery #1)
Laura Scott
Crooked Lane Books / July 13, 2021

Ally Winter is going through a ruff patch. The thirty-something veterinarian lost her fiance, her clinic, and her savings in rapid succession. So when Ally’s grandfather undergoes hip replacement surgery, she moves back to Willow Bluff, Wisconsin, to care for him. She arrives home, tail between her legs, only to find sleazy lawyer Marty Shawlin murdered in his home office. And the only witness was Marty’s faithful boxer, Roxy. Quick as a greyhound, Noah Jorgensen is on the case. The good news is, he’s the best detective around. The bad news, at least the way Ally sees it, is that Noah is still just as fetching as he was back in high school.  Meanwhile, true-crime aficionado Gramps fancies himself a sleuth, and he is doggedly determined to sniff out the culprit himself…with Ally’s reluctant help, of course. Ally has no choice but to team up with Noah–and the irrepressible Roxy–to solve the case while keeping Gramps on a short leash.

MURDER AT SEA CAPTAIN’S INN
(Book Magic Mystery #3)
Melissa Bourbon
Lake House Press / July 20, 2021

As Pippin delves deeper into her father’s research, she discovers new information about the curse that plagues the Lanes. At the same time, when a visiting archeologist stays at Sea Captain’s Inn, an ancient discovery leads to murder. Could it be connected to her family? Pippin must get to the truth to save the reputation of Sea Captain’s Inn, and to peel back another layer of Lane family secrets.

WIDOW’S SECRETS
Shelley Shepard Gray
Love Inspired Cold Case / July 27, 2021

Artist Liana Mann is stunned to learn her husband, missing for ten years, has been found murdered. Now Officer Kent Olson seeks to solve the cold case—with Liana’s help. The faster he unravels the mystery, the sooner he can return to regular duties. Liana wants nothing to do with the police, yet Kent intrigues her. But will digging into the past create new problems?

THE CIDER SHOP RULES
(A Cider Shop Mystery #3)
Julie Anne Lindsey
Kensington / July 27, 2021

The Fall Festival is in full swing. Civil War reenactors from three counties are partaking in Blossom Valley’s tribute to John Brown. Blue Ridge Mountain foliage is in full bloom. And best of all is Jacob Potter’s pumpkin farm where his hay rides, piglet races, pumpkin picking and corn maze are time-honored draws for locals and tourists alike. That’s why it’s such a shock when Mr. Potter is found dead, hidden under a tarp in the back of Winnie’s pickup truck. This certainly betrays Potter’s reputation as one of the town’s most popular citizens. Fortunately, when it comes to solving a murder, no one has a patch on Winnie. Now, all eyes are on her to do it. Unfortunately, that includes those of the killer who’ll do anything to keep an orchard full of secrets buried.

MURDER IN A TEACUP
(Tea by the Sea Mysteries #2)
Vicki Delany
Kensington / July 27, 2021

Lily has her work cut out for her when a visit from her grandmother Rose’s dear friend, Sandra McHenry, turns into an unexpected–and unpleasant–McHenry family reunion. The squabbling boils over and soon Tea by the Sea’s serene afternoon service resembles the proverbial tempest in a teapot. Somehow, Lily and her tearoom survive the storm, and Sandra’s bickering brethren finally retreat to Rose’s B & B. But later that evening, a member of their party–harmless Ed French–dies from an apparent poisoning and suddenly Tea by the Sea is both scene and suspect in a murder investigation!

EXPOSING A KILLER
Laurie Alice Eakes
Love Inspired Suspense / July 27, 2021

A routine stakeout turns lethal when private investigator Megan O’Clare videotapes a murder—and ends up dodging gunfire with rival PI Jack Luskie. As the killer fights to destroy the evidence on Megan’s phone—and them along with it—this investigation becomes personal. But can Megan and Jack put aside their rivalry and work together to survive?

LETHAL COVER-UP
Darlene L. Turner
Love Inspired Suspense / July 27, 2021

Border patrol officer Madison Steele knows her sister Leah’s fatal car crash was no accident. Someone’s willing to kill to cover up a pharmaceutical company’s deadly crime of distributing tainted drugs. Now they are after Madison to tie off loose ends. But with her high school sweetheart, Canadian police constable Tucker Reed, at her side, can Madison expose the company’s deadly plan before she becomes the next victim?

BURIED EVIDENCE
Kellie VanHorn
Love Inspired Suspense / July 27, 2021

Returning home isn’t easy for forensic anthropologist Laney Hamilton, especially when it means examining bones that could belong to her long-missing best friend—the sister of the man she once loved. But now someone wants Laney dead, and her ex-boyfriend, police sergeant Ryan Mitchell, must shield her. As the predator stalks them, can Laney and Ryan finally uncover the tragic truth about their past?

MISSING IN THE DESERT
(Desert Justice #2)
Dana Mentink
Love Inspired Suspense / July 27, 2021

Who would believe that Mara Castillo’s sister—missing and presumed dead—suddenly sent a one-word text? Now Mara wants answers, even if it means stepping into a killer’s sights with her brother’s best friend, rancher Levi Duke, as her only protection. But with someone who has everything to lose after her, uncovering a long-buried secret could save her life…or claim it.

TRACKING STOLEN SECRETS
(Alaska K-9 Unit #4)
Laura Scott
Love Inspired Suspense / July 27, 2021

Positive her sister isn’t involved in a theft ring as the police believe, State Trooper Helena Maddox and her K-9 partner must find her twin before local cop Everett Brand does. But when the niece Helena didn’t know existed is left on Everett’s doorstep, they all become targets. Now, working with Everett is Helena’s only option to keep the baby safe and prove her sister’s innocence…

HOSTILE INTENT
(Danger Never Sleeps #4)
Lynette Eason
Revell / August 3, 2021

Ava Jackson entered the military shortly after high school, but her mother’s illness has forced her to request an early discharge. She already lost her father while deployed, and there’s no way she’s going to let her mother die alone. But after a visit to the nursing facility where her mother lives, Ava is attacked walking back to her car. Fortunately, FBI Special Agent Caden Denning arrives in time to help fight off her attacker. Caden reveals to Ava that she may hold the key to the murders of three families, and he needs her help before anyone else is harmed. The hits show a pattern, and clearly the killer has an agenda. But if Caden and Ava can’t discover what it is, Ava may be next on the hit list.

THE BARRISTER AND THE LETTER OF MARQUE
Todd M. Johnson
Bethany House / August 3, 2021

As a barrister in 1819 London, William Snopes is a strong advocate who chooses to defend the poorer classes against the powerful. That changes the day a struggling heiress, Lady Malissa Jameson, arrives at his door. In a last-ditch effort to save her faltering estate, Lady Jameson invested in the acquisition of a merchant brig, the Padget, allowed by a letter of marque from the king’s regent to legally capture cargo from French traders operating illegally in the Indian Sea. Yet when the ship returns to the London harbor, it’s met by constables and soldiers ready to seize its goods, accusing the sailors of piracy. And the letter proving their legality has disappeared. Moved by the lady’s distress, intrigued by the claimed letter, and goaded by an opposing solicitor, William Snopes cautiously takes the case. But as he gets deeper into the mystery and prepares for trial, he learns that the forces arrayed against Lady Jameson, and now himself, are even more powerful than he’d imagined.

COOPER’S CHOICE
(Smoky Mountain Secrets #4)
Laura Scott
August 3, 2021

As an artist Cooper Holland instantly notices the beautiful woman going into a church, for the second time in as many days. When a man dressed in black begins to follow her, he instinctively knows something is wrong. Soon, he discovers there are two men after the pretty lady, and is shocked when Mia claims they want to kill her. The rules of witness protection prevent Mia Royce from confiding in Cooper, the attractive artist who has raced to her rescue. Unfortunately, her US Marshal contact isn’t answering her calls. Cooper has the street smarts to help her remain hidden so she reluctantly accepts his help. As the attacks against Mia grow more threatening, she isn’t sure how to keep Cooper safe from the men who now want to harm, him, too. Cooper claims he can protect himself, but Mia secretly knows there’s a lot at stake. She can’t ask Cooper to give up his life, despite the fact he’d already captured her heart. Can she?

NIGHT WATCH
(Nighthawk Security #5)
Susan Sleeman
Edge of Your Seat Books, Inc. / August 20, 2021

Underwater crime scene investigator, Kennedy Walker is shocked when her mother dies and the police rule her death a suicide or an accidental overdose. Her scientist-mother was on the verge of a scientific breakthrough, and Kennedy knows her mother would never end her life, but the detective won’t listen. Kennedy moves back to her home town and commits to finding her mother’s killer and finishing her work. Kennedy digs deeper, garnering the killer’s focus, and he puts her in his cross-hairs. She can’t give up on such an important project, so she swallows down her unease over the tumultuous breakup with Erik Byrd in college and hires Nighthawk Security, not only to protect her, but to help find her mother’s killer. It takes only one look for both of them to know their feelings for each other haven’t gone away.

COLD CASE DOUBLE CROSS
(Cold Case Investigators #2)
Jessica R. Patch
Love Inspired Suspense / August 27, 2021

Convinced his brother was wrongly convicted of murder years ago, detective Cash Ryland’s determined to find the real killer—even if it puts him in the crosshairs. But he needs help from cold case investigator Mae Vogel, whom he mistreated in high school. Can they put their past aside to solve the murder…before the killer succeeds in silencing them for good?

add these to your wish list

all the new releases by each separate month
(amazon affiliate links used)

my fave covers?

yeah… I’m just go ahead and say all of them. I’m still recovering from having to ‘narrow down’ (i use that term loosely) the mystery/suspense books I was most excited about lol. I just can’t bring myself to ‘narrow down’ my fave covers too.

What about you? Which Mid 2021 Mystery & Suspense New Releases are you most anxious to read? Which covers are your favorites?

If you don’t see your book mentioned here OR in my amazon lists, I apologize! It’s impossible to keep up with all the books LOL! Please feel free to leave your release info for Christian / clean fiction in the comments.