Hello! My plan to take over your TBR lists continues (insert maniacal laugh) with this new book season upon us. Today is the day I officially give up on narrowing this list down and just embrace the crazy. Everyone got something to make a list with? Let’s jump into Late 2021 Historical New Releases (September-December).
Here is the schedule of posts for the week so you can zero in on your fave genre!
Tuesday: Contemporary Fiction (non-Amish & non-suspense)
Wednesday: Historical Fiction (non-Amish & non-suspense)
TODAY: Mystery/Suspense (non-Amish)
Friday: Amish Fiction
Saturday: Speculative/Youth
Sunday: Non-Fiction
In my continued quest to streamline these posts I’m only selecting a few* I’m most giddy about to spotlight here. A book is featured probably because the cover or author pulled me in and then the blurb confirmed it. (Yes, I’m someone who reads the blurb. I don’t understand you people who don’t LOL.) I’ll also include links to all the September-December 2021 releases, each in their own list by month. You can also keep up with 2021’s new books as I learn about them by bookmarking the ‘2021 Releases‘ page on my blog menu & checking it periodically!
*hahahahahahahahahahahahaha. “A few.” hahahahahahahahahahaha.
spotlight on titles i’m most giddy about
(click on book title to go to its goodreads page if available)
TRENT’S TRUST
(Smoky Mountain Secrets #5)
Laura Scott
Sept 7, 2021
Lead guitarist, Trent Atkins left his foster brother and the small town of Gatlinburg for the music scene in Nashville. He’d made more money than he could have imagined, until the day he woke up from a terrible hangover to find the lead singer of their band, dead. He’d thought living with the Preacher was a nightmare, but this was far worse. Now someone is trying to kill him, and he has no idea who or why. Private Investigator Serena Jerash is determined to uncover the truth behind Jimmy’s death. She believes he was murdered, and soon discovers Trent has become a target, too. The only way to survive is for the two of them to work together in an effort to uncover the band leader’s secrets. Trent doesn’t trust anyone, least of all, himself. Will Serena convince Trent to follow his heart and God?
TRACE OF DOUBT
DiAnn Mills
Tyndale House / Sept 7, 2021
Fifteen years ago, Shelby Pearce confessed to murdering her brother-in-law and was sent to prison. Now she’s out on parole and looking for a fresh start in the small town of Valleysburg, Texas. But starting over won’t be easy for an ex-con. FBI Special Agent Denton McClure was a rookie fresh out of Quantico when he was first assigned the Pearce case. He’s always believed Shelby embezzled five hundred thousand dollars from her brother-in-law’s account. So he’s going undercover to befriend Shelby, track down the missing money, and finally crack this case. But as Denton gets closer to Shelby, he begins to have a trace of doubt about her guilt. Someone has Shelby in their crosshairs. It’s up to Denton to stop them before they silence Shelby–and the truth–forever.
DEADLY SUMMER NIGHTS
(Catskill Summer Resort Mystery #1)
Vicki Delany
Berkley / Sept 7, 2021
It’s the summer of 1953, and Elizabeth Grady is settling into Haggerman’s Catskills Resort. As a vacation getaway, Haggerman’s is ideal, and although Elizabeth’s ostentatious but well-meaning mother is new to running the resort, Elizabeth is eager to help her organize the guests and the entertainment acts. But Elizabeth will have to resort to untested abilities if she wants to save her mother’s business. When a reclusive guest is found dead in a lake on the grounds, and a copy of The Communist Manifesto is found in his cabin, the local police chief is convinced that the man was a Russian spy. But Elizabeth isn’t so sure, and with the fate of the resort hanging in the balance, she’ll need to dodge red herrings, withstand the Red Scare, and catch a killer red-handed.
A KILLER CHRISTMAS WISH
(A Cat Latimer Mystery)
Lynn Cahoon
Sept 14, 2021
Santa’s on his way, but the house Cat shares with her best friend and a monthly writing retreat isn’t even decorated yet. Christmas is coming early to Cat Latimer’s Writers Retreat. Cat and the gang aren’t feeling the Christmas spirit. First up on her to do list, the last retreat of the year. A group of non-fiction authors dying to get into the Covington library. When one writer is found dead before the first retreat session, Cat must find the killer before he puts her on his naughty list.
BURDEN OF POOF
(Bonnie & Clyde Mysteries #1)
Julie Anne Lindsey
Cozy Queen Publishing / Sept 15, 2021
Life hasn’t sparkled too brightly for Bonnie Balfour over the past few years, but a heart-breaking divorce has brought her back to her small rural hometown of Bliss, Georgia, and things are starting to shape up. The proud new owner of Bless Her Heart—a second chance dress shop and boutique on the town square—Bonnie thinks thirty-eight might not be too late for a fresh start in life after all. Until a grouchy old widow turns up dead in a pile of donations meant for Bonnie’s shop, and the town’s unreasonably handsome new detective pins her to the top of his suspect list!
THE SECRET OF EMERALD COTTAGE
Julie Lessman
Sept 20, 2021
Twenty-six-year-old Molly Stewart—ex-Navy nurse and former evidence technician for the Charleston Police Department—has been burned by love. So when her friend, Pastor Chase Griffin, begs her to move to scenic Lake Loon to be a nurse and companion for Miss Lilly, his elderly landlady, she jumps at the chance. The secluded and cozy cottage on a clear mountain lake seems the perfect place to heal from her fiancé’s betrayal as well as indulge in one of her greatest passions—cozy romance. But when Miss Lilly’s estranged great nephew shows up, it’s no mystery as to why he and Molly butt heads. Because it only takes one stolen kiss—while she’s sleeping, no less—to discover he’s an even bigger player than the ex-fiancé who broke her heart. When international playboy and Irish soccer star Brec McGill learns his long-lost great aunt is in a coma from a drowning accident, he rushes to her side. But when he discovers his aunt’s cottage is not only inhabited by a crusty Aunt Lilly he hasn’t seen in ten years, but a pretty prude of a nurse as well, his plans take a nose-dive in the lake. Because suddenly it appears not only was Aunt Lilly’s accident no accident … but somebody out there wants to see them all dead.
A PERFECT BIND
(Beloved Bookworm Mystery #2)
Dorothy St. James
Berkley / Sept 28, 2021
Tru Beckett succeeded in building a secret book room in her now bookless library, where book lovers from lovely Cypress, South Carolina, can rejoice in the printed word. Now she’s working hard to maintain the little library downstairs while keeping her real job upstairs in the bookless technology center. The last thing she needs is a mysterious vandal who seems intent on breaking into her secret book-filled sanctuary and creating chaos. A patron of the secret book room tells Tru that there have been creepy goings-on at the library for years, especially in the basement where the secret book room is located. Tru is certain it’s hogwash, but she’s at a loss to think of who might be vandalizing the beautiful books she fought so hard to protect. And when a dead body shows up right behind the library, Tru is certain that it’s not a ghost but a cold-blooded killer that she and her trusty tabby Dewey Decimal will need to uncover.
PERIL AT THE PEAK
Jennifer Brown
Love Inspired Inspirational Mountain Rescue Collection
Sept 28, 2021
Whitney Murphy thought leading a youth group hike on Candle Mountain would be fun. Even with Jeremy Moon, uptight single dad, as her coleader. But fun turns to danger when Jeremy’s daughter goes missing. With storm clouds rolling in, Whitney and Jeremy must put aside their differences. Because working together is their only chance of finding young Sam and getting off the mountain alive…
SMOKY MOUNTAIN DANGER
April Arrington
Love Inspired Inspirational Mountain Rescue Collection
Sept 28, 2021
Taylor Holt was sure she and her rafting group—single dad Will Morgan and his daughter—could make it down the rapids of the Great Smoky Mountains. But when disaster strikes, Will and Taylor must depend on each other to survive. With Taylor’s past still haunting her, can their tentative trust be enough to run a lethal gauntlet of dangers—and survive?
SNOWSTORM SABOTAGE
Kerry Johnson
Love Inspired Suspense / Sept 28, 2021
Single mom Everly Raven didn’t just discover the murder of her friend—she’s being framed for it. Now she’s on the run from hired killers at her family’s ski resort, all while a deadly blizzard rages. Her only hope is her ex-husband, FBI agent Isaac Rhodes—the secret father of her child. But can they live long enough for him to meet their daughter—and clear Everly’s name?
MOUNTAIN FUGITIVE
Lynette Eason
Love Inspired Suspense / Sept 28, 2021
Out horseback riding, Dr. Katherine Gilroy accidentally stumbles into a deadly shoot-out and comes to US marshal Dominic O’Ryan’s aid. Now with Dominic injured and under her care, she’s determined to help him find her brother—the fugitive he believes murdered his partner. While Katherine’s sure her brother isn’t guilty, someone’s dead set on killing her and Dominic…and finding the truth is their one shot at survival.
ALL THAT IS SECRET
(An Annalee Spain Mystery #1)
Patricia Raybon
Tyndale House / October 5, 2021
In the winter of 1923, Professor Annalee Spain–a daring but overworked theologian at a small Chicago Bible college–receives a cryptic telegram calling her home to Denver to solve the mystery of the murder of her beloved but estranged father. For a young Black woman, searching for answers in a city ruled by the KKK could mean real danger. Still, with her literary hero Sherlock Holmes as inspiration, Annalee launches her hunt for clues, attracting two surprising allies: Eddie, a relentless young white boy searching for his missing father, and Jack, a handsome Black pastor who loves nightclub dancing and rides in his sporty car, awakening Annalee’s heart to the surprising highs and lows of romantic love. With their help, Annalee follows clues that land her among Denver’s powerful elite. But when their sleuthing unravels sinister motives and deep secrets, Annalee confronts the dangerous truths and beliefs that could make her a victim too.
LABYRINTH OF LIES
(Triple Threat #2)
Irene Hannon
Revell / October 5, 2021
When the daughter of a high-profile businessman disappears from an exclusive girls’ boarding school, police detective Cate Reilly is tapped for an undercover assignment. It doesn’t take her long to realize that beneath the veneer of polish and wealth, things are not as they seem at Ivy Hill Academy. But the biggest surprise of all? The only man she ever loved is also working at the school. Zeke Sloan has never forgotten Cate, but now isn’t the best time for their paths to cross again. When their two seemingly disparate agendas begin to intertwine–and startling connections emerge among the players–the danger escalates significantly. But who is the mastermind behind the elaborate ruse? And how far will they go to protect their house of cards?
JAYME’S JOURNEY
(Smoky Mountain Secrets #6)
Laura Scott
October 5, 2021
Jayme Weston has come a long way from the abusive foster home run by the Preacher. While living on the streets, she’s done her best to protect her younger foster sister, Caitlyn while managing to survive and thrive. Now Caitlyn is living on her own, and Jayme finds herself at loose ends—until she is targeted by several suspicious fires. Arson Investigator Linc Quade doesn’t understand why this particular fire bug isn’t following a typical arson pattern. And the beautiful redhead isn’t nearly as forthcoming as he’d like. As the attempts against Jayme escalate, Linc becomes more determined than ever to protect her. Falling in love wasn’t a part of his plan. But when the elusive arsonist manages to kidnap Jayme, Linc knows time is running out. Will he find and rescue her, before it’s too late?
THE INN ON HANGING HILL
(Beach House Mysteries #2)
Christy Barritt
October 5, 2021
Lindsey Waters never wanted to return to the seaside inn where she grew up. Too many traumatic memories surrounded the place. But with her career on the fritz, she has no choice but to return to her childhood home. Her plan: renovate the inn, sell it, and start fresh somewhere else. Her strategy goes awry when mysterious incidents begin happening at the inn—dangerous incidents. Someone wants to scare her away. But why? When she reconnects with childhood friend Benjamin Harris, Lindsey is reminded that not all her memories here were bad. But something is different about him, something she can’t quite put her finger on. She’s certain he’s harboring secrets. Can she really trust the man he has become?
MURDER AT THE EMPIRE
(Ever After Mysteries #4)
Cathe Swanson
Celebrate Lit Publishing / October 5, 2021
They call him the Emperor. John Starek fills his theater with fine artwork and treasures. He’s particularly pleased to have one of the country’s first female organists – and he thinks Gayle Wells is the bee’s knees. Despite pressure from her social crusader mother, Gayle isn’t interested in changing the world. She just wants a car of her own – and a career playing the organ at the Empire movie palace would be especially ducky. Then the Empire’s treasures start disappearing and employees start dying. Are a few pieces of art really enough motive for the string of murders? Will Gayle be next? Murder at the Empire brings the Nightingale into an elegant movie palace in the roaring 20’s – but the real excitement is all off-screen.
TO STAND IN THE BREACH
(Strike to the Heart #0.5)
Danielle Grandinetti
Hearth Spot Press / October 12, 2021
1933, Wisconsin – Large animal veterinarian Katy Wells takes her patients’ welfare personally, so it’s no surprise when she stands up to angry farmers planning a milk strike or takes in an injured draft horse to save its life.But after a visitor from the past discovers her location and reveals a threat, she must choose between her work and her freedom, and whether to trust a man to keep her safe.
MISTLETOE CAKE MURDER
(All-Day Breakfast Cafe Mystery #6)
Lena Gregory
Lyrical Press / October 12, 2021
For a native New Yorker, palm trees and warm temperatures don’t equal winter, much less Christmastime. Nevertheless, Gia Morelli’s friends have decked the halls and trimmed the trees to truly welcome her into their “family” with an old-fashioned Boggy Creek, Florida holiday season. Even more joyous, Savannah Mills is getting married on Christmas Eve—the greatest gift Gia could ever wish for her best friend. But when Gia and Savannah stop by the caterer for a final tasting a week before the wedding, they overhear another bride arguing with her son about her husband-to-be. Moments later, the woman is sampling a piece of wedding cake—gorgeously decorated with mistletoe frosting—then suddenly dies. Now Gia’s caterer friends are the prime suspects in what appears to be murder by poisoning. To clear their names and ensure Savannah has a merry matrimony will require Gia to conjure up a Christmas miracle . . .
MANGO, MAMBO, AND MURDER
(A Caribbean Kitchen Mystery #1)
Raquel V. Reyes
Crooked Lane Books / October 12, 2021
Food anthropologist Miriam Quinones-Smith’s move from New York to Coral Shores, Miami, is traumatic enough without having to deal with her son’s toddler tantrums and her husband’s midlife crisis. Her best friend, Alma, adds some spice back into Miriam’s life when she offers her a job as an on-air cooking expert on a Spanish-language morning TV show. But when the newly minted star attends a Women’s Club luncheon, a socialite sitting at her table suddenly falls face-first into the chicken salad, never to nibble again. When a second woman dies soon after, suspicions coalesce around a controversial Cuban herbalist, Dr. Fuentes–especially after the morning show’s host collapses while interviewing him. But then, Detective Pullman learns that the socialite’s death resulted from a drug overdose–and an anonymous tip fingers Alma as the pusher.
NIGHT PREY
(Nighthawk Security #6)
Susan Sleeman
Edge of Your Seat Books, Inc / October 15, 2021
Defense attorney, Malone Reed, doesn’t want to go to her fifteen year class reunion. Attending means running into her former high school flame, now Portland police detective, Liam Murphy. But when the committee decides to honor her for her pro-bono work with homeless teens, she knows it would be churlish not to attend. She will have to go and make the best of it. As expected, Liam attends the reunion, but what Malone doesn’t expect—could never expect—is that Liam would find her standing over their classmate’s dead body. Or that she would still have feelings for the once bad-boy of their high school. Liam’s struggling too, between arresting Malone for murder and his age-old attraction to her. Can Liam overcome his feelings to focus and uncover the truth before the killer strikes again and Malone ends up dead?
TROUBLE BREWING
(Barks & Beans Cafe Cozy Mystery #5)
Heather Day Gilbert
Woodhaven Press / October 18, 2021
Convinced that the elderly lady in her care didn’t die of natural causes, Macy’s friend Della determines to look into the broken relationships surrounding the woman. She books a Halloween-themed getaway at a local inn and talks Macy into coming along with her to spy on her prime suspect. As they join a ghost tour of the candlelit town, Macy and Della feel their guide is a little too fanatical as he shares his spooky tales. He tells the story of the Greenbrier ghost, a newlywed who supposedly came back from the grave to tell her family that her husband murdered her. When a disturbing apparition makes its presence known, guests at the inn become apprehensive…and for good reason, because soon after, a young bride turns up dead. Although everything points to a copycat killer replicating the historical Greenbrier murder, Macy has her doubts. She’s discovered that the inn harbors secrets of its own, and when she pokes into one darkened corner too many, she might not stand a ghost of a chance.
AN UNSAVORY MESS
(Eugeena Patterson Mysteries #5)
Tyora Moody
October 26, 2021
Eugeena Patterson usually doesn’t have a problem putting her nose where it doesn’t belong. After her last mystery busting incident, she’s determined to hang up her amateur sleuth hat. Or at least that’s what she’s telling Amos and her family. When her long-time friend, Rosemary Gladstone, encourages her to attend their high school reunion, Eugeena decides it wouldn’t hurt. All is well, until Eugeena and Rosemary face off with their number one enemy from high school. What should have been a celebration, hits a sour note when their nemesis is found dead, not too long after a very public disagreement. There is no rest for the weary as Eugeena dives into another mystery. She doesn’t have a choice since she has to clear her and Rosemary from being considered murder suspects.
UNWAVERING SECURITY
(Saltwater Cowboys #6)
Christy Barritt
River Heights / October 26, 2021
Thaddeus Blackwell and Miranda Stewart have one common goal: make sure their best friends have their dream wedding. As best man and maid of honor, it’s their duty to make sure Grant Matthews and Abigail Ferguson’s big day goes off without a hitch. Things don’t go as planned when the Texas ranger and city slicker reporter stumble—literally—into an old, abandoned motel now buried by sand dunes. What they uncover turns all their plans upside down. Now they’re not just helping with the wedding but they’re trying to stay alive.
DECK THE DONUTS
(Deputy Donut Mystery #6)
Ginger Bolton
Kensington / October 26, 2021
It’s Christmastime again in Fallingbrook, Wisconsin. Emily has truly decked the halls of her donut shop… For the annual Ice and Lights Festival, she’s commissioned a sculpture with three ice-carved donut shapes to form a holey snowman, Frosty the Donut. She has one Christmas wish this year–to spend some time under the mistletoe with a certain detective. But the holidays just aren’t the same without an unexpected disaster or two. A tour bus on its way to the festival has crashed and a snowstorm has left all the shaken passengers stranded and shivering. Emily and her friends open their homes to shelter the traveling families, while the bus driver is admitted to the hospital for his injuries. But the following morning, Emily discovers his body–buried beneath Frosty the Donut.
TEXAS CHRISTMAS REVENGE
Connie Queen
Love Inspired Suspense / October 26, 2021
Certain a desperate 911 caller is her presumed-dead sister, emergency dispatcher Brandi Callahan follows the cryptic message to a terrified toddler…and an armed assailant. Now Brandi will do anything to protect the boy—even if it means asking her ex-fiancé, Texas Ranger Rhett Kincaid, for help. But can Brandi and Rhett stop this killer before he exacts his terrible Christmas vengeance?
YULETIDE COLD CASE COVER-UP
(Cold Case Investigators #3)
Jessica R. Patch
Love Inspired Suspense / October 26, 2021
When her sister’s remains are found just before Christmas, cold case agent Poppy Holliday is determined to solve the years-old murder—even if it turns the killer’s sights on her. But her investigation with her straitlaced partner, Rhett Wallace, is stirring up the town’s old memories—and bitter grudges. And this killer will do anything to keep secrets buried…
SMOKY MOUNTAIN AMBUSH
(Smoky Mountain Defenders #1)
Karen Kirst
Love Inspired Suspense / October 26, 2021
An unknown enemy’s dead set on killing Lindsey Snow by Christmas–and she doesn’t know why. And the only person she can trust to shield her is the man she betrayed, mounted police officer Silver Williams. Now there’s nowhere to hide…from danger or their feelings. But can they find the killer before this holiday season becomes Lindsey’s last?
HIDING HIS HOLIDAY WITNESS
(Justice Seekers #4)
Laura Scott
Love Inspired Suspense / October 26, 2021
A frantic call from a witness whose Colorado safe house is breached sends US marshal Slade Brooks to Robyn Lowry’s side at Christmastime. But when he reaches her, she doesn’t remember him–or the crime she witnessed. With the trial just days away, someone won’t stop until Robyn’s dead. And while she might recover her memory in time, keeping Robyn alive long enough to testify is Slade’s hardest mission.
YUKON JUSTICE
(Alaska K-9 Unit #7)
Dana Mentink
Love Inspired Suspense / October 26, 2021
When her estranged uncle attempts to sabotage her family’s reindeer ranch, K-9 team assistant Katie Kapowski heads home to help save it—and becomes his target. With their rocky past, Alaska State Trooper Brayden Ford and his furry partner are the last team Katie wants assigned to protect her. But with the ranch under siege, they must work together…or risk falling victim to a killer.
LIGHTS OUT
(The SNAP Agency #1)
Natalie Walters
Revell / November 2, 2021
CIA analyst Brynn Taylor developed a new program to combat terrorism, and she invited members of foreign intelligence agencies to America to foster cooperation between countries. Now one of them, Egyptian spy Remon Riad, is missing. Jack Hudson has been working for the Strategic Neutralization and Protection Agency (SNAP) for almost nine years and takes the lead in hunting down the missing spy. But he isn’t at all pleased to find out Brynn is involved. It’s hard to trust a woman who’s already betrayed you. Every lead they follow draws them dangerously deeper into an international plot. Kidnapping, murder, explosions, poisoning–the terrorists will do anything to accomplish their goal of causing a digital blackout that will blind a strategic US military communications center and throw the world into chaos.
DEADLY TARGET
(Rocky Mountain Courage #2)
Elizabeth Goddard
Revell / November 2, 2021
Criminal psychologist Erin Larson’s dreams of a successful career come to a screeching halt when she nearly loses her own life in a boating accident on Puget Sound and then learns that her mother tried to commit suicide. She leaves her job as a criminal psychologist to care for her mother in Montana. At least she is able to produce her podcast, which focuses on solving missing persons cold cases. Nathan Campbell’s father was investigating such a case when he was shot, and now Nathan needs to enlist Erin’s help to solve the case. She’s good at what she does. The only problem? She’s his ex.
CROSSHAIRS
(Natchez Trace Park Rangers #3)
Patricia Bradley
Revell / November 2, 2021
Investigative Services Branch (ISB) ranger Ainsley Beaumont arrives in her hometown of Natchez, Mississippi, to investigate the murder of a three-month-pregnant teenager. While she wishes the visit was under better circumstances, she never imagined that she would become the killer’s next target–nor that she’d have to work alongside an old flame. After he almost killed a child, former FBI sniper Lincoln Steele couldn’t bring himself to fire a gun, which had deadly and unforeseen consequences for his best friend. Crushed beneath a load of guilt, Linc is working at Melrose Estate as an interpretive ranger. But as danger closes in on Ainsley during her murder investigation, Linc will have to find the courage to protect her. The only question is, will it be too little, too late?
BODY AND SOUL FOOD
(Books & Biscuits Mysteries #1)
Abby Collette
Berkley / November 2, 2021
When Koby Hill and Keaton Rutledge were orphaned at age two, they were separated, but their unbreakable connection lingered. Year later, they reunite and decide to make up for lost time and capitalize on their shared interests by opening up a well-stocked bookstore and cozy soul-food café in the quaint Pacific Northwest town of Timber Lake. But this new chapter of their lives could end on a cliffhanger after Koby’s foster brother is found murdered. The murder, which occurred in public between light-rail stops, seems impossible for the police to solve. But as Keaton and Koby know, two heads are always better than one, especially when it comes to mysteries. With just a week to go before the grand opening of their new café, the twins will use their revitalized connection with each other to make sure this is the killer’s final page.
DEATH ON THE SHELF
(Haunted Library Mysteries #5)
Allison Brook
Crooked Lane / November 9, 2021
Clover Ridge librarian Carrie Singleton is thrilled to attend her best friend Angela’s wedding, but Angela’s family can be a bit…much. Angela’s wealthy cousin Donna hosts an extravagant bridal shower at her resplendent home, but the celebrations turn to gossip as the guests notice Donna’s surgeon husband, Aiden, spending a bit too much time with Donna’s cousin Roxy. At the wedding reception, the sweet occasion turns darkly bitter when Aiden topples into the chocolate fountain–dead. The suspect list is as long as the guest list, and as difficult to sort out as the seating chart. Then another member of Angela’s family is murdered, making Carrie more determined than ever to find the killer. Can library ghost Evelyn and library cat Smoky Joe help Carrie solve the murders before she becomes the next of Angela’s wedding guests to head to the grave?
LEGACY OF LIES
(Fog Lake Suspense #5)
Christy Barritt
River Heights / November 16, 2021
Madison Colson never wanted to come back to Fog Lake, Tennessee. Her family’s reputation was forever tarnished when her father was accused of a string of violent murders over a decade ago. She and her brothers were shunned from the area—by everyone except their aunt. At least, that’s how it felt. Now her aunt is dying, and Madison is the only one who can help. But as soon as she arrives back in town, trouble starts—big trouble. Another young woman is dead, and the method seems eerily similar to the murders her father was convicted of. Now the whole town is on edge—and pointing fingers. When FBI Agent Ryan Michaels is sent to investigate, Ryan and Madison instantly clash. But unless they manage to work together, the killer will remain at large . . . and Madison might become his next victim.
THE DEBUTANTE’S CODE
(Thorndke & Swann Regency Mysteries #1)
Erica Vetsch
Kregel / November 16, 2021
Newly returned from finishing school, Lady Juliette Thorndike is ready to debut in London society. Due to her years away, she hasn’t spent much time with her parents, and sees them only as the flighty, dilettante couple the other nobles love. But when they’re lost at sea, she discovers she never really knew them at all. They’ve been living double lives as government spies–and they’re only the latest in a long history of espionage that is the family’s legacy. Now Lady Juliette is determined to continue their work. Mentored by her uncle, she plunges into the dangerous world of spy craft. From the glittering ballrooms of London to the fox hunts, regattas, and soirees of country high society, she must chase down hidden clues, solve the mysterious code her parents left behind, and stay out of danger. All the while, she has to keep her endeavors a secret from her best friend and her suitors–not to mention nosy, irritatingly handsome Bow Street runner Daniel Swann, who suspects her of a daring theft.
KILLER WORDS
(Mystery Bookshop #7)
V.M. Burns
Kensington / November 30, 2021
Sam and Nana Jo are back in sleepy North Harbor, Michigan, where Sam is eagerly awaiting the publication of her first book. In search of more immediate excitement, Nana Jo hits the casino with her fellow Shady Acres Retirement Village gal pals—but they get more than they bargained for when they witness Detective Bradley Pitt decking mayoral candidate John Cloverton. As Sam well knows, mystery novels are full of brilliant detectives, genius sleuths, and hero cops. Detective Bradley Pitt—aka “Stinky Pitt”—is another story. In the past, the dull-witted detective has mistakenly accused members of Sam’s family for crimes they didn’t commit. Now, it’s his turn: when Cloverton turns up dead, he’s arrested. Somebody’s framed the flatfoot to take a fall, and Sam and Nana Jo must step in to restore the reputation and good name of Detective Pitt.
A MURDER LIKE NO AUTHOR
(Main Street Book Club Mysteries #3)
Amy Lillard
Poisoned Pen Press / November 30, 2021
It’s movie time in Sugar Springs and the whole town is pitching together to get the historical Coliseum Theater ready for the event of the year–the premiere of Missing Girl, local author Wally Harrison’s bestselling novel turned film. Thrilled to bring tourists to Sugar Springs, the town comes together to host the late author’s event. But when a stranger arrives, boasting he has definitive proof that Wally didn’t write Missing Girl…well, drama leaps from the page into real life. Mishaps start taking place around the theater–and then the stranger is discovered dead in his hotel room right before his press conference.
A PLUS ONE FOR MURDER
(Friend For Hire Mystery #1)
Laura Bradford
Berkley / December 7, 2021
Emma Westlake has always wanted to be in business for herself. As a kid, she had her own successful lemonade stand and dog-walking business. And when she entered adulthood, Emma sunk all her cash into her dream job of travel planning. But as her customers became more and more internet savvy, the need for her services declined. At a loss for what to do next, she turns to an elderly friend who suggests she try to get paid for doing something she’s really good at–being a paid companion. Emma thinks it’s a crazy idea until requests start pouring in, including writer Brian Hill who will be reading from his latest work at open mic and wants to know someone will clap for him when he’s done. When Emma balks at the notion that people wouldn’t, he tells her the room will be filled with people he’s invited–most of whom will likely want him dead by the time he’s done reading. Assuming he’s joking, she laughs. But when Brian steps up to the mic and clears his throat to speak, he promptly drops dead. Emma is one of the last people to see him alive, and so she becomes an immediate suspect. Now she’ll have to cozy up to a killer to save her skin and her new business.
DEATH BY FLAMENCO
(Travel Can Be Murder #7)
Jennifer S. Alderson
Traveling Life Press / December 10, 2021
When a renowned travel writer is killed during a flamenco workshop, tour guide Lana Hansen is one of the Spanish police’s prime suspects. Can she sleuth out the killer’s true identity and dance her way out of a jail sentence before her group’s tour to Seville is over?
BURIED COLD CASE SECRETS
Sami A. Abrams
Love Inspired Suspense / December 28, 2021
Searching for her best friend’s remains could help forensic anthropologist Melanie Hutton regain her memories of when they were both kidnapped—unless the killer gets to Melanie first. For her safety, Melanie must rely on Detective Jason Cooper, who still blames her for his sister’s death. Can Jason set the past aside to solve the cold-case murder…and shield Melanie from the same fate?
ROCKY MOUNTAIN STANDOFF
(Justice Seekers #5)
Laura Scott
Love Inspired Suspense / December 28, 2021
Someone will do anything to get federal judge Sidney Logan to throw a trial—even target her six-month-old foster daughter. And it’s up to US Deputy Marshal Tanner Wilcox to keep Sidney and little Lilly safe in the Colorado Rockies. But with danger finding them at every turn, there might be a mole in the courthouse…and trusting anyone could prove lethal.
add these to your wish list
all the new releases by each separate month
(amazon affiliate links used)
my most very favorite covers?
(because I have to narrow it down somehow lol)
Make sure to like & comment on this post and enter my monthly giveaway for THREE books of your choice from my duplicates stash! After you’ve liked & commented, claim your entries HERE.
What about you? Which Late 2021 Mystery & Suspense New Releases are you most anxious to read? Which covers are your favorites?
I had no idea Erica Vetsch writes mystery. I was excited to read about Julie Lessman’s new book. And, so many new authors to me. Thanks for sharing!! 🥰📚
you are most welcome – this is Erica’s first official mystery & Julie’s first romantic suspense. I’m excited to read both!
I especially want to read Julie Lessman. They all look great. Thank you for sharing.
MORE great reads ahead! Thanks for sharing all of these great titles and I am excited about Julie Lessman’s 1st romantic suspense!
They all look great. I am never going to get to the end of my TBR pile. Thank you so much for sharing. God bless you.
So many good books in this post. This is going to do some serious damage to my TBR.
All look like excellent stories, and ones I’d really enjoy reading! Would love to win three print copies, one of each of these: The Inn on Hanging Hill by Christy Barritt, Labyrinth of Lies by Irene Hannon, and Crosshairs by Patricia Bradley. That would be so exciting to actually any of these wonderful books, especially these three! Thanks so much for this great opportunity to enter a giveaway!
Thank you for mentioning Texas Christmas Revenge! They all look like terrific reads!
Oooh, my tbr list just grew exponentially! I especially can’t wait for the Love Inspired Mountain Suspense. And thank you for including To Stand in the Breach! I’m so glad you love the cover!
Excited to see Erica Vetsch, Julie Lessman and Danielle Grandinetti! Also anticipating Pat Bradley, Irene Hannon, Natalie Walters. And Beth Goddard.
So many good books! I’m so excited for Julie Lessman’s book.
There are so many good books coming out.
right?!?! I can’t even… lol
You’ve got some really good ones here!! I can’t wait to read Julie Lessman’s mystery! And I also have reallly liked the series by Irene Hannon, and that latest one looks topnotch!
yes!!
SQUEEEE!!! My favorite genre. Looking forward to Julie Lessman, Erica Vetsch, Irene Hannon to name a few.
right!?! Mine too!
I love this post so much, it is one of my favorite genres. I have not heard of Laura Scott before. I am also excited about Patricia Bradley, Natalie Walters, Elizabeth Goddard, and Irene Hannon’s books!!!
I really enjoy Laura’s books – and YES to all those others you mentioned too!
I left this post in my inbox for a full day……I was so afraid to open it!!🙄🙄 I’m even more afraid of today’s post for my very favorite category….AMISH FICTION!! Do you know how much I love that genre??🤔🤷😂😂 You are so controlling my reading for the rest of the year!! And I am loving it!😂💣🤗📚💜
Thank you for putting these posts together Carrie!💜💜💜💣
hahahahaha you are welcome 😂
Carrie, I don’t understand how you get any housework, cooking, and errands done:)
who says I do? LOL 😉
I am reading Cold Shot by Dani Pettrey now and am looking to reading the other books in the series.
Oh, I see five books I’m adding to my Christmas list!
yay!!
that’s one of my fave series by Dani!
So happy to see Labyrinth of Lies on your list, Carrie!
always 🙂
Ohh!! Thank you for including Crosshairs!
And…now I have many more on my TBR table!
right?!? the list is never ending lol
Natalie Walters and Irene Hannon’s get my attention but truly, I would be happy to be able to read any of these. You’ve got me drooling, Carrie!
hehehehe i know 🙂