Books like 'The Broken Spine'
Readers who enjoyed The Broken Spine by Dorothy St. James also liked the following books featuring the same tropes, story themes, relationship dynamics and character types.
contemporary mystery north-america usa cozy south-carolina cats suspense animals amateur-sleuth
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An Embarrassment of Itches by M.K. Dean
Rated: 4.67 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsIt's Diagnosis Murder meets All Creatures Great and Small...As a house-call vet, Ginny Reese has seen her share of the weird and wacky. But nothing in her previous experience could have prepared her to find one of her clients floating in her own swimming pool.Local artist Amanda Kelly was extremely wealthy with her share of secrets... -
![The Body on the Barstool by Lolli Powell]()
The Body on the Barstool by Lolli Powell
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 8 ratings2016 WISHING SHELF INDEPENDENT BOOK AWARDS BRONZE WINNER!New Yorker Erica "Ricki" Fontaine's n'er-do-well uncle has dropped dead and left her a dive bar in a small Ohio River town. With a lousy apartment, less-than-promising job prospects, and even worse romantic ones, the inheritance comes at just the right time. Ricki packs up her cat and heads for the Buckeye State... -
![Mosquito Bite Murder by Leslie Langtry]()
Mosquito Bite Murder by Leslie Langtry
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsFrom USA Today bestselling author Leslie Langtry comes a killer summer camping trip!In her career as a spy, Merry Wrath had her share of camping trips—from glamping in a yurt at Oktoberfest with drug lord Carlos the Armadillo to an awkward team building campout in the backyard of a Yakuza mob boss who thought “trust falls” should have lethal consequences... -
![Dagger in the Dahlias by Dale Mayer]()
Dagger in the Dahlias by Dale Mayer
Rated: 4.40 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsRiches to rags. … Chaos quiets. … Crime is circling. … And cold cases never cease …After almost a month in picturesque Kelowna, Doreen Montgomery still can’t keep her notoriety to a minimum or her nose out of other people’s business. Now those suffering from the loss of a loved one seek her out, wanting her help... -
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![Murder in the Family by Paula Bernstein]()
Murder in the Family by Paula Bernstein
Rated: 4.29 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsHannah Kline is a successful Los Angeles obstetrician and the recently widowed mother of a young daughter. She is barely managing to hold it all together, when her life is shattered once again by the brutal murder of her beautiful, bright, zany and recently divorced sister-in-law Beth. Hannah is determined to do whatever she can to assist the police in finding the murderer... -
![Too Many Crooks Spoil the Plot by Sarah Osborne]()
Too Many Crooks Spoil the Plot by Sarah Osborne
Rated: 4.29 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsPediatrician Mabel Aphrodite Brown adores kids. So when a childhood friend asks Ditie to babysit her kids for a few days, she jumps at the chance. She never imagined she’d be solving a murder too . . . Despite growing up together, Ditie hasn’t seen Ellie Winston in two years, and she didn’t even know Ellie was living in Atlanta... -
![Chicken Culprit by Vikki Walton]()
Chicken Culprit by Vikki Walton
Rated: 4.29 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsCheck Out the First Book in the New Backyard Farming Mystery Series CHICKEN CULPRIT Finally healing after her heart-breaking divorce, Anne Freemont is ready to put the painful past behind her. Discovering an old Victorian for sale in the small mountain town of Carolan Springs may be just what she needs. The beauty of Colorado beckons, so Anne heads west to start her new life... -
![Fair Game by Annette Dashofy]()
Fair Game by Annette Dashofy
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsParamedic Zoe Chambers hoped a week at the Monongahela County Fair, showing her horse and manning the ambulance, would provide a much-needed diversion from recent events that continue to haunt her. An old friend, a bossy nemesis, and a teenage crush from her 4-H days fail to offer the distraction she had in mind. But ever the caregiver, she soon bonds with a troubled teen and a grieving father... -
![Murder at the Pumpkin Patch by London Lovett]()
Murder at the Pumpkin Patch by London Lovett
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsSunni Taylor's sisters, through their power of sisterly persuasion, have convinced her to host a Halloween costume party at Cider Ridge Inn. She's a little reluctant about the whole event and rightly worried about the actual ghost, who will, no doubt, be in attendance, but she decides to just relax and enjoy it... -
![A Crafty Killing by London Lovett]()
A Crafty Killing by London Lovett
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsSunni Taylor is looking forward to an easy and sweetheart filled month of February. After a few blissful months as lead reporter for the Junction Times, an unexpected shake-up at the newspaper leaves her reeling and frustrated. She finds herself once again having to cover mundane stories, like the Firefly Junction Craft Fair... -
![Killer in the Kiwis by Dale Mayer]()
Killer in the Kiwis by Dale Mayer
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsRiches to rags. ... Chaos again. ... Winning is important, ... at least for some!Doreen is overwhelmed with joy when she sees all the volunteers who show up to help get her deck addition built. Most of the men are cops, friends of Corporal Mack Moreau’s, and are happy to help Mack’s special friend and the lady who has helped solve so many crimes for them with a spot of home renovation... -
![A Killer Ending by Karen MacInerney]()
A Killer Ending by Karen MacInerney
Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsBooks, beach roses... and bodies.Bookseller and recent divorcée Max Sayers has risked her life savings to start a fresh chapter with the purchase of Seaside Cottage Books in cozy Snug Harbor, Maine. But she's barely opened the shop's doors when her new storybook life takes a dark turn... -
![Death and Wedding Cake by Nova Walsh]()
Death and Wedding Cake by Nova Walsh
Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsA small town with big secrets. A caterer turned amateur detective. A wedding weekend plagued by murder and mystery. Home is where the heart is for Abby Hirsch, a chef returning to her small Texas hometown to cater a wedding at her aunt's charming bed and breakfast. But homecoming turns deadly when Abby finds the body of the bride's rival dumped on the grounds... -
![Picture Perfect Murder by Jenna St. James]()
Picture Perfect Murder by Jenna St. James
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsRyli Sinclair had no idea moonlighting as the forensic photographer for the Granville Police Department would put her in the direct path of a crazed killer. Determined to capture the murderer before she's next in line, Ryli enlists the help of her best friend, Paige, and her elderly great-aunt Shirley, a former private investigator... -
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![The Fast and the Furriest by Sofie Ryan]()
The Fast and the Furriest by Sofie Ryan
Rated: 4.21 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsSarah Grayson and her trusty companion, Elvis, race to tail the right suspects in the fifth installment of the New York Times bestselling Second Chance Cat Mysteries.Sarah Grayson owns Second Chance, a shop that sells lovingly refurbished items, in the charming town of North Harbor, Maine. But she couldn't run the store without the help of her right-hand man, Mac--or her dashing rescue cat, Elvis... -
![Relentless Pursuit by Kathy Herman]()
Relentless Pursuit by Kathy Herman
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsRich with the Cajun flavors of south Louisiana, this final book in the Secrets of Roux River Bayou Series is a story of what it means to find true peace in an uncertain world. Sax Landry left home at seventeen to escape his father’s abuse, leaving his mother and sister to fend for themselves... -
![Belinda Blake and the Wolf in Sheep's Clothing by Heather Day Gilbert]()
Belinda Blake and the Wolf in Sheep's Clothing by Heather Day Gilbert
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsExotic pet-sitter Belinda Blake is nervous about her new job at the White Pine Wolf Preserve, but it turns out that the care and feeding of wild carnivores may be the least dangerous part of the gig . . . Pet-sitter Belinda Blake is no stranger to dealing with wild animals, but she’s wary when the owner of the Greenwich, Connecticut, preserve asks her to help out with her “fluffy darlings... -
![Lucky Ce Soir by Deborah Coonts]()
Lucky Ce Soir by Deborah Coonts
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratings"Evanovich...with a dash of CSI." - Publishers Weekly (review of Lucky Stiff) Death by future mother-in-law. It’s a thing. Lucky O’Toole is sure of it. What she isn’t sure of is how to deal with it. In Paris, far away from her Vegas home, Lucky is out of her element and out of ideas... -
![Trick or Trouble by London Lovett]()
Trick or Trouble by London Lovett
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsSunni Taylor is moving forward on the remodel of the Cider Ridge Inn. She is anxious to start her bed and breakfast business. Unfortunately, the inn is not cooperating. It seems she is hit with one catastrophe after another. This time it's the plumbing... -
![Te-Kill-Ya Sunrise by Patti Larsen]()
Te-Kill-Ya Sunrise by Patti Larsen
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsTequila is a terrible way to go…The young woman who’d ordered the double shot margarita took it with wide eyes and a thumbs up as she sampled it through the straw, walking back toward her table in the sand on wobbling platform sandals unsuited to the footing... -
![Artistic License to Kill by Paula Darnell]()
Artistic License to Kill by Paula Darnell
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsIn this cozy mystery, artist Amanda Trent, accompanied by her beloved golden retriever Laddie and her persnickety calico cat Mona Lisa, is determined to start a new life after her husband divorces her to marry a younger woman, but it isn't easy... -
![A Dealer Dead Ahead by Scarlett Moss]()
A Dealer Dead Ahead by Scarlett Moss
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsAll she can see is grief until a friend offers her a coastal view. But this seaside adventure could have her drowning in danger.Carter Cash struggles with starting over. Widowed for a year and looking for direction, the mystery-TV-show fanatic agrees to assist a pal refurbishing an old yacht… and makes fast friends with a retired police dog... -
![CSI: Cat Sleuth Investigation by Chris Abernathy]()
CSI: Cat Sleuth Investigation by Chris Abernathy
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsA cat who thinks he's a detective. A group of amateur female sleuths in a quiet beach town. A dead man. It's a recipe for fun - unless you're the local police chief. There are worse ways to go than sitting on a beach chair in Paradise Cove with a refreshing drink in your hand... -
![Accidental Lawyer: A humorous peek into Baltimore's legal Community by Kim Hamilton]()
Accidental Lawyer: A humorous peek into Baltimore's legal Community by Kim Hamilton
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsSet in the brilliant and diverse city of Baltimore, Accidental Lawyer, is a humorous, often irreverent portrayal of the dubious practice of personal injury law.Jessica Snow has a crisp new law degree, a grinding ambition, and a pesky moral compass that is often at odds with her new job as an ambulance chaser... -
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![Burden of Poof by Julie Anne Lindsey]()
Burden of Poof by Julie Anne Lindsey
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsAn amateur sleuth named Bonnie and her kitty companion Clyde, with names like those, what could possibly go wrong?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... -
![Wine Tastings Are Murder by Libby Klein]()
Wine Tastings Are Murder by Libby Klein
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsIt's vintage Poppy McAllister when the gluten-free baker and B&B owner tries to solve a murder at a Cape May winery . . . When Poppy and Aunt Ginny agreed to host a Wine and Cheese Happy Hour for a tour group at their Butterfly House Bed and Breakfast on the Jersey Shore, they never anticipated such a sour bunch... -
![Sadie Kramer Flair Mysteries - Box Set 1-3 by Deborah Garner]()
Sadie Kramer Flair Mysteries - Box Set 1-3 by Deborah Garner
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsA Flair for Chardonnay: When flamboyant senior sleuth Sadie Kramer learns the owner of Cioccolato, her favorite chocolate shop, is in trouble, she heads for the California wine country with a tote-bagged Yorkie and a slew of questions. The fourth generation Tremiato Winery promises answers, but not before a dead body turns up at the vintners’ scheduled Harvest Festival... -
![Bones in the Begonias by Dale Mayer]()
Bones in the Begonias by Dale Mayer
Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsRiches to rags. … Chaos continues. … Murders abound. … Honestly? Doreen Montgomery’s new life in Kelowna was supposed to be a fresh start after a nasty split from her husband of fourteen years, plus a chance to get her bearings and her life back on track. Instead her first week in her new hometown was spent digging up dead bodies, chasing clues, and getting in Corporal Mack Moreau’s way... -
![Ruff Justice by Laurien Berenson]()
Ruff Justice by Laurien Berenson
Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsAs owner of prize-winning Poodles, Melanie Travis knows how to handle fierce competition. But when a conformation show turns deadly, it’ll take every trick in the book to outsmart a murderer who refuses to lose . . . With the excitement of the spring dog show season sweeping Connecticut, Melanie is determined to help her son finally lead his Standard Poodle toward a championship title... -
![Family Matters by Laurinda Wallace]()
Family Matters by Laurinda Wallace
Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsThe peaceful farming community of Deer Creek is nestled in the rolling hills of Wyoming County in Western New York. It’s home to Gracie Andersen, who once again finds herself in a cemetery, laying a family member to rest. Wrestling with unresolved guilt and grief over the loss of her husband and unborn child, Gracie desperately wants to get her life back... -
![I Know What You Bid Last Summer by Sherry Harris]()
I Know What You Bid Last Summer by Sherry Harris
Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsSherry Harris presents the fifth installment of this charming, bestselling cozy mystery series! One man's junk is another man's treasure. But finding that treasure can be murder. As Sarah Winston discovers, someone is always ready to kill someone else for seemingly worthless pieces of junk... -
![Hardback Homicide by S.E. Babin]()
Hardback Homicide by S.E. Babin
Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsI'm Dakota Adair, lifelong bibliophile and the proud owner of Tattered Pages, home to rare books and a particularly prickly Persian named Poppy. I’m not quite sure I ever pictured myself ending up in the quaint, little town of Dewdrop Springs, Maine, but the coffee, carbs, and endless reading materials inside my store keep me from venturing outside too much, anyway... -
![Cat Got Your Cash by Julie Chase]()
Cat Got Your Cash by Julie Chase
Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsWith a killer prowling New Orleans’ Garden District, pet boutique owner Lucy Marie Crocker must protect two endangered Siamese before another cat-astrophe strikes Lacy Marie Crocker’s whimsical pet couture has gained a following in New Orleans’ cozy Garden District, and word of mouth has traveled all the way to her favorite fashion designer, Annie Lane... -
![The Stone House Secret by Debra Burroughs]()
The Stone House Secret by Debra Burroughs
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsPraise for The Lake House Secret . . . "It was hard to put down, wanted to keep reading til I finished the book." ~ Sheri Henderson "A great book filled with super characters, good story line, plenty of twists, turns, and surprises." ~ Dexter Don "A great treat! Debra gets you on the first page and keeps you till the last... -
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![Brutal Brûlée by Leighann Dobbs]()
Brutal Brûlée by Leighann Dobbs
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsA creepy haunted mansion that has been abandoned for decades, a cat that appears out of nowhere, and a murder in a locked room are just par for the course for bakery owner Lexy Baker and her posse of amateur-sleuth grandmas.Lexy takes a working vacation to help her grandmother's friend launch her new bed-and-breakfast, and she ends up in the middle of a mysterious murder investigation... -
![Buy a Whisker by Sofie Ryan]()
Buy a Whisker by Sofie Ryan
Rated: 4.14 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsThings have been quiet in the coastal town of North Harbor, Maine, since Sarah Grayson and her rescue cat, Elvis, solved their first murder. Sarah is happy running Second Chance, the shop where she sells lovingly refurbished and repurposed items. But then she gets dragged into a controversy over developing the waterfront... -
![Mind Your Manors by CeeCee James]()
Mind Your Manors by CeeCee James
Rated: 4.14 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsMeet Stella O'Neil, retired FBI agent Oscar O'Neil's granddaughter. She's got a lot on her plate, trying to figure out her crazy, stubborn family, the hidden secrets that caused her grandfather's estrangement from her dad, and starting out as a real estate agent. Throw in a dead body found in what used to be the town's "royalty" family manor, and she's neck deep in a mystery... -
![A Fresh Beginning & Murder by Miranda Brickett]()
A Fresh Beginning & Murder by Miranda Brickett
Rated: 4.14 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsBook 1 of the Prairie Crocus Cozy Mystery Series.Clean, wholesome fun (& murder) for all ages!When Claudia Porter inherits a rundown farmhouse in a quaint prairie town, she hopes it will provide her with the fresh start she so desperately needs. Except then she discovers a body. Before she knows it, she's the prime suspect in a mysterious murder... -
![Chaos in Little Leaf Creek by Cindy Bell]()
Chaos in Little Leaf Creek by Cindy Bell
Rated: 4.13 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsHer new home in the country comes with an antiquated historical society, a sour-faced next-door neighbor, and a murder victim on her front lawn…Cassie Alberta needs a fresh start... -
![Tall Tails Secret Book Club by CeeCee James]()
Tall Tails Secret Book Club by CeeCee James
Rated: 4.13 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsA mysterious mansion, a suspicious death, and a cat too smart for its own good…When Laura Lee took the summer job as a housekeeper at the old Thornberry Estate, she knew it was a creepy place, but she had no idea how creepy. Mrs... -
![Littered with Trouble by Eryn Scott]()
Littered with Trouble by Eryn Scott
Rated: 4.29 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsLouisa Henry has had the worst year. She never imagined she would be a widow before the age of forty. To cope with the sudden loss of her husband, Lou moves across the country to live near her best friend in a town as cute as a button. Even though it means quitting her fancy New York editor job, she now owns the bookstore of her dreams. Well, almost... -
![A Wedding to Die For by Heather Haven]()
A Wedding to Die For by Heather Haven
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsA wedding without a groom leaves a lot to be desired. So when the wedding of Lee’s best friend is threatened by the arrest of the groom for murder, thirty-four-year old Lee Alvarez -- a combination of Sue Grafton’s Kinsey Millhone and Janet Evanovitch’s Stephanie Plum - heads south of the border in search of the real killer... -
![Had a Great Fall by Jullian Scott]()
Had a Great Fall by Jullian Scott
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsA serial killer is on the loose in Chicago. When Dani Jeffries wakes up in a dark cell, she learns that she is about to become the latest victim. As a shadowy figure comes for her at night, she finds herself face-to-face with an unimaginable monster. Olivia Thompson has recovered from her physical injuries, but she is still haunted by memories of things that go bump in the night...Categorized as:
amateur-sleuth female-mc suspense contemporary ghosts mystery paranormal supernatural -
![Give Murder A Hand by Beth Prentice]()
Give Murder A Hand by Beth Prentice
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsHow many secrets can one house hide? Just when Lizzie thought the only problems she had in life were her crazy family and far too many nightmares, the house reveals yet another secret. This time it’s a skeleton in the back yard. But the unusual thing about this skeleton is that it has an extra hand. Why? Well that’s what Lizzie wants to find out... -
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![Death by the Finish Line by Alexis Morgan]()
Death by the Finish Line by Alexis Morgan
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsWhen a dead body turns up on a race route, Abby McCree hits the ground running to catch a killer... Overcommitted Abby has once again been drafted to use her organizing superpowers--this time for a 5k charity run that's part of the Founder's Day Celebration in Snowberry Creek, Washington... -
![Sprinkles of Suspicion by Kim Davis]()
Sprinkles of Suspicion by Kim Davis
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsOne glass of cheap California chardonnay cost Emory Gosser Martinez her husband, her job, and her best friend. Unfortunately, that was only the beginning of her troubles.Distraught after discovering the betrayal by her husband and best friend, Tori, cupcake caterer Emory Martinez allows her temper to flare. Several people witness her very public altercation with her ex-friend... -
![Pranks and Poison by Julia Koty]()
Pranks and Poison by Julia Koty
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsMira’s dream of fixing up the new house is put on hold while she works at the diner to make some much-needed cash. So, when a patron of the Soup and Scoop is poisoned and Mira’s famed mushroom soup is called into question, she'll stop at nothing to find the real killer... -
![Slightly Irregular by Rhonda Pollero]()
Slightly Irregular by Rhonda Pollero
Rated: 4.13 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsKidnapping is so last season. Couture-conscious paralegal Finley Anderson Tanner knew it was risky to break her cardinal shopping ruleâ��never pay full priceâ��for a last-minute date with her gorgeous new boss, but the hidden costs of her little black dress have put her whole life in the red... -
![Killer Apple Pie by Carolyn Q. Hunter]()
Killer Apple Pie by Carolyn Q. Hunter
Rated: 4.13 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsA BRAND NEW SERIES FROM POPULAR COZY AUTHOR CAROLYN Q. HUNTER!!!Bertha Hannah’s two passions in life are books and piping hot homemade pies, and when an opportunity arises for her to open her own pie and book shop, she jumps in headfirst, only to find that preparing to open her own shop isn’t exactly a piece of cake... -
![Knitted and Knifed by Tracey Drew]()
Knitted and Knifed by Tracey Drew
Rated: 4.10 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsWanted: Cat mum to manage a yarn store, corral two curious cats, all the while being tangled up in murderous mayhem and mystery. A smart woman would dump her cheating ex, move from the city, and give herself a chance for a well-deserved do-over...
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