Books like 'Absence of Mallets'
Readers who enjoyed Absence of Mallets by Kate Carlisle also liked the following books featuring the same tropes, story themes, relationship dynamics and character types.
mystery romance animals cozy crime family female-mc culinary amateur-sleuth
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Fruit Cake and Fear by Agatha Frost
Rated: 4.42 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsThe 8th book in the BESTSELLING Peridale Cafe Cozy Mystery series! A storm hits Peridale with disastrous effects. Barker's cottage is destroyed, forcing him to move in with Julia, but she has more to worry about than him leaving his socks around and not putting the toilet seat up... -
![Mascara and Murder by Gina LaManna]()
Mascara and Murder by Gina LaManna
Rated: 4.42 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsJenna McGovern is back… under the Hollywood lights. The newest resident of Blueberry Lake is finding it hard to escape her past as it follows her home. When a movie production begins filming on Main Street, Jenna is more than a little disgruntled to find her ex-boyfriend is the producer behind it. But she’s even more disgruntled to find he’s the primary suspect in an attempted murder case... -
![Annabelle Archer's Holiday Collection by Laura Durham]()
Annabelle Archer's Holiday Collection by Laura Durham
Rated: 4.40 of 5 stars · 10 ratings'Tis the season for mistletoe and matrimony--with a touch of murder.3 books. 450+ pages of holiday cozy mysteries that are both merry and madcap.The holidays are not so holly and jolly for DC's premier wedding planner... -
![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... -
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![Murder in the Cookbook Nook by Ellery Adams]()
Murder in the Cookbook Nook by Ellery Adams
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsThe witty new story from the bestselling author of The Secret Book & Scone Society series is perfect for bibliophiles who love a A Bookish Cook-Off with a little murder on the side… Six chefs are preparing to compete in an outdoor tent at Storyton Hall in Virginia for prizes that will boost their careers—but is there someone who can’t stand the heat? It looks that way when one of the... -
![Book Club Blackmail by Dianne Harman]()
Book Club Blackmail by Dianne Harman
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsHave you ever been blackmailed?How would you feel if you were?We all have secrets we don’t want others to know about.Several members of the book club did.But how did someone find out about those secrets?The blackmailer demanded $3,000 from each of them.Or the secrets they’d carefully kept would become public knowledge... -
![Murdered by Prejudice: A Liz Lucas Cozy Mystery Series by Dianne Harman]()
Murdered by Prejudice: A Liz Lucas Cozy Mystery Series by Dianne Harman
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsA prison guard. A postmaster. A Forest Service employee. A U.S. Department of Agriculture employee. All murdered. They worked for the federal government, but so do a lot of other people. What else did they share? Seems like a serial killer is on the loose. And it looks like he’s targeting the sleepy community of Red Cedar... -
![Big Bunny Bump Off by Kathi Daley]()
Big Bunny Bump Off by Kathi Daley
Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsSpring is in the air and with the warm weather comes an abundance of babies; human and otherwise. Things seem to be right on course until Jack Frost comes to town throwing the entire town of Ashton Falls into chaos. When Zoe sees the Easter Bunny running from a murder scene during a freak snowstorm she must track down the 'Cartoon Bandits' in order to catch a killer... -
![Cupids Curse by Kathi Daley]()
Cupids Curse by Kathi Daley
Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsWhen Cupid comes to town it seems everyone’s relationship is in for a challenge. Not only does Zoe suspect that her dad’s new girlfriend is really a killer, but Zoe is the only one who believes that her soon-to- be evil stepmom is guilty of such a dastardly deed... -
![Premeditated Mortar by Kate Carlisle]()
Premeditated Mortar by Kate Carlisle
Rated: 4.21 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsContractor Shannon Hammer gets tangled up in murder at a spooky old asylum in the latest Fixer-Upper Mystery from New York Times bestselling author Kate Carlisle. . . .Shannon Hammer is about to embark on one of the biggest projects of her career... -
![Brownies, Bodies & Bad Guys by Leighann Dobbs]()
Brownies, Bodies & Bad Guys by Leighann Dobbs
Rated: 4.21 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsWhen a retired mobster ends up murdered and one of her grandmother's best friends is the last one to see him alive, Lexy Baker can kiss her plans to spend an uneventful summer dreaming about her upcoming wedding to detective Jack Perillo good-bye.Lexy agrees to help her grandmother's octogenarian Ladies' Detective Club solve the murder... -
![Lemonade and Lies by Agatha Frost]()
Lemonade and Lies by Agatha Frost
Rated: 4.19 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsBook 2 in the Peridale Cafe Cozy Mystery Series! When the entire village is invited to a garden party for a mysterious ‘special announcement’, nobody expected that party to end with a man being thrown to his death from a window. The murder is committed at Julia South’s estranged father’s manor, so all eyes in Peridale turn to her to solve the case... -
![For Batter or Worse by Jenn McKinlay]()
For Batter or Worse by Jenn McKinlay
Rated: 4.19 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsThe Fairy Tale Cupcake crew must discover the truth behind a death sprinkled with suspicion before Mel and Joe can say I do", in the thirteenth Cupcake Bakery Mystery from New York Times bestselling author Jenn McKinlay.Life is sweet and business is booming at the Fairy Tale Cupcakes bakery--and the fact that Mel and Joe are getting married is the icing on the cake... -
![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... -
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![Deal Gone Dead by Carolyn Ridder Aspenson]()
Deal Gone Dead by Carolyn Ridder Aspenson
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsMeet Lily Sprayberry.Selling homes is her career.Solving crimes, her calling.There's money buried somewhere on Myrtle Redbecker's property, and people are dying to find it.Literally... -
![Banana Chiffon and Bad Deeds by London Lovett]()
Banana Chiffon and Bad Deeds by London Lovett
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsMeet London's newest amateur sleuth, Scottie Ramone, in Banana Chiffon and Bad Deeds—A prequel novella to the Scottie Ramone Cozy Mystery series.A missing grandmother, a murdered neighbor and a crush from the past are just a few of the surprises waiting for Scottie in the heart of the Rocky Mountains... -
![Mug Shot: A Java Jive Mystery by Caroline Fardig]()
Mug Shot: A Java Jive Mystery by Caroline Fardig
Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsFull of humor and suspense, the bestselling Java Jive series heats up as the irrepressible heroine of Death Before Decaf faces off against Nashville’s upper crust to solve a shocking murder. Former musician Juliet Langley has barely had a day off since taking over management of the coffeehouse owned by her best friend, Pete Bennett... -
![Lethal in Old Lace by Duffy Brown]()
Lethal in Old Lace by Duffy Brown
Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsReagan Summerside returns in national bestselling author Duffy Brown’s fifth Consignment Shop mystery, now for the first time in hardcover.There are two social functions in Savannah guaranteed to get people talking: weddings and funerals... -
![A Field Guide to Homicide by Lynn Cahoon]()
A Field Guide to Homicide by Lynn Cahoon
Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsCat Latimer and her writer’s retreat group go on a hiking trip—but a murderer has been lurking off the beaten path . . . Cat’s sweetheart, Seth, is going all out on an outing into the local mountains—for the benefit of the writing group Cat’s hosting at her Colorado B&B. But when they try to identify some plant and animal life, they find death instead... -
![Killer Words by V.M. Burns]()
Killer Words by V.M. Burns
Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsIn the seventh Mystery Bookshop novel from Agatha Award-finalist V.M. Burns, bookstore owner, mystery writer, and amateur sleuth Samantha Washington and her Nana Jo confront their own relationship with law enforcement when a local cop who’s unjustly persecuted their family is accused of killing a person in his custody. -
![Heads Will Cinnamon Roll by London Lovett]()
Heads Will Cinnamon Roll by London Lovett
Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsFor amateur sleuth Scottie Ramone, the only thing better than a hot, fresh cinnamon roll is an intriguing new mystery to solve!Scottie recently made some life-changing decisions. (One might even call them rash.) She’s turned her whole world upside down and desperately wants to set it upright... -
![Cream Caramel and Murder by K.E. O'Connor]()
Cream Caramel and Murder by K.E. O'Connor
Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsSweet treats, revenge, and murder. ‘I truly loved the characters in this book, they were so vivid and fun!’ Amazon review. Holly Holmes loves her new job working in the kitchen at Audley Castle, home to the eccentric and wealthy Audley family... -
![Yews with Caution by Kate Collins]()
Yews with Caution by Kate Collins
Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsFlower shop owner Abby Knight is out to help a friend in need but soon finds herself in the weeds... The Spring of Abby's Discontent It's April in New Chapel, and Abby and her husband, Marco, are off to buy shrubs for their new house. But the owner of the local landscaping company is nowhere to be found... -
![The Sweet Smell of Murder by Cindy Bell]()
The Sweet Smell of Murder by Cindy Bell
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsAlly Sweet is happy to be returning for a short break to the small town where she grew up. She is planning on using the time off to get over her messy divorce and she is looking forward to spending time with her much-loved grandmother and relaxing making chocolates and anything chocolaty.But then… the delivery driver for her grandmother’s chocolate shop is found murdered... -
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![Affairs of Steak by Julie Hyzy]()
Affairs of Steak by Julie Hyzy
Rated: 4.14 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsWhite House chef Olivia Paras and her arch nemesis, White House Sensitivity Director Peter Everett Sargeant, must work together to solve the double murder of one of the First Lady's assistants and the Chief of Staff-before they become the next victims of a merciless assassin with a secret agenda... -
![The Diva Digs Up the Dirt by Krista Davis]()
The Diva Digs Up the Dirt by Krista Davis
Rated: 4.14 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsTrouble in spades... Determined not to be a garden-variety diva, Sophie Winston's neighbor, Natasha, cultivates a plan to shine on television--using Sophie's backyard. As the cast and crew of the makeover show "Tear It Up With Troy" bulldoze through her backyard--and vacation--Sophie retreats to her perennial boyfriend Wolf's to replace a dead rose bush... -
![When the Grits Hit the Fan by Maddie Day]()
When the Grits Hit the Fan by Maddie Day
Rated: 4.14 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsDespite the bitter winter in South Lick, Indiana, business is still hot at Robbie Jordan’s restaurant. But when another murder rattles the small town, can Robbie defrost the motives of a cold-blooded killer? Before she started hosting dinners for Indiana University’s Sociology Department at Pans ‘N Pancakes, Robbie never imagined scholarly meetings could be so hostile... -
![Killer Research by Jenn McKinlay]()
Killer Research by Jenn McKinlay
Rated: 4.14 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsSpring has sprung in Briar Creek, but it is not all sunshine and roses, in the newest Library Lover's Mystery from the New York Times bestselling author of One for the Books.Spring is livening up Briar Creek after a long, cold winter, and newlyweds Lindsey and Sully could not be happier. Even though the upcoming mayoral election is getting heated, everything else in town is coming up daffodils.. -
![Mystery of the Tea Cup Quilt by Jodi Allen Brice]()
Mystery of the Tea Cup Quilt by Jodi Allen Brice
Rated: 4.14 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsHi! I’m Dove Agnew, former successful dress designer who was living the high life in New York, until my sleazy business partner used my business to move his drugs, leaving me to pack my ruined reputation and move back home to the tiny town of Harland Creek. Despite the setback, all was going relatively well until I found Gertrude Brown’s body on the floor of my mom’s quilt shop... -
![Strawberried Alive by Jenn McKinlay]()
Strawberried Alive by Jenn McKinlay
Rated: 4.13 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsThe crew from the Fairy Tale Cupcakes shop risks getting burned when they set out to find a murderer who is terrorizing their townLife is smooth as buttercream at the Fairy Tale Cupcakes bakery, and newlyweds Mel and Joe are stopping to smell the flours. But things start to crumble one night when an unknown gunman takes a shot at Mel... -
![The Honeymoon Cottage by Barbara Cool Lee]()
The Honeymoon Cottage by Barbara Cool Lee
Rated: 4.11 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsLooking for a light and breezy, feel-good beach read? You've found it in Pajaro Bay. Camilla Stewart desperately needs to make a fresh start: her despicable ex-fiancé stole her life savings, embezzled from her job, and then disappeared without a trace—leaving behind nothing but his eight-year-old son, Oliver... -
![Fudgement Day by Wendy Meadows]()
Fudgement Day by Wendy Meadows
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsChocolate Cozy Mystery series can be read in one to two hours. It is perfect for those moments when you are waiting at an appointment or want to enjoy a quick read.Olivia Cloud just can’t help herself. Where there is a mystery, she is there to try and solve it. This time the mystery involves the death of Jason Horn, her son Sebastian’s friend... -
![If the Coffin Fits by Lillian Bell]()
If the Coffin Fits by Lillian Bell
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsPerfect for fans of Carolyn Haines and Donna Andrews, Lillian Bell makes the return with her second Funeral Parlor mystery featuring funeral director Desiree Turner.When an unnatural cause of death finds one of her clients, Desiree must get to the bottom of the murder before she’s fitted for a coffin, herself.Funeral director Desiree Turner deals with death by natural causes all the time... -
![A Crime of Poison by Nancy Haddock]()
A Crime of Poison by Nancy Haddock
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsThe Silver Six are known for their arts and crafts—but they’re about to be tested in the art of catching a crafty killer.It’s early October, time for the Fall Folk Art Festival and Bake Sale in Lilyvale, Arkansas. Every business along the town square will benefit from the event, including the craft store run by Leslee Stanton Nix—aka Nixy—and the Silver Six, a group of retirees... -
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![Fleur De Kill by Carol Durand, Summer Prescott]()
Fleur De Kill by Carol Durand, Summer Prescott
Rated: 4.13 of 5 stars · 8 ratings***Book 2 in The Frosted Love Cozy Mystery Series*** With $50,000 up for grabs in a cupcake competition, Missy Gladstone has to be on her A-game, if she plans on expanding her business, but that doesn't prevent her from deciding to use the competition as an excuse to unwind in Las Vegas while she's there... -
![A Legacy of Murder by Connie Berry]()
A Legacy of Murder by Connie Berry
Rated: 4.10 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsAmerican antique dealer Kate Hamilton's Christmastime jaunt to a charming English village leads to an investigation of a missing ruby...and a chain of murders.It's Christmastime and antiques dealer Kate Hamilton is off to visit her daughter, Christine, in the quaint English village of Long Barston. Christine and her boyfriend, Tristan, work at stately-but-crumbling Finchley Hall... -
![Braking for Bodies by Duffy Brown]()
Braking for Bodies by Duffy Brown
Rated: 4.10 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsEvie Bloomfield puts the pedal to the metal—in the latest Cycle Path mystery from the national bestselling author of Geared for the Grave. Moving from Los Angeles to small, picturesque Mackinac Island to work in a bike shop might seem crazy, but Evie knows it’s the best decision she’s ever made... -
![The Novel Art of Murder by V.M. Burns]()
The Novel Art of Murder by V.M. Burns
Rated: 4.10 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsMystery bookstore owner Samantha Washington is trying to keep her grandmother from spending her golden years in an orange jumpsuit . . . The small town of North Harbor, Michigan, is just not big enough for the two of them: flamboyant phony Maria Romanov and feisty Nana Jo. The insufferable Maria claims she's descended from Russian royalty and even had a fling with King Edward VIII back in the day... -
![A Root Awakening by Kate Collins]()
A Root Awakening by Kate Collins
Rated: 4.10 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsAbby Knight's marriage may be in full bloom, but house hunting is no bed of roses in latest novel in the New York Times bestselling Flower Shop Mystery series... Now that they’ve tied the knot, flower shop owner Abby Knight and her husband, Marco, want to put down roots. When it comes to picking a house, Marco can’t wait to get his hands dirty, while Abby isn’t ready for a fixer-upper... -
![Seed No Evil by Kate Collins]()
Seed No Evil by Kate Collins
Rated: 4.08 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsIt’s finally time to say, “I do!” As long as I can keep my momout of jail long enough to get her to the ceremony....Someone’s Biting Mad.Abby Knight’s wedding is in less than two weeks, and everything is going wrong... -
![A Little Night Murder by Nancy Martin]()
A Little Night Murder by Nancy Martin
Rated: 4.08 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsMurder under the stars... Nora Blackbird—pregnant at last!—is spending summer afternoons wallowing in the Bucks County pool of her best friend, Lexie Paine, who has just been released from prison. At night, Nora is covering Philadelphia’s high-society events for the local newspaper. And this time she doesn’t have to look far for a good story... -
![Murder at the Snowed Inn by Imogen Plimp]()
Murder at the Snowed Inn by Imogen Plimp
Rated: 4.08 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsMurder in the cozy snow-capped mountainsAnd heart-warming romance to boot!Heartbroken after her beloved husband’s death, Claire Andersen—proud foster mom, dog mom, and culinary artisan—decides to try her hand at a new beginning, renovating an old B&B in idyllic Galway, Maryland on the edge of the enchanted Appalachian Mountains... -
![Gluten-Free Murder by P.D. Workman]()
Gluten-Free Murder by P.D. Workman
Rated: 4.08 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsMurder by muffinErin Price moves to Bald Eagle Falls, a place where everyone knows everyone as well as everyone else’s business, taking over the store left to her by her aunt to start up a gluten-free bakery. The grand opening is marred by just one thing, the death of her business rival, Angela Plaint. It appears that Angela was poisoned by one of Erin’s cupcakes, making her a prime suspect... -
![Mariner's Compass by Earlene Fowler]()
Mariner's Compass by Earlene Fowler
Rated: 4.07 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsTo claim an inheritance that a mysterious stranger left her, Benni must delve into the secrets of her own past--and a place she once called home... -
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![Murder Melts in Your Mouth by Nancy Martin]()
Murder Melts in Your Mouth by Nancy Martin
Rated: 4.07 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsThe new Blackbird Sisters mystery from the bestselling author of A Crazy Little Thing Called Death . Down-to-earth debutante Nora Blackbird is having a meltdown-and it isn't because of Philadelphia's heat wave, or an overdose at the city's Chocolate Festival. A noted Philly philanthropist has taken a swan dive from an office balcony-and Nora's friend Lexie stands accused of the murder... -
![Eaves of Destruction by Kate Carlisle, Angela Starling]()
Eaves of Destruction by Kate Carlisle, Angela Starling
Rated: 4.07 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsMurder is on the to-do list when construction contractor Shannon Hammer looks for a killer in the fifth Fixer-Upper Mystery....At the annual Victorian Home and Garden Tour, Lighthouse Cove, California's premier contractor, Shannon Hammer, realizes that the competition is about to turn deadly....Shannon is in high demand among rival homeowners who will do anything to win Best in Show... -
![Fonduing Fathers by Julie Hyzy]()
Fonduing Fathers by Julie Hyzy
Rated: 4.07 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsWhite House executive chef Olivia Paras has enough on her plate. But after gaining new information about her father’s death, the First Family isn’t the only family Olivia is concerned about…Olivia has always believed that her father was an honorable man—until a trip to visit her mother reveals that he was dishonorably discharged from the army... -
![A Wrench in the Works by Kate Carlisle, Eileen Stevens]()
A Wrench in the Works by Kate Carlisle, Eileen Stevens
Rated: 4.07 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsLights! Camera! Homicide! Contractor Shannon Hammer has to dig through murder suspects in the latest Fixer-Upper Mystery from the New York Times best-selling author of Eaves of Destruction and Once upon a Spine... -
![Buried to the Brim by Jenn McKinlay]()
Buried to the Brim by Jenn McKinlay
Rated: 4.07 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsLondon's most refined canines and their humans are gearing up for the Pets and Wellness Society's annual dog show--and Betty Wentworth, favorite aunt to Scarlett's fiancé Harrison and proud owner of corgi front-runner Freddy, knows that this could be their year with the right edge... -
![Writing All Wrongs by Ellery Adams]()
Writing All Wrongs by Ellery Adams
Rated: 4.07 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsThe New York Times bestselling author of Lethal Letters returns to the North Carolina Coast, where aspiring novelist and amateur sleuth Olivia Limoges discovers crime doesn’t take a vacation . . . After Olivia and Chief Rawlings enjoy a brief honeymoon on Palmetto Island, they’re joined by the rest of the Bayside Book Writers for the Coastal Carolina Crime Festival...
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