Books like 'A Smoking Bun'
Readers who enjoyed A Smoking Bun by Ellie Alexander also liked the following books featuring the same tropes, story themes, relationship dynamics and character types.
mystery small town cozy family grief crime secrets season-winter friendship culinary
-
Castaways and Longer Days by Trixie Silvertale
Rated: 4.70 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsA dangerous tornado. A clever crime. Can this psychic sleuth sift through the rubble to find a murder?Mitzy Moon longs to embrace the warmth of summer at a community-wide celebration. Enjoying a midsummer sailboat regatta, strawberry cake, and bonfires on the beach sounds divine... -
The Truth in Tiramisu by Rachael Bloome
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsEliza Carter can't keep a secret.Except the one she's been hiding for over eight years. And it's not the recipe for her world-famous tiramisu. With her bakery undergoing a remodel, her son struggling in school, and planning her best friend's wedding, Eliza's secret is the last thing on her mind. Until her high school sweetheart reappears, stirring up old feelings faster than her electric mixer... -
Hopes and Slippery Slopes by Trixie Silvertale
Rated: 4.75 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsA dangerous race. The peal of wedding bells. Will this psychic sleuth catch a bouquet or a bullet? Mitzy Moon finally has a chance to spend a normal, murder-free day with family. And she's super-excited to support her legendary snowmobile racer dad as he's honored for his place in the record books. But instead of a celebration on the podium, she finds a corpse under the snow... -
Hide and Seek by Kathi Daley
Rated: 4.60 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsSydney Whitmore, a forensic psychologist working for the FBI, moves to Shipwreck Island and renews her relationship with Ezra Reinhold, a reclusive billionaire who enjoys poking around in cold cases and has the means to hire the best people to find the answers no one else has been able to... -
-
Schemes and Bad Dreams by Trixie Silvertale
Rated: 4.60 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsA blast from the past. A dangerous decision. This time, our psychic sleuth becomes the victim…Mitzy Moon loves her new home town. But when history comes calling, she’s tempted by distant memories and forced to reconsider. Now her sudden disappearance could be an impromptu road trip… or something more sinister... -
Hearts and Dark Arts by Trixie Silvertale
Rated: 4.60 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsWhen a disappearing dog leads to a decades-old feud, will this psychic sleuth settle the score?Mitzy Moon is bending over backward to be a good big sister. Spending a day at the pet invention convention seems harmless enough... -
The Inn at Holiday Bay: Details in the Document by Kathi Daley
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsA heartwarming cozy mystery series about losing everything, taking a chance, and starting again... -
The Mother's Day Mishap by Kathi Daley
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsIf you love small towns, endearing relationships, food, animals, and a touch of murder, you will love this new mystery series by Kathi Daley, author of the popular Zoe Donovan Cozy Mystery Series. It's Mother's Day in White Eagle Montana and spring has come to the small foothills community... -
Bars and Boxcars by Trixie Silvertale
Rated: 4.63 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsA robbery on the rails. A gang in hiding. Can this psychic sleuth blow the whistle on a dangerous crew?Mitzy Moon struggles to put snooping on the back burner and help launch the Duncan Restorative Justice Foundation. But her good-girl routine leaves the station after a deputy crashes the Grand Opening with a search warrant... -
Heists and Poltergeists by Trixie Silvertale
Rated: 4.63 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsWhen our psychic sleuth lands in the middle of a Wonderland bank robbery, will she keep her cool or lose her head?Mitzy Moon is determined not to spoil her surprise birthday party. She’s been dodging questions and playing dumb for months, but a sassy snoop can only take so much... -
The Mystery Before Christmas by Kathi Daley
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsHow is one to start again after losing the one thing that speaks to your heart and fuels your passion?After a serious accident leaves Calliope Rose Collins unable to continue with the career that has owned her soul for most of her life, she returns to Foxtail Lake, Hollister House, Great Aunt Gracie, and childhood friend, Officer Cass Wylander, where she begins to rebuild her life from the ashes... -
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... -
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... -
A Whale of a Tail by Kathi Daley
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsVisiting author Winnifred Westminster turns up dead after a speaking engagement at Coffee Cat Books where she tells those in attendance the story of the very real murder her book is based on. A murder she assures them that local law enforcement were never able to solve, but after years of research, she assured them she'd found the answer they couldn't... -
-
Lowcountry Getaway by Susan M. Boyer
Rated: 4.40 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsChristmas in the Islands…Nate Andrews whisked the entire Talbot clan off for a holiday adventure in the U.S. Virgin Islands. As they relax on the beach of sunny St. John, Liz Talbot grapples with the secret her husband has kept since the day she met him—he’s a very wealthy man... -
Banana Slit by Angela K. Ryan
Rated: 4.40 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsThe grand opening of Anna McBride’s seaside ice cream shop is anything but sweet.After the tragic death of her Irish twin sister, Bella, Anna needed a radical change. So, she closed her counseling practice in Boston to embark on a new adventure as an ice cream shop owner... -
Opera and Old Lace by Kathi Daley
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsShelby Morris came to Holiday Bay after receiving a huge inheritance from a woman she'd never met which she'd been destined to share with two half-sisters she'd never knew existed. It took some time for the three very different siblings to settle the estate in a manner that was agreeable to all of them, but in the end, it was decided that Shelby would stay and take care of things... -
Mistletoe, Moonlight, & Murder by Carolyn L. Dean
Rated: 4.29 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsONE... terrible mudslide TWO... feet sticking out of it THREE... carats of perfect diamonds Amanda hadn't expected snow for Christmas on the Oregon Coast, but her first winter in Ravenwood Cove brings out long-dead secrets that someone is desperately trying to hide...no matter the cost... -
Vanilla Bean Vengeance by Agatha Frost
Rated: 4.29 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsThe FIRST BOOK in a BRAND NEW cozy mystery series!Claire Harris loves nothing more than crafting homemade candles. She has always dreamed of one day opening a quaint candle shop in her home village of Northash, but at thirty-five, she still can't afford to take the risk. Stuck in a dead-end job at the local candle factory, and back living with her parents, Claire knows her life needs a shakeup... -
The Diva Serves Forbidden Fruit by Krista Davis
Rated: 4.29 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsShe's a young Martha Stewart.. -
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... -
The Party Line by Carolyn Brown
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsA niece’s inheritance comes with family secrets, new romance, and sweet Texas strawberries in a refreshing and warmhearted novel by New York Times bestselling author Carolyn Brown.Returning home to Ditto, Texas, is bittersweet for Lila Matthews. Her dear and feisty aunt Gracie has passed away, leaving Lila her estate... -
Cajun Kiss of Death by Ellen Byron
Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsThe next shot from Cupid's bow may be fatal in USA Today bestselling, Agatha Award-winning author Ellen Byron's hearty and delightful seventh Cajun Country mystery.In Pelican, Louisiana, Valentine's Day has a way of warming the heart, despite the February chill. But the air at Crozat Plantation B&B turns decidedly frigid when celebrity chef Phillippe Chanson checks in... -
Best Laid Plans by Kristi Rose
Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsNo “learn to be a PI” video prepared her for this... When Samantha True witnesses Wind River's most popular principal keel over dead she knows three things.He's been murderedProving it will be impossibleThey're gonna think she did itAs she works to clear her name, Samantha learns "Principal Josh" is the king of slime balls... -
-
Deadly Reservation by CeeCee James
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsWhen Maisie Swenson stumbles onto the site of an ancient church steeped in pirate folklore, she's thrilled to explore it. She never expects to find a young woman lying in the churches yard clutching flowers like a real live Snow White. And just like the cartoon Snow White, this woman cannot be awakened. As Maisie tries to puzzle through that situation, one of her guests is found in a coma, too... -
Murder in the Churchyard by Catherine Coles
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsDownton Abbey crossed with Murder, She Wrote...set in a Yorkshire village!When the body of Isolde Newley's long lost husband is found in the grounds of St Augustus churchyard, suspicion falls on Isolde and everyone close to her - especially her new love interest, the dashing Dr Mainwaring.The mystery is exacerbated by the largest snowfall seen in North Yorkshire for years... -
Secrets and Stilettos by Gina LaManna
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsFor fans of Sophie Kinsella and Janet Evanovich... Fashion can be deadly… Jenna McGovern’s strappy shoes and sundresses are not going to cut it when she makes the move from Hollywood Hills to Blueberry Lake, Minnesota in the stone-cold dead of winter... -
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... -
Round Up the Usual Peacocks by Donna Andrews
Rated: 4.21 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsNew York Times, bestselling author Donna Andrews first introduced us to Meg Langslow as a crime-solving bridesmaid. In her 31st mystery, Round Up the Usual Peacocks, Meg returns to her roots, juggling cold cases and wedding guests. Kevin, Meg's cyber-savvy nephew who lives in the basement, comes to her with a problem... -
The Body in the Gravel by Judi Lynn
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsEven in a lovely town like River Bluffs, Indiana, flipping houses can be a challenge. Especially when there’s the proverbial skeleton in the closet—and a literal corpse in the driveway . . . House-flipper Jazzy Zanders has her work cut out for her. Her latest flip, which she co-purchased with her fiancée Ansel and cousin Jerod, is a three-story fixer-upper that’s more of a droopy-downer... -
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... -
Death Comes to Cornwall by Kate Johnson
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsThe perfect holiday destination. The perfect place for murder... Molly Higgins never expected to be caught up in a murder investigation. All she'd hoped for this year was to work hard, save enough money to open her very own café on the Cornish coast and avoid her ex, Conor Blackstone, who has just arrived back in the village... -
Deep Fried Death by Maddie Day
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsThe latest installment in Maddie Day’s deliciously popular Country Store cozy mysteries is sure to appeal to fans of Jenn McKinlay, Ellery Adams, Leslies Meier, and Joanne Fluke.Many residents of South Lick, Indiana, claim the Outhouse Race, in which competitors push old-timey outhouse replicas on wheels at the annual Abe Martin Festival on Memorial Day, is the best thing since indoor plumbing... -
The Sign of Four Spirits by Vicki Delany
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsGemma Doyle won’t be spooked when a body shows up at the psychic fair in bestselling author Vicki Delany’s ninth Sherlock Holmes Bookshop mystery.When a psychic fair arrives in West London, Gemma Doyle, owner of the Sherlock Holmes Bookshop and Emporium, wants nothing to do with it... -
-
Murder on Tour by V.M. Burns
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsBookstore owner and Michigander Samantha Washington is thrilled to see her debut historical mystery finally on the shelves, but a killer seems determined to steal away the spotlight . . . While Sam wraps up her first whirlwind book tour, Nana Jo has kept Market Street Mysteries running smoothly. The last stop is a prestigious book festival in Sam’s hometown of North Harbor, Michigan... -
The Diva Goes Overboard by Krista Davis
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsFor once, event planner Sophie Winston finds herself a guest at a lavish engagement party, but things go horrifyingly awry when the groom-to-be is fatally poisoned . . -
A Fair Time For Death by Adriana Licio
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsThe annual Chestnut Fair brings visitors from far and wide to the sleepy village of Trecchina. This year, one will be coming to die.The moment Vanda Riccardi makes the grisly discovery in the forest, a blow to the head knocks her cold. By the time rescuers find her, the corpse is gone... -
Death in Darkness by Nell Goddin
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsA disturbed wife. A nanny. And a pack of cowardly, lying friends.Simon Valette, a cultured and successful Parisian, moves his family to Castillac looking for peace and quiet. Before they've had a chance to settle in, someone is found murdered in their library. Molly and Ben work double-time to disentangle all the lies--including those told by their own friends... -
An Official Killing by Nell Goddin
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsJune, 2007. Castillac appears calm, even serene. Roses spill over stone walls, the Saturday market is overflowing. Villagers are lulled into feeling safe and secure. But a dark corruption is spreading underneath the surface. Unbeknownst to anyone but those involved, the village has been infiltrated from within and without... -
The Château Murder by Nell Goddin
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsA dead Baron. A missing emerald. And way too many suspects.Amateur sleuth Molly Sutton has her hands full this time! Shut out of Castillac’s latest murder case and running out of money, she’s praying for a brilliant scheme or at least some dumb luck to strike... -
The Garden House: A Novel by Marcia Willett
Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsMarcia Willett's The Garden House is a charming and heartwarming novel about family, yearning, and long-buried secrets …Fresh out of university and right on the precipice of adulthood, El is trying her best to figure out what it is she really wants from life. This is complicated by the fact that she is also dealing with the loss of her father, Martin... -
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... -
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... -
Wed, Read & Dead by V.M. Burns
Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsBookstore owner Samantha Washington sells and solves mysteries in North Harbor, Michigan--including the murder of her mother's wedding planner... Sam's mother can't wait to wed her wealthy beau, Harold Robertson. The big mystery is how they're going to pull off a lavish wedding in three weeks. Harold's snobby sister-in-law proposes a solution: engage flamboyant wedding planner Lydia Lighthouse... -
-
Secrets in a Bottle by Shelly West
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsAbigail Lane is a petite spitfire and proud owner of a Great Dane twice her size. She's been struggling to make it in Boston when a call beckons her down to the cozy seaside town of Wallace Point... -
Chilled to the Cone by Ellie Alexander
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsPastry chef and amateur sleuth Juliet Capshaw finds herself on thin ice as she attempts to solve her latest case of small-town murder in Ellie Alexander's Chilled to the Cone: A Bakeshop Mystery.The deep freeze has thawed in Ashland, Oregon and Torte is gearing up for a busy spring... -
A Vacation to Die For by Lynn Cahoon
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsIn the California coastal town of South Cove, Jill Gardner, owner of Coffee, Books, and More, discovers that wedding planning can be murder . . .Hustling her fiancé off to a neighboring tourist town might be the only way Jill Gardner can plan her nuptials to South Cove’s in-demand police detective... -
The Diva Frosts a Cupcake by Krista Davis
Rated: 4.14 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsRevenge is sweet… Sophie Winston and her BFF, Nina Reid Norwood, share a sweet spot for animals. So Sophie is delighted to help when Nina cooks up Cupcakes and Pupcakes—a fundraising event for animal shelters. All the local bakeries will be selling treats, with the profits going to pups and kitties in need... -
Murder Most Howl by Krista Davis
Rated: 4.14 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsThe New York Times bestselling author of The Ghost and Mrs. Mewer and The Diva Steals a Chocolate Kiss returns with a tail of a ruff winter…This January, Wagtail, Virginia, the top pet-friendly destination in the country, is throwing a fun murder mystery weekend—but no one expected the real thing.. -
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..
Or - use our amazing romance book finder to get recommendations based on your favorite content tropes and themes. Mix and match at will.