Books like 'The Best American Short Stories 2019'
Readers who enjoyed The Best American Short Stories 2019 by Anthony Doerr also liked the following books featuring the same tropes, story themes, relationship dynamics and character types.
contemporary mystery literary-fiction university cozy
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Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt
Rated: 4.48 of 5 stars · 42 ratingsFor fans of A Man Called Ove, a charming, witty and compulsively readable exploration of friendship, reckoning, and hope, tracing a widow's unlikely connection with a giant Pacific octopus.After Tova Sullivan's husband died, she began working the night shift at the Sowell Bay Aquarium, mopping floors and tidying up... -
The Corner Shop in Cockleberry Bay by Nicola May
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 26 ratingsPraise for Nicola May’s books ‘This book will twang your funny bone & your heartstrings’ – Milly Johnson ‘A fun and flighty read’ the Sun ‘A funny and fast-paced romp – thoroughly enjoyable!’ WOMAN Magazine Rosa Larkin is down on her luck in London, so when she inherits a near-derelict corner shop in a quaint Devon village, her first thought is to sell it for cash and sort out her life... -
Bringing Them Home by Barbara Hinske
Rated: 4.75 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsThe state’s case against Chuck Delgado is foundering as things heat up and turn deadly in Westbury. Frank Haynes and Loretta Nash each possess the proof to put Delgado away for good, but coming forward could destroy their relationship. Will they put self-interest aside to do the right thing? Susan Martin begins her new life as Mrs... -
Firefly Diaries by C.C. Warrens
Rated: 4.83 of 5 stars · 6 ratings"The world whipped around her in a dizzying funnel of lights and shouts, people in uniforms pressing in from all directions. Noelle sat motionless in the street, barely able to breathe. His little body was too still. Too broken."Noelle's world shattered that night, like the pieces of headlights scattered across the dark street. There was no rebuilding her life around the grave of her child... -
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Campfire Secrets by Kathi Daley
Rated: 4.63 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsFive victims, four friends, three novels, two romances, and one cold case mystery, combine to bring you the first in a series of three part reunion stories by USA Today Bestselling author Kathi Daley.In the third installment of this three-part story, Quinn and Kelly set out to prove a theory which puts both women in the crosshairs of a killer... -
Thirty-Three and a Half Shenanigans by Denise Grover Swank
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsBook Six in the USA Today Bestselling Mystery series! Rose is called into action when Neely Kate’s cousin goes missing and the police refuse to take it seriously. But while the authorities—Rose’s ex-boyfriend, included—are certain the missing woman has run away, mounting evidence points to foul play... -
Drawing Close: The Fourth Novel in the Rosemont Series by Barbara Hinske
Rated: 4.42 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsHow much would you sacrifice to save the life of a child? In the fourth novel of best-selling author Barbara Hinske’s beloved Rosemont series, Maggie Martin faces her biggest challenges when her future at Rosemont and the life of someone dear to her are at stake. Fighting to eradicate the corruption in Westbury has left Mayor Maggie Martin drained... -
A Killer Among Us (Women of Justice) by Lynette Eason
Rated: 4.31 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsWhen they are thrown into a grisly murder case, hostage negotiator Kit Kenyon and detective Noah Lambert soon realize they are on the hunt for a serial killer. The stakes are raised when they discover he may be hunting one of them too... -
Summer at the Little French Cafe: The perfect laugh out loud romance for summer by Karen Clarke
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsIn the beautiful village of Chamillon lies the Café Belle Vie, where you’ll always find croissants and friends when you need them the most – and where Elle is hoping to uncover the truth about her past… Thirty-year-old Elle Matheson has decided it’s finally time to find the mother who gave her up as a baby... -
Murder Al Dente by Nancy Skopin
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 8 ratings“An intuitive detective, a kidnapped child, and an assassin with a heart of gold …”In Murder Al Dente, PI Nicoli “Nikki” Hunter once again gets herself in hot water when she’s hired by a multimillionaire boat owner, (and sex toy manufacturer,) to find out who’s trying to kill him. Nikki has barely begun her investigation when he’s found dead aboard his mega yacht... -
Murder Served Cold by Nancy Skopin
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsPI Nicoli 'Nikki' Hunter is blindsided when someone close to her is murdered, and their body dumped in an alley. Detective Bill Anderson catches the homicide and, knowing Nikki, doesn't even attempt to discourage her from conducting her own investigation, which, in this case, takes a village... -
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... -
Heavenly Honeymoon by Kathi Daley
Rated: 4.40 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsIn true Zoe Donovan fashion, Zoe ends up in jail on the second night of her honeymoon after she finds herself the only suspect in the first murder Heavenly Island has seen in a decade. Although she has been ordered to leave the investigation to a man known only as Toad, she can't help but snoop around just a bit while enjoying the tropical paradise with new husband Zak... -
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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Hidden Valley by Annie Seaton
Rated: 4.40 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsHappily working on her family’s macadamia farm in the rolling hills of northern New South Wales, Dee Peters receives an enigmatic letter hinting of family secrets, and the prospect of her inheriting a cattle station in the Northern Territory outback... -
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... -
Turkey, Pies and Alibis by Wendy Meadows
Rated: 4.40 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsSweetfern Harbor Bed and Breakfast Cozy Mysteries 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.Brenda Sheffield wishes her father would respond to her invitations to visit Sheffield Bed and Breakfast. So far only silence answers her calls and letters... -
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... -
Four Seasons in Japan by Nick Bradley
Rated: 4.22 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsA heartwarming and profound novel about the power of books and connection between generations, that is also a love letter to Japan and its literature.Flo is sick of Tokyo.Suffering from a crisis in confidence, she is stuck in a rut, her translation work has dried up and she's in a relationship that's run its course... -
Tone Death by Christy Barritt
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsCamryn Paine is all ears when it comes to solving crimes. . .Annie King, a popular social media personality, is being threatened and requests Camryn’s help. Before Camryn can uncover the truth about what’s going on, Annie nearly dies while filming her show. With Annie in the hospital, Camryn is compelled to do whatever she can to help... -
High Stakes by Nicolette Pierce
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsContinue Nadia Wolf’s adventure in this second book. Nadia Wolf has had enough and she’s fighting back! It comes down to this: Kill or be killed. Nadia doesn’t like those options but she is far from safe from Dagor’s clutches. Not only does she have to worry about saving her neck, but now she has a new roommate taking over her apartment; Muffin . .Categorized as:
cozy literary-fiction action-adventure adult amateur-sleuth audiobook book contemporary -
The Sweet Tea Quilting Bee by Glenda C. Manus
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsA stranger’s murder in the dark alley behind May’s Flower Shop is causing the residents of Park Place, South Carolina to keep their children inside and their doors locked at night. Banty Hen Antique Shop owners, Sam and Valerie Owens, are caught right smack dab in the middle since they were the last ones to see the victim alive... -
Mostaccioli Murder by Nicolette Pierce
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsMurder with a side of mostaccioli.Jade returns home to Chicago after being wrongfully fired from her dream job. When she had left a decade ago, she had made two promises to herself. One, never ever work for the family restaurant again. And, two, never ever see Kade, her cheating ex-boyfriend, again.Unfortunately, when the restaurant delivery driver is found murdered, Jade assumes his position...Categorized as:
cozy literary-fiction mystery contemporary humor culinary female-author amateur-sleuth -
Poison Town by Creston Mapes
Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsThere’s More Than One Kind of Poison in This Town People are sick and dying. Rumors are swirling. Some claim chemicals leaking from a manufacturing plant are causing the cancer that’s crippling people on the poor side of Trenton City, Ohio. Yet nothing at the plant appears amiss. The problem remains a mystery until reporter Jack Crittendon’s long-time mechanic falls ill and he investigates... -
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Perfectly Good Crime (A Kate Bradley Mystery) by Dete Meserve
Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsFrom the bestselling author of Good Sam comes a taut and thought-provoking follow-up, Perfectly Good Crime. When the estates of the 100 wealthiest Americans are targeted in a series of sophisticated, high tech heists, Los Angeles TV news reporter Kate Bradley must venture inside the world of the super rich to investigate the biggest story of the year... -
Revenge Kisses by Addison Moore
Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars · 10 ratings*A SEXY romantic comedy from the New York Times bestselling author Addison Moore * ***All 3:AM KISSES books can be read as sexy STANDALONES *** Nothing feels better than REVENGE. Don’t get mad. Get even. When Knox and I catch our respective plus ones making out, all hell breaks loose. So we do the only thing we can—date one another to drive our exes to the brink... -
Jackrabbit Junction Jitters by Ann Charles
Rated: 4.21 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsThe dusty pit-stop of Jackrabbit Junction, Arizona is rampant with jitters, and not just the pre-marital kind. Claire is back, blowing in with a monsoon storm on her heels and raining trouble throughout the cactus-filled valley. A burglar is on the loose and she wastes no time forming suspicions, but her usual suspects are temporarily off the hook when a treasure hunt sidetracks her... -
Pecan Pie and Deadly Lies by Nancy Naigle
Rated: 4.21 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsPecan Pie and Deadly Lies is a sweet, down-home story of love overcoming all obstacles — from the crossroads of small town and suspense. America’s beloved country superstar Cody Tuggle never expected to be one of America’s most wanted. At least that’s how he feels since he’s been accused of murdering his scheming agent... -
The Overcoat, and Other Tales of Good and Evil by Nikolai Gogol
Rated: 4.26 of 5 stars · 23 ratingsWith the publication of "The Overcoat" in 1842, Nikolai Gogol (1809-1852) inaugurated a new chapter in Russian literature, in which the underdog and social misfit is treated not as a figure of fun or an object of charity, but as a human being with as much right to happiness as anybody else...Categorized as:
literary-fiction university action-adventure adult anthologies classics contemporary fiction -
The Lake Never Tells by Alex Tully
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsZoe has lived in Sunny Shores Trailer Park her whole life and she knows what the Memorial Day weekend brings—snobby rich kids who serve as a constant reminder of how pathetic her life really is. So when she meets Ethan, the awkward boy from the exclusive community of Crystal Waters, she can’t help being intrigued. He’s different, but in a good way... -
The Stellar Debut of Galactica Macfee by Alexander McCall Smith
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsThe latest installment in the warm and welcoming 44 Scotland Street series finds all our favorite residents of Scotland's most celebrated address navigating their enchanting and eventful lives. Angus Lordie is approached in the park by a shadowy, Deep Throat-like figure with government secrets to share, who mistakes him for a journalist... -
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... -
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... -
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Death by Dark Roast by Kate P. Adams
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsThe annual Charleton House Food Festival is about to begin. But the first item on the menu is murder… Nestled in the idyllic setting of Derbyshire’s rolling hills, the ancestral home of the Fitzwilliam-Scott family seems an unlikely location for murder... -
Captured on Camera by Suzanne Bolden
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsEverything is not harmonious in the Village of Harmony!Jackie Parker, a not-ready-to-retire baby boomer, has arrived to help her great-aunt Ruth photograph a wedding. This small Midwestern community of Harmony is excited about the upcoming nuptials of its matriarch Eleanor Harmony, who is marrying for the fourth time... -
Murder Over Cocktails by Nancy Skopin
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsPrivate Investigator Nicoli “Nikki” Hunter, has recovered from a near fatal encounter with a multiple murderer, and is happy to get back to her regular bar and restaurant surveillance jobs. Unfortunately, the universe has other plans... -
The Eleventh Hour by Anina Collins
Rated: 4.14 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsThe first book in the Poppy McGuire Mystery Series! Poppy McGuire has always been a curious soul, but it's her life that's usually the topic of conversation in the small town of Sunset Ridge. But now one of the town's most important citizens has been found murdered, and everyone's life is suspect... -
The Geometry of Holding Hands by Alexander McCall Smith
Rated: 4.13 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsIsabel finds herself entangled in some tricky familial and financial situations that will require all of her kindness, charm, and philosophical expertise to navigate.Just when Isabel and Jamie finally seem to have some time to connect and unwind, a wealthy Edinburgh resident reaches out to Isabel with an unusual request--he would like her to become the executor of his large Highland estate... -
Murder on Ivywick Island by Peter Jay Black
Rated: 4.67 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsA remote island, an impossible riddle, a determined killer . . .Ready for some family catch-up time before her next food consulting job, Ruth Morgan arrives at Ivywick Island. But no sooner does she step foot off the boat, than her sister asks for help locating a missing will. Without it, Margaret and her husband are about to lose their home and everything they’ve worked for... -
Half Truth by Christy Barritt
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 8 ratings*This book officially falls between It Came Upon a Midnight Crime and Organized Grime. It can also be read as a standalone.*Big trouble can come in small packages . . .Gabby St. Claire grabs the chance to check an item off her bucket attending an auction of unclaimed storage units and hitting a jackpot with her winning bid... -
Dinner and a Murder by Nancy Skopin
Rated: 4.40 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsAn unrelenting PI, a former flame, and an inspired assassin ...Dinner & A Murder is the third book in a mystery series featuring Nicoli "Nikki" Hunter, a Private Investigator specializing in covert bar and restaurant surveillance. After surviving two attempts on her life, Nikki decides to do something normal for a change and attend her high school reunion... -
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... -
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Tarnished Silver by Chautona Havig
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsNovember 15-December 24–the busiest time of the year for most businesses, and The Confectionary owner, Audrey Seever is no exception. Buried in new ice cream flavors, bon bons, pies, breads, cakes, and other tempting treats, Audrey hardly has time to sleep, much less do things like cook for herself, clean up after herself, or do any holiday decorating... -
Wanted Woman by B.J. Daniels
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsNestled deep in the Cascade Mountains of Oregon, the close-knit community of Timber Falls is visited by evil. Could one of their own be lurking in the shadows...? She skidded into town on a bike too powerful for most men, with ten thousand dollars in her saddlebag and a bullet wound in her shoulder. Maggie Randolph was searching for something and running from someone... -
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... -
Too Far to Fall by Shane Sawyer
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsA pretty little townAn inheritanceA break-inA bodyEdie Doyle may be new in town, but she’s about to uncover long-held secrets. Secrets someone will do anything to protect.When her Great Aunt Jane dies, Edie inherits her house—and a load of trouble. The frozen corpse is just the beginning...Categorized as:
cozy literary-fiction mystery fiction contemporary crime law-enforcement amateur-sleuth -
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
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...
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