A Tail of Two Murders - A Guest Post & Giveaway

I'm pleased to welcome Nick Charles to Cozy Up With Kathy today. You can find Nick on the pages of the Nick and Nora Mystery series. A Tail of Two Murders is the ninth book in the series and was released last month.

A Day in the Life of.....

Feline Detective Nick Charles!

Merow! Many people have expressed an interest in just how a super sleuth feline spends his day! I have decided to let all you humans in on the secret....just what does a super sleuth feline do on a typical day?

Let’s find out!

4 a.m. I’m usually risen from a kitty slumber by my human, Nora Charles, getting up to start her day at Hot Bread. Sometimes she will sleep till 5, but if there’s something special she has to prepare for the day’s menu – or if she’s tracking down a clue (she’s a sleuth too!) She’s up and at ‘em – and so am I.

6 a.m. Even though Nora’s put out a bowl of kibble for me in her upstairs apartment, I usually manage to beg a little something extra to eat (after all, I'm a big boy!). Her lobster salad is my favorite. Yum!

7 a.m. Hot Bread’s open for business. When I’m not lounging in front of the refrigerator, I’m out on the counter, looking over things. Or, sometimes, out in the garage, chasing the occasional mouse that dares to invade our domain! (Hey I am, after all, a cat!)

8 am. One or both of Nora’s boyfriends usually arrive for their morning bagel before heading off to the FBI office where they work. I give them the once-over, make sure they are treating my girl right!

9-10:30 a.m. I hide under the table in the kitchen during the busy breakfast rush! If we’re on a case, I’ve also been known to dispense my Scrabble tiles with clues-some of which aren’t obvious to Nora at first, but bless her heart, she usually manages to figure them out!

11 a.m. I help Nora prepare for the lunch crowd. (and hopefully get some leftovers in the process), How do I help? Why, I am the official Hot Bread taster, of course! Nora has tried out many a new recipe on me, and I’ll either give it my meow of approval, or a thumbs down. I’m happy to report there are very few thumbs down!

2 p.m. Things in the shop start to wind down. If we’re working on a case, this is prime time for Nora to get out her whiteboard and start narrowing down suspects – with my help, of course.

3 pm. To Whenever!– Hot Bread’s closed for the day, and this is when Nora and I do our best sleuthing! This is prime time for tracking down suspects, running down clues, and – need I say it – Occasionally putting ourselves in dangerous situations. Fortunately for my human, I do seem to have a knack for getting us out of said situations!

Anytime between 11 p.m. and 2 a.m. – Depending on how invested we are in a case, bedtime can be anywhere in there! And I certainly need my beauty sleep to recharge my batteries when we’re on a case!


I hope this has given you some insights into a typical day. Of course, things change drastically when we’re hot on the trail of a suspect, like in our latest adventure, A TAIL OF TWO MURDERS. Now there was a complicated case! I”d tell you more, but I don’t want to spoil it for you! You’ll have to read the book to find out just what Nora and I are up to now......


Nick Charles is a tubby, opinionated tuxedo cat who stars (along with his human) in the Nick and Nora mystery series. Their latest adenture, A TAIL OF TWO MURDERS, is out now! For more info on them, visit ROCCO’s blog, www.catsbooksmorecats.blogspot.com, or the author’s website, www.tclotempio.net and sign up for our newsletter! 

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 A Tail of Two Murders (Nick and Nora Mystery) by T. C. LoTempio

About A Tail of Two Murders

A Tail of Two Murders (Nick and Nora Mystery)
Cozy Mystery 9th in Series
Setting - California
Publisher: ‎ Beyond the Page Publishing
Publication Date: ‎ October 20, 2026
Print Length: ‎ 279 pages

It was the best of crimes, it was the worst of crimes, and Nick and Nora are dead-set on catching a killer without losing their heads . . . When local police suspect that a dead body found in the woods is tied to an unsolved heist of rare gold coins, Nora Charles and her sidekick cat Nick are dying to get involved. But she’s got a catering gig to plan for at her friend Lance’s bar, and it looks like that might present a world of trouble all its own. The sleazy former owner of the bar has blown back into town and is aggressively harassing Lance to sell the bar back to him. Nora’s worried her friend is in real danger—until the former owner is found dead and Lance is pegged for the murder. Certain that her friend is innocent, Nora begins digging into the victim’s seedy past to figure out who would have wanted him dead. Then a sudden spark of inspiration tells her that the murders and the unsolved heist are all connected, and that someone is knocking off their fellow thieves to get all the loot for themselves. After tracking down every person even remotely connected to the heist, Nora’s still baffled by who’s behind it all. But that’s about to change, because now she and Nick are all that’s standing between a killer and a fortune . . . Includes mouthwatering sandwich recipes!

About T. C. LoTempio

 

T.C. LoTempio is the award-winning, nationally bestselling author of the Nick and Nora Mysteries, the Urban Tails Pet Shop Mysteries, and the Cat Rescue Mysteries. Born in New York City, she now resides in Phoenix, Arizona, with her two cats, Maxx and Rocco. Rocco prides himself on being the inspiration for her Nick and Nora series! For more information, check out her and her cat Rocco’s blog at www.catsbooksmorecats.blogspot.com and visit her website at www.tclotempio.net

Author Links Webpage Blog Facebook Twitter/X GoodReads  

Purchase Links – Amazon B&N

Essentials of Homicide - A Spotlight & Giveaway

Essentials of Homicide (The Aromatherapy Apothecary Series) by Kim Davis

About Essentials of Homicide 

Essentials of Homicide (The Aromatherapy Apothecary Series)
Cozy Mystery 3rd in Series
Setting - California
Publisher: ‎ Harbor Lane Books, LLC.
Publication Date: ‎ September 8, 2026
Print Length: ‎ 284 pages

Hollywood has descended on Oak Creek Valley to film a murder mystery. Carissa Carmichael, owner of the Aromatherapy Apothecary, has a front-row seat to the bad-boy leading man’s escapades as she works with the production to bring soothing essential elements to the stressed-out crew.

When the movie set becomes a true crime scene, Carissa’s best friend becomes the star suspect. Instead of enjoying the thrills of lights, camera, and action, she’s thrust into untangling the secrets of the glamorous actors who all seem to hide something. While working behind the scenes to sniff out clues and clear her best friend’s name, Carissa must apply pressure and find the killer before someone else is written out for good.

About Kim Davis

Kim Davis writes the Aromatherapy Apothecary cozy mystery series, the award-winning Cupcake Catering cozy mystery series, along with The Board Game Chronicles, a middle-grade fantasy series. She is also one of the bloggers at Mystery Lovers’ Kitchen, where she indulges her passion for food and creating unique cupcake flavors. She lives in Southern California with her husband and very rambunctious mini Goldendoodle, Missy, who has become an inspiration for several plotlines… that is, when Missy lets her sit down to write. Kim Davis is a member of Sisters in Crime, Mystery Writers of America, and the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators.

Author Links: 

Website: http://kimdavisauthor.com/  

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Kim-Davis-Author-1532277473479031/  

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Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/20202599.Kim_Davis  

Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/kim-davis-899e51b0-5661-401c-98b1-ec4c2973d58a  

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/kimdavishb/  

Mystery Lovers' Kitchen: https://www.mysteryloverskitchen.com/  

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@kimdavisauthor

• Purchase Links: Amazon Other online book retailers: https://books2read.com/u/31v6p7

Sneak Peek - The Well-Guarded Truth

I had hoped to post my review of The Well-Guarded Truth today, but I haven't quite finished it. But here's a sneak peek!

Fall WishFest is here, but that's not the most exciting thing happening in Wishville, Vermont, at least for Lyra Wells and the Fearless Four. A question has been popped and Chief Elder Vaerion has ventured from the underground world of Elarion. His departure gives rival factions the perfect opportunity to set a boundary claim in motion. In the human world of Wishville suspicious things are happening within the Historical Society with interest in certain historical documents. Not only that, subtle differences are occurring throughout the festival, copies that aren't quite right and sabotage in the chili cook-off tent. But more than that, Harrison Pike who came to town to check certain historical documents is found dead at the bottom of the stairs of the Historical Society building, and his fall was not natural. Lyra, Guardian of the Well, will work with the rest of the Fearless Four to discover who wanted history erased and why, before both worlds collapse and chaos reigns.

The Ghost and the Dead Librarian - A Review & Giveaway

 Review

THE GHOST AND THE DEAD LIBRARIAN by Cleo Coyle
The Tenth Haunted Bookshop Mystery 

It was Dory McKenna's time to shine and Penelope Thornton-McClure's bookshop was lighting the way. Celebrating her book launch at Buy the Book Dory, the former Quindicott head librarian, earned the moniker "the dead librarian" as she created a database of obituaries and even wrote current ones for the newspaper. But not everyone was happy with some family secrets and embarrassing deaths that Dory shared in her book. Pen overheard at least two arguments and when it was time to cut the cake there was no sign of the guest of honor. Pen found her in the history section only it was Dory who was history. Dead with her own obituary in her hand. Pen is pretty sure Dory didn't commit suicide however. With Jack Shepherd, the ghost of a private investigator who died in that very bookstore, guiding her, Pen will do her best to solve the case of the Dead Librarian.

I'm so excited to see Jack Shepard again! You may have noticed that I call this the tenth Haunted Bookshop Mystery while others call it the first. It's both. THE GHOST AND THE DEAD LIBRARIAN is a reboot of the series by a new publisher. The characters and their backstories remain the same, but there's a notable difference at the end of the book showing a slight change in direction, and one in which I heartily approve. For readers who have read previous books in the series, you'll love this seamless continuation. For those who are joining for the first time, you won't feel lost at all, as the author masterfully shares important backstory that flows into the new story.

I love the mix of cozy mystery and noirish hardboiled PI. You wouldn't think those two genres would mix well, but they do. The ghost of Jack Shepard brings that noir hard edge as he shares cases from his life. But nothing is too dark so as to scare cozy fans away. At the same time, the cozy modern story isn't too saccharine sweet, but it's perfectly cozy. I enjoyed both mysteries, the modern one which included some nifty plotting and Jack's 1947 case he uses to teach Pen. There are also plenty of laughs and a great new character. I enjoyed how Pen finally one ups her sister in law.

With wit and heart THE GHOST AND THE DEAD LIBRARIAN brings cozy and hardboiled together creating a brilliantly fun mystery.

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 The Ghost and the Dead Librarian (A Haunted Bookshop Detective Mystery) by Cleo Coyle

About The Ghost and the Dead Librarian 

The Ghost and the Dead Librarian (A Haunted Bookshop Detective Mystery)
Paranormal Cozy Mystery 1st in the Series - Spinoff of the Haunted Bookshop Mysteries
Setting - Rhode Island
Publisher: ‎ Kensington Cozies
Publication Date: ‎ September 29, 2026
Print Length: ‎ 384 pages

A LIBRARY JOURNAL "MYSTERY PICK OF THE MONTH" In an utterly charming new mystery from New York Times bestselling author Cleo Coyle, a small-town Rhode Island bookshop owner investigates the death of an eccentric librarian with the help of a wisecracking, 1940s gumshoe ghost.

As a young widow, Penelope moved back to her quaint Rhode Island town to give her young son a safer home and her aunt's dying bookshop new life. Using her late husband's insurance money, Pen polished the store into a local treasure. But her updates did more than attract new customers. They roused a dead private eye from his big sleep.

With Pen's affection for hardboiled detective stories, it's no surprise she's developed a fondness for the wisecracking yet oddly likeable spirit. Sure, Jack's cold spots are exasperating, along with his proclivity for putting noir fiction in the cozy section. But murder was Jack's business in life, and his PI skills come in awfully handy when the body of an eccentric librarian is found amid the bookshop's aisles.

For years, Dory jokingly called herself "The Dead Librarian" because of her hobby of collecting and writing local obituaries. Now, in death, she's discovered with her own eerily pre-written obit. Was it a suicide note? Jack and Pen say no and their certainty takes them from a ghost town's ancient cemetery to a posh Newport mansion. When another body drops, a mysterious stranger makes Pen a shocking offer, one that may change her life—and Jack's afterlife. But unless Jack can help Pen prove who "checked out" the librarian, a ruthless killer may close the book on her.

"This spin-off of Coyle's 'Haunted Bookshop' series blends cozy mystery, supernatural intrigue, and classic noir influences into a suspenseful small-town murder mystery....Combining humor, literary references, ghostly interventions, and layered community drama, the novel explores how hidden truths from the past continue to haunt the present." —Library Journal (*Starred Review)

About Cleo Coyle

 

CLEO COYLE is a pseudonym for Alice Alfonsi, writing in collaboration with her husband, Marc Cerasini. Both are New York Times bestselling authors of the long-running Coffeehouse Mysteries, now celebrating more than 20 years in print, and the national bestselling Haunted Bookshop Mysteries. With more than one million books sold, their works have been translated into Spanish, Japanese, and Czech; received multiple Best of Year selection honors from reviewers; and have been recommended by Booklist as among the best culinary mysteries for core library mystery collections. Alice and Marc are also bestselling media tie-in writers who have penned properties for Lucasfilm, NBC, Fox, Disney, Imagine, Toho, and MGM. They live and work in New York City, where they write independently and together, wrangle their rescue cats, drink a lot of java, and cook like crazy. Connect with Cleo at CleoCoyleBooks.com

Author Links: 

Webpage: https://www.cleocoylebooks.com/  

Free Newsletter: https://mailchi.mp/cleocoylerecipes/newsletter  

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CleoCoyle/  

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cleocoyle_author/  

Twitter: https://twitter.com/CleoCoyle  

Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/cleocoyle.bsky.social   

BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/cleo-coyle  

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/51488.Cleo_Coyle  

Purchase Links: Amazon Barnes & Noble Kobo Google Play Apple Bookshop.org

Currently Reading...

I just finished reading The Ghost and the Dead Librarian by Cleo Coyle. This book is the tenth book in the Haunted Bookshop Mystery series, however, it now has a new publisher and they reset the clock, so you may see it as the first. You definitely need not have read the previous books in the series to enjoy this one, but you'll enjoy it even more if you have. 

The night was Dory McKenna's time to shine. The former Quindicott head librarian, Dory earned the moniker "the dead librarian" as she created a database of obituaries and even wrote current ones for the newspaper. She was celebrating her book launch at Buy the Book with a book signing and party. But not everyone was happy with some family secrets and embarrassing deaths that Dory shared. Penelope Thornton-McClure overheard at least two arguments as she led the event. Things quieted down, but when it was time to cut the cake, there was no sign of the guest of honor. Pen found her in the history section of her shop, but it's Dory that's now history. She's dead with her own obituary in her hand. Pen is pretty sure Dory didn't commit suicide however. With Jack Shepherd, the ghost of a private investigator who died in that very bookstore, guiding her, Pen will do her best to solve the case of the Dead Librarian.

Murder in the Upper Crust - A Review

 Review

MURDER IN THE UPPER CRUST by Mindy Quigley
The Sixth Deep Dish Mystery

Instead of the quiet weekend alone with her boyfriend, chef Delilah O’Leary is persuaded to help out her sous chef's new girlfriend. Willow is the event coordinator for superstar guru Rhiannon Frost who is holding a luxe retreat in Geneva Bay. Their caterer just canceled and Delilah agreed to fill in with boyfriend Detective Calvin Capone working as bartender. If the stress of a last minute job for perfectionist Delilah isn't bad enough, she's also dealing with her former fiancé, his new girlfriend, and her bestie's mother! When one of the retreat attendees winds up dead, Delilah and Cal uncover a wealth of suspects. With heated looks, overheard arguments, and odd behavior there's more going on than the rich indulging in the platitudes of a famous self help author. Will Delilah and Calvin crack the case?

Self help is well and good, but when it turns into a business model featuring more showmanship than honesty, there may be a problem. Even the skeptical A personality type Delilah starts to be taken in, as there is always some truth to be found in the messages of these so called gurus, but she soon sees that all that glitters is not gold. And even friends and loved ones become suspects in MURDER IN THE UPPER CRUST.

I love seeing Delilah and Cal working together and I absolutely adore the new Chief of Police. I got worried about Butterball's fate-would Sam's new girlfriend want both Butterball and the house?! As usual, there's more to Butterball than meets the eye, and there's a lot Butterball to see!. The self deprecating humor and the glorious descriptions of food, and cooking make this series a favorite. Even though most of the staff of Delilah and Son are on vacation, the little bit they are in makes a difference. Don't forget to read the recipes shared at the end of the book as they are introduced by the characters themselves and are worth a laugh, even if you don't want to use the inspiration to cook yourself!

One thing I didn't like was the manner in which the killer tested the poison. We veered a little too close into traditional mystery than cozy with that one, even though the killer just said what he did and we never met those victims. I still could have done without that.

Gourmet food, stars, and murder collide in MURDER IN THE UPPER CRUST making a delectable mystery even better. 

The Resurrection of Evania James - A Review, Excerpt, & Giveaway

 Review

THE RESURRECTION OF EVANIA JAMES
By Jaime Jo Wright 

In the 1800s, and even later, if a man found a woman to be a nuisance or someone he just didn't care to deal with anymore he merely had to say she was insane and have her committed to a lunatic asylum for the rest of her life. It made absolutely no difference if she was not mentally ill. So in 1879 Indiana when Evania James becomes pregnant out of wedlock and then despondent when the baby dies, her father decides she needs to go! Evania's sister Eloise does her best, but with their mother long dead and the fact that she's been trained to be submissive, she is no match for her father, a so called pillar of the community. Despite Evania being sent away, Eloise is determined to get her back. Meanwhile in modern time Tilly Thompson has always admired the James Mansion. Caretaker to her grandfather, who has recently been diagnosed with Alzheimer's, she's stunned to discover that Grandpa Joe has bought the house for her, with the plan to live in it together. But nothing can prepare her when they find a body in the wall!

Mental institutions, grave robbers, and walls that talk? Yes please! As someone who works in the mental health field, I've always been interested in the history of mental institutions. Sadly, what happened to Evania is not uncommon. I love that the book features historical truths, as frightening as they are. Eloise's story sucked me right in while the sections from the wall's perspective was mesmerizing! I enjoyed seeing how Tilly's story corresponded to Eloise's and how Tilly found her own truth.

Evil men and justice seekers haunt the pages of the story as the James Mansion itself speaks. A dual time story I really enjoyed the historical portion of the story best, though the modern story finally put the full story to rest with hopes for a much brighter future.

A story of redemption and truth THE RESURRECTION OF EVANIA JAMES is a story both spooky and provocative. Both gripping and thought provoking it is a fantastic read!

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THE RESURRECTION OF EVANIA JAMES

by Jaime Jo Wright

October 5 - 30, 2026 Virtual Book Tour

Synopsis:

If walls could talk, what nightmare might they expose?

1879

When Eloise James's sister, Evania, goes missing after being admitted to an asylum, Eloise is determined to find her sibling but instead discovers evidence of dying patients and missing remains. Wannabe journalist Silas Dobbs has his own suspicions that something more nefarious is at work, and that black market sales may originate at the asylum. Together, they are intent on learning whether Evania is alive, or if her body has also been stolen. But unraveling a web of underground resurrectionists proves daunting, and the dead cannot share their secrets.

Present Day

Tilly Thompson is horrified to find historical human remains entombed in a wall of the Gothic mansion her grandfather just purchased, launching her into an investigation of the original owners' questionable past. The James family legacy harbors a darkness tightly woven through decades of secrets, but the past refuses to remain ensnared by silence. Will revealing the truth resurrect dangers best kept buried forever?

Jaime Jo Wright masterfully weaves a dual-timeline gothic suspense novel that brings together a haunting historical tale and a shadowy modern-day mystery. For fans of atmospheric thrillers, spooky reads, the Victorian era, creepy mansions, and dark family secrets.

Book Details:

Genre: Gothic Fiction; Christian Mystery & Suspense
Published by: Bethany House Publishers
Publication Date: October 27, 2026
Number of Pages: 336 Pbk
ISBN: 9780764246258 (ISBN10: 0764246259)
Book Links: Amazon | Kindle | Barnes & Noble | BookShop.org | Goodreads | BookBub | Baker Book House

Read an excerpt:

 

 

Author Bio:

Jaime Jo Wright is a Publishers Weekly bestselling author of more than eighteen novels and three novellas, including Christy Award-winner and ECPA bestseller The Vanishing at Castle Moreau, Christy Award and Daphne du Maurier Award-winner The House on Foster Hill, Christy Award-winner Night Falls on Predicament Avenue, and Carol Award-winner The Reckoning at Gossamer Pond. She lives in Wisconsin with her family and fabulous felines.

Learn more at

JaimeWrightBooks.com
Amazon Author Profile
Goodreads
BookBub - @JaimeJoWright
Instagram - @jaimejowright
Threads - @jaimejowright
YouTube - @madlitmusings
Spotify - MadLit Musings
Facebook - @JaimeJoWright

 

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The Resurrection of Evania James by Jaime Jo Wright | Paperback + Gift Card

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