Books published by Kensington Publishing

In Pennsylvania's Amish country, Daisy Swanson has a tea shop to run, a daughter to marry off-and a murder to solve . . . Daisy's worried one of her employees at Daisy's Tea Garden may be in a spot of trouble. Lately Karina's been loading up on soup and second-day baked goods at the end of her shift-and while the shop's scrumptious treats may be hard to resist, Daisy suspects there's more going on, especially since Karina has been seen hanging out in a rundown part of Willow Creek. Planning her own daughter's wedding is enough to keep her busy, but Daisy can't help feeling a protective maternal instinct-and an instinct to investigate. It turns out Karina has been helping a down-on-his luck single dad who's been making ends meet-barely-by selling antiques at a place called Pirated Treasures. But when an employee at the antiques store is bludgeoned to death with a marble rolling pin, Karina's new friend is suspect number one. Though the motives are muddy and steeped in intrigue, Daisy is more than determined to flush the real killer out. Includes delicious recipes!

Out of the frying pan, into the fire . . . Courtney Archer is known for hosting the show Cooking with the Farmer's Daughter . . . despite the fact that she's actually a pediatrician's daughter. Now she's signed on for a role on The American Baking Battle. On this reality show, she can start developing a more authentic image for herself-and as a bonus, the usual backstabbing and manufactured drama isn't part of the Baking Battle script. But genuine drama is heating up behind the scenes . . . During a film shoot in the scenic Pocono Mountains, Courtney has to juggle career commitments like pots on a six-burner stove. Adding to the stress is Mick, a contestant who finds out about her fake farm-girl story. Determined to succeed at her new gig, she whips up a cherry cobbler in a cast-iron fry pan one evening and leaves it out to cool. But the next morning, it's Mick's body that's cooling-right next to Courtney's pan, now classified as a murder weapon . . .

Investigators Prudence MacKenzie and ex-Pinkerton Geoffrey Hunter discover all that glitters is not gold in the Gilded Age, whether on the island of Manhattan or an island off the coast of Georgia … DEATH BRINGS A SHADOW In spring 1889, Prudence and Geoffrey set sail from New York Harbor on a private yacht bound for Bradford Island, where her friend Eleanor Dickson is to be wed. The Sea Islands along the Georgia coast serve as a winter playground for the likes of the Carnegies, Rockefellers, Vanderbilts, and Dicksons. Despite her Yankee pedigree, Eleanor is marrying a Southern gentleman, Teddy Bennett, and Prudence is thrilled to be the maid of honor. But days before the wedding, the bride is nowhere to be found. A frantic search of the island turns up her drowned corpse in an alligator-infested swamp. Prudence is devastated, but as they prepare the body for burial, she and Geoffrey discover evidence of bruising that indicates Eleanor was held under-most dishonorably murdered. Determined to seek justice for her beloved friend, Prudence begins to investigate with Geoffrey's help and is quickly led into a morass of voodoo spells and dark deeds from the days of slavery. As Prudence and Geoffrey pursue a killer, they soon discover that Eleanor will not be the last to die on Bradford Island …

It may have been a ghost that led Eleanor Wilde to set up shop in a quaint English village. But now that she's established herself as the town witch, Ellie's contentedly casting spells on anyone desperate enough-or gullible enough-to request her mysterious potions… Selling mystical elixirs and tantalizing tonics is a pretty good way for a fake medium to earn a living. Or at least it's Ellie's main source of income-until a villager turns up dead. The cause? Murder by poisoning. And though Ellie's concoctions don't include anything worthy of a skull and crossbones, suddenly she's the prime suspect. Her only recourse is to find the culprit who did do away with Sarah Blackthorne. No one liked the mean old battle-axe. But did anyone hate her enough to kill her? It's enough of a mystery to make Ellie hang up her witch's hat and take millionaire beau Nicholas Hartford up on his offer to keep her afloat. Except Ellie is not the kind of woman to lean on a man-least of all a man she adores but whose place in her life is uncertain. Besides, Ellie's taken on two young witches-in-training-apprentices if you will-and both of them are convinced a werewolf is the murderer. Just as Ellie's wondering if there really is something otherworldly going on, animals suddenly begin to disappear-including her beloved cat, Beast. Now Ellie's on the warpath to uncover the wicked truth about the people and the place she's only just begun to call home…

Melanie Travis loves her teaching job at Connecticut's elite Howard Academy, where plans are underway for a Spring Pageant to honor the school's fiftieth anniversary. Immersed in the preparations, Melanie is hurrying to retrieve a painting of one of the illustrious co-founders when she comes upon a disturbing scene: Eugene Krebbs, the Academy's elderly caretaker is arguing loudly with a girl half his size. Before Melanie can learn more than the girl's first name-Jane-she disappears. It's clear that Jane isn't a student at Howard Academy, so what is she doing there? Melanie doesn't have a chance to answer that question before more problems arise. Two days later, Krebbs is discovered stabbed to death right on the school grounds. Now Melanie is embroiled in a full-fledged homicide investigation as she tries to find out who's added murder to the school's curriculum. And when Melanie's trail leads her dangerously closer to the truth, she must race against time to track down a cunning killer before she becomes the next victim to be hushed . . . forever.

In this intoxicating mystery by USA Today bestselling author Sarah Fox, a winter carnival becomes a recipe for disaster when a Shady Creek celebrity gets iced. The Winter Carnival always brings holiday cheer, Christmas joy-and tourists with cash-to picturesque Shady Creek, Vermont. At the center of the glittering decorations and twinkling lights is booklover and pub owner Sadie Coleman, creating original cocktails, hosting a literary trivia evening, and cheering on her loyal employee Melanie "Mel" Costas as she competes in the ice carving competition. But holiday cheer can't compete with former resident and renowned chef Freddy Mancini, who arrives with his nose in the air, showing off his ice-sculpting skills like a modern-day Michelangelo. During the artists' break in the night-long contest, Mel's tools disappear . . . and Freddy is found dead with her missing pick in his chest. Although the police turn their attention to Mel, it seems everyone in town had a grudge against Freddy, including his assistant, his mentor, his former flame, and even his half-brother. Faster than she can fling a Huckleberry Gin, Sadie finds herself racing to make sure the police don't arrest the wrong suspect-all while sharing a flirtation with local brewery owner Grayson Blake. Their chemistry leads to a heated rivalry at the hockey rink-and to the hot pursuit of a killer.

Amateur sleuth Samantha Washington's shopping trip to Chicago takes a deadly detour when a man is murdered on her bus . . . After some post-Christmas retail therapy in the Windy City, mystery bookshop owner and historical whodunit novelist Sam Washington is returning home to North Harbor, Michigan, on a chartered bus. With Nana Jo and her gal pals Irma, Dorothy, and Ruby Mae from Shady Acres Retirement Village along for the ride, it's a lively trip. But one passenger is not so lively-a gentleman Irma befriended is found dead in his seat after an unscheduled stop. The ladies immediately shift gears to find out who punched his ticket, while Sam slips into the driver's seat to make sure Nana Jo and her crew steer clear of fatal conclusions . . . Praise for V.M. Burns and The Plot is Murder "A promising debut with a satisfying conclusion." -Publishers Weekly "Cozy mystery readers and historical novel aficionados will adore this warm-hearted, cleverly plotted new series." -Kings River Life

Haven Harbor is an authentic coastal Maine town-which makes it the perfect location for a new film production. But now it's become the scene of a crime . . . Needlepointers Angie and Sarah are helping with set design for the movie being shot in their little New England hometown-but as the lighthouse and the wharves bustle with activity, a real-life drama is about to unfold. The director, Marv Mason, has been harassing the pretty young female lead, and the two exchanged heated words at a lobster bake. Now someone's lowered the boom on him . . . After a wayward piece of sound equipment sends him to his death, theories fly about who went off-script. Meanwhile, a local woman's tragic story about a true love lost at sea, which originally inspired the film, may lead to murderous revelations from long ago. Angie's got to unravel these mysteries, and may need to give more than one killer the hook . . .

Seasoned Italian-American Alberta Scaglione can whip up a traditional dish for any occasion. But when an impromptu vacation turns deadly, can she sift out the deadly ingredient? When her granddaughter lands a reporting gig at the grand opening of the luxurious Icicle Lodge, Alberta and friends tag along for a week of much-needed R&R amid the snowcapped hills of northeastern Pennsylvania. But the idyllic winter getaway becomes a nightmare after the gang discovers blood on the ice-and the dead body of celebrity guest Pamela Gregory, a frosty Olympic gold medal figure skater who won herself more enemies than fans . . . With a killer on the loose, multiple suspects, and a blizzard on the way, Alberta must now race to crack a bone-chilling case . . . before the outspoken Ferrara ladies get served murder: family style! Includes Italian recipes from Alberta's kitchen! Praise for Murder on Memory Lake "Griffo launches a series with something for everyone: eager young newshounds, well-seasoned sleuths, and a stash of Italian recipes (some gluten-free) to boot." -Kirkus Reviews

Family, community, hard work. It's what always draws the folks of Morgantown back to the ranch-along with the promise of so much more . . . Widowed for ten years, now running the family ranch, Adam Miller is no longer the fun-loving guy who married his high school sweetheart the moment they graduated. His bitterness in the aftermath of her death even alienated his closest link to her-Lizzie Taylor, her best friend. But when Adam comes across Lizzie in a dire situation, he's compelled to help-and finds himself with an unusual opportunity to make amends . . . A struggling single mom, Lizzie's extremely wealthy ex ran out on her when she got pregnant. But now he and his family have decided to fight for custody of her young son. When Adam shocks her by offering to pose as her partner, awkward as it may feel, it's Lizzie's best chance to hold onto her child. And as they strive to present a united front, their old friendship rekindles, sparking an unexpected attraction-along with past hurts and secrets. Soon they realize they'll have to find a way to forgive if they want to move forward-especially with each other . . . Praise for Kate Pearce's The Rancher"Pearce's fans and contemporary romance readers will want to pick this one up and read it to the end."-Publishers Weekly "Fans of Pearce's Morgan Ranch series and all who enjoy contemporary western romances will relish the love story." -Booklist (Starred Review)

An Amish celebration . . . Since the moment her father died, Beth Mast has devoted body and soul to the care of her stepmother and stepsister-cooking, cleaning, and caring for their animals. So her friend Lucy's wedding to the eldest King brother offers a welcome respite. Shy and unaware of her beauty, Beth harbors a secret sadness she hopes no one can see. But at this gathering she's on display: her assigned escort happens to be the handsomest bachelor in their Amish community. Newly returned to Ice Mountain, Ransom King has no interest in the maedels pursuing him. Haunted by events during his five-year apprenticeship in Ohio, he's startled to find a kindred spirit in Beth, whose dutiful ways can't mask her inner glow. Ransom longs to show her how much she deserves happiness, though his own troubled history holds him back. It will take Ransom's feisty Aenti Ruth and her ragtag menagerie to entice these two guarded hearts to open to love . . . "Long's writing style is smooth and engaging, her characters true to the period yet timeless in their hopes and flaws and personal battles." -USAToday.com "Delivers a sense of escape from today's hustle and bustle into a gentler and simpler world." -Publishers Weekly "Long creates storylines that captivate her readers." -RT Book Reviews

Food blogger Hope Early finds one item not on her scavenger hunt list-a dead husband . . . Between developing her food blog, Hope at Home, and choosing low-cal recipes for a feature in Cooking Now! magazine, Hope has a full plate. Still, she's never too busy to compete in a Jefferson, Connecticut, tradition-the town's annual scavenger hunt. But as she races with her team to check off the next item, Hope discovers a grisly surprise-the body of shady real estate developer Lionel Whitcomb, shot in a parking lot. His wife Elaine, who's also in the hunt, gasps and nearly faints. But two other women on the scene cry out that their husband is dead. It turns out this louse of a spouse was more than a little lax in legally divorcing his former wives. Did one of them put a bullet in the bigamist? Number one suspect and number three wife Elaine begs Hope to investigate. Now Hope is on a new kind of hunt-for a cold-hearted killer and triple widow-maker . . . Includes Recipes from Hope's Kitchen!

Lena Frost is a force to be reckoned with. A woman who has made her way in society without family or fortune, she's about to realize her first big success as an artist. . . . Until her business partner makes off with her money, leaving her with little more than her hopes-and a dead body in her studio. Now Lena is at the mercy of a strikingly handsome stranger demanding answers she dare not reveal . . . Is it her seductive eyes, or his suspicion that she's up to no good that have Clive Somerville shadowing Lena's every move? Either way, his secret investigation for the Home Office has him determined to uncover Lena's hidden agenda. But the closer he gets to her, the more he longs to be her protector. Is she a victim of circumstance? Or a dark force in a conspiracy that could destroy everything Clive holds dear? Discovering the truth could have dire consequences, not only for Lena, but for his heart . . . Praise for the Muses' Salon series "Rachael Miles' knowledge of the time period she writes about adds a depth of authenticity that enriches every page." -Jodi Thomas, New York Times bestselling author "Fans of Jo Beverly and Mary Jo Putney as well as all readers who value Regency-set romances that are expertly grounded in the era's history will be delighted!"-Booklist "A delicious, original read." -RT Book Reviews

A Montana Brides Inspirational Romance Book 3 In the rough and rugged Montana Territory, the journey to true love is filled with unexpected twists-and sweet rewards-for daring frontier women who faithfully believe every heart has a home . . . With the help of the Archer Matrimonial Company, Yancey Palmer has finally put Hale Adams, the man she's loved for ten years-sometimes not wisely or well-behind her. Yancey is so sure of her love for the man the agency matched her with, she readily promises a friend that she'll help Hale with his mayoral campaign without chasing him. Hale has also engaged the services of the matrimonial agency. He's so pleased with one lady, he requests that she join him in Helena to commence a sixty-day courtship. But instead, the Archer ladies arrive in town to reveal the true identities of both Hale's and Yancey's matches: each other. Can they look past their misunderstandings and hurt to see that they are still a perfect match?