Recommendations based on "Murder on Black Friday"

'The perfect mix of cosy, festive, and twisty . . . the best kind of book to curl up with on a cold night by a roaring fire' KRISTEN PERRIN, author of How to Solve Your Own Murder 'Once again Katy Watson delivers the perfect cosy: atmospheric, ingenious and fun!' IAN MOORE, author of Death and Croissants ------------ Planning the perfect Christmas wedding can be murder . . . A high society Christmas Eve wedding at a remote Scottish castle sounds like the perfect winter getaway for the three Dahlias and their partners - until a snowstorm hits, cutting them off from the mainland, and civilisation. Which, of course, is when the dead body of one of the other guests turns up in the snow outside the family chapel. A dead body wearing a wedding dress and a stolen diamond necklace... The Dahlias were ready for mulled wine, roaring fires, and romance this Christmas. Now, they're on the hunt for another murderer. And if their suspicions are right, it looks like the wedding may be off ... ------------ 'Cosy crime with a glitzy, glamorous, seasonal glow!' LANCASHIRE POST 'An unputdownable read' WOMAN'S OWN 'Pure festive fun, perfectly set in the midst of a snowstorm in remote Scottish castle . . . I couldn't put this latest instalment of the Dahlias series down!' C L MILLER, author of The Antique Hunter's Guide to Murder 'Writing as crisp and gorgeous as the snow' ALEX HAY, author of The Housekeepers 'It's about as fun as a murder can get . . . ticks all the boxes for a perfect festive mystery' JO JAKEMAN, author of One Bad Apple 'A cracking Christmas mystery with all the spine tingling trappings of a Scottish castle by the sea. What more can you ask for?' S J BENNETT, author of The Windsor Knot 'This great story glitters and shines like the most beguiling Christmas ornament' J M HALL, author of A Spoonful of Murder 'A glorious winter read, perfect for snowy afternoons by the fire with a mulled wine and a couple of mince pies. The three Dahlias are enchanting' LIZA NORTH, author of The Weekend Guests

In this absorbing new entry in the acclaimed New York Times bestselling series, Scotland Yard’s Ian Rutledge is caught up in a twisted web of vengeance and murder. On the north coast of Cornwall, an apparent act of mercy is repaid by an arrest for murder. Four young women have been accused of the crime. A shocked father calls in a favor at the Home Office. Scotland Yard is asked to review the case. However, Inspector Ian Rutledge is not the first Inspector to reach the village. Following in the shoes of a dead man, he is told the case is all but closed. Even as it takes an unexpected personal turn, Rutledge will require all his skill to deal with the incensed families of the accused, the grieving parents of the victim, and local police eager to see these four women sent to the infamous Bodmin Gaol. Then why hasn’t the killing stopped? With no shred of evidence to clear the accused, Rutledge must plunge deep into the darkest secrets of a wild, beautiful and dangerous place if he is to find a killer who may—or may not—hold the key to their fate.

A Dolled-Up Disaster Ida Gilbertson of the Battle Lake Senior Sunset nursing home has a new hobby: crafting life-sized dolls and displaying them around town. Budding PI Mira James finds the dolls creepy enough on their own, but when she's forced to sit next to one and discovers a human corpse under the hat and wig, it becomes personal. Police Chief Gary Wohnt is all too eager to pin the blame on Mira. So when her sleuthing gives him the perfect excuse to lock her up, it's up to Mayor Kennie Rogers and Mrs. Berns to help her out. Racing against the clock, Mira must unmask the murderer before she either becomes a jailbird or the next dolled-up victim. Praise: "Earthy language, quirky suspects, and much related tomfoolery for those who like their comic mayhem painted in broad strokes."--Kirkus Reviews

"Robin? It's me, Ashton."Spring is in the air. In Deep Creek Lake, the burst of blossoms on the trees has the effect of a starting pistol in the race to get the resort area ready in time for the seasonal residents return to Spencer, Maryland. In this latest Mac Faraday Mystery, Lauren Carr once again brings murder to the Spencer Inn, Mac Faraday's five-star resort located at the top of Spencer Mountain. "I have to confess," the author says, "personally I would wonder how the Spencer Inn hangs on to their five-star rating with all the murders that happen there." The high society guests in her book aren't worried about the Spencer Inn's mortality rate because they're dying to attend the Diablo Ball, which is hosted by Mac Faraday's new bride, Archie Monday. An annual charitable event to benefit the Humane Society, the Diablo Ball used to be hosted by Robin Spencer, Mac's late mother, and would kick-off Deep Creek Lake's summer season. As readers have come to expect from every Lauren Carr mystery, Open Season for Murder delivers a punch even before the party invitations are put in the mail when uninvited guests begin RSVP'ing. Intrigued by a mysterious phone call, retired homicide detective Mac Faraday can't resist diving into the cold case of Ashton Piedmont, a young woman who had disappeared into the moonlit waters of Deep Creek Lake five years earlier. Mac quickly discovers that not only is the Diablo Ball drawing in A-listers from across the country, but someone is going to a lot of trouble to gather together suspects and witnesses connected to Ashton Piedmont and each one seems to have their own agenda for coming to Spencer. When murder strikes, it is up to Mac Faraday and his friends to find the killer ... or is it killers? When it comes to murder in Deep Creek Lake, you never know. But readers do know this, if it's happening at the Spencer Inn, you know it's an event to die for!

The past can't stay hidden forever...The Cold Case Unit of Derby Constabulary feels like a morgue to DI Damen Brook. But in disgrace and recently back from suspension, his boss thinks it's the safest place for him. But Brook isn't going down without a fight and when he uncovers a pattern in a series of murders that date back to 1963, he is forced to dig deeper. How could a killer stay undetected for so long? Could it be luck or are more sinister forces at work? Applying his instincts and razor sharp intelligence, Brook delves deep into the past of both suspects and colleagues unsure where the hunt will lead him. What he does know for sure is that a significant date is approaching fast and the killer may be about to strike again.

It's not the season of good will to all men...The festive month is kicking off in style and Pearl is rushed off her feet with her restaurant, The Whitstable Pearl. She's also busy planning her own family Christmas and providing mulled wine for a charity church fundraiser when Christmas cards begin arriving all over town - filled with spiteful messages from an anonymous writer. Pearl's curiosity is piqued but having pledged not to take on a case at her detective agency before Christmas, she reluctantly agrees that Canterbury's DCI Mike McGuire should take over; poisoned pen cards are after all a matter for the police. And with only the church fundraiser now between Pearl and Christmas, she invites McGuire along as her guest. The event appears to be a great success; St Alfred's church hall is packed and Pearl happily finds herself standing close to McGuire beneath some mistletoe . . . but then a guest suddenly collapses. Too much of Pearl's delicious mulled wine - or could it be something more sinister?The last thing Pearl expects for Christmas is murder but soon the bodies are piling up. Can Pearl possibly solve the mystery in time to make 25th December an unforgettable day - or will the murderer contrive to ensure her goose is well and truly cooked before then?

In this unique mystery debut, a shallow grave is found on a Pennsylvania farm, and one woman straddling the Amish and outside worlds must uncover a killer--and create a life on her own terms. . . Fifteen years after leaving her Old Order Amish life, Rachel Mast has returned to Stone Mill, Pennsylvania. Corporate success didn't bring true happiness, but Rachel also knows she can never be Amish again. Instead she runs a B&B and tries to help her community in ways they can't help themselves. But now a gruesome discovery has been made on her Uncle Aaron's cow pasture--the body of prominent Englisher businessman Willy O'Day. Aaron refuses to hire a lawyer, trusting his innocence, and his faith, to see him through. Rachel isn't so sure, especially given the long public feud between the two men. Her relatives won't speak to the police, but they will talk to Rachel--if she puts on a skirt and bonnet. Rachel knows emotions and entanglements run as complicated in the Amish world as outside it.

“Calls to mind the forensic mysteries of Aaron Elkins and Patricia Cornwell.”—Chicago Sun-Times   “Deserves comparison with the best of Patricia Cornwell.”—Booklist (starred review)   In Beverly Connor’s absorbing series, the bones of the dead reveal the secrets of the living. Now Connor takes her ingenious heroine—forensic anthropologist Diane Fallon—on a chilling excavation of a crime with harrowing implications.   In the shadow of Diane Fallon’s new forensic lab in Georgia, a land survey crew has discovered three bodies hanging in an isolated patch of woods. The sensational case has aroused the interest of the media, unnerved the locals—and inspired a gruesome game between the killer and Diane. It begins with taunting e-mails and chilling phone calls. Where it leads is a dangerously personal investigation as each bizarre clue brings Diane closer to a heartless betrayal, and a desperate man’s obsession for justice—and revenge.

Edna Davies is angry and worried. "Innocent until proven guilty" is the way our justice system works, but apparently not the way people react. Rose Beck was questioned repeatedly after the death of her husband, but she was never arrested, never charged. When Edna's nine-year-old granddaughter meets and befriends Rose's daughter, Edna must examine her own feelings. By ignoring the rumors, she may be endangering her family. If she were to shun the woman for no cause, she'd be going against her every instinct. A second death propels Edna into action as she is forced to seek the truth or face the consequences.

Midnight assignations, dresses fit to meet the queen . . . and murder most horrid! Printer's apprentice Lucy Campion investigates a puzzling death in this thrilling historical mystery set in seventeenth-century London. London, 1668. Printer's apprentice Lucy Campion is suspicious when she meets a young ragpicker who claims to have fine clothes to sell from a lady of quality. Are the garments stolen . . . or a sign of something worse? Her suspicions are soon realized when the clothes are identified as belonging to a recently deceased elderly aristocrat. Young Mercy Sykes has robbed a grave! Mercy is arrested, and it's only thanks to Lucy's intervention that the ragpicker, who's struggling to support her family, isn't locked up. Lucy doesn't expect to see Mercy again, but their meeting soon has unexpected consequences. For when Mercy finds a dead woman in the ruins of Christchurch, dressed in unexpected finery, it's to Lucy who she turns for help . . . Lucy Campion is a feisty working-class heroine, plying her trade as a printer's apprentice in Renaissance London. If you're new to the series (it's safe to jump right in), we can't wait for you to meet her in this twisty, puzzle-packed historical mystery, brimming with authenticity!