More Hometown Mysteries from Barbour

Barbour Books is back in 2011 with more of their Hometown Mysteries.

Click on the author and title links for more :)


The Camera Never Lies by Elizabeth Goddard

Photographer extraordinaire Polly Perkins is fascinated by people. But when a friend hires her for a wedding at an Oregon national park, she captures a murder victim instead! Will her uncanny ability to read emotion through a camera lens help her prevent another crime---and maybe zoom in on a chance for romance, too?

December, 2010









Burying the Hatchet by Chris Well

Longtime grump, Earl Walker is attending church for the first time in years. The minister, Andrew Benton,has been waging a public war with celebrity psychic Montague Black, who is riding his way to national fame by intruding on a local murder investigation. The pastor, standing on the Bible, opposes consorting with a psychic. When the two men are invited to a public summit, both walk into the room--but only the minister comes out alive. Can Earl prove that Pastor Benton was inexplicably framed...or is it time to start looking for a new church?

January, 2011




Blown Away by Nancy Mehl

Hilde Higgins has an unexplainable dislike of clowns. Trouble is that she's fallen for a handsome stockbroker who moonlights a s a clown at the children's hospital. When Harold "Binky" Tuttwiler and another member of the clown group both end up dead, Hilde's boyfriend suddenly becomes a suspect of murder. Is someone clowning around with the Clowns for Christ, or has Hilde misjudged the man she thought Adam Sawyer to be? Can Hilde solve the mystery before a Kansas twister blows away all the evidence?

February, 2011




The Perfect Match by Janice Hanna

Shortly after Devin Peterson signs up at the local dating service the Perfect match the business is set on fire. When Devin's mom, Annie, vows to find the culprit, suspects abound. Is the arsonist the financially strapped widow who runs the matchmaking service; the bitter newspaper editor who rues the day he wed his "unfortunate match"; the unsatisfied forty-something customer who's never found her ideal mate; or the investigator with a shady past? Will Annie and her cast of cohorts solve the crime before another arson reignites the citizens of Clarksborough? Will Devin find Ms. Right before anything else goes wrong?

March, 2011



Rest in Peace by Frances Devine

In Cedar Chapel, Where Victoria Storm runs a senior boardinghouse, things are quiet. That is, until she enters the local pet store and finds Clyde Foster, the owner, dead, and his parrot, Watzit, frantically screeching. What clues will this bird reveal regarding a murder most foul? Unable to resist a mystery, Victoria, her fiance' Benjamin, and her senior cohorts begin their own investigation, landing them headfirst in a dangerous adventure. When their friend, Miss Aggie disappears, leaving a blood-stained trail, no one seems safe. Will Victoria live long enough to unravel the clues and tie the knot?

April, 2011




Died in the Wool by Elizabeth Ludwig & Janelle Mowery

Hoping to procure much needed funds o buy computers for her beloved library, Monah Trenary is battling for monies donated to the city of Pine Mills. When a rival for the revenue ends up dead, Monah is one of the prime suspects. Could she have killed for computers? Pine Mills police detective Mike Brockman is dismayed when he finds evidence that monkshood and Monah appear to be a lethal combination. As bodies begin piling up, Monah and proven sleuth Casey Alexander step up their own investigation. Will they clear the librarian's name before she's booked for murder?

May, 2011



Chocolate Covered Crime by Cynthia Hickey

Summer Meadows' chocolate candy business is booming in Spring, Arkansas, and she becomes overwhelmed with her own April Fool's Day wedding plans. But then her cousin/wedding planner is found murdered and more mysteries keep occurring at family parties. Can Summer resist the urge to investigate when she and her dysfunctional relatives are dipped into a plot of unrequited love, internet scam, and jilted hearts? Could the murderer be related to her and have Summer targeted next? Will her fiance' support her sleuthing antics, or is he another suspect with something to hide?

June, 2011

Coming in 2011 from Barbour Books

Check out Barbour's 2011 releases with something for everyone ~ historical, contemporary, comedy and more all with romance added.

And can't do a post without saying that I have had the privilege of reading Digitalis by Ronie Kendig and as much as I loved Nightshade, Digitalis is even better!

Enjoy:~


Digitalis by Ronie Kendig

Former Marine sniper Colton "Cowboy" Neeley is recovering from a life of bad choices. Piper Blum, daughter of dissident Yakov Rosenblum, is in hiding--from life and the assassins gunning for her family. When she begs Colton to help extract her father from Israel, Colton petitions the group Nightshade to consider the mission. The team agrees, and soon they're deep six--straight into the Holy Land for a snatch-n-grab of Yakov. Will Colton and Piper make the treacherous trek out of hostile territory and into safety with their love--and lives--intact?

January, 2011

The Crossing by Gilbert Morris

From beloved author, Gilbert Morris, comes a new trilogy about the Civil War. Yancy Tremayne, son of an Amish man, joins General Stonewall Jackson’s troops, which leads to adventure and romance with a Southern belle.

February, 2011











Raider’s Heart by Marcia Gruver

Two brothers join forces with a band of outlaws and vie for one woman's hand. Duncan McRae can hardly stomach the raids made by his family of bandits. Hooper McRae knows what he wants and takes it by force. When their paths cross that of Dawsey Wilkes, the competition is fierce. How far will the brothers go to win her love? Dawsey is burdened by a mysterious family secret, confusing memories of a long-departed mother, a papa unable to cope with his loss, and her repulsion to the McRae brothers. Is her faith strong enough to see her through?

February, 2011






Rugged and Relentless by Kelly Eileen Hake

When three landowning women put an ad in the paper expressing their desire for healthy, hard-working husbands-for-hire to help them set up and run a sawmill, they never dreamed their tiny town would be overflowing with proposals from bachelors who responded promptly...and in person! Out of this logjam of potential suitors, which one will Evelyn Thompson choose? Jacob Grainger trails his brother's murderer to Hopesfall where, to keep his true intentions secret, Jacob pretends to court Miss Evelyn Thompson.

Will this lumberjack-turned-bounty-hunter find himself falling for the enterprising female?

March, 2011




Finally a Bride by Vickie McDonough

Love triumphs in Texas. Pastor Jody Chapman returns to Lookout with a new name, determined to make restitution for past misdeeds. Reporter Jacqueline (Jack) Hamilton is bent on uncovering the new preacher's secrets. Can Jody win Jack's heart before she discovers his identity? After spending ten years in prison, Carly Payton returns to Lookout. Garrett Corbett isn't interested in marrying a jailbird. But how long can he resist his attraction to Carly? Twice-widowed Christine Taylor isn't looking for a new husband. Can Rand Kessler find a way to change her mind? Will love find a way--the first, second, third time around?

April, 2011





Deep Trouble by Mary Connealy

Shannon Dysart is determined to restore her father's reputation by finding a city of gold. Deserted by her companions, she's set on getting on alone--that is, if she can find her way out of the deep pit she's fallen into. After being stranded overnight with a helpless female named Shannon, Zane Stanton suddenly finds himself wed to the driven fortune-hunter--and joining her on her treasure quest! Will Zane eventually give in to the increasing need to protect his fanatical wife? Will Shannon risk everything to find the gold? Will the newlyweds outwit the villains hot on their heels?

May, 2011





The Art of Romance by Kaye Dacus

Two crazy grannies scheme to untie their artistic grandchildren. When twenty-eight year old Dylan Bradley, a former steamy romance illustrator, meets Caylor Evans, he's trying to build up a new professional reputation while recovering from a bad breakup with an older woman. Meanwhile, thirty-four year old Caylor, having once written titillating romances under a pseudonym, now pens inspirational novels. When they form a professional alliance and Caylor's manuscript is paired with Dylan's proposed sketches for its book cover, suspicions arise. Can Dylan and Caylor discover the true art of romance while hiding secrets from their past?

May, 2011








Simple Choices by Nancy Mehl

Set your GPS for Harmony, Kansas, where unexpected events disrupt lives in the peaceful Mennonite community. Will Gracie Temple find she’s overstayed her welcome?

June, 2011











The Stars Remember by Christine Lynxwiler

Revisit the dynamic McCord family of Arkansas at a time when perfectionist son, Matthew, is forced to face his most costly mistake.

June, 2011

New from Barbour ~ The Hometown Mystery Series

Barbour Books are bringing back cozy mysteries in their Hometown Mystery series. Written by well known and new authors alike, this series is sure to be a hit with fans. Look for more authors and stories to come in in 2011.

In the meantime, check these 2010 releases out and add them to your wishlists:~


Nursing a Grudge by Chris Well

What's a grouchy old man to do when two attractive women drag him from his assisted-living apartment to join a clandestine chili party? He almost has fun--until someone ends up dead. Now Earl Walker seems to be the only person suspicious of the way the partygoer met his demise.

Can he solve the puzzle--and figure out his relationship with his new lady friend--before the home is closed down by state inspectors and all the suspects move away?


Available now






Missing Mabel by Nancy Mehl

Watch the tangled mess a Kansas hairdresser gets herself into when she reports to the funeral home that the body she is to work on is not the same as in her reference photo.

Is she being punished when the director accuses her of stealing a diamond ring? Will Hilde Higgins’s former boyfriend help her unravel the issue or only bring more trouble to her life?

August, 2010






Advent of a Mystery by Marilyn Leach

For lovers of classic Agatha Christie mysteries and Jan Karon village characters, this English set mystery is sure to please. Berdie Elliott, the wife of the new parish priest, thought she left her old life as an investigative reporter behind her, but she soon discovers a village full of secrets when a man dies at a Christmas celebration.

Could a clue to his demise be hidden in an advent wreath? Can Berdie curb her natural instincts to get involved in both a mystery and a romance, or will she let the local law handle things?

September, 2010

Nipped in the Bud by Susan Sleeman

Prepare to attend the Pickle Fest in Serendipity, Oregon, along with Paige Turner and Adam Hayes. But first you must help them unravel the mystery of how the city manager wound up dead in a mound of mulch in the city park that Paige was hired to landscape.

Can Adam’s knowledge of the law keep her out of jail and win her love?

October, 2010

May Cooler Heads Prevail by T L Dunnegan

The last time Dixie’s Aunt Connie saw her fiancé was the night before their wedding.

Now, forty years later, he’s wrapped in pink cellophane and lying in Connie’s flower cooler…

Psychologist Dixie Tanner has been recruited by her uncle to help prove her aunt’s innocence in the murder of Aaron Scott. But when Dixie arrives home in Kenna Springs, she finds her loyal-but-whacky relatives have taken matters into their own hands and are determined to find the killer before anyone misses the victim. There are just two little problems. . .that pesky body in pink, and the real murderer—who soon decides that Dixie and her aunts and uncle know too much for his own good.

November, 2010

Simple Secrets by Nancy Mehl

Synopsis:~

Can graphic designer Gracie Temple have it all: the big city life and a job at a successful advertising firm? Just when she feels life coming together she receives an unknown uncle’s inheritance in a quiet Kansas Mennonite community. The house comes with a dark legacy and a cast of interesting neighbors, including farmer Sam Goodrich.

Can Gracie shake off the dust of this town or will its secret charms pull her in to stay?

My take:~

As most of you would know, Amish fiction is not my favourite genre, and although Nancy Mehl's new mystery series is set in a Mennonite community rather than Amish, I still opened the novel with minimal expectations. I'm pleased to say I was in for a nice surprise! Simple Secrets is a cozy mystery with an inevitable outcome but provides a sweet and enjoyable read as Gracie experiences a new community far removed from her own, the appealing and mysterious Sam Goodrich and unearths an uncomfortable secret that affects the town and her own family. I will be returning to Harmony in the continuing stories, Simple Deceit and Simple Choices.

With thanks to CFBA & Barbour for my review copy

Relz Reviewz Extras

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