A little bit historical fiction, a little magical realism, and throw in some grief for good measure, and you’ve got The White Octopus Hotel. If you enjoyed The Ministry of Time last year, this is the book for you.
The White Octopus Hotel by Alexandra Bell, (List Price: $19, Del Rey, 9798217091799, October 2025)
Reviewed by Claire McWhorter, River & Hill Books in Rome, Georgia
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I love this book so so much! It’s warm and wonderful and filled with beautifully woven sentiments about love and one’s place in the world that I now have saved in a note so I can reference them when I need to believe in magic again. I’m so glad that I live in a world with Julie Leong books in it, and will truly never hesitate to throw them at readers with all of the love in my heart!
The Keeper of Magical Things by Julie Leong, (List Price: $19, Ace, 9780593815946, October 2025)
Reviewed by Lucile Perkins-Wagel, Blinking Owl Books in Fort Myers, Florida
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Given how full the cozy mystery world is, new series need extra sparks to stand out. This one has puzzles plenty and instead of silly, quirky characters, there’s added maturity and emotional depth. This may be a small town story with a bookstore at its center, but it offers a new and enjoyable touch.
Booked for Murder by P. J. Nelson, (List Price: $28, Minotaur Books, 9781250909954, December 2024)
Reviewed by Jan Blodgett, Main Street Books in Davidson, North Carolina
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The Mistletoe Mystery is a sweet novella about Molly the maid, filled with lots of her Gran’s wonderful sayings. There are lots of Christmas festivities as Molly and Juan celebrate the days before Christmas. Molly is the only one who sees a mystery as you, the reader, will understand right away what is happening. But, then Molly never sees anything beyond what is right in front of her nose.
The Mistletoe Mystery by Nita Prose, (List Price: $22, Ballantine Books, 9780593875445, October 2024)
Reviewed by Nancy McFarlane, Fiction Addiction in Greenville, South Carolina
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Pony Confidential galloped straight into my heart from page one. This cozy mystery is narrated by an ornery pony trying to clear the name of his beloved former owner Penny. It features rats, cats, birds, and dogs aiding our hero in his redemptive quest, and – oh, did I mention – this is based on The Odyssey? Easter eggs galore for the clever classicist. If you enjoyed playing spot-the-character in Demon Copperhead, just wait until you meet Circe the goat. Perfect for lovers of Remarkably Bright Creatures and Lessons in Chemistry.
Pony Confidential by Christina Lynch, (List Price: $28, Berkley, 9780593640364, November 2024)
Reviewed by Maggie Robe, Flyleaf Books in Chapel Hill, North Carolina
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This series is like candy. Perfect to binge during the autumn months, this cozy mystery series set in the woodland village of Shady Hollow leaves the reader wishing for just one more bite. If you’re in the mood for a series to raise your blood pressure and/or keep you guessing in regards to the culprit, look elsewhere, but if you want to revel in the aesthetic of Wes Anderson’s Fantastic Mr. Fox but make it a murder mystery series, bingo. As for this book in particular, while it wasn’t my favorite installment, I did really love the family dynamics explored and the continued character progression.
Twilight Falls by Juneau Black, (List Price: $16, Vintage, 9780593470510, November 2023)
Reviewed by Hannah Kerbs, Parnassus Books in Nashville, Tennessee
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More fun and intrigue await in Manansala’s newest mystery with our favorite Filipino baker. Lila and her godmothers are back on the scene. The Calendar Crew (April, Mar, and June) are opening up a new laundromat, but their main competition is furious about the development. And their gossiping ways have another townsman blaming them for the breakup of their marriage. So when the laundromat is vandalized, those are the two main suspects. But when April’s niece is found dead in the laundromat, things just got a little more serious. This time, Lila will have to call on all her friends to break the case.
Murder and Mamon by Mia P. Manansala, (List Price: $17, Berkley, 9780593549162, September 2023)
Reviewed by Jennifer Jones, Bookmiser in Marietta, Georgia
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Phaedra works as an English professor at the local college, lecturing her students about Jane Austen, while wearing garb from the time period. When a reality show starts filming in town called Who Wants to Marry Mr. Darcy?, she’s hired to consult. But when her best friend’s new husband is murdered (they own the estate where the reality show is being filmed), Phaedra has to solve the mystery before her friend is charged with murder. The first in the new Jane Austen Tea Society Mystery series, Austenites will see plenty of similarities to their favorite author’s stories.
Pride, Prejudice, and Peril by Katie Oliver, (List Price: $8.99, Berkley, 9780593337615, December 2021)
Reviewed by Jennifer Jones, Bookmiser in Marietta, Georgia
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The ninth in the Fixer Upper series has Shannon and her crew plugging away on the tiny home village for veterans. Shannon is starting up a new class for women to learn construction and Mac has a new group of writers coming in for a retreat. But this new group is…something else. They’re nothing but trouble from the start. Fans of this series will love to read more about this crazy cast of characters.
Absence of Mallets by Kate Carlisle, (List Price: $8.99, Berkley, 9780593201336, December 2021)
Reviewed by Jennifer Jones, Bookmiser in Marietta, Georgia
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The Maid is a cozy mystery the way cozies should be written. It is beautifully written, extremely entertaining, has a great mystery, twists you don’t see coming and most of all one of the most endearing and interesting characters you will ever meet. Molly Gray is on the autism spectrum. She does not react to people and circumstances like normal people do because she doesn’t understand their facial expressions and their emotions. But her Gran has taught her over the years to be honest, to be a hard worker and to be very, very polite. Molly is a maid in a luxury hotel. A job she loves and is very, very good at because she loves order, and neatness, and routine. When she finds a dead body in one of her rooms it is not surprising that the police keep thinking that she is hiding something because, while always answering truthfully, she takes things very literally. It is also not surprising when she is eventually arrested for the murder. What is surprising is everything else that happens. I normally like more thriller type books but this was one of the most delightful books I have read in ages and the mystery was top notch.
The Maid by Nita Prose, (List Price: $27.00, Ballantine Books, 9780593356159, January 2022)
Reviewed by Nancy McFarlane, Fiction Addiction in Greenville, South Carolina
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Lila has moved back home and is living with her Filipino family after a bad breakup. She’s also come back to help with the family’s restaurant. But when the local fool critic has never met a dish about which he had something nice to say passes out in his food at the restaurant and later dies, Lila’s the number one suspect. I love cozies and this was a nice, new addition to the genre with some Filipino flair! I loved the characters and look forward to reading more!
Arsenic and Adobo by Mia P. Manansala (List Price: $16, Berkley, 9780593201671, 5/4/2021)
Reviewed by Jennifer Jones, Bookmiser, Inc. in Marietta, Georgia
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