Jacoby Investigative's Sandbox page contains drafts for the following works:

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NOTE: Much of my knowledge about these series came from library website Hoopla. I will note what I have read and if all the works are available on Hoopla, at least in my library district. Your results may vary depending on what library district your account is tied to.

A Mystery With Recipes; by Isis Crawford (series ongoing)

Literature.A Mystery With Recipes (by Isis Crawford)
- Jacoby's Note: All books in the series are available as e-books. Only 11, 12, 15, and 16 are available as audiobooks. I have checked out book 1, but did not finish it.
- Anon's note: I own #14 as of 04/06/22 and #10 as of 06/24/22.
- New Jacoby Note: As of 4/15/22, I have read the first book, and I doubt I will be adding any tropes to it apart from the ones I have noted in book 1 and what I can gather from the descriptions of each book.

A Mystery With Recipes is an armchair/amateur sleuth/Cozy Mystery series by Barbara Block writing as Isis Crawford. The series features Bernadette Simmons, who's recently left Los Angeles and returned to her family home in New York, where she's found a job working with her sister Libby at the latter's catering business, "A Little Taste of Heaven". However, things take an unexpected turn when the sisters have to solve the murder of a man who dropped dead at an event they were hired to cater for, and it's far from the only murder they'll have to solve over the next several years.

The series consists of:

#01: A Catered Murder (2003)
#02: A Catered Wedding (2004)
#03: A Catered Christmas (2005)
#04: A Catered Valentine's Day (2007)
#05: A Catered Halloween (2008)
#06: A Catered Birthday Party (2009)
#07: A Catered Thanksgiving (2010)
#08: A Catered St. Patrick's Day (2012)
#09: A Catered Christmas Cookie Exchange (2013)
#10: A Catered Fourth of July (2014)
#11: A Catered Mother's Day (2015)
#12: A Catered Tea Party (2016)
#13: A Catered Costume Party (2017)
#14: A Catered Cat Wedding (2018)
#15: A Catered New Year's Eve (2019)
#16: A Catered Book Club Murder (2021)
#17: A Catered Doggie Wedding (2022)
#18: A Catered Quilting Bee (2024)

This series provides examples of:

Accidental Suicide: Early into A Catered Murder, it's revealed that Josh, the brother of Susan Andrews' husband Bud, shot himself on prom night. In reality, the kid died as a result of a Russian Roulette game, and could have been saved had the other kids called for help instead of running away. Laird used this death as the inspiration for the main character of his books.
Alliterative Name: The girls' father, Sean Simmons. Also the case in a close friend of his, Paul Pine.
Alpha Bitch: Bree Nottingham falls into this a lot.
Asshole Victim:
- Laird Wrenn from A Catered Murder. Not only a plagiarist and a scummy boyfriend, he also used the accidental suicide of a man's young brother as material for his crappy vampire stories, which in turn drove that man to suicide.
- Hortense Calabash from A Catered Christmas
Blackmail Backfire: Geoff Holder's murder was a result of him trying to blackmail the real killer, Susan Andrews.
Boom, Headshot!: To Geoff Holder in A Catered Murder.
Crazy-Prepared: Libby has an emergency pack consisting of a Swiss Army knife, needle nose pliers, a can of mace, $50, and a bottle of water.
Hypocrite: In A Catered Murder, Lydia Kissoff was mad at her boyfriend Geoff Holder for sleeping with another woman. This is despite the fact that Geoff is a married man, yet sleeping with Lydia.
Malicious Misnaming: Sean calls his replacement as chief of police, Lucas Broad, "Lucy" (which is short for Lucifer).
Pen Name: "Laird Wrenn" was the pen name of Lionel Wrenkoski.
Switching P.O.V.: A Catered Wedding opens from the POV of the victim Leeza Sharp going through her wedding planning before she is killed.
Suspect Existence Failure: Happens to Geoff Holder in A Catered Murder.
Tampering with Food and Drink: The victims of A Catered Murder and A Catered New Year's Eve are both killed with drinks with cyanide in them (a water bottle poured in a glass and a flute of champagne respectively).
Who Murdered the Asshole: This is the case for A Catered Halloween.
Your Head Asplode: Happens to Monty Field in A Catered Thanksgiving after the turkey bomb goes off.

Beyond the Page Bookstore Mysteries; by Lauren Elliott (series ongoing)

Literature.Beyond The Page Bookstore Mysteries (by Lauren Elliot)
- Jacoby's Note: I have listened to book 1 on audiobook. Every book in the series is available as an e-book and an audiobook. I don't think I have any plans to trope this series.
- Anon's note: I own books 1-7 of this series; at the time of this sandbox's creation, it was the first and only series on the page that I'd read or owned.

Beyond the Page Bookstore Mysteries is an armchair/amateur sleuth/Cozy Mystery series by Lauren Elliott. The series features Addison "Addie" Greyborne, who's recently left Boston after the death of her fiancé and moved to Greyborne Harbor, Connecticut, having inherited a home from her great-aunt and opening Beyond the Page Books and Curios, her own book and curio shop. However, odd things happen in her first few days in town, including the murder of a local businessman, and Addie must solve the mystery while staying alive. Even after she does so though, more mysteries come her way.

The series consists of:

#01: Murder by the Book (2018)
#02: Prologue to Murder (2019)
#03: Murder in the First Edition (2019)
#04: Proof of Murder (2020)
#05: A Page Marked for Murder (2020)
#06: Under the Cover of Murder (2021)
#07: To the Tome of Murder (2021)
#08: A Margin for Murder (2022)
#09: Dedication to Murder (2023)
#10: A Limited Edition Murder (announced for May 2024)

This series provides examples of:

Accidental Murder: In book 4, during the climactic confrontation, the killer admits they were only trying to scare Charlotte McAdams out of the room, but in doing so triggered a fatal heart attack.
Bludgeoned to Death: Downplayed in book 1, where Blaine Fielding is killed by a single blow to the head with a paperweight.
Improvised Weapon: In book 5, when Brett Palmer is killed, it's ultimately revealed that the killer had grabbed a convenient icicle and stabbed him with that.
My God, What Have I Done?: In the climax of book 5, when Addie confronts the killer, he has this reaction when he realizes how big a mistake he made in killing Brett Palmer and inadvertently making it look like Martha Springer did it.

Trivia

The audiobooks for this series are narrated by Karen White, the narrator of the Lucy Stone Mysteries.

Bread Shop Mysteries; by Winnie Archer (series ongoing)

Literature.Bread Shop Mysteries (by Winnie Archer)
- Jacoby's Note: All books in the series are available as ebooks and audiobooks. I have checked out the e and audiobooks for book 1, but have not finished them as of this moment.
- Anon's note: As of 07/09/22, I own (and as of 07/14/22, have troped) book 1. As of 03/09/24, I own but have not troped books 3, 4 and 7.

Bread Shop Mysteries is an armchair/amateur sleuth/Cozy Mystery series by Melissa Bourbon writing as Winnie Archer. The series features Ivy Culpepper, a struggling photographer who's returned to her seaside hometown of Santa Sofia, California after her mother's death in a hit-and-run accident. Her life soon takes an unexpected direction when she takes part in a bread-making class at the town's Mexican bread shop Yeast of Eden, where she finds herself making new friends (including the shop's owner Olaya Solis) and, less happily, investigating a murder.

The series consists of:

#1: Kneaded to Death (2017)
#2: Crust No One (2017)
#3: The Walking Bread (2018)
#4: Flour in the Attic (2019)
#5: Dough or Die (2020)
#6: Death Gone A-Rye (2021)
#7: A Murder Yule Regret (2021)
#8: Bread Over Troubled Water (2022)

This series provides examples of:

Car Fu: Book 1 reveals that Jasmine Makers had hit Renee Ranson with her mother's car, leaving her badly injured and in a wheelchair for the rest of her life, out of a misguided attempt to help her. Later, when Anna Culpepper figured it out, Jasmine ran her over, this time fatally, to keep from being identified.
Fun T-Shirt: At one point in book 1, Ivy notes that if she owned any of these, they'd say things like "If I can't bring my camera, I'm not going" or "I flash people" (both referring to her photography career).
Honorary Aunt: Josephine Jeffries, Anna Culpepper's best friend, is this to Ivy, who calls her "Aunt Josie".
Long-Lost Relative: The consequences of such a reveal are brought up in book 1, where Jasmine Makers (daughter of Gus and Jackie Makers) reveals she got a letter about a year and a half ago from the older sister she never knew, revealing that her mother had had an affair and given the resulting child up for adoption while Gus was away serving in the military. When Gus found out she'd kept this a secret for so long, he was very upset, feeling their relationship was based on a lie, and ultimately divorced Jackie. Jackie, for her part, was very reluctant to reconnect with her first-born daughter.
Misplaced Retribution: This is the motive for one of the crimes in book 1. Becky Ranson poisoned Jackie Makers, believing she was responsible for the hit-and-run incident that left Becky's mother in a wheelchair for the rest of her life, when the real person responsible was Jackie's daughter Jasmine.
Must Make Amends: A variant in book 1, where Jackie Makers spent months trying to help Renee Ranson in an attempt to make up for the crime her daughter had committed when Jasmine, via hit-and-run, injured Renee enough to put her in a wheelchair for the rest of her life. Renee, however, rejected these attempts due to thinking Jackie was the one who hit her, and finally told Jackie to go away and leave her alone.
Nosy Neighbor:
- Book 1 features Buck Masterson, who's always snooping on his neighbors on Maple Street, coming into their houses without an invitation and filing complaints about them if they do anything he feels is against the nature of the area as a "Historic District" (such as trying to force one woman to remove an addition to her backyard, which wasn't against the rules anyway because it couldn't be seen from the street). When some of the residents start issuing complaints against him for his actions, he and his wife claim they're the good guys, who are just trying to keep the neighborhood's homes historically accurate.
- Penelope "Penny" Branford is a lesser example, as she's rather nosy about Buck and his snooping. However, considering she's caught him breaking into people's houses, she's justified in her spying.
Reasonable Authority Figure: In book 1, after Ivy and Penny carry out a stakeout of Jackie Makers' house and alert the police to Buck Masterson and his wife's breaking and entering, the deputy sheriff — Ivy's friend, Emmaline Davis — sends out a cop car to investigate, but also gently asks the pair to leave this to the professionals from now on, since their actions mean the Mastersons now know the cops are onto them (Ivy, for her part, points out that the police sirens had more to do with alerting the couple). Later though, she accepts the evidence that Ivy gathered (namely, the photographs Ivy took during the stakeout) rather than rebuffing Ivy when she brings it in. Later, she thanks Ivy for gaining and giving her more information, but again warns her to be careful.
Sarcasm Mode: When Renee Ranson is explaining things to Ivy, she says that when she accused Jackie Makers of running her over deliberately, Jackie denied it. Renee, as her way of saying she thought Jackie was lying, then sarcastically says to Ivy, "Yeah right. And I have a million-dollar piece of swampland for sale."
They Call Me MISTER Tibbs!: Book 1 features a type 2 case when Ivy meets Augustus Makers and calls him "Mr. Makers", only for him to gently correct her: "Mr. Makers was my pop, and he's long gone. Call me Gus."
Too Upset to Create: The death of Ivy's mother, six months before the start of the series, has left her unable to find the inspiration she needs for her photography. She gradually recovers after meeting Olaya Sollis and becoming her student and, later, formal apprentice.
Troubled Teen: Jasmine Makers in book 1, who spent months upset over the reveal that her mother had cheated on her husband, resulting in another daughter whom she'd given up for adoption. She took it a step further than most when, lashing out, she managed to badly injure Renee Ranson via hit-and-run to the point of putting her in a wheelchair for the rest of her life, and then killed Anna Culpepper with another hit-and-run when Anna figured out what Jasmine had done.

Catering Hall Mysteries; by Maria DiRico (series ongoing)

Literature.Catering Hall Mysteries (by Maria DiRico)
- Jacoby's Note: All three books are available as audiobooks, but only 1 and 2 are available as e-books. I do own book 1 of the series.

Catering Hall Mysteries is an armchair/amateur sleuth/Cozy Mystery series by Ellen Byron writing as Maria DiRico. The series features Mia Carina, who's recently moved back to her childhood neighborhood in Queens, New York, and found employment at Belle View — her father's catering hall. However, when a dead body turns up at an event the hall was hired for, Carina finds herself working to solve the first of many cases she'll encounter.

The series consists of:

#1: Here Comes the Body (2020)
#2: Long Island Iced Tina (2021)
#3: It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Murder (2021)
#4: Four Parties and a Funeral (2023)
#5: The Witless Protection Program (2024)

This series provides examples of:

Jumping Out of a Cake: In Here Comes the Body, a stripper is hired to do this for the bachelor party. However, said stripper runs late, and the killer stuffs the first victim's body into it.

Cat DeLuca Mysteries; by K.J. Larsen (series ended/on hiatus)

Literature.Cat De Luca Mysteries (by K.J. Larsen)
Jacoby's Note: Books 1-4 are available as audiobooks, books 3-5 have an e-book to go with them.

Cat DeLuca Mysteries is an armchair/amateur sleuth/Cozy Mystery series by sisters Kari, Julianne and Kristen Larson, writing as K.J. Larsen. The series features ()

The series consists of:

#1: Liar Liar (2010)
#2: Sticks and Stones (2011)
#3: Some Like It Hot (2013)
#4: Bye, Bye Love (2015)
#5: There Was a Crooked Man (2016)

This series provides examples of:

External Combustion: The villain of Liar Liar tries to do this with Cat's car. Her uncle does the same thing to him in return.
Private Detective:
- Cat is one of these, specializing in cheating spouses.
- Her friend Billy Bonham is trying to become one of these before he gets murdered. The key word being "trying".

Christmas Tree Farm Mysteries; by Jacqueline Frost (series ongoing)

Literature.Christmas Tree Farm Mysteries (by Jacqueline Frost)
- Jacoby's Note: All books are available as e and audiobooks.

Christmas Tree Farm Mysteries is an armchair/amateur sleuth/Cozy Mystery series by Julie Anne Lindsey writing as Jacqueline Frost. The series features Holly White, returning to her hometown of Mistletoe, Maine after her engagement is broken off.

The series consists of:

#1: Twelve Slays of Christmas (2017)
#2: 'Twas the Knife Before Christmas (2018)
#3: Slashing Trough The Snow (2021)
#4: Stalking Around the Christmas Tree (2023)
#5: I'll be Home for Mischief (announced for November 2024)

This series provides examples of:

Coffeehouse Mysteries; by Cleo Coyle (series ongoing)

Literature.Coffeehouse Mysteries (by Cleo Coyle)
- Jacoby's Note: None of the books are available as e-books, and only 4-19 are available as audiobooks. As of June 2022, I own book 1.
- Anon's note: As of 05/14/22, I own books 1-15. As of 01/28/23, I own book 18, and 17 as of 08/17/23.

Coffeehouse Mysteries is an armchair/amateur sleuth/Cozy Mystery series by Alice Alfonsi, writing with her husband Marc Cerasini as Cleo Coyle. The series features Clare Cosi, a former and returning manager of the Village Blend coffeehouse, who's returned to her old post after ten years in a quieter, more suburban life. However, soon after returning to work, Clare gets caught up in solving the first of many murders she'll have to deal with in the coming years.

The series consists of:

#01: On What Grounds (2003)
#02: Through the Grinder (2004)
#03: Latte Trouble (2005)
#04: Murder Most Frothy (2006)
#05: Decaffeinated Corpse (2007)
#06: French Pressed (2008)
#07: Espresso Shot (2008)
#08: Holiday Grind (2009)
#09: Roast Mortem (2010)
#10: Murder by Mocha (2011)
#11: A Brew to a Kill (2012)
#12: Holiday Buzz (2012)
#13: Billionaire Blend (2013)
#14: Once Upon a Grind (2014)
#15: Dead to the Last Drop (2015)
#16: Dead Cold Brew (2017)
#17: Shot in the Dark (2018)
#18: Brewed Awakening (2019)
#19: Honey Roasted (2022)
#20: Bulletproof Barista (2023)

This series provides examples of:

Amnesia Episode: Brewed Awakening, which starts with Clare awakening with amnesia about the last fifteen years of her life, and having to recover her memories in order to solve a crime she witnessed.

Daisy Dalrymple Mysteries; by Carola Dunn (series ended/on hiatus)

Literature.Daisy Dalrymple Mysteries (by Carola Dunn)
- Jacoby's Note: None of the books are available as e-books, and only books 1-20 and 23 are available as audiobooks. Neither short story is on Hoopla. I don't believe I have any interest in troping this book series.

Daisy Dalrymple Mysteries is an armchair/amateur sleuth/Cozy Mystery series by Carola Dunn. The series features Daisy Dalrymple, the daughter of a British viscount who, during the turbulence of post-World War I Britain, shocks her family by choosing to make a living with her writing rather than live at home until she gets married. In the course of researching her articles, she stumbles across dead bodies and ends up acting to solve their murders, working alongside (and eventually marrying, in book 8) Detective Chief Inspector Alec Fletcher of Scotland Yard in the process.

The series consists of:

#01: Death at Wentwater Court (1994)
#02: The Winter Garden Mystery (1995)
#03: Requiem for a Mezzo (1996)
#04: Murder on the Flying Scotsman (1996)
#05: Damsel In Distress (1997)
#05.5: Storm in a Tea Shoppe (1997 short story; archived online)
#06: Dead in the Water (1998)
#07: Styx and Stones (1999)
#08: Rattle His Bones (2000)
#09: To Davy Jones Below (2001)
#10: The Case of the Murdered Muckraker (2002)
#11: Mistletoe and Murder (2002)
#12: Die laughing (2003)
#13: A Mourning Wedding (2004)
#14: Fall of a Philanderer (2005)
#15: Gunpowder Plot (2006)
#16: The Bloody Tower (2007)
#17: Black Ship (2008)
#18: Sheer Folly (2009)
#18.5 Unhappy Medium (2009 short story; archived online)
#19: Anthem for Doomed Youth (2011)
#20: Gone West (2012)
#21: Heirs of the Body (2013)
#22: Superfluous Women (2015)
#23: The Corpse at the Crystal Palace (2018)

This series provides examples of:

Deadly Edits; by Kaitlyn Dunnett (series ended/on hiatus)

Literature.Deadly Edits (by Kaitlyn Dunnett)
- Jacoby's Note: All books are available as e-books and audiobooks. I have listened to part of book 1's audiobook, but I don't think I wish to trope for this series.

Deadly Edits is an armchair/amateur sleuth/Cozy Mystery series by Kathy Lynn Emerson writing as Kaitlyn Dunnett. The series features ()

The series consists of:

#1: Crime & Punctuation (2018)
#2: Clause & Effect (2019)
#3: A Fatal Fiction (2020)
#4: Murder, She Edited (2021)

This series provides examples of:

Detective by Day; by Kellye Garrett (series ended/on hiatus)

Literature.Detective By Day (by Kellye Garrett)
- Jacoby's Note: None of the books are available as e-books, 1-2 are available as audiobooks.

Detective by Day is an armchair/amateur sleuth/Cozy Mystery series by Kellye Garrett. The series features ()

The series consists of:

#1: Hollywood Homicide (2017)
#2: Hollywood Ending (2018)
#3: Hollywood Hack (2019)

This series provides examples of:

Gosh Dang It to Heck!: Dayna doesn't use the major swears all that much, using more kiddy ones like "fudge".

Dubious Witch Cozy Mysteries; by Fiona Grace (series ended/on hiatus)

Literature.Dubious Witch Cozy Mysteries (by Fiona Grace)
- Jacoby's Note: All books in the series are available as e-books and audiobooks.

Dubious Witch Cozy Mysteries is an armchair/amateur sleuth/Cozy Mystery series by Fiona Grace. The series features ()

The series consists of:

#1: Skeptic in Salem: An Episode of Murder (2020)
#2: Skeptic in Salem: An Episode of Crime (2021)
#3: Skeptic in Salem: An Episode of Death (2021)

This series provides examples of:

Haunted Bookshop Mysteries; by Alice Kimberly/Cleo Coyle (series ongoing)

Literature.Haunted Bookshop Mysteries (by Cleo Coyle)
- Jacoby's Note: None of the books are available as e-books, all books are available as audiobooks.
- New Jacoby's Note: I now own books 1 and 2.
- Anon's note: As of 06/11/22, I own books 1-7. As of 07/19/22, book 1 has been troped.

Haunted Bookshop Mysteries is an armchair/amateur sleuth/Cozy Mystery series by Alice Alfonsi, writing with her husband Marc Cerasini under the pen names Alice Kimberly and/or Cleo Coyle (the first four books were marketed as "by Cleo Coyle writing as Alice Kimberly", while books 5 and on were simply marketed as "by Cleo Coyle"). The series features Penelope Thornton-McClure, recently widowed, who's come to work for her Aunt Sadie at her bookstore in Quindicott, Rhode Island, which is on the verge of closing before Penelope comes along. However, one of Penelope's first efforts to boost sales takes a startling turn when a special guest author, there for a book signing, suddenly drops dead. Luckily for Penelope, she gains some surprise assistance in solving the man's murder — and all future ones she encounters — in the form of Jack Shepard, a private investigator who was murdered near the store in 1949 and has been hanging around the area ever since.

The series consists of:

#1: The Ghost and Mrs. McClure (2004)
#2: The Ghost and the Dead Deb (2005)
#3: The Ghost and the Dead Man's Library (2006)
#4: The Ghost and the Femme Fatale (2008)
#5: The Ghost and the Haunted Mansion (2008)
#6: The Ghost and the Bogus Bestseller (2018)
#7: The Ghost and the Haunted Portrait (2021)
#8: The Ghost and the Stolen Tears (2022)
#9: The Ghost Goes to the Dogs (2023)

This series provides examples of:

Accidental Murder: In book 1, this turns out to be the case, as the killer admits they only wanted to make Timothy Brennan sick, then have the ghostwriter for the last three books step forward and admit the truth while Brennan was convulsing; she didn't get the chance, as Brennan's peanut allergy proved fatal before they could do so.
Blackmail Backfire: In book 1, Josh Bernstein realized his boss Shelby Cabot had caused Timothy Brennan's death, and went to retrieve the syringe she'd used, intending to blackmail her with the evidence of her crime. She instead tricks him into planting it in Deirdre Brennan-Franken's luggage to frame her, then stole a pickup truck and ran him over so he wouldn't be able to expose her.
Car Fu: Late in book 1, Penelope and the other people she's been having a meeting with hear some noise outside, where they learn that someone stole a pickup truck from a local man, Zebulon Talbot, and used it to kill Josh Bernstein, one of their major suspects in Timothy Brennan's murder.
Closed Circle: in book 1, Jack Shepard explains to Penelope that he's tried to leave the building he died in, but he can't get past the boundaries.
Constructive Body Disposal: Book 1 ends on the reveal that Jack's corpse is stashed behind a wall of the upstairs area of the bookstore.
Distant Prologue: All the books start with a prologue set in the 1940s, following private investigator Jack Shepard (when he was conventionally alive) on one of his cases, while chapter 1 then jumps forward in time to the present day.
- Book 1's prologue takes place in 1949 and depicts Jack as he heads to a bookstore in Quindicott, Rhode Island, only to get struck from behind and gunned down in the entryway.
Dramatization: In-Universe in book 1, where author Timothy Brennan claims that he based his books on Jack Shepard's case files, but changed the names and wrote his main character as being a mix of Jack and himself, claiming he made Jack Shields smarter and more heroic than his inspiration. When Jack's ghost overhears this, he's furious and calls Timothy a liar and a thief, though only Penelope hears him.
Driven to Suicide: Calvin Spencer McClure III, who was suffering from depression and finally leapt from his apartment window... right as Penelope was walking into the room. His family blames her for his death, naturally.
Embarrassing First Name: Professor J. Brainert Parker, an English professor and one of Penelope's closest friends since they were kids, is said to have "utterly rejected since age six" his full first name of Jarvis.
Faint in Shock: In book 1, this happens to Penelope when she sees Jack Shepard's ghost for the first time.
Frame-Up: In book 1, Jack Shepard witnesses Josh Bernstein, a publicity assistant with Salient House (the publishing company that releases Timothy Brennan's books) stealing a syringe from the bathroom at Buy the Book. Later, Penelope learns that a syringe was found in Deirdre Brennan-Franken's room at the local inn, and wonders if Josh had planted it to frame her, or if he was delivering the syringe to her at her request. Indeed, the former is what happened, as Shelby Cabot — from Timothy's publishing house — had Josh plant it to frame Deirdre for Timothy's murder, which would give Deirdre's husband Kenneth the excuse he needed to divorce her and marry Shelby instead.
Ghostwriter: In book 1, Penelope recalls at one point how according to critics, the first sixteen books in Timothy Brennan's Jack Shield series "felt canned and stale", while her friend Brainert thought the last three "represented a marked improvement". She later comes to the conclusion that Brennan didn't actually write those three, and that his son-in-law Kenneth Franken ghostwrote them. After doing some research for her, Brainert (an English professor) agrees with her conclusions, and Penelope later learns she was right when the killer confirms it. The epilogue later reveals said ghostwriter has been happily outed and is now under contract to continue the series.
Hide the Evidence: in book 1, Penelope hears a noise in the shop after closing, and freaks out until she finds it's just a customer who'd gone into the bathroom earlier due to being nauseous. Afterward though, Jack tells her that he'd watched the man and witnessed him retrieving a piece of evidence — a wrapped syringe, likely the murder weapon — that he suspects (and rightfully so) had been hidden there earlier by the actual killer. Said killer eventually confirms that they did indeed hide it.
I Have This Friend: in book 1, Penelope spends some time on the internet in a chatroom, talking with a group of people studying paranormal activities about the ghost she's dealing with, and using the excuse that it's happening to a friend. It's pretty obvious to her that they aren't buying the "friend" excuse though, as every time they use the word "friend" afterward, they always have it in quotation marks.
I See Dead People: Jack Shepard, as a ghost, can only be seen or heard by Penelope, as first demonstrated when he angrily yells at author Timothy Brennan when Brennan claims Jack "left me his case files", calling him a liar and saying he must have stolen them. Only Penelope hears the heckler, and after a few times she thinks it's just a hallucination, not realizing it's a ghost until later. Timothy also sees Jack briefly as he's dying, and Jack notes to himself later that two children have also been able to hear him at different times over the past fifty-plus years. Later in the same book, when an alcoholic woman is claiming she's a psychic and can sense Timothy Brennan's ghost in the store, Jack makes himself be seen and heard (a process he calls "projecting") by her long enough to send her running out of the store in a panic.
In Medias Res: Book 1, chapter 1 starts shortly after the book's primary murder. Chapter 2 jumps back in time two hours, and then chapter 5 picks up where chapter 1 left off.
Mondegreen Gag: Not played for laughs in book 1. Due to a misunderstanding, Fiona Finch overheard some people talking about "Anna" and assumes they meant a woman named "Anna Worth" (who has a history with Timothy Brennan). She later reveals they were talking about someone else — "Anna Filactic". Seymour Tarnish, on hearing this, realizes she still misunderstood what she'd heard — it wasn't a name, but the word "anaphylactic", as in "anaphylactic shock", a type of allergic reaction that causes the victim's throat to swell so that they choke.
Obnoxious In-Laws: Penelope's McClure in-laws are very much this. They've tried to force her to live the way they want (making her son go to private school, planning for him to go to an English boarding school one day, and refusing to give Penelope any money unless she did what they wanted); a desire to get away from them is a big part of why she moved Spencer and herself to Rhode Island so she could become co-owner of her aunt's bookstore. Spencer himself also comes to think of them this way, as he realizes he's happier in Rhode Island than in New York.
Once Done, Never Forgotten: In book 1, while discussing motives for Timothy Brennan's murder, Fiona Finch brings up how she'd overheard some people talking about "Anna" and assumes they meant "Anna Worth", a woman who got in trouble with the law for snatching a gun from her bodyguard and shooting her boyfriend in front of a New York nightclub. Brennan, who was there and saw the whole thing, proceeded to write several articles about it for Gossip magazine and made sure nobody would forget that she did it, or any bad thing she or her family did before then and afterward, effectively going out of his way to smear their reputations both before and after she went to prison for her crime.
Poltergeist: Jack Shepard is one, as he's revealed to be able to move objects, having made it look like work tools in the store during its renovation had disappeared, or sent surges through the electrical system. He even pranked Penelope once by making it look like all the folding chairs had been turned upside down.
Private Detective: Jack Shepard used to be one back in the 1940s, until his death while on a case. In the present day, he resumes his duties as one, helping Penelope solve murders after they meet for the first time.
Purple Prose: Namedropped in book 1, where Penelope's narration notes that author Timothy Brennan uses a lot of this in his books. Despite this, she still enjoys them.
Red Herring: In book 1, Fiona Finch mentions having heard some people talking about "Anna" and assumes they meant "Anna Worth", who had a negative history with Timothy Brennan, so Fiona suspects she's involved in his death. She later reveals that she'd misheard, and they meant someone — or as J. Brainert Parker realizes when he hears the actual name, something — else entirely.
Removing the Rival: In book 1, the book's killer tries to frame her romantic rival for murder, which she thinks would give said rival's husband the excuse he needed to divorce her and marry the killer instead. It doesn't work, as he chooses to stay loyal to his wife instead.
Right on Queue: Book 1 has a scene where a whole bunch of people are waiting in line outside Buy the Book in order to get in when it opens, and one of them irritably tells another customer that "Excuse me, lady, but you're cutting the line." The "other customer" is Sadie Thornton, who truthfully retorts with "Excuse me, but I'm trying to open my store!" The line's packed enough that they still won't let her in though, until her and Penelope's friend Seymour Tarnish angrily (and truthfully) orders them to get out of the way because "I'm a postal worker, buddy!" That finally clears the crowd out of the way and gets them in order.
Rotating Protagonist: On a regular basis, as the chapters periodically alternate between Penelope's first-person narration and a third-person narration following Jack Shepard.
Rules Lawyer: Town councilwoman Marjorie Binder-Smith, who's always trying to use the local rules to try and get anyone and everyone in town into trouble. She makes her debut by barging into Buy the Book to claim they've broken the rules by serving food at an event, claiming they need a license to sell food. Penelope, however, throws this back in her face by pointing out that the food at the event was complimentary, not for sale, and therefore didn't require a license to serve.
Tampering with Food and Drink: Discussed in book 1, where in a conversation between Penelope, Sadie and their friends Fiona Finch and Seymour Tarnish, one of them suggests that Timothy Brennan's death was a result of someone poisoning his water bottle. The killer eventually confirms that they'd indeed injected peanut oil into a few of the bottles that were on the scene.
Teacher/Student Romance: Past example, described by Penelope's narration early in book 1, but it's less disturbing than most examples, as both parties involved were adults at the time — Milner Logan, it's explained, was teaching a cooking school class in Boston on the art of French pastry, while one of his students was Linda Cooper, ten years younger than him; the two quickly fell in love and now run Linda's family's bakery in Quindicott.
Throw the Book at Them: In the climax of book 1, as Penelope is fighting for her life against a berserk Shelby Cabot, she grabs a random object and bashes Shelby over the head... and only afterward realizes it's a copy of Timothy Brennan's last novel, which she'd set aside for the police officer who'd reserved it.
Whodunnit to Me?: In the epilogue of book 1, Penelope suggests to Jack's ghost that he's still hanging around because his killers weren't caught, and that she could work on solving his murder. He initially cautions her to stay out of it, and to let him try to solve that case on his own, but after some persuasion, he reluctantly agrees to let her help.

Trivia:

Sequel Gap: For reasons unspecified, there was a ten-year gap between books 5 and 6.

YMMV:

Hilarious in Hindsight: In book 1, released in 2004, J. Brainert Parker mentions at one point that Stephen King isn't writing anymore (which is actually an inaccuracy; King had announced a few years before that he would still be writing, but he wasn't going to be publishing anymore after the release of The Dark Tower (2004)). Come 2005 and the release of King's new novel The Colorado Kid; on top of that, he's published at least one new work every year since, all the way through 2022.

Haunted Library Mysteries; by Allison Brook (series ongoing)

Literature.Haunted Library Mysteries (by Allison Brook)
- Jacoby's Note: Books 1-4 are available as e-books, while all of them are available as audiobooks. I own book 1 of the series.
  
  ** Anon's note: As of 04/20/24, I own #2.

Haunted Library Mysteries is an armchair/amateur sleuth/Cozy Mystery series by Marilyn Levinson writing as Allison Brook. The series features ()

The series consists of:

#1: Death Overdue (2017)
#2: Read and Gone (2018)
#3: Buried in the Stacks (2019)
#4: Checked Out for Murder (2020)
#5: Death on the Shelf (2021)
#6: Dewey Decimated (2022)
#7: Overdue or Die (2023)
#8: Out of Circulation (announced for August 2024)

This series provides examples of:

Tampering with Food and Drink: Al Buckley from Death Overdue is killed by a cookie laced with poison.

Trivia:

Similarly Named Works: Book 8, Out of Circulation, shares its title with book 4 of Miranda James' The Cat in the Stacks Mysteries.

Haunted Mansion Mysteries; by Lucy Ness (series ended/on hiatus)

Literature.Haunted Mansion Mysteries (by Lucy Ness)
- Jacoby's Note: I own both books in the series, neither of which are available as e-books or audiobooks.
- Anon's note: As of 07/13/23, I own book 1.

Haunted Mansion Mysteries is an armchair/amateur sleuth/Cozy Mystery series by Casey Daniels writing as Lucy Ness. The series features ()

The series consists of:

#1: Haunted Homicide (2020)
#2: Phantoms and Felonies (2021)

This series provides examples of:

Asshole Victim:
- Muriel Sadler, the victim of book 1, was a horrid, manipulative old crone.
Bludgeoned to Death: How Muriel Sadler bit the dust in book 1.

High Society Lady Detective; by Sara Rosett (series ongoing)

Literature.High Society Lady Detective (by Sara Rosett)
- Jacoby's Note: I have checked out Book 1 as an audiobook, but did not finish it. Books 1-6 are available as e-books and audiobooks.

High Society Lady Detective is an armchair/amateur sleuth/Cozy Mystery series by Sara Rosett. The series features ()

The series consists of:

#0.5: "Lady Sophia's Sapphires" (2019 short story)
#1: Murder at Archly Manor (2018)
#2: Murder at Blackburn Hall (2019)
#3: The Egyptian Antiquities Murder (2019)
#4: Murder in Black Tie (2019)
#5: An Old Money Murder in Mayfair (2020)
#6: Murder on a Midnight Clear (2020)
#7: Murder at the Mansions (2022)
#8: Murder in the Alps (2024)

This series provides examples of:

Disney Villain Death: Alfred from Murder at Archly Manor is killed by being thrown off a balcony.

Home to Ireland Mysteries (Kensington Cozies); by Carlene O'Connor (series ongoing)

Literature.Home To Ireland Mysteries (by Carlene O'Connor)
- Jacoby's Note: I own both books in the series. Both are available as e-books, but only book 1 is available as an audiobook.
- Anon's Note: I own both books as of 06/09/22.
- Update from Jacoby: Apparently Hoopla did add the audiobook for Connemara.

Home to Ireland Mysteries is an armchair/amateur sleuth/Cozy Mystery series by Carlene O'Connor. The series features Tara Meehan, an interior designer from New York who encounters trouble while carrying her mother's ashes to her ancestral home in Ireland, where she must solve both murder and the mystery behind her mother and uncle's estrangement.

The series consists of:

#1: Murder in Galway (2020)
#2: Murder in Connemara (2021)
#3: "Halloween Cupcake Murder" (2023)^note
#4: "Irish Milkshake Murder" (2023) ^note
#5: "Irish Soda Bread Murder" (announced for December 2024) ^note

This series provides examples of:

Bludgeoned to Death: In Murder in Galway, Emmett Walsh is killed by being whacked on the head with his cast iron pig.
Couldn't Find a Pen: In Murder in Galway, Emmett Walsh tries to identify his killer this way. The killer notices this, and changes it from Alan, AKA Alana to Tara.

Ice Cream Parlor Mysteries; by Abby Collette (series ongoing)

Literature.Ice Cream Parlor Mysteries (by Abby Collette)
- Jacoby's Note: I have checked out book 1. None of the books are available as e-books, but all of them are as audiobooks.
- New Jacoby Note: As of June 2022, I own book 1 of the series.

Ice Cream Parlor Mysteries is an armchair/amateur sleuth/Cozy Mystery series by Abby L. Vandiver writing as Abby Collette. The series features ()

The series consists of:

#1: A Deadly Inside Scoop (2020)
#2: A Game of Cones (2021)
#3: A Killer Sundae (2022)

This series provides examples of:

Asshole Victim:
- The victim of book 1, a lying con artist.

Jackaby; by William Ritter (series ended/on hiatus)

Literature.Jackaby (by William Ritter)
- Jacoby's Note: I have read book 1 in the series (in high school, before Hoopla was a thing), and have recently reread it as an audiobook. All books are available as e-books and audiobooks, with the exception of an audiobook for "The Map".

Jackaby is a historical, fantasy and supernatural mystery series by William Ritter. The series features ()

The series consists of:

#1: Jackaby (2014)
#1.5: "The Map" (2015)^noteE-book novella; free on Amazon.
#2: Beastly Bones (2015)
#3: Ghostly Echoes (2016)
#4: The Dire King (2017)
#5: Rook (2023)

This series provides examples of:

Dirty Cop: Book 1 has Commissioner Swift, who is not only the killer, but a Redcap Goblin.
Obfuscating Disability: In book 1, Commissioner Swift's metal leg braces appear to be a result of polio, but in reality, they cover up the noise of his metal shoes.

Lucky O'Toole Vegas Adventures; by Deborah Coonts (series ended/on hiatus)

Literature.Lucky O Toole Vegas Adventures (by Deborah Coonts)
- Jacoby's Note: I own book 1. I have checked out book 1 as an audiobook, but did not finish it. All books in the series (with the exception of "The Housewife Assassin Gets Lucky" are available as e-books and audiobooks, while all novellas are available as one e-book, ''The Complete Lucky O'Toole Novella Collection.

Lucky O'Toole Vegas Adventures is an armchair/amateur sleuth/Cozy Mystery series by Deborah Coonts. The series features Lucky O'Toole, an employee at the Babylon casino and resort in Las Vegas.

The series concluded in 2020 with its eleventh regular book.

The series consists of:

#01: Wanna Get Lucky? (2010)
#02: Lucky Stiff (2011)
#02.5: "Lucky in Love" (2012)^noteE-book novella
#03: So Damn Lucky (2012)
#03.5: "Lucky Bang" (2012)^noteE-book novella
#03.7: "Lucky Now and Then" (2014)^noteE-book novella
#04: Lucky Bastard (2013)
#05: Lucky Catch (2014)
#05.5: "Lucky Flash" (2015)^noteE-book novella
#06: Lucky Break (2015)
#07: Lucky the Hard Way (2016)
#08: Lucky Ride (2017)
#09: Lucky Score (2018)
#09.5(?): "The Housewife Assassin Gets Lucky (2019)^note
#10: Lucky Ce Soir (2019)
#11: Lucky Enough (2020)

This series provides examples of:

Crossover: The Housewife Assassin Gets Lucky, as stated above in the note for that title.
Disney Villain Death: Lyda Sue Stalnaker is killed by being thrown out of a helicopter in Wanna Get Lucky?

Mahalia Watkins Soul Food Mysteries; by A.L. Herbert (series ongoing)

Literature.Mahalia Watkins Soul Food Mysteries (by A.L. Herbert)
- Jacoby's Note: I have checked out book 1 as an audiobook before, and am checking it out again as of this writing. All books are available as e-books and audiobooks.

Mahalia Watkins Soul Food Mysteries is an armchair/amateur sleuth/Cozy Mystery series by Patrick Sanchez writing as A.L. Herbert. The series features ()

The series consists of:

#1: Murder with Fried Chicken and Waffles (2015)
#2: Murder with Macaroni and Cheese (2016)
#3: Murder with Collard Greens and Hot Sauce (2019)
#4: Murder with Honey Ham Biscuits (2020)

This series provides examples of:

Accidental Murder: Regine/Denise didn't set out to kill Marcus Rand in Murder With Fried Chicken and Waffles, just rob him. But when she went to confront him after finding out he was flat broke, he made a nasty comment that set her off.
Asshole Victim: It is a murder mystery series, right?
- Marcus Rand from Murder With Fried Chicken and Waffles, a shady businessman wrapped up in a mortgage financing scam.
Frying Pan of Doom: Marcus Rand from Murder With Fried Chicken and Waffles is killed with a cast iron skillet.

YMMV

It can come off as extremely awkward, if not outright offensive for the books to portrayed as being written by a black woman when they are actually written by a white man.

Maya and Sandra Mysteries; by Lee Hollis (series ongoing)

Literature.Maya And Sandra Mysteries (by Lee Hollis)
- Jacoby's Note: I own book 1 of the series. Both books currently released are available as e-books and audiobooks.
- Anon's note: As of 06/28/22, I own and have troped #1. As of 03/09/24, I own but have not yet troped #2.

Maya and Sandra Mysteries is an armchair/amateur sleuth/Cozy Mystery series by the brother-and-sister team of Rick Cobb and Holly Simason under the pen name of Lee Hollis. The series features Sandra Wallage, newly elected president of Portland, Maine High School's PTA, and her newfound friend and fellow PTA member Maya Kendrick, a private investigator who needs a new P.I. partner and begins mentoring Sandra in the ways of crime solving after the school is targeted by a gossip writer who soon turns up dead.

The series consists of:

#1: Murder at the PTA (2020)
#2: Murder at the Bake Sale (2021)
#3: Murder on the Class Trip (2022)
#4: Murder at the Spelling Bee (announced for May 2024)

This series provides examples of:

All for Nothing: Late in book 1, it's revealed that Principal Hicks' efforts to keep his affair with Chelsea Portman a secret failed, as some other investigators wound up exposing him. End result, Chelsea dumps him and his wife leaves him, and there's rumors that the school board is planning to replace him.
And I'm the Queen of Sheba: In book 1, after getting thrown out of the brothel she'd been investigating, Sandra truthfully tells the security guard who'd removed her that she's the wife of a U.S. senator. Tiny sarcastically retorts with "Yeah, and I'm Prince Harry."
Asshole Victim:
- Maisie Portman, the victim of Murder at the PTA, was a vicious bitch running a gossip website.
Clear Their Name: Part of the plot of book 1 involves Sandra investigating on her own to find if Joel Metcalf, father of her older son's friend Kevin, is responsible for Maisie Portman's death. She manages to find enough evidence to confirm his innocence.
Clingy Jealous Girl: As explained in book 1, Frances Turner gets very jealous if her partners, both romantic and professional, pay any attention to someone other than her. She makes it clear to Sandra that she doesn't want the other woman to have anything to do with Frances' and Maya's investigative business. Her boyfriend and baby daddy, Coach Vinnie Cooper from the local high school, also admits to Maya that he doesn't want Frances to know he went out with Maisie a few times because of her jealousy.
Crossover: Sandra and Maya get a cameo in Death of a Wicked Witch, the 13th book in Lee Hollis' primary Cozy Mystery series, the Hayley Powell Food and Cocktails Mysteries, even being part of what helps Hayley crack the case in that book.
Did Not Die That Way: In book 1, Maya (and then Sandra) find Maisie Portman in a classroom, having supposedly hung herself. Maya, however, gets a close enough look at the bruises on Maisie's neck to realize that she died from being strangled rather than hanging.
Didn't Think This Through: In book 1, while disguising herself as a prostitute so she can infiltrate a brothel and question one of the people inside in an effort to confirm a suspect's alibi, Sandra recalls how she and her husband Stephen once went to a costume party as a hooker and a pimp (respectively). They didn't realize until it was too late that seeing a senator and his wife like that would seem like they were mocking the illegal sex worker industry, which was a hassle during his reelection campaign when someone got a photo of them in such getup.
Dirty Cop:
- Max Kendrick, Maya's husband (and soon to be ex-husband, once their divorce goes through, as she notes in book 1), was a police captain until he was arrested for corruption. He later tells Maya that a number of other cops whom he'd worked with are being investigated for corruption now too.
- Detective Mateo Reyes, the killer of the first book... and in a variant, the private investigator who got him to kill Maisie — his friend, Maya's business partner and fellow former cop Frances Turner.
Fisticuff-Provoking Comment: In book 1, during a football game, Sandra's son Jack snaps and attacks a member of the opposing team when said boy makes a snide remark about one of Jack's teammates, who'd recently ended up in the hospital after an opioid overdose.
Friend on the Force: Oscar Bunford, a computer expert with the Portland police, serves this role to Maya, as she pops in to ask him for info relating to her case a few times.
He Knows Too Much: In book 1, it's revealed that the victim, Maisie Portman, was killed because she'd uncovered a case of corruption in the local police force, and was about to expose it.
Ironic Name: In book 1, while investigating a suspect, Sandra tries to get into the building he'd been in, but is rebuffed by an enormous security guard known as "Tiny".
Is the Answer to This Question "Yes"?: In book 1, while working on a new turn of events in the case of Maisie Portman's murder, Maya asks her Friend on the Force if he has access to Mateo Reyes' case reports. Oscar responds with "Is the pope Catholic?"
Matchmaker Failure: In book 1, Frances Turner (Maya's partner in the P.I. business) tries to set Maya up with police detective Mateo Reyes at Frances' baby shower. Maya is not amused and flatly turns down the attempt on the grounds that she's sworn not to date anyone in law enforcement ever again after her ex-husband's conviction. Later, she and Sandra compare their thoughts on Reyes, both agreeing that he's misogynistic, egotistical and condescending, which only affirms Maya's belief that she made the right choice in turning him down.
Malicious Slander: In book 1, this is essentially the purpose of the Dirty Laundry website — posting vicious gossip about people. Maisie's ex-boyfriend, Vinnie Cooper, also admits that she started a whisper campaign to make people think he's a racist (he's not) after he broke up with her.
Moral Guardians: In-Universe example in book 1. As Principal Hicks explains, his assistant principal, Maisie Portman, had been "concerned about the moral decline at the school", disapproving of how "the culture at the school, and society in general, had become so sexualized and permissive". Consequently, she wanted to revise the school dress code to force all students to ban "plunging necklines and skirts that were too short and too tight" for the girls, while boys would have to wear khakis and dress shirts. She also wanted to gender-divide the cafeteria so boys were on one side and girls on the other. Naturally, her suggestions were not implemented. When Maya asks if she could have started the Dirty Laundry site because of this, Hicks admits that it makes sense, but while her intentions may have started out good, she ultimately went way too far. Her one victory, he says, was in preventing the drama club from staging a production of The Full Monty, which she considered filth. She also threatened to expose her sister Chelsea's relationship with a married man — Maisie's boss, Principal Hicks — on her site if they didn't break it off.
Never Suicide: Maya quickly figures out that the murder in book 1 is not suicide, as the bruising on the neck is in the wrong place for someone who hanged herself.
Open-Minded Parent: Sandra and Stephen both. When their older son Jack came out to them as gay about a year before book 1, neither was bothered in the slightest.
Rebuff the Amateur:
- A variant in book 1. After the body of Maisie Portman is discovered and reported by Maya Kendrick (a former cop and now private investigator), Detective Mateo Reyes tells Maya that since she's a "civilian" now rather than a professional police officer, she needs to stay out of the way and let the CSI team handle things. Naturally, Maya ignores him and continues investigating. He also makes snide remarks to Sandra when she suggests some other possible suspects, and makes it clear he has no intention of reopening the case. It later turns out that he's trying to keep both women, and anyone else who might suspect it's anything other than suicide, off the case because he is the killer.
- In the same book, Frances Turner also laughs at the thought of Sandra helping them on the case due to her not being a trained investigator. Maya, though she admits to herself that she would have also turned Sandra down because they don't have time to train her, is not amused by her partner's behavior. Later, when the two catch her investigating on her own and putting herself in danger in the process, they scold her again over doing so, reminding her that this is dangerous work, especially for someone who isn't a trained investigator.
Rotating Protagonist: The books use a third-person point of view, rotating between following either Maya or Sandra for one or more chapters at a time before switching to the other.
Shout-Out Theme Naming: Stephen and Sandra's sons are named Jack and Ryan. Stephen, it's noted, has long been an avid fan of Tom Clancy novels.
Sleazy Politician: Downplayed with Stephen Wallage, senator from Maine. Book 1 reveals that he's cheated on his wife Sandra more than once (ultimately resulting in their separation late in the book), and after she asks for said separation, he publicly confesses to using taxpayer money to pay off one of his lovers so she'd keep quiet about their relationship. However, aside from the lone incident of bribery, there's no evidence that he's carried out any political misdeeds.
Tampering with Food and Drink: In book 2, Diego Sanchez is killed by a cookie laced with ricin.
Wacky Cravings: In book 1, Frances Turner admits to having these periodically. The first time it's brought up, she's craving salt-and-vinegar potato chips.
Water Guns and Balloons: In book 1, while trying to get through a crowd of reporters who have gathered outside her house to harass her about the latest headline on the Dirty Laundry site (claiming her senator husband has misappropriated taxpayer money for bribery purposes), Sandra is rescued when her teenage sons start throwing water balloons at the reporters and their equipment from the upstairs window.

Melanie Travis Mysteries; by Laurien Berenson (series ongoing)

Literature.Melanie Travis Mysteries (by Laurien Berenson)
- Jacoby's Note: I have checked out book 1 before, but did not finish it. All books except for Raining Cats and Dogs are available as e-books, while books 19-27 are available as audiobooks.
- New Jacoby Note: As of 4/17/2022, I have decided book 1 (and the series as whole) is not interesting enough to me to be worth troping, so I will not be adding tropes myself. Any reader who wishes to do so is welcome to it.
- Anon's note: As of 04/20/24, I own books 0-9, 11-12, 21 and 27.

Melanie Travis Mysteries is an armchair/amateur sleuth/Cozy Mystery series by Laurien Berenson. The series features the titular Melanie Travis,()

In 2022, the spinoff series Peg and Rose was launched, following Melanie's elderly aunts as they work together to solve mysteries of their own.

The series consists of:

#00: "A Christmas Howl" (2015)^note
#01: A Pedigree to Die For (1995)
#02: Underdog (1996)
#03: Dog Eat Dog (1996)
#04: Hair of the Dog (1997)
#05: Watchdog (1998)
#06: Hush Puppy (1999)
#07: Unleashed (2000)
#08: Once Bitten (2001)
#09: Hot Dog (2002)
#10: Best in Show (2003)
#11: Jingle Bell Bark (2004)
#12: Raining Cats and Dogs (2005)
#13: Chow Down (2006)
#14: Hounded To Death (2007)
#15: Doggie Day Care Murder (2008)
#16: Gone With the Woof (2013)
#17: Death of a Dog Whisperer (2014)
#18: The Bark Before Christmas (2015)
#19: Live and Let Growl (2016)
#20: Murder at the Puppy Fest (2017)
#21: Wagging through the Snow (2017)
#22: Ruff Justice (2018)
#23: Bite Club (2019)
#24: Here Comes Santa Paws (2019)
#25: Game of Dog Bones (2020)
#26: Howloween Murder (2020)
#27: Pup Fiction (2021)
#28: Show Me the Bunny (2022)
#29: Killer Cupid (2022)
#30: Pumpkin Spice Puppy (announced for August 2024)

The Peg and Rose spinoff series consists of:

#1: Peg and Rose Solve a Murder (2022)
#2: Peg and Rose Stir Up Trouble (2023)
#3: Peg and Rose Play the Ponies (announced for June 2024)

This series provides examples of:

Mrs. Claus Mysteries (Kensington Cozies); by Liz Ireland (series ongoing)

Literature.Mrs Claus Mysteries (by Liz Ireland)
- Jacoby's Note: Books 1 and 3 are available as an e-book, while none of them are available as audiobooks.
- Anon's note: Related to the above, all three are available on Kindle.

Mrs. Claus Mysteries is an armchair/amateur sleuth/Cozy Mystery series by Liz Ireland. The series features April, a recently married woman dealing with plenty of new things in her new town. She must set out to prove her husband's innocence after he is accused of murdering the elf Giblet Hollyberry, with the help of fellow elves and reindeer.

Oh, did we mention that April's new husband is Santa Claus, and her new life is in the North Pole?

The series consists of:

#1: Mrs. Claus and the Santaland Slayings (2020)
#2: Mrs. Claus and the Halloween Homicide (2021)
#3: Mrs. Claus and the Evil Elves (2022)
#3.5: "Mrs. Claus and the Candy Corn Caper" (2023)^note
#4: Mrs. Claus and the Trouble with Turkeys (2023)
#4.5: "Mrs. Claus and the Luckless Leprechaun" (2023) ^note
#5: Mrs. Claus and the Nightmare Before New Year's (announced for September 2024)
#5.5: "Mrs. Claus and the Sinister Soda Bread Man" (announced for December 2024) ^note

This series provides examples of:

Mom Zone Mysteries; by Sara Rosett (series ended/on hiatus)

Literature.Mom Zone Mysteries (by Sara Rosett)
- Jacoby's Note: All 10 books are available as e-books and audiobooks.

Mom Zone Mysteries, also known as Ellie Avery Mysteries, are an armchair/amateur sleuth/Cozy Mystery series by Sara Rosett. The series features Air Force wife and new mom Ellie Avery, whose newest home brings her to a new, unfamiliar task — solving murders.

The series consists of:

#01: Moving Is Murder (2006)
#02: Staying Home Is a Killer (2007)
#03: Getting Away Is Deadly (2008)
#04: Magnolias, Moonlight, and Murder (2009)
#05: Mint Juleps, Mayhem, and Murder (2010)
#06: Mimosas, Mischief, and Murder (2011)
#07: Mistletoe, Merriment, and Murder (2011)
#08: Milkshakes, Mermaids, and Murder (2013)
#09: Marriage, Monsters-in-Law, and Murder (2016)
#10: Mother's Day, Muffins, and Murder (2017)

This series provides examples of:

Noodle Shop Mysteries; by Vivien Chien (series ongoing)

Lana Lee, at your service. Literally.

Literature.Noodle Shop Mysteries (by Vivien Chien)
- Jacoby's Notes: I own book 1. None of the series are available as e-books or audiobooks. (Edit: As of 6/1/2022, I own book 2 of the series.)
- Anon's Notes: As of 04/18/24, I own books 1-8, but have only troped #1.)

Noodle Shop Mysteries is an armchair/amateur sleuth/Cozy Mystery series by Vivien Chien. The series features Taiwanese-English American Lana Lee, who has returned to her hometown in Ohio and found new employment at her family's restaurant, Ho-Lee Noodle House, after dumping her cheating boyfriend and quitting her job as a reporting analyst. However, when one of the restaurant's customers dies after eating their food, Lana turns to a new side business — crime-solving.

The series consists of:

#0.5^*: "Gone to Hot Pot" (announced for May 2024)
#01: Death By Dumpling (2018)
#02: Dim Sum of All Fears (2018)
#03: Murder Lo Mein (2019)
#04: Wonton Terror (2019)
#05: Egg Drop Dead (2020)
#06: Killer Kung Pao (2020)
#07: Fatal Fried Rice (2021)
#08: Hot and Sour Suspects (2022)
#09: Misfortune Cookie (2023)
#10: Peking Duck and Cover (announced for July 2024)
#11: The Chow Maniac (announced for April 2025)

This series provides examples of:

Absence of Evidence: In book 1, Lana notes the EpiPen that Thomas Feng was carrying when she made her delivery. Later, on hearing it was missing, she gets suspicious. The climax reveals that he'd actually tried to use it upon realizing he'd just eaten shrimp, which he was allergic to, but the killer snatched it away to ensure that he'd die.
Alliterative Name: Lana Lee.
Big Damn Heroes: In the climax of book 1, Lana is confronted by the book's killer, who's holding a gun on her. Cue Detective Trudeau showing up and making the killer back down.
Big Secret: In book 1, Lana comes to figure out that Kimmy Tran is hiding something, potentially related to the investigation of Thomas Feng's murder. It turns out she's actually working as a waitress in a strip club as a second job, and is paranoid about anyone finding out. Lana later has a talk with her and promises to keep it secret.
Clear Their Name: Book 1 revolves around Lana trying to clear the name of her friend and the chief murder suspect, Peter Huang, whom she eventually confirms was framed.
*Click* Hello: Lana receives one of these at the end of book 1 from the killer.
Embarrassing Nickname: Lana's father tends to call her his "little goober", which she doesn't much care for.
"Eureka!" Moment: Lana has one of these in book 1 when she remembers an appointment she saw written on Thomas' planner just before he was murdered. She realizes he wrote the initials in the Chinese style, so instead of "AC", he actually met "CA"... as in "Charles An".
Faint in Shock: At the end of book 1, between being threatened by a killer and two other people showing up (one to save her and one turning up and wondering what's going on when the cop points his gun at him), Lana's overwhelmed and blacks out. Fortunately, she recovers.
First Love: As discussed in book 1, Thomas Feng's first love was Nancy Huang. They broke up and he moved on to Donna, but he never forgot Nancy and, years later, they resumed their relationship. With fatal results, as the other man who loved Nancy murdered Thomas in retaliation.
Follow in My Footsteps: Downplayed. Lana's narration explains that her parents have long tried to convince her that working in their noodle house is her "destiny", and that they're thrilled to have her working for them. However, they apparently never tried to force her to work there, and didn't make a fuss over her spending some years working as a reporting analyst instead.
Frame-Up: Book 1 revolves around the murderer of Thomas Feng trying to frame Peter Huang, whom they know is angry at Thomas, for his death. Lana being the one to deliver his food only makes Peter look even guiltier, as the killer tells her during the final confrontation.
I Need to Go Iron My Dog: An odd variant in book 1. Lana's friend and hair stylist Jasmine makes the excuse that Lana needs to come to the beauty parlor the next day so she can get some split ends trimmed, giving her a pre-made excuse for slipping out at the arranged time so they can talk about the case. She almost forgets about it when the time comes though, so Jasmine has to come looking for her.
Luke, I Am Your Father: Book 1 reveals how the murder victim, Thomas Feng, confessed the truth about their relationship to his long-lost son Peter Huang. Peter did... not take it well, and avoided him as best he could from then on, explaining why he had Lana make the food delivery to Feng's office.
The Matchmaker: One of the things that most annoys Lana about having to work with her mother is how Betty, and a couple of her close friends, are intent on finding Lana a husband when Lana's still irked over her cheating ex.
Meaningful Name: Lana owns a female pug with "black-as-soy-sauce" fur. Naturally, the dog is named Kikkoman (Kikko for short), after the company well known for its brand of soy sauce.
Murder the Hypotenuse: In book 1, this turns out to be the killer's motive. Charles An, who's always been jealous of Thomas Feng for winning the heart of the woman Charles loved, tries to win her back in the present day, but finds she's still in love with Thomas. This, on top of years of bitterness, leads to him committing murder.
My Biological Clock Is Ticking: Discussed and invoked by Betty Lee, who's constantly reminding Lana that "Your biological clock is ticking" when she's nagging Lana to hurry up and find a new man, much to Lana's annoyance.
Oblivious to Hints: In book 1, Lana's been trying to subtly hint to Ian Sung that she's not interested in dating him, but he just won't get the message.
Operation: [Blank]: In book 1, while discussing their efforts to solve the murder of Mr. Feng, Lana's friend Megan suggests calling it "Operation Dumpling" or "Operation Save Peter". Lana would rather not refer to it by any name.
Past Experience Nightmare: The epilogue of book 1 reveals that Lana being confronted by the killer and held at gunpoint has caused her to have bad dreams of the event. Fortunately, she has help coping in the form of her dog, who's there to snuggle with her when she wakes from her nightmares.
Rebuff the Amateur: In book 1, Lana runs into Detective Trudeau at the local nightclub and, when she asks "What if I could find you something?" (indicating someone other than Peter is involved). His immediate response is "No, don't even think about it. You stay out of this." However, the conversation that follows, and later talks between them, indicates that he's speaking more out of concern for her safety. Later, he catches Lana and Megan in the act of following Peter, and tells them again to butt out.
Take This Job and Shove It: As recounted in book 1, Lana — on being told that the reports she'd worked on weren't what her boss had asked for — responded by leaving the conference room, packing her belongings and walking out, because she'd finally had enough.
Tampering with Food and Drink:
- Book 1's victim, Thomas Feng, is killed when someone switches the pork dumplings he ordered for shrimp dumplings (which they'd bought themselves earlier, pulling the switch when he left the table for a minute), knowing that he's deathly allergic to shellfish.
- Also in book 1, Thomas's wife Donna has a bad reaction to an overdose of yellow jasmine (an herbal remedy for migraines, which can be dangerous in high quantities). It's suspected that the killer slipped it into her tea, but it turns out she'd drunk from the wrong cup — the epilogue reveals the tampered-with tea was meant for Lana, who'd switched seats with Donna at the last minute.
Weaponized Allergy: Book 1's victim is killed by his — Thomas Feng is allergic to shrimp, and dies when the killer switches shrimp dumplings for the pork ones he'd ordered.
Witness Protection: Book 1 reveals that Donna Feng is effectively in this, because her father had powerful enemies in China and her mother, for her and Donna's safety, made a deal that would let them come to the U.S. and, in their new identities, pretend Donna was born there. Donna is very upset when she finds Lana's been poking around and thinks Lana's trying to expose her secret; she's less upset when she learns Lana's actually trying to solve Thomas's murder.

Perfectly Proper Paranormal Museum; by Kirsten Weiss (series ongoing)

Literature.Perfectly Proper Paranormal Museum (by Kirsten Weiss)
- Jacoby's Note: Books 1-4 are available as audiobooks.

Perfectly Proper Paranormal Museum is an armchair/amateur sleuth/Cozy Mystery series by Kirsten Weiss. The series features Madelyn "Maddie" Kosloski, who's just become the new owner of the San Benedetto Paranormal Museum, only to discover a dead body on the premises her very first day on the job, leading to her having to mix museum curating with amateur sleuthing.

The series consists of:

#01: The Perfectly Proper Paranormal Museum (2016)
#02: Pressed to Death (2017)
#03: Deja Moo (2018)
#04: Chocolate a la Murder (2019)
#05: Damsel in a Dress (2021)
#06: Going, Going, Dead (2022)
#07: Deadly Divination (2023)
#08: Dead End Donation (2023)
#09: Sins of the Sarcophagus (2023)
#10: The Cannoli Caper (2024)

This series provides examples of:

Pie Town Mysteries; by Kirsten Weiss (series ended/on hiatus)

Literature.Pie Town Mysteries (by Kirsten Weiss)
- Jacoby's Note: All books in the series are available as e-books and audiobooks.
- Anon's note: As of 03/09/24, I own books #1-2 and 4-5.

Pie Town Mysteries is an armchair/amateur sleuth/Cozy Mystery series by Kirsten Weiss. The series features Valentine Harris, ()

The series consists of:

#1: The Quiche and the Dead (2017)
#2: Bleeding Tarts (2018)
#3: Pie Hard (2019)
#4: Pies before Guys (2020)
#5: Gourd to Death (2020)

This series provides examples of:

Wedding Planner Mysteries; by Stephanie Blackmoore (series ended/on hiatus)

Literature.Wedding Planner Mysteries Stephanie Blackmoore (by Stephanie Blackmoore)
- Jacoby's Note: All books are available as e-books and audiobooks.
- Anon's note: I own book #1 as of 08/10/22 and have troped it as of 01/20/23; as of 01/20/24, I own #2.

Wedding Planner Mysteries is an armchair/amateur sleuth/Cozy Mystery series by Stephanie Blackmoore. The series features Mallory Shepard, who's recently dumped her cheating fiancé and then inherited his grandmother Sylvia's ramshackle mansion, Thistle Park, in his hometown of Port Quincy, Pennsylvania. Determined to fix the place up and then get rid of it, Mallory sets to work... only to find a dead body on the front lawn, forcing her to work to solve the mystery in between renovations to turn the manor into a B&B and become a professional wedding planner. As life continues afterward, she keeps stumbling on dead bodies, forcing her to again solve the crimes.

Not to be confused with Literature.Wedding Planner Mysteries Rachelle J Christensen

The series consists of:

#1: Engaged in Death (2016)
#2: Murder Wears White (2017)
#3: Murder Borrowed, Murder Blue (2018)
#4: Gown with the Wind (2018)
#5: Marry Christmas Murder (2019)
#6: Veiled in Death (2020)

General and book 1:

Awful Wedded Life: In book 1 (Engaged in Death), Deanna Hartley confesses that she and her husband's marriage was miserable, and her lover's was too, so they were each planning to divorce their respective spouses and marry one another. Her lover keeps putting it off though.
Big Damn Heroes: Late in book 1 (Engaged in Death), the book's primary killer is about to shoot Summer and Mallory. Rachel arrives just in time and takes them out with a chair to the head.
Bludgeoned to Death: In book 1 (Engaged in Death), Mallory's sister Rachel discovers Shane Hartley dead on the lawn of Thistle Park with his head bashed in. Will Prentiss turns up dead of the same causes later, his body being found on the kitchen floor.
Bound and Gagged: Late in book 1 (Engaged in Death), Mallory and Summer return to Summer's home, only to find Summer's grandmother tied to a chair in the kitchen and gagged, with one of the book's killers pointing a gun at Summer's head.
Bridezilla: Inverted in book 1 (Engaged in Death), where it's not Mallory who's acting like a bridezilla but Helene, the mother of the groom, who's nitpicking every one of their choices and taking over the whole thing (never mind that Mallory is the one paying for everything; Helene doesn't care about her opinions in the slightest).
Chairman of the Brawl: Late in book 1 (Engaged in Death), Rachel brings a chair down on Yvette Tannenbaum's head when said person is about to shoot Summer and Mallory.
Clear My Name: In book 1 (Engaged in Death), Mallory has to do this while being questioned by the cops after Shane Hartley, a representative of Lonestar Energy (who'd been trying to buy Mallory's newly-acquired house, Thistle Park), turns up dead on her lawn — she'd been seen arguing with him the day before and had even pushed him down off her porch when he wouldn't back down. Fortunately, her version of events is backed up by other evidence, so they don't consider her a suspect at the time, and Chief Truman later confirms to her that she's no longer a suspect at all.
Convenient Photograph: In book 1 (Engaged in Death), an unidentified person catches Keith cheating on his fiancee Mallory Shepard and photographs him in the act, then sends the photos to Mallory, causing her to break things off with him. Chief Truman later informs her that they've fingerprinted the photos, and it turns out it was Sylvia — Keith's own grandmother — who sent them. Mallory, rather than being upset, is very grateful to Sylvia for having exposed Keith to her for the kind of person he really was before it was too late.
Disappeared Dad: Late in book 1 (Engaged in Death), Mallory confesses that her birth father abandoned his family and divorced his wife soon after his second daughter Rachel was born.
Given Name Reveal: Inverted in book 1 (Engaged in Death) — it isn't until about halfway through that Mallory learns Chief Truman is actually Chief Truman Davies when his son reveals it; he explains that everyone just calls him by his first name.
Green Aesop: Book 1 (Engaged in Death) involves this, and with in-universe justification — the Lonestar Energy company has been fracking to harvest natural gas from properties in Port Quincy, with hazardous effects on the local environment as toxic chemicals seep into the ground and poison the local wells. Sylvia Pierce, whose death is part of what kicks off the plot, had opposed them and supported certain environmentalist movements, in part to make up for her family's glass company having also had a detrimental effect on the local environment.
I Told You So: Subverted in book 1 (Engaged in Death) — Mallory notes at one point that her friend Olivia had previously warned her against getting involved with Keith Pierce, but when she broke off the engagement, Olivia chose not to use the trope name and instead gave her a big, supportive hug.
I Want Grandkids: Early in book 1 (Engaged in Death), after Mallory calls off her wedding and informs her mother, Carole's biggest concern (even over her own daughter's happiness, which she doesn't even ask about until afterward) with this is that "you'll run out of time to make me a grandma!" Mallory, naturally, is rather irritated by this.
Imperiled in Pregnancy: In book 1 (Engaged in Death), Mallory discovers that Shane Hartley was killed by accident — a very pregnant woman, his wife Deanna (who was carrying Yvette's husband Bart's child), which made Yvette furious because he'd always said he never wanted children and was planning to run off with her, was the killer's actual target.
Implied Death Threat: In book 1 (Engaged in Death), after her car accident, Mallory comes home to find a threatening message written on her wall — "Leave now or end up like Shane Hartley." Later, when Will Prentiss turns up dead, a similar note is found on his body — "Find the paintings now or you'll go the same way Sylvia did". It turns out to have been Zachary Novak, Sylvia's real estate agent, who killed them both.
Important Haircut: Overlapping with Nonconformist Dyed Hair in book 1 (Engaged in Death). Summer Davies is a natural blonde, but dyed her hair blue-black, which her father doesn't approve of. Partway through the book, she gets it redone as a pixie cut (akin to Mia Farrow, as Mallory initially describes the style), removing the dyed parts (which had mostly been tied into a ponytail) and restoring it to its original colors. Summer likes the new look very much.
Inheritance Murder: In book 1 (Engaged in Death), Mallory starts to suspect Keith or his mother may have murdered his grandmother Sylvia, or had someone else do it, to speed up the process of inheriting her land so they could hand it over to Lonestar Energy. Subverted when it turns out someone else killed Sylvia.
Kangaroo Court: Attempted late in book 1 (Engaged in Death), when Helene Pierce files an injunction to try and get Mallory out of the house Sylvia deeded her and not only filed it at her Pittsburgh address (which she wasn't at) so she won't know about it in time to show up for said hearing but tried to get the judge to decide against Mallory without a hearing. It doesn't work because Sylvia's lawyer Garrett Davies finds out and informs Mallory of what's happening. When the actual hearing happens, the judge subverts it by dismissing the injunction with prejudice, having figured out that the whole thing is really an excuse to find out if Mallory's actually found the three missing paintings that Helene is claiming Mallory would destroy simply to keep them away from their original owners.
The Ketchup Test: In book 1 (Engaged in Death), when Mallory finds an Implied Death Threat written on her wall, Chief Truman does this and reveals it's not blood, like Mallory first assumed, but ketchup.
Kindhearted Cat Lover: In book 1 (Engaged in Death), Mallory and Rachel discover a mama cat and kitten living in Thistle Park, with evidence that someone's been taking care of them. They later meet that someone — Summer, a girl who's been illicitly sneaking over to take care of them since her dad and grandparents won't let her have a pet (her dad, Garrett Davies, claims he's allergic — though it later turns out his own father, who really is allergic, had told him he was too, and he's surprised when he realizes he isn't showing any symptoms) and she can't take them to a local animal shelter.
Leave No Witnesses: Late in book 1 (Engaged in Death), Yvette Tannenbaum tries to kill Summer Davies for witnessing her driving up to Thistle Park to commit murder.
Ma'am Shock: Less shock and more anger, but in book 1 (Engaged in Death), when a representative of a gas-drilling company who wants to buy Thistle Park from Mallory refers to her as "Ma'am", this — on top of the fact that Sylvia didn't want to sell to the same company — makes her furious (not even being thirty yet), so she immediately starts working on getting him to leave.
Missing Mom: Late in book 1 (Engaged in Death), Garrett Davies confesses to Mallory that his ex Adrienne walked out on him shortly after their daughter was born and before he could actually marry her.
Murder by Mistake: In book 1 (Engaged in Death), the murderer mistook Shane Hartley for their actual intended victim and killed him. Yvette Tannenbaum's real target was Shane's wife Deanna, whom Yvette's husband had been sleeping with.
Murder the Hypotenuse: In book 1 (Engaged in Death), this was the killer's goal — to kill the woman her husband was cheating on her with.
My Beloved Smother: Keith — Mallory's intended groom in book 1 (Engaged in Death) — has a mother who not only controls his life and wedding, he doesn't seem to be bothered by it and goes along with several of her choices, ignoring what his intended wife wants.
Mysterious Note:
- In book 1 (Engaged in Death), while cleaning Thistle Park, Mallory and Rachel discover a note in which someone informs another person that they've discovered that person's plans for some paintings, and have hidden them to ensure said plans — which they consider a massive mistake — don't go through. It later turns out Sylvia's mother Evelyn had left it, and hid them to keep Sylvia and her lover from taking them when they ran away.
- In the same book, Bev Mitchell later gets a note telling her to "Don't be nebby^*—stay out of the Hartley's affairs" through it. Yvette Tannenbaum eventually admits she did that, and was planning on killing Bev so she'd never get the chance to figure out Bart was the father of Deanna Hartley's baby.
Never One Murder: Most of it comes from murders committed before the books began, but there is always more than one person murdered in each book.
- In book 1 (Engaged in Death), it's Shane Hartley and, as later discovered, Will Prentiss, who was living in Mallory's carriage house. Later, it turns out Sylvia Pierce, grandmother of Mallory's ex-fiancé Keith, was also murdered.
Nonconformist Dyed Hair: Downplayed in book 1 (Engaged in Death). Summer Davies is a natural blonde, but dyed her hair blue-black, which her father doesn't approve of. Partway through the book, she gets an Important Haircut that restores it to its original color and a new style, which she likes far better.
Non-Residential Residence: Late in book 1 (Engaged in Death), Mallory discovers Will Prentiss is living in the loft of her carriage house, with Sylvia's permission — he'd lost his own house in an explosion (caused by a gas leak) and then his truck (which also fits the trope) to repossession, so Sylvia offered to let him live in her house rather than have him go back to his aunt's house (where his mom is staying), which is too crowded to be comfortable. He's comfortable where he is though, and moved in a week before her death. After he's discovered, he decides to move out. He doesn't get the chance before he's murdered.
Not Actually His Child: Variant in book 1 (Engaged in Death) — it's not the father who finds out, but someone else. Late in the book, Mallory learns that the very pregnant Deanna Hartley, wife of the murdered Shane Hartley, had gone with her husband to a fertility clinic to get tested and find out why they couldn't conceive. The day the clinic discovered Shane was sterile, Deanna called to tell them she was pregnant and wouldn't be needing their services anymore; they still tried, but were never able, to reach Shane and inform him of his test results (which would have confirmed his wife was cheating on him) before his eventual murder.
Obnoxious In-Laws: Part of the plot of book 1 (Engaged in Death) revolves around Mallory's intended mother-in-law being very controlling of Keith and Mallory, taking control of their wedding and trying to force them to live in her hometown rather than closer to their workplaces.
Old, Dark House: Thistle Park starts as one in book 1 (Engaged in Death), as Sylvia had moved into a nursing home five years earlier and the house hasn't been properly maintained since — it is, in her lawyer's words, "a disaster. Structurally sound, but a mess." Before the book is over, it also ends up the site of two murders. Fortunately, with time, Mallory is able to get it renovated for conversion into a bed-and-breakfast to the point where it no longer qualifies for the trope.
Passed-Over Inheritance: This trope is a big part of the plot in book 1 (Engaged in Death), as Sylvia Pierce has cut her daughter Helene and grandson Keith from her will and given land and money to Keith's then-fiancee Mallory Shepard and to a local environmentalist movement, respectively, instead. Helene, who's greedy and money-hungry, is suing to contest both decisions and has threatened both Mallory and the Environment First group over it; luckily, her efforts to stop Mallory from claiming Thistle Park fail.
- Sylvia specifically deeded her land, including her house and all the contents of it and the other buildings on the property, to Mallory (giving it to her free and clear, rather than making receiving it a condition of her death, thus making it much harder for Helene to contest the decision, as she would have simply claimed Sylvia was coerced or not in her right mind since she changed the will two weeks before she died) in order to keep it out of Helene's hands so she can't sell it to the Lonestar Energy company — they've been harassing Sylvia to let them drill for natural gas on the land for years, but she's never let them. On top of filing a lawsuit, Helene outright threatens Mallory over it before she finds out about the bequest, saying "You'll never keep the house."
- Sylvia also left a hundred thousand dollars to the Environment First group, who've been opposing Lonestar Energy's actions, in her will.
The Password Is Always "Swordfish": Late in book 1 (Engaged in Death), Mallory tries to get into her ex-fiancé's files at his law firm. Rachel figures out, easily, that his password is Mallory's birthday.
Persona Non Grata: In book 1 (Engaged in Death), it's mentioned that Shane Hartley was badgering Sylvia so much about letting his company buy her house and drill there for natural gas that she had him blacklisted from the nursing home where she lived (though she couldn't stop him from calling; fortunately, the nursing home staff knew she didn't want to talk to him and wouldn't pass on his calls.
Plot-Triggering Death: The overarching plot of the series is kicked off by a combination of three tropes, including this one — soon after Mallory calls off her wedding (having discovered her fiancé Keith was cheating on her), she learns his grandmother has died and deeded Mallory her worn-down mansion.
Plot-Inciting Infidelity: The overarching plot of the series is kicked off by a combination of three tropes, including this one — Mallory breaks things off with her fiancé Keith after receiving a set of photographs proving he'd cheated on her.
Rebuff the Amateur: Late in book 1 (Engaged in Death), Chief Truman stops by Thistle Park to tell Mallory to keep her nose out of police business and stop asking questions about who killed Shane Hartley. Mallory counters that she's doing it for her own protection, since she won't feel safe until they're behind bars and doesn't have anywhere else she can go. He continues to try and ask her to stay out of the case later, to no avail.
Scandalgate: Humorously referenced in book 1 (Engaged to Death). Mallory had earlier allowed her teenage neighbor, Summer Davies, to take one of the kittens living in the house home after her father and grandparents had forbidden it. Her father angrily brought the animal back, but Mallory convinced him (through proving he wasn't allergic, and that Summer had been taking good care of the three cats for months) to let Summer keep little Jeeves. Later on, Mallory jokingly refers to the event as "kitten-gate".
Screw the Rules, I Have Connections!: In book 1 (Engaged in Death), Helene Pierce uses her status as a client of the firm where Mallory works (and her having been married to a lawyer who also worked there) to manipulate Mallory's boss into trying to get her to give Helene what she wants. Said boss also points out her connection to one of the firm's other biggest clients, Lonestar Energies, and not-so-subtly points out that if Mallory doesn't do what Helene wants, she'll never get what she's been working towards — partnership in the firm. It doesn't help that she married into one of the richest families in town, who (among other things) have a local hospital named for them. Later on, Mallory learns Keith Pierce was a wild troublemaker as a teenager, but Helene always used her connections to make his legal troubles go away. Late in the book, she successfully uses her influence over the firm to get Mallory fired in retaliation for losing a court case against her.
Screw the Rules, I Have Money!: Helene Pierce is used to getting her way by any means, and will resort to threats and bullying to get what she wants. In book 1 (Engaged in Death), this includes trying to sue Mallory in order to claim Sylvia Piece's land and mansion, and anything in it, from her after Sylvia deeded said property to Mallory.
Skewed Priorities: Discussed and subverted in book 1 (Engaged to Death). When Mallory (driving her sister's rental car) crashes into a woman's fence, the woman who owns the property comes rushing out. Mallory expects her to get mad about the fence and yard, but the woman turns out to be more worried about Mallory and whether she's injured, waving off the damage to the fence and saying it's "seen way worse".
Slipping a Mickey: Late in book 1 (Engaged in Death), Zach Novak gives Mallory and Rachel some drugged champagne to knock them out, planning to make their deaths look like an accident while he steals and sells the valuable paintings hidden in the house to cover his gambling debts.
Stay in the Kitchen: A variant in book 1 (Engaged to Death). Keith suggests to Mallory that she doesn't like her job as a lawyer and should be the one to stay home and raise the kids when they're born, and then switch to a new career eventually. Mallory is rather irritated by this suggestion, in part because it's another way for someone else to control her life rather than let her make her own choices.
Strong Family Resemblance: About halfway through book 1 (Engaged to Death), Mallory learns that Sylvia Pierce's lawyer, Garrett Davies, is the son of police Chief Truman and sees the family resemblance when she realizes they have the same height, eyes and smile.
Two Dun It: In book 1 (Engaged in Death), the various crimes turn out to have been committed by two people: Yvette Tannenbaum murdered Shane Hartley while trying to kill his wife for sleeping with Yvette's husband and planning to run off with him, sabotaged Rachel's rental car (in an attempt to kill Mallory, who was driving it that day) and damaged Bev Mitchell's car after Bev started gossiping about Deanna sleeping with someone else, while Sylvia Pierce and Will Prentiss were both murdered by Zach Novak, a real estate agent, who's out to steal the valuable paintings hidden in the house to cover his gambling debts.
Unexpected Inheritance: The overarching plot of the series is kicked off by a combination of three tropes, including this one — after her ex-fiancé's grandmother dies, Mallory learns Sylvia has deeded Mallory her worn-down mansion, and while she initially plans to restore it and then sell it off, she ends up converting the place into a bed-and-breakfast.
Vehicular Sabotage:
- At one point in book 1 (Engaged in Death), Mallory is out driving when she discovers her brakes aren't working, and ends up crashing through a fence (narrowly missing a little boy and his dog in the process). It's soon confirmed that her brake lines were cut; Yvette Tannenbaum eventually admits she did it.
- Late in the same book, Bev Mitchell's car is attacked — she finds her tires slashed and her windshield smashed, along with a threatening note. Yvette was again responsible.
Vorpal Pillow: In book 1 (Engaged in Death), Keith's grandmother turns out to have been smothered by a pillow.
Who Murdered the Asshole: In book 1 (Engaged in Death), when she and Mallory are discussing Shane Hartley's murder, Rachel is certain there are many people who probably wanted him dead because of his jerkish behavior, though she's horrified at her response moments later. Beverly Mitchell agrees with her on the subject when she and Yvette Tannenbaum, the mayor's wife, arrive not long after.
Why Waste a Wedding?: In book 1 (Engaged in Death), since Mallory can't get back her deposit for her cancelled wedding's reception, she decides to try and find someone else to have a wedding for and give them the reception in her place. She eventually succeeds after finding someone at the Founder's Day celebration.
Worthless Treasure Twist: Late in book 1 (Engaged in Death), after three valuable paintings have been found in the walls where they were hidden (and where one of the book's killers was trying to retrieve them from), two of them turn out to have been ruined by mold. Subverted when it turns out the third is fully intact, and that the other two can be restored, but won't be worth as much as they were before.

Commitment Issues (? — unconfirmed if this is it, or if there's a better trope): In book 1 (Engaged in Death), Mallory and Garrett Davies have some pretty clear attraction... but Garrett pulls back because Mallory and his daughter Summer are friends, and he doesn't want Summer to get hurt if a relationship between he and Mallory doesn't work out. Later though, he apologizes and they set up a date after all.

Books 2-6:

Christmas Episode: Book 5 (Marry Christmas Murder), if you couldn't tell from the title.
Evil Old Folks: Alma Cunningham from book 4 (Gown with the Wind), who faked the attack on herself.
Not-So-Fake Prop Weapon: The victim of book 6 (Veiled in Death) is shot during a reenactment of a Revolutionary War battle.
Tampering with Food and Drink:
- The first victim of book 2 (Murder Wears White) is allergic to shellfish, and thus dies when someone puts seafood powder in her mints.
- The victim of book 5 (Marry Christmas Murder) is killed when someone pours antifreeze into her punch.
Whip It Good (to be replaced when one of us reads the book and can expand on this entry): Mallory's sister Rachel gets a whip in book 3 (Murder Borrowed, Murder Blue), and puts it to good use a couple of times.

YMMV:

Pacing Problems: It can be argued the series has this as a whole. The beginnings tend to be quite long, while the endings, such as finding the killers, can maybe feel rushed.
- Veiled in Death is easily the worst offender. You know what makes up about 45% of the book? The first THREE chapters.

Wedding Planner Mysteries; by Rachelle J. Christensen (series ended/on hiatus)

Literature.Wedding Planner Mysteries Rachelle J Christensen (by Rachelle J. Christensen)
- Jacoby's Note: Book 1 is available as an e-book, while every book in the series is available as an audiobook.

Wedding Planner Mysteries is an armchair/amateur sleuth/Cozy Mystery series by Rachelle J. Christensen. The series features ()

Not to be confused with Literature.Wedding Planner Mysteries Stephanie Blackmoore

The series consists of:

#1: Diamond Rings Are Deadly Things (2014)
#2: Veils and Vengeance (2015)
#3: Proposals and Poison (2016)

This series provides examples of:

Witch City Mysteries (Kensington Cozies); by Carol J. Perry (series ongoing)

Literature.Witch City Mysteries (by Carol J. Perry)
- Jacoby's Note: All books in the series are available as e-books and audiobooks. I own books 1 and 2.

Witch City Mysteries is an armchair/amateur sleuth/Cozy Mystery series by Carol J. Perry. The series features ()

The series consists of:

#1: Caught Dead Handed (2014)
#2: Tails, You Lose (2015)
#3: Look Both Ways (2015)
#4: Murder Go Round (2017)
#5: Grave Errors (2017)
#6: It Takes a Coven (2018)
#7: Bells, Spells, and Murders (2018)
#8: Final Exam (2019)
#9: Late Checkout (2019)
#10: Murder, Take Two (2020)
#11: See Something (2021)
#12: 'Til Death (2022)
#12.5: "A Triple Layer Halloween Murder" (2023)^note
#13: Now You See It (2023)
#14: Death Scene (announced for August 2024)

This series provides examples of:

The Mapleworth Murders

Murderp, She Wrote

The Mapleworth Murders is a webseries created for the short-lived Quibi and a comedic take on shows like Murder, She Wrote. It concerns Abigail Mapleworth, a mystery writer about to write her first outright novel. Around the time her niece comes to visit, she gets involved in solving murders that pop up around the town. Oh, it's nothing new, she's already solved over 100 in town before this point.

Alliterative Name: The BcBillan family (yes, BcBillan), Bran, Broda, Brody, and Branda BcBillan.
Asshole Victim:
- Ben Canneli Sr.
- Brent Davenport.
Crapsack World: Jesus, what is with so many murders happening in this town? There's FOUR goddamned cemeteries...
I Never Said It Was Poison: One of the ways Abigail figures out that Jerry is the one trying to kill her. He mentions that her face mask did her good, and only she, Gilbert, and the murderer knew that at the time an attempt on her life happened at the spa.

Country Store Mysteries Characters

Pans n' Pancakes

Robbie, with her family, friends, acquaintances, and staff.

Robert "Robbie" Jordan

The protagonist of the series.

Danna Beedle

Turner Rao

Len Perlman

Adele Jordan

Abe O'Neill

Sean O'Neill

Christina

Buckham Hamilton "Buck" Bird

Detective Octavia Slade

Detective Oscar Thompson

Residents of South Lick

Corrine Beedle

Donald O'Neill

Victims and Other Dead People

Stella Rogers

Asshole Victim: A blackmailer and an opportunistic bitch.
In the Back: Died from being shot in the back.

Erica Shermer

Accidental Murder: Max actually wasn't trying to kill her.

Professor Charles Stilton

Asshole Victim:

Professor Warren Connolly

Asshole Victim:

Pia Bianchi

Gina Berry

(Strangled Eggs and Ham Victim Here)

Amoral Attorney: Subverted. He was honestly fighting against the development.

Jed Greenberg

Asshole Victim:

Paul Echeberia (I am almost certain I got this spelling wrong)

Make It Look Like an Accident:

Janine Jordan

Make It Look Like an Accident: She supposedly died of an aneurysm, but Robbie now questions such a thing. Ultimately subverted, as her death was actually from natural causes. Paul's death, on the other hand, was murder.

Candy Slain Murder Victim 1

Candy Slain Murder Victim 2

Jeremiah Ward

Innocent Bystander:

Jan O'Neill

Asshole Victim: Really a downplayed example. She isn't the nicest to Robbie, but it certainly wasn't enough to warrant being poisoned.

Viola "Vi" Perkell

Yolanda Bird

Killers (SPOILERS)

Edward "Ed" Kowalski

Fat Bastard: A very overweight man who sexually harasses his employees and murdered a woman in cold blood.
Frame-Up: Planted Robbie's pen at the crime scene and put one of Robbie's cheesy biscuits in Stella's mouth to pin the crime on Robbie.
I Never Said It Was Poison:

Max Shermer

Maude Stilton

Nick Mendes

%Death over Easy Killer here

x Berry

Jolene Wiley

Fiona Closs

x Greenberg

% Killer from Nacho Average Murder

Dr. William Geller

Krystal Krueger

Pat Blake and Nanette Russo

Jaine Austen Killers, Villains and Victims

Asshole Victim: Just assume that unless stated otherwise, every victim in this series falls under this in one way or the next.

Victims

Stacy

Stacy Lawrence

Death by: Beaten to death with a Thighmaster.

Quinn

Quinn Kirkland

Death by: Poisoned doughnut

SueEllen

SueEllen Kingsley

Death by: Electrocuted with hair dryer in bath tub

Frenchie

Giselle "Frenchie" Ambrose

Death by: Stabbed in the neck with high heel shoe

Marybeth

Marybeth Olsen

Death by: Allergic reaction from tampered guacamole

Vic

Vic Cleveland

Death by: Strangled to death with women's pantyhose

Garth

Garth Janken, Esq.

Death by: Fall off of roof from tampered shingles

Patti

Patti Devane

Death by: Impaled through the heart on Cupid statue after fall from balcony

Julio

Death by: Shot in the chest

Graham (Killer Cruise)

Graham Palmer III

Death by: Stabbed in the heart with an ice pick

Bunny

Bunny Cooper

Death by: Poisoned with dirty martini

Mallory

Mallory Francis

Death by: Strangled to death with bull seaweed

Dr. McCay

Doctor Preston McCay

Death by: Broken neck after high fall

Cryptessa Muldoon

Cryptessa Muldoon, AKA Eleanor Jenkins

Death by: Stabbed in the heart with "Do Not Disturb" Sign

Scotty

Death by: Stabbed in the heart with Christmas ornament

Joy

Joy Woznowski/Joy Amoroso

Death by: Poisoned chocolates

Amy

Amy Leighton

Death by: Bludgeoned with pageant tiara

Dean

Dean Oliver

Death by: Poisoned with diet cat food

Hope

Hope Harper

Death by: Fall from height out of airplane

Scotty Parker

Death by: Bludgeoned with Chocolate Yule Log

Tommy

Tommy LaSalle

Death by: Stabbed in the neck with gold Swiss Army knife

Daisy

Daisy Kincaid

Death by: Pushed off a cliff

Bebe

Bebe Braddock

Death by: Strangled with wire clothes hanger

Alliterative Name: BeBe Braddock.

Misty

Misty Baines

Death by: Poisoned smoothie

Killers (Names Unspoiled)

Cameron

Cameron Bannick

Wells

Wells Dumont aka Dumont the Great

Death by: Crash injuries from sabotaged roller coaster cart

Conchi the Maid

Conchi aka Carolee

Nina

Pam

Pam Kenton

Hank

Ethel

Ethel Cox

Conrad

Conrad Devane

Emily

Emily Pritchard

Fiona

Fiona Williams

Doc Wilkins

Clyde "Doc" Wilkins

Cathy Kane

Cathy Kane, AKA Lorraine Sandoval

Peter

Peter Connor

Barnaby

Barnaby King

Skip

Skip Holmeier III

Candace

Candace Burke

Linda and Camille

Linda Oliver and Camille Townsend

Spencer and Polly

Spencer Dalworth VII and Polly Reilly

Graham

"Daisy Kincaid"

"Daisy Kincaid", AKA Emma Shimmel

Justin

Corky

Sandbox / Jacoby Investigative

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Jacoby Investigative's Sandbox page contains drafts for the following works:

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Country Store Mysteries Characters

Robbie, with her family, friends, acquaintances, and staff.

Robert "Robbie" Jordan

Danna Beedle

Turner Rao

Len Perlman

Adele Jordan

Abe O'Neill

Sean O'Neill

Christina

Buckham Hamilton "Buck" Bird

Detective Octavia Slade

Detective Oscar Thompson

Corrine Beedle

Donald O'Neill

Stella Rogers

Erica Shermer

Professor Charles Stilton

Professor Warren Connolly

Pia Bianchi

Gina Berry

(Strangled Eggs and Ham Victim Here)

Jed Greenberg

Paul Echeberia (I am almost certain I got this spelling wrong)

Janine Jordan

Candy Slain Murder Victim 1

Candy Slain Murder Victim 2

Jeremiah Ward

Jan O'Neill

Viola "Vi" Perkell

Yolanda Bird

Edward "Ed" Kowalski

Max Shermer

Maude Stilton

Nick Mendes

%Death over Easy Killer here

x Berry

Jolene Wiley

Fiona Closs

x Greenberg