Picked by A Josiah Reynolds Mystery fans

Here are 4 books that A Josiah Reynolds Mystery fans have personally recommended once you finish the A Josiah Reynolds Mystery series. Book DNA is a community of authors and super-readers sharing their favorite books with the world.

Book cover of Dying for a Date

Syrl Kazlo Author Of Kibbles and Death

From my list on mysteries to cozy up with on a cold night.

Why am I passionate about this?

I am the author of the cozy mystery series Samantha Davies Mysteries. Before beginning to write my series, I read hundreds of cozies and loved each one, especially those featuring a small-town setting, an amateur sleuth, and a dog. Since I live in a small upstate New York town, am married to a retired state trooper, and am the mom to a lovable dachshund, what better than to feature all this in a cozy mystery series. So, the Samantha Davies Mystery series was born.

Syrl's book list on mysteries to cozy up with on a cold night

Syrl Kazlo Why Syrl loves this book

Again, humor is a biggie for me in the murder mysteries I read, and this book checks that off.

I love the family interaction that is in this book. I especially love how strong a person the main character is.

Once again, I was kept guessing until the end as to who committed the murder, so I was fully engrossed in the book.

By Cindy Sample , Karen Phillips (illustrator) ,

Why should I read it?

2 authors picked Dying for a Date as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Dying for a Date by Cindy Sample, five-time LEFTY Award Finalist for Best Humorous Mystery

Unsure if she is looking for Mr. Right, or Mr. Every Other Saturday Night, divorced mother of two, Laurel McKay reluctantly joins THE LOVE CLUB, a popular local dating service. Dressed to kill, she meets bachelor number one at a trendy restaurant. But the date is a bust, literally, when the guy decides Laurel is dessert, and she breaks his nose with her cell phone. It gets even worse when the man is found murdered the next morning, and Laurel has his blood on her…


Book cover of Small Town Taxi

Sally Berneathy Author Of Death by Chocolate

From my list on reads that make murder fun.

Why am I passionate about this?

1995 - “Write what you know,” Mark Twain advised. I’d been married three times. I wrote romances. 2012 - “Write what you know.” I’d been divorced three times and fantasized about murdering my ex. Only massive doses of chocolate kept my finger off the trigger. Hence…Death by Chocolate.

Sally's book list on reads that make murder fun

Sally Berneathy Why Sally loves this book

I laughed out loud throughout most of Small Town Taxi! Yes, even the murders!

The characters are unique and different but real…and I loved all of them except, of course, the bad guys. Even they were fascinating! Honey Walker drives a taxi in a small town…and things happen to Honey.

Another book with a killer first paragraph: “When she shot my front seat, I thought about getting a different job, but it was the passenger side and empty, so I didn’t update my resume.”

By Harriet Rogers ,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Small Town Taxi as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Meet Honey Walker, taxi driver extraordinaire. Honey has a few goals in life. Her first is to hustle enough fares and tips to pay the rent and buy those red sequined spike heeled slut shoes she lusts after. Her next goal is to kick her budding relationship with police Lieutenant Jon Stevens into high gear.Honey's problem is that dead bodies and live thugs keep getting in the way of her goals. While she admires the Lieutenant's well formed rear end, the Lieutenant is busy chasing the bad guys who are busy chasing Honey.When Honey's new best friend Belle, former prostitute…


Book cover of Murder Under A Blue Moon

Sally Berneathy Author Of Death by Chocolate

From my list on reads that make murder fun.

Why am I passionate about this?

1995 - “Write what you know,” Mark Twain advised. I’d been married three times. I wrote romances. 2012 - “Write what you know.” I’d been divorced three times and fantasized about murdering my ex. Only massive doses of chocolate kept my finger off the trigger. Hence…Death by Chocolate.

Sally's book list on reads that make murder fun

Sally Berneathy Why Sally loves this book

Murder Under a Blue Moon is totally fun! Well, except for the murders. But Mona Moon is so delightful, she even makes them fun!

The year is 1933, and Mona is a cartographer who has traveled extensively charting areas for archaeologists. The many twists and turns in this story will keep you turning the pages until the end, and then you’ll want to grab the second in the series immediately! 

By Abigail Keam ,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Murder Under A Blue Moon as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

FIVE STARS! "A most delightful novel." -- Readers' Favorite.

Mona Moon is not your typical young lady. She is a cartographer by trade, explorer by nature, and adventurer by heart. But there’s a problem. Miss Mona is broke. It’s during the Depression, and National Geographic has just turned down her application to join an expedition to the Amazon.What’s she to do? Perhaps get a job as a department store salesgirl. Anything to tide her over until a next assignment.

There’s a knock on the door. Who could this be in the middle of the night? Holding a revolver, Mona reluctantly…


Book cover of The Deep End

M. E. Bakos Author Of Fatal Flip

From my list on quirky character-driven mystery authors.

Why am I passionate about this?

I write cozy mysteries about a house flipper turned sleuth in fictional Crocus Heights, Minnesota. My father was a carpenter, and I was his helper. My childhood was spent on a farm, with the biggest event of the week being a trip to the local library, where I checked out seven books. I would prop my library book in front of my school book and read in class whenever I could. My favorites were mysteries, and later romances, and now cozy mysteries, which combine a bit of both. I am always fascinated by people and their motivations, and that is what I enjoy in all the authors I recommend.

M.'s book list on quirky character-driven mystery authors

M. E. Bakos Why M. loves this book

I love Mulhern’s references to the 70s and a snooty country club entourage. I love the way she describes men and whether they live inside or outside of the lines, capturing their quirks perfectly. I love the depiction of a simpler time of life with no cell phones or the internet, where everything felt more personal and connected.

By Julie Mulhern ,

Why should I read it?

2 authors picked The Deep End as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

INTRIGUING PLOT, FASCINATING CHARACTERS... "Part mystery, part women's fiction, part poetry, Mulhern's debut, The Deep End, will draw you in with the first sentence and entrance you until the last. An engaging whodunit that kept me guessing until the end!" - Tracy Weber, Author of the Downward Dog Mysteries Sub-Genre Keywords: Humorous Mystery, Historical Mystery, Whodunnit, Amateur Sleuth, Women Sleuths Swimming into the lifeless body of her husband's mistress tends to ruin a woman's day, but becoming a murder suspect can ruin her whole life. It's 1974 and Ellison Russell's life revolves around her daughter and her art. She's long…