January will be another somewhat light month for both Holiday and new series releases, with two new holiday releases, and two new series, but only three books – one of the new series will be starting with a holiday release!

First, the combination entry – Sarah Graves will be starting her Death by Chocolate Mystery Series with Death by Chocolate Cherry Cheesecake, and it will also be a Fourth of July themed mystery. Jacobia “Jake” Tiptree and her friend Ellie have moved on from home repair to a new venture – opening up a chocolate-themed bakery in the island fishing village of Eastport, Maine. Their plans to start out the restaurant with a bang on the Fourth of July will be face some difficulty when a health inspector turns up dead – especially since he had been arguing with Ellie about possible health code violations! This will be a continuation of the Home Repair Is Homicide Mystery Series (and I may not have listed it here since it is such a direct continuation, but since it also fits into a holiday theme…) Graves also writes the Lizzie Snow Mystery Series.

Next up, Sujata Massey will be starting her Perveen Mistry Mystery Series, a period series set in 1920s Bombay India, with The Widows of Malabar Hill. Perveen is the first female lawyer in Bombay, India, and her investigation into a questionable will escalates to murder when she begins wondering if the deceased’s relatives are being taken advantage of. Sujata Massey also writes the Rei Shimura Mystery Series, starring an English teacher in Tokyo.

Finally, our other holiday themed release will be the Valentine’s Day themed Murder Borrowed, Murder Blue, the third in Stephanie Blackmoore‘s Wedding Planner Mystery Series. Mallory Shepard is planning the high profile marriage of actress Dakota Craig and her musician boyfriend, but the upcoming festivities will come grinding to a halt when the maid of honor turns up dead! If there’s anything that can make a big event more stressful, it’s the unexpected murder of one of the attendees!

For more Valentine’s Day and Fourth of July Themed Cozy Mysteries, be sure to visit their theme pages on the site:

Fourth of July Cozy Mysteries

Valentine’s Day Cozy Mysteries

For these upcoming series and more be sure to check out the New Cozy Mystery Book Series page.