All Pepper Dunn wants is a quiet life in the witchy town of Magnolia Cove, Alabama. But when the Cotton and Cobwebs Festival arrives, her dream goes up in smoke. This year, grandmother Betty is determined to win the award for best magical creature against Melbalean Mayes, the contest matron. To win, Betty needs Pepper’s help. Even the best laid plans of egg-laying chickens can go awry. 🐔
Amy Boyles writes cozy mystery with Southern charm and magical complications. But when Melbalean winds up dead and Betty is accused of the murder, Pepper is thrust into one role she never expected—she must complete a list of chores that keeps her town running. Pepper has her hands full: she must ensure the safety of her town, try to clear Betty’s name, and make sure no one else winds up a victim. 🔮
Boyles balances the cozy mystery mechanics with the magical town logistics beautifully. Can Pepper do it all? Or will she become the next victim of the Magnolia Cove murderer? The Cotton and Cobwebs Festival has never been this deadly. 😱
Why this delights from page one: A witch wants a quiet life in magical Alabama, then her grandmother is accused of murdering the festival contest matron—cozy animal mystery with egg-laying chickens, magical creatures competition, a list of town chores, clearing Betty’s name, and ensuring no one else dies at Cotton and Cobwebs Festival.
Twenty-nine-year-old Imogen Banks is hashtag struggling. After a disaster ends her career, destroys her home, and burns up all the money she’s saved to open her own bakery, she enters a baking contest for an all-or-nothing, last ditch chance at getting her life together. But when she arrives at the mysterious island off the coast of France, she discovers all the inhabitants are magical, and if she wins, she’ll become the next royal baker. 🧁
Erin Johnson writes cozy witch mystery with charm and a heroine who’s just discovered she’s magical too. No worries that the last royal baker appears to have been murdered. As Imogen struggles to learn new spells, wrangle a snarky magical flame into baking her desserts, and try not to burn the white tent down in the process, a fellow contestant drops dead with all evidence making Imogen the top suspect. 😱
But she hasn’t only caught the eye of the bumbling police inspector. With a hunky medic and a broodingly handsome baker vying for her attention, Imogen’s whipped a little romance into the mix. Johnson balances the mystery with the magical baking competition beautifully. 💕
What makes this irresistible: A woman enters a baking contest and discovers the island is magical and she’s a witch—cozy witch mystery with the last royal baker murdered, learning new spells, a snarky magical flame, a fellow contestant dead, and two handsome men vying for attention while she’s the top suspect.
In the small town of West End, West Virginia, Detective Morgan Foster is living a life of secrets. After the murders of her husband Peter and fellow officer A.J. Roth, Morgan has gone into hiding with her teenage son, keeping her head down and her mouth shut. She figures it might be the only way to survive. Cold dark mornings in West Virginia always put her in a bad mood. Discovering two dead bodies at her waitressing job only makes it worse. 😰
KJ Kalis writes vigilante justice thriller with a heroine who can’t stop being a detective even in hiding. Unable to ignore her gut instinct that tells her the deaths at the very place she works are no coincidence, Morgan gets caught in a web of murder, lies, and secrets. Not to mention it’s a stark reminder of the six-figure bounty hanging over her head. 💀
With her enemies from Tampa closing in, Morgan decides to confront her past and face-off against the people who terrorized her and nearly took her life. Kalis balances the thriller mechanics with Morgan’s internal struggle beautifully—staying hidden means staying safe, but two bodies at work mean she can’t hide anymore. 🔥
Why this grips from page one: A detective in hiding discovers two bodies at her waitressing job with enemies closing in—vigilante justice thriller with murdered husband and partner, teenage son to protect, six-figure bounty on her head, gut instinct she can’t ignore, and Tampa enemies who nearly took her life.
The Girl Who Killed Her Mom
I was barely fifteen when I killed my mom. No one knew—until now. She’s spent her entire life trying to make up for what happened that day, turning her life around completely. She has a handsome, wealthy husband; two daughters who are everything to her; a stunning Connecticut beachfront home. She’s grateful for every minute they have together. 😰
McGarvey Black writes psychological thriller with a premise that hooks immediately. Today she comes home to find a silver-and-blue gift-wrapped box on the porch. The note inside says: Who killed Midge Lester? Midge Lester was her mom. Someone knows. Someone knows what she did when she was fifteen, and they’re not keeping quiet anymore. 🎁
Black builds the suspense beautifully, with a heroine who’s built a perfect life on top of a terrible secret. The question isn’t just who’s sending the boxes—it’s what they want, and what she’s willing to do to protect everything she’s built. Absolutely addictive psychological thriller with a shocking final twist. 💀
Why this grips from page one: A woman who killed her mom at fifteen has built a perfect life, then a gift box arrives asking who killed Midge Lester—psychological thriller with Connecticut beachfront perfection hiding a teenage secret, someone who knows, absolutely addictive suspense, and a shocking final twist.
Music journalist Mick Wall draws on insider access as former confidante to both Plant and Page to craft the definitive biography of the world’s most legendary rock band. Led Zeppelin wasn’t just one of the biggest-selling bands of all time—they set the mark for on-the-road excess that every band since has measured themselves against. 🎸
Detailed and revealing, When Giants Walked the Earth bores into not only the disaster, addiction, and death that haunted the band but also into the real relationship between Page and Plant, including how it was influenced by Page’s interest in the occult. Wall audaciously tells the story with the authority of someone who was there, who knew them, who has the access to tell it right. 🔥
Comprehensive yet intimately detailed, Wall literally gets into the principals’ heads to bring to life both an unforgettable band and an unrepeatable slice of rock history. This 10th anniversary edition includes approximately 35,000 words of new material about the band and the last decade, featuring fresh interviews and newly unearthed content. 🎵
What makes this the definitive biography: Former confidante to Plant and Page crafts Led Zeppelin’s definitive story—10th anniversary edition with insider access, the real Page-Plant relationship, Page’s occult interests, on-the-road excess, disaster and addiction, 35,000 new words, and an unrepeatable slice of rock history.
When Gordon Ramsay places two pieces of bread around your face and asks, “What are you?” there’s really only one response: “An idiot sandwich!” When the whole world watches that exchange, it inspires a viral meme, then the internet’s favorite culinary competition show, and now—finally—this cookbook. 🥪
Join Gordon and some of the most exciting FoodTok chefs and YouTube stars on a trial-and-error journey to delicious, creative, and completely unique sandwiches. Inside, find more than 100 showstopping recipes that blend innovative and international flavors: Zach King’s Steak Banh Mi, Susi Vidal’s Spicy Chicken Parm, Matt Stonie’s Mississippi Shrimp Slugburger, H Woo’s Thai Fried Chicken, and more. 🍔
What’s more, Idiot Sandwich goes back to basics (obviously, for all of us idiots), outlining pantry essentials, equipment—mandolins, meat mallets, and mixers, oh my!—breads, and everything else you need to get prepped. From viral meme to competition show to cookbook that actually teaches you how to make showstopping sandwiches. 😂
What makes this irresistible: From Gordon Ramsay’s viral “idiot sandwich” meme to actual cookbook—100+ recipes from FoodTok chefs and YouTube stars, innovative international flavors, Steak Banh Mi to Thai Fried Chicken, pantry essentials, equipment basics, and showstopping sandwiches anyone can make.
… See the rest of today ‘s Book Picks here on page 3Page 3