Island Cozy Mystery Series

Island Cozy Mystery Series - Jaramillo, off the Southern Mainland

“I loved the mystery, the variety of characters and most of the cat's commentary and snarky sarcasm!!!”

“The cover just begs the reader to curl up next to the fireplace snuggling with your cat and read a good book.”

About this series

Welcome to the sun-soaked paradise of Jaramillo Island and meet antique shop owner Lola, whose dream lifestyle gets disrupted when a disturbing string of poetic murders rocks the small coastal community she calls home.

Luckily, Lola has her psychic cat sidekick, Jade, who seems to have a knack for finding clues...and dead bodies. 

With the police convinced that she may be behind the creepy “haiku killings,” Lola knows she must take matters into her own hands before she’s found guilty of the crimes. As she navigates through tropical storms, messy gossip, grumpy employees, and even messier love interests, the intrepid amateur sleuth pieces together perplexing puzzles and rhyming riddles, desperate to stop the killers haunting her once-peaceful island home. 

Things get personal when the murderer starts leaving Lola sinister messages and escalates to framing her loved ones.

Over the course of five cozy island mysteries, dark secrets, trauma, and truth itself gets turned on its head as Lola races to catch an elusive killer with a twisted sense of island justice...and the perfect final chapter in mind starring Lola herself.

Tropical vibes, a telepathic Albino Siamese, and an antique shop owner who just wants the detective to go away or kiss her; plus one murder or three, please while they're at it. A gripping whodunnit series that seamlessly weaves together clues to form an unputdownable cozy.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

"I enjoyed reading the cozy mystery with the obstinate cat."

"My overall thought on the book is that the readers are in for a treat that is filled with clues and hints that leads the reader into an epic mystery."

"It is a cozy mystery that I recommend to all readers who want to relax and enjoy a light mystery who done it."

"Very well written story that had me guessing all over the place. Well done!"

"I fell in love with Jade the beautiful cat in this most interesting murder mystery. "

" There was quite a twisty mystery, very good characters and relationships among them. I never saw the end coming!"

Here's what people are saying

Enjoy a sample from Antiques To Die For, Book 1

After Randall’s untimely visit, Lola and Charles put in a heavier, reinforced, door.  To keep it welcoming to new customers, she added wind chimes with stained glass Calla Lilies. She had hoped it would improve Brandon’s constant sour mood. It didn’t.  Charles at least didn’t mind it and agreed it would add some lightheartedness to the shop.  He was worried after hearing about the incident with Randall. 

The withered flower,

deceiving of one’s own self,

justice blooms for them.

The withered flower,

deceiving of one’s own self,

justice blooms for them.

The withered flower,

deceiving of one’s own self,

justice blooms for them.

…with a side of tunafish and cream.

Lola looked up from counting the money in the register, startled by Jade’s voice and even more disturbed by her repeat of the haiku murder poem. Jade was seemingly asleep, nestled in the seat of a child-sized Pardoll Antique Chair against the front window that was adorned by curtains of linen  with an amber hue.  She looked peaceful there, basking in the soft morning light. The black tip of Jade's tail, however, was twitching. As Lola leaned forward and looked closer, her tail was in sync with the haiku syllable pattern. Twitch Twitch Twitch Twitch Twitch - pause - Twitch Twitch Twitch Twitch Twitch Twitch Twitch - Pause - Twitch Twitch Twitch Twitch Twitch: The wi-thered flow-er, de-cei-ving of one’s own self, jus-tice blooms for them.

Lola gasped at the sound of the shop door opening, yanking her out of the luring and hypnotic rhythm of the haiku Jade was strumming with her tail’s pitch-black tip.

“Hello, Miss?”

Lola blinked twice, shaking her head, the haiku, still a faint whisper in her thoughts. “Yes, tunafish, please,” she groggily muttered. 

“Sorry?” the man asked, puzzled by her words. 

Lola felt like she was coming out of a trance. When she looked up, the man was right in front of her…tall, dark, dressed in a suit and red tie.  He was actually quite handsome. “I-I’m so, so sorry, I was, uh, yes,” Lola stammered, “um, may I help you, sir?” 

The man stared at Lola before turning his attention to Jade.  "Beautiful cat.  It's quite amazing that you both have the same strikingly beautiful green eyes.  Fascinating."  He seemed to be deep in thought as he turned his head between the two before addressing Lola again.  "Sorry, good morning miss.  My name is Marco, and I'm interested in seeing your antiques.”

Lola slowly stood up from sitting on the Antique Victorian Swivel Stool, puzzled by his question, “What exactly are you looking for? Are you a collector?” She tilted her head at him, trying to see his eyes through the reflective sunglass lenses. 

“Yes. I’m intrigued by all sorts of rare commodities,” he casually said, tapping on the glass countertop with his free hand. Lola noticed he was carrying a briefcase in the other. Besides his formal appearance and distractingly good looks, Lola couldn’t help but notice he was tall, broad-shouldered, and impeccably dressed. His sandy blond hair was styled in a classic side-part, and his chiseled jawline was accentuated by a few days' worth of stubble.

You need a boyfriend…but not this one. He’s hairless.  

“Uhm,” Lola cleared her throat to mask the surprised gasp that tried to escape, turning her head down so he wouldn’t see the slight flushing of her cheeks. 'Don’t embarrass me like that Jade!'

"Of course, please take a look," said Lola, motioning to some of the more valuable collections in the ornate glass case his hand was on. He reached up, took off his sunglasses and looked at Lola, meeting her gaze when she briefly made eye contact, before taking a closer look at the objects in the case. 

Lola was captivated by his azure eyes and intense gaze - even if it was only for a whisper of a moment. She felt a flutter in her stomach, and Jade made a loud hairball sound.

"Thank you very much for your kindness," said Marco, smiling with his white and perfect teeth after looking curiously at the cat. “Is that…cat, okay?”

"Yeah, yes, um, yes, she’s fine," Lola waved off, returning the smile. 

Rude. 

"Is anything here that catches your eye?"

He glanced back up. "I'm mostly interested in antiquities related to history and literature. I'm a big fan of Japanese historical books of the 17th Century and handwritten letters."

"Then you're in luck," Lola exclaimed, leaving the counter and going towards the back center room. "We have a varied collection of international historical books, including a selection of books on Eastern culture. We also have some fascinating historical documents and poems in our library collection."

"Really? Can you show them to me? I hadn’t thought to ask for poetry."