Dead as a Door Knocker is the first in the A House Flipper Mystery.  Whitney Whitaker is attempting her first flip with the aid of her cousin.  She isn’t new to the industry, she is already a carpenter, property manager and working on her real estate license.  What seems like a no-fail proposition quickly goes south, when a body is discovered on the property.  This was a well thought out mystery with plenty of suspects to think about, an engaging cast of character, and an interesting theme that doesn’t overwhelm the mystery.

First-Degree Fudge is the first in the A Fudge Shop Mystery.  The setting is a fishing town on the shores of Lake Michigan. Ava has set up a Fudge shop in her grandfather’s bait and tackle shop and is trying to make a go of it in her home town after leaving in a cloud of disgrace some years earlier.  As Ava prepares for her grand opening and her first big public event a body is found with a piece of her fudge in their mouth.  Needless to say things don’t look good for Ava’s new business.  Ava’s judgement is more questionable than most cozy mystery sleuths and local law enforcement depiction is more heavy handed here.