Sunday, February 22, 2026
Writing Beyond The Fields You Know: Guest Post by Christopher Huang
Thursday, February 19, 2026
Wednesday, February 18, 2026
LA TIMES BOOK PRIZES: Finalists -- Mystery/Thriller and more!
The finalists for the 2025 Los Angeles Times Book Prizes in several categories have been announced. Prizes will be awarded on Friday, April 17, 2026.
All books are of interest, of course, but for this blog, here are the finalists in the Mystery/Thriller category. Congratulations to all.
Also of interest is the Fiction category:
The Professor and the Prisoner: Guest Post by Andrew McAleer
As McAleer recounted in the Epilogue of his novel Unit Pride, one September morning in 1965, he entered his Boston College office to find on his desk a single letter addressed to him in a boyish scrawl. “Across the first page, in letters red and bold as a cutlass wound, was stamped the single word—CENSERED.”
Billy wrote McAleer with questions about a review McAleer had written for the Boston Globe regarding Theodore Dreiser. A review, Billy felt the need to add, that he’d “retrieved from a wastebasket.”
McAleer critiqued his new student’s initial writing attempt.
After a 450-page trim and title change, Unit Pride was released in 1981 (Doubleday & Bantam). The Ontario Globe credited it as the definitive novel of the Korean War and Best Sellers as one of the most harrowing depictions of the horrors of war ever written.
Tuesday, February 17, 2026
CHINESE NEW YEAR MYSTERIES: Year of the Horse
The Corpses Hanging Over Paris by Cathy Ace
Between a Wok and a Hard Place by Leslie Budewitz
Peking Duck and Cover by Vivien Chien
Serpent's Doom by Connie di Marco
Neon Dragon by John Dobbyn
Dim Sum Dead by Jerrilyn Farmer
The Silent Girl by Tess Gerritsen
Murder on Bamboo Lane by Naomi Hirahara
Chop Suey by Ty Hutchison
The Skull Cage Key by Michael Marriott
The Shanghai Moon by S.J. Rozan
The Chinese Chop by Juanita Sheridan
City of Dragons by Kelli Stanley
Breezy Friends and Bodies: A Raina Sun Mystery by Anne R. Tan
The Celebrated Cases of Judge Dee by Robert Van Gulik (7th Century China) "New Year's Eve in Lan-Fang"
Children and Young Adult:
The New Year Dragon Dilemma by Ron Roy
Red Envelope Mystery: The Secret of the Chinese New Year.
Short stories:
"The Lady Fish Mystery" by Mary Reed and Eric Mayer, EQMM, September/October 1996.
"Murder Keeps No Calendar" by Cathy Ace.
Monday, February 16, 2026
PRESIDENTIAL MYSTERIES: Presidents Day
I usually post a Presidential Mysteries list for Presidents Day, and I have to say once again I thought about not posting this year, but there have been a lot of good presidents, and there certainly are a lot of wonderful presidential mysteries. Books by Presidents
Saving Faith by David Baldacci
Political Suicide and Touched by the Dead by Robert Barnard
Capitol Conspiracy by William Bernhardt
Collateral Damage by Michael Bowen
Three Shirt Deal by Stephen J. Cannell
Executive Orders by Tom Clancy
Impaired Judgement by David Compton
Manchurian Candidate by Richard Condon
Term Limits; Protect and Defend by Vince Flynn
The Scandal Plan by Bill Folman
The Power Broker by Stephen W. Frey
Spook Country by William Gibson
Fast Track, Sleeping Dogs by Ed Gorman
The Fourth Perimeter by Tim Green
The People's Choice by Jeff Greenfield
Hazardous Duty by W.E.B. Griffin
The Pelican Brief by John Grisham
The Second Revolution by Gary Hansen
The President's Daughter and The White House Connection by Jack Higgins
The Enemy Within by Noel Hynd
First Daughter by Eric Lustbader
Drone Threat by Mike Maden
Executive Privilege by Philip Margolin
Presidents' Day by Seth Margolis
The Race, Protect and Defend, Balance of Power by Richard North Patterson
Politics Noir: Gary Phillips, Editor
Missing Member by Jo-Ann Power
Dark Horse by Ralph Reed
Dead Heat, The Last Jihad by Joel C. Rosenberg
Dead Watch by John Sandford
State of the Union by Brad Thor
Capital Crimes by Stuart Woods
Shall We Tell the President? by Jeffrey Archer
Sherlock Holmes in Dallas by Edmund Aubrey
The 14th Colony by Steve Berry
All American Girl by Meg Cabot (YA)
The President is Missing by Bill Clinton/James Patterson
Primary Target by Max Allan Collins
Campaign Train (Murder Rides the Campaign Train) by The Gordons
Glass Tiger by Joe Gores
The President's Assassin by Brian Haig
Potus by Greg Holden
Marine One by James W. Huston
11/22/63 by Stephen King
Murder at Monticello by Jane Langton
The Surrogate Assassin by Christopher Leppek
Gideon's March by J.J. Marric
December 1941 by William Martin
Pursuit by James Stewart Thayer
Primary Target by Marilyn Wallace
Watchdogs by John Weisman
The Camel Club, First Family by David Baldacci
Line of Succession by Brian Garfield
Madam President by Anne Holt
Oath of Office by Steven J. Kirsch
Presidential Deal by Les Standiford
The Kidnapping of the President by Charles Templeton
The Lions of Lucerne by Brad Thor
Presidential Disappearances
Missing! by Michael Avallone
The President is Missing by Bill Clinton & James Patterson
Mrs. Roosevelt's Confidante by Susan Elia MacNeal
The President's Plan is Missing by Robert J. Serling
The President Vanishes by Rex Stout
The 13th Directorate by Barry Chubin
Atropos by William DeAndrea
The Red President by Martin Gross
The Ceiling of Hell by Warren Murphy
The Trojan Hearse by Richard S. Prather
President Fu Manchu by Sax Rohmer
The Big Fix by Roger L. Simon
Vanished; Night of Camp David by Fletcher Knebel
A Fine and Dangerous Season by Keith Raffel
The President as Detective
Lincoln for the Defense by Warren Bull
Mr President, Private Eye, edited by Martin Greenberg & Francis M. Nevins
Bully by Mark Schorr
Hope Never Dies: An Obama Biden Mystery; Hope Rides Again by Andrew Shaffer
The JFK Plot
Mongoose, RIP by William F. Buckley
Executive Action by Mark Lane, Donald Freed and Stephen Jaffe
The Tears of Autumn by Charles McCarry

The President's Daughter by Bill Clinton and James Patterson
Deadly Aims by Ron L. Gerard
The First Lady by E.J. Gorman
First Daughter series by Susan Ford & Laura Hayden
The President's Daughter by Jack Higgins
Alice and the Assassin; The Body in the Ballroom by R.J. Koreto
The Devil's Bed by William Kent Krueger
Mrs. Roosevelt's Confidante by Susan Elia MacNeal
The First Lady Murders, edited by Nancy Pickard
Murder and the First Lady; Murder at the President's Door (and other novels) By Elliot Roosevelt
American Wife by Curtis Sittenfeld
The Murder of Willie Lincoln by Brad Solomon
Murder in the White House (and other novels) by Margaret Truman
They've Shot the President's Daughter by Edward Stewart
The President's Mind, The 20th Day of January by Ted Allbeury
Absolute Power by David Baldacci
Father's Day by John Calvin Batchelor
The Turncoat's Widow by Mally Becker
Warriors by Ted Bell
The Kennedy Connection by Dick Belsky
Enslaved by Ron Burns
The Plan by Stephen J. Cannell
Killing Time by Caleb Carr
The Impeachment of Abraham Lincoln by Stephen L. Carter
First Strike by Ben Coes
Ex Officio by Timothy Culver (Donald Westlake)
Advise and Consent by Allen Drury
The Whole Truth by John Ehrlichman
The President's Vampire, Blood Bath by Christopher Farnsworth
FDR's Treasure, Lincoln's Hand by Joel Fox
The President's Henchman, The Next President by Joseph Flynn
Carter Beats the Devil by Glen David Gold
By Order of the President by W.E.B. Griffin
White House Chef series by Julie Hyzy
The Last President by Michael Kurland
Spin Doctor by M.C. Lewis
Die Like a Hero by Clyde Linsley
Jack 1939 by Francine Matthews
The Better Angels by Charles McCarry
The Inner Circle; The President's Shadow by Brad Meltzer
The First Patient by Michael Palmer
Treason at Hanford by Scott Parker
Blow Back by James Patterson & Brendan Dubois
No Safe Place by Richard North Patterson
Keeping House by Tucker and Richard Phillips
The Only Thing to Fear by David Poyer
The Night Agent by Matthew Quirk
Acts of Mercy by Bill Pronzini and Barry Malzberg
Love, Lust, and Loyalty by Greg Sandora
White House Gardener series by Dorothy St. James
The President's Daughter by Mariah Stewart
Ghosts of War by Brad Taylor
Jailbird by Kurt Vonnegut
Put a Lid on It by Donald Westlake
President Lincoln's Spy by Steven Wilson
A Night of Horrors: A Historical Thriller about the 24 Hours of Lincoln's Assassination by John C. Berry
The Impeachment of Abraham Lincoln by Stephen L. Carter
Lincoln's Hand by Joel Fox
The Lincoln Letter by Gretchen Elassani and Phillip Grizzell
Lincoln's Diary by DL Fowler
Murder in the Lincoln White House; Murder in the Oval Library, Murder at the Capitol by C.M. Gleason
Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter by Seth Grahame-Smith
The Assassin's Accomplice by Kate Clifford Larson
The Lincoln Letter by William Martin
The Lincoln Secret by John A. McKinsey
The First Assassin by John J. Miller
The Lincoln Conspiracy by Timothy L. O'Brien
The Cosgrove Report by G.J.A. O'Toole
Lincoln in the Bardo by George Saunders
The Murder of Willie Lincoln by Brad Solomon
Margaret Truman's Murder on the Metro by Margaret Truman: Jon Land. John Land continues the series.
President Lincoln's Secret, President Lincoln's Spy by Steven Wilson
Franklin D. Roosevelt.. The President's Mystery Plot (short stories-it was his idea, although he didn't pen any of the stories)
State of Terror by Hillary Clinton and Louise Penny
Sunday, February 15, 2026
MARDI GRAS MYSTERIES
Mardi Gras aka Carnivale. Whatever you call it, it's a great setting for Murder! Busy streets,
crowds, costumes, drinking .. mix it all together, and you have the perfect recipe for a crime novel.
So in honor of Mardi Gras, here's my updated list of Mardi Gras Mysteries, mostly set in New Orleans, but skip to the bottom for other countries and cities (Carnival - Carnevale). As always, I welcome additional titles.
The Mardi Gras Mystery by Henry Bedford-Jones
Death Visits Mardi Gras by J.J. Boortz
The Mardi Gras Muders: A Golden Age Mystery by Gwen Bristow
Fat Tuesday; Sunny Chandler's Return by Sandra Brown
Thrill Kill by Don Bruns
Purple Cane Road, Dixie City Jam, The Tin Roof Blowdown, Creole Belle by James Lee Burke
Mardi Gras 1975 by Frank W. Butterfield
Mardi Gras Murder by Ellen Byron
Krewe of Souls by Elaine Calloway
Gumbo Justice, Jambalaya Justice by Holli Castillo
The Secret of the Other Mother by Laura Cayouette
Murder Comes to Mardi Gras, Death Swatch, Keepsake Crimes, Death by Design; Glitter Bomb by Laura Childs
Fat Tuesday Fricassee by J.J. Cook
Izzy Rio's Wild and Pretty by Stacey L. Cooley
Havana Storm by Clive Cussler
Mardi Gras Murders by Nicole Daines and Robert Daines
Bullets and Beads; Sinister by Jana Deleon
Ms America and the Naughtiness in New Orleans by Diana Dempsey
The Mardi Gras Murders by Ricardo S. Dubois
No Mardi Gras for the Dead by D.J. Donaldson
Shelter from the Storm; Crooked Man by Tony Dunbar
Fat Tuesday by Earl Emerson
The Big Uneasy-Terror Strikes Mardi Gras by Murray C. Fincher
The Unknown Terrorist by Richard Flanagan
Carnival by Charlotte Foryan
Venetian Mask by Mickey Friedman
Mardi Gras and Mayhem by Jann Franklin
Jass, Rampart Street by David Fulmer
Dead Velvet Cheesecake by A. Gardner
Mardi Gras Murder, edited by Sarah E. Glenn
Mardi Gras Madness by Alison Golden with Honey Broussard
Claire DeWitt and the City of the Dead by Sara Gran
A Free Man of Color, Fever Season, Sold Down the River by Barbara Hambly
The Exorcist by Lily Harper Hart
The Wrong Side of Revelry by Jeffry A. Head
A Thin Dark Line by Tami Hoag
Murder at the Mardi Gras by V. Hurst
The Assassin's Gift by Ian C.P. Irvine
Mind Games by Polly Iyer
The Mardi Gras Mystery by H. Bedford Jones
Murder at the Mardi Gras by Linda P. Kozar
Murder at Mardi Gras by Doug Lamplugh
Mardi Gras Murder by Leslie Langtry
Krewe by Jayson Livingston
The Devil's Muse by Bill Loehfelm
A Masquerade of Saints by Nicole Loughan
Voodoo Dreams by Alana Lorens
The Mardi Gras Murders by Gwen Bristow & Bruce Manning
Mardi Gras Madness by Ken Mask
Mardi Gras Gris Gris by A.C. Mason
The Gay Mardi Gras Murders by Sylvia Massara
Rescued by a Kiss by Colleen Mooney
Mardi Gras Eyes by Phyllis Morris
The Chef by James Patterson with Max DiLallo
Krewe by Seth Pevey
Masques by Bill Pronzini
Up Jumped the Devil by Martha Reed
Jitterbug Perfume by Tom Robbins
Midnight Bayou by Nora Roberts
The Long-Legged Fly by James Sallis
Mardi Gras Murders by Phillip Scott
Now Let's Talk of Graves by Sarah Shankman
Murder at the Mardi Gras by Elisabet M. Stone
A Hall of Mirrors by Robert Stone
The Mardi Gras Murders by Brian W. Smith
New Orleans Noir, edited by Julie Smith
The Mardi Gras Murders by Jemma Stark
The Mysterious Masks of Mardi Gras by Connie Trapp
Mardi Gras Marathon Murders by Diane L. Twilley
Mardi Gras Two-Step by Barry M. Vass
Mardi Gras Ghost by Erin Wade
A Mardi Gras Murder by Vesper Wilde
Children's Literature:
The Mardi Gras Mystery; The Mardi Gras Masquerade by Carolyn Keene
Mardi Grad Madness: Stories of Murder and Mayhem in New Orleans, edited by Martin Harry Greenberg
Carnivale in Brazil:
The Lost Manuscript: Vast Emotions and Imperfect Thoughts by Rubem Fonseca
Carnevale in Venice:
Carnival for the Dead by David Hewson
Venice Noir, edited by Maxim Jakubowski
The Venetian Masquerade by Philip Gwynne Jones
The Mascherari by Laura Rahme
Venice Black by Gregory C. Randall
Scerzo by Jim Williams
To celebrate Fat Tuesday, you might want to have some Chocolate Chip Pancakes or Chocolate Pecan Pie or Chocolate "Cupped" Cakes with Coffee & Chicory or Chocolate Beignets or Chocolate Filled King Cake! If you're celebrating Mardi Gras in Mobile, Alabama, or along the Gulf Coast, have a Moon Pie. Read more here. They're a favorite 'throw' in Mobile. I've also posted other Mardi Gras recipes on DyingforChocolate.com
Saturday, February 14, 2026
SWEETHEART SLEUTHS
Here's my updated Short List of Sweetheart Sleuths for Valentine's Day! I'm sure I'm missing a few couples. Make a comment with author and sweetheart sleuths, and I'll add to the list. In the meantime, here's some more great reading for Valentine's Day!
Missed my list of mysteries that take place during Valentine's Day? Here's the link.
SWEETHEART SLEUTHS
Ace, Cathy: Cait Morgan and Bud Anderson
Alexander, Tasha: Lady Emily and Colin Hargreaves
Allen, Conrad: Genevieve Masefield and George Dillman Porter
Andrews, Donna: Meg Langslow and Michael Waterson
Armstrong, Kelley: Casey Duncan and Eric Dalton
Billheimer, John: Owen Allison and ex-wife Judith
Black, Lisa: Maggie Gardiner and Jack Renner
Borthwick, J. S.: Sarah Dean and Alex McKenzie
Bowen, Michael: Rep and Melissa Pennyworth
Bowen, Rhys: Molly Murphy and Daniel Sullivan; Lady Georgie and Darcy O'Mara
Burke, Jan: Irene Kelly and Frank Harriman
Carlson, P. M.: Maggie and Nick Ryan
Carner, John: John Fowler and Jessica Hammerstein
Casey, Donis: Alafair and Shaw Tucker
Chappell, Helen: Holly and Sam Westcott
Elaine Raco Chase: Roman Cantrell & Nikki Holden
Charles, Kate: Lucy Kingsley and David Middleton-Brown
Christie, Agatha: Tommy and Tuppence Beresford
Clark, Carol Higgins: Regan and Jack Reilly
Cleeland, Annie: Chief Inspector Michael Sinclair/Lord Acton and Detective Sergeant Kathleen Doyle
Cockey, Tim: Hitchcock Sewell and ex-wife Julia Finney
Craig, Alisa Dittany Henbit and Osbert Monk, Madoc and Jane Rhys
Crane, Frances: Pat and Jean Abbot
Crombie, Deborah: Duncan Kincaid and Gemma James
Curzon, Claire: Mike Yeadings and Rosemary Zyczynski
Cussler, Clive: Sam and Remi Fargo
Davis, Krista: Sophie Winston, domestic diva, and Detective Wolf
Finch, Charles: Charles Lennox and Lady Jane Grey
George, Elizabeth: Inspector Lynley and Sergeant Havers
Glatzer, Hal: Herman Korn and Teddie Sanderson
Gordon, Alan: Jester Feste and wife Viola, late of Shakespeare’s “Twelfth Night”
Greenwood, Kerry: Corinna Chapman and Daniel Cohen
Granger, Ann: Alan Markby and Meredith Mitchell
Haddam, Jane: Gregor Demarkian and Bennis Hannaford (this one’s a stretch)
Ham, Lorie: Alexandra Waters and Stephen Carlucci
Hammett, Dashiell: Nick and Nora Charles
Handler, David: Mitch Berger and state policewoman Desiree Mitry
Harrington, Jonathan: C. J. and Bridge
Harris: C.S.: Sebastian St. Cyr and Hero (Jarvis) St. Cyr
Hays, Kim: Giuliana Linder and Renzo Donatelli
Haywood, Gar: Joe and Dottie Loudermilk
Kay, Arlene: Eja Kane and Deming Swann
Iakovou, Takis: and Judy Nick and Julia Lambro
Jameson, Emma: Lord & Lady Hetheridge
Jarvis, Nancy Lynn: Regan McHenry and Tom Kiley
Kellerman, Faye: Peter Decker and Rina Lazarus
Kelly, Susan B.: Alison Hope and Nick Trevelyan
Kelner, Toni L. P.: Laurie Ann and Richard Fleming
Kenney, Susan: Roz Howard and Alan Stewart
Kincheloe, Jennifer: Police Matron Anna Blanc and Detective Joe Singer
King, Laurie R.: Mary Russell and Sherlock Holmes
Levinson, R. S.: Neil Gulliver and Stevie Marriner
Lindquist, N. J.: Paul Manziuk and Jacqueline Ryan
Liskow, Steve: "Woody" Guthrie & Megan Traine; Zach Barnes & Beth Shepard
Lockridge, Frances and Richard: Pam and Jerry North
Lupoff, Richard: Hobart Lindsay and Marvia Plum
MacLeod, Charlotte: Max and Sarah Kelling Bittersohn, Peter and Helen Shandy
McBride, Susan: Maggie Ryan and John Phillips
McCafferty, Barbara Taylor & Herald, Beverly: Bert & Nan Tatum
McDermid, Val: Tony Hill and Carol Jordan
McGown, Jill: Chief Inspector Danny Lloyd and Inspector Judy Hill
Maron, Margaret: Deborah Knott and Dwight Bryant
Marsh, Ngaio: Roderick Alleyn and Agatha Troy
Matthews, Alex: Cassidy McCabe, Zack
Maxwell, A. & E.: Fiora and Fiddler
Moyes, Patricia: Emmie and Henry Tibbetts
Munier, Paula: Mercy Carre and Troy Warner
Newman, Sharan: Catherine Levendeur and husband Edgar
Paige, Robin: Charles and Kate Sheridan
Palmer, Stuart: Hildegarde Withers and Inspector Piper
Parker, Robert: Spencer and Susan
Pears, Iain: Flavia Di Stefano and Jonathan Argyle
Perry, Anne: Thomas and Charlotte Pitt
Peters, Elizabeth: Amelia Peabody and Radcliffe Emerson; Ramses and Nefret;Vicky Bliss and John Smith
Pickard, Nancy: Jenny Cain and Geoffrey Bushfield
Pomidor, Bill: Drs. Calista and Plato Marley
Rafael, Lev: Nick and Stefan
Raybourn, Deanna: Nicholas Brisbane and Lady Julia Grey; Veronica Speedwell and Stoker
Robb, J.D.: Eve Dallas and Roark
Roos, Kelley: Jeff and Haila Troy
Rozan, S. J.: Bill Smith and Lydia Chin
Rubino, Jane: Cat Austen and Victor Cardenas
Sale, Medora: John Sanders and Harriet Jeffries
Saulnier, Beth: Alex Bernier and Brian Cody
Sayers, Dorothy L.: Lord Peter Wimsey and Harriet Vane
Schumacher, Aileen: Tory Peters and David Alvarez
Simas, Ann: Chloe Faust and Marsh Fielding
Smith, Charles Merrill: Reverend Con Randollph and Samantha Stack
Spencer-Fleming, Julia: Claire Ferguson and Russ Van Alstyne
Stabenow, Dana: Kate Shugak and Jim Chopin
Sten, Viveca: Thomas Andreasson and Nora Linde
Thompson, Victoria: Sarah Brandt and Detective Frank Molloy
Whitney, Polly: Ike and Abby
Wilhelm, Kate: Charlie Meiklejohn and Constance Leidl
Wright, L. R.: Karl Alberg, RCMP, and Cassandra Mitchell
Friday, February 13, 2026
YOUR OWN CHOCOLATE & WINE PAIRING: Valentine's Day
Taylor Poppmeier
As a self-admitted chocoholic, it's obvious that I enjoy my fair share of my favorite treat. I have always enjoyed a glass of red with a square (or bar) of dark chocolate but was hesitant to enjoy anything more adventurous out of fear that the taste of both would clash. Some connoisseurs argue that the bold flavors make pairing difficult so I am sharing a handy guide with you. ProFlowers created an easy cheat sheet for wine and chocolate pairings. They included everything from high end lavender truffles to the classic favorites like peanut butter cups. So peel open that candy bar and pour yourself a glass of wine. Cheers!
Basic Wine and Chocolate Pairing Rules:
- The wine should be as sweet as the chocolate.
- Begin pairing by color. The darker the chocolate, the darker the wine.
- When possible, opt for a high quality chocolate bar.
- Consider texture as well as taste.
Retro Mystery Related Valentine's Day Cards
And then there are the Bookish Valentines...
Wednesday, February 11, 2026
VALENTINE'S DAY MYSTERIES. //VALENTINE'S DAY CRIME FICTION
Although Valentine's Day is all about love, but love and hate are often quite close emotions. Valentine's Day is perfect for mystery crime fiction, and there are so many books filled with spurned lovers, poisonous treats, and idyllic celebrations turned deadly.
Here's my 2026 updated Valentine's Day Crime Fiction list: Mysteries that take place on or around Valentine's Day. Be sure and check out my other blog, DyingforChocolate, for Valentine's Day Chocolate Reviews, Recipes, and Vintage Chocolate Ads. And, I'll be posting my Sweetheart Sleuths mystery list shortly!
February 14, Valentine's Day, is also International Book Giving Day, so books are the perfect Valentine's Day gift. Bundle some of the following Valentine's Day Mysteries with a box of chocolate truffles, tie it all up in a red ribbon, and you're good to go!
As always, let me know if I've missed any titles.
Valentine's Day Mysteries
As Gouda as Dead by Avery Aames
Regulated for Murder by Suzanne Adair
Murder in the Paperback Parlor by Ellery Adams
Love Lies Bleeding by Susan Wittig Albert
Death by Baguette by Jennifer S. Alderson
A Victim at Valentine's by Ellie Alexander
Valentine's Day is Murder by Carolyn Arnold
In Cold Chamomile by Joy Avon
Death of a Valentine by M. C. Beaton
Donut Hearts Homicide by Jessica Beck
Hot Chocolate and Homicide by Cindy Bell
Marked Down for Murder by Josie Belle
Now You Sesame, Now You Don't by Virginia K. Bennett
Valentines and Murder; Killer Valentine Cookies; Vicious Valentine; The Heart of Murder by Patti Benning
Killer Cupid by Laurien Berenson
A Manhattan Murder Mystery by Susan Bernhardt
The Broken Hearts Club by Ethan Black
Murder Borrowed, Murder Blue by Stephanie Blackmoore
Murders of a Feather by Eileen Brady
A Witchy Valentine by Danica Britton
Hearts & Hostages by Katherine H. Brown (novella)
Claws and Effect by Rita Mae Brown
A Valentine for the Silencer by Cora Buhlert
Mystery on Valentine's Day by Beth Byers and Lee Strauss
How To Murder The Man Of Your Dreams by Dorothy Cannell
The Chocolate Cupid Killings by JoAnna Carl
The Mortsafe by Lillian Stewart Carl
The Valentine's Day Ball by Susan Carroll
Sucker Punch by Sammi Carter
Cat Got Your Secrets by Julie Chase
Secret Valentine by Cherry Christensen
Lethal Treasure by Jane Cleland
A Holiday Sampler by Christine E. Collier
Red Roses for a Dead Trucker by Anna Ashwood Collins
A Deadly Inside Scoop by Abby Collette
Murder by Cheesecake by Rachel Ekstrom Courage
St Valentine's Day Cookie Massacre by Elisabeth Crabtree
A Catered Valentine's Day by Isis Crawford
Murder on Valentine's Day by P. Creeden
Cupid's Curse; The Saint Valentine's Day Murders; Shamrock Shenanigans; The Valentine Mystery by Kathi Daley
Hard Feelings by Barbara D’Amato
A Valentine Wish by Sylvia Damsell
Deadly Valentine by B.J Daniels
Lucy and the Valentine Verdict by Rae Davies
Love on the Rocks by Debbie De Louise
Love With The Proper Killer by Rose Deshaw
My Fatal Valentine by Leighann Dobbs
Death at the Anchorage by Jan Durham
Operation: Romance by Jessica L. Elliot
Plum Lovin’ by Janet Evanovich
My Funny Valentine by Caroline Fardig (novella)
Corridor Man: Valentine by Mark Faricy
A Valentine's Day Miracle by Tammy Falkner
Happy Valentine’s Day: My Funny Valentine by Michelle Fitzpatrick
The Living Daylights by Ian Fleming
Addressed to Kill by Jean Flowers (Camille Minichino)
Peach Cobbler Murder by Joanne Fluke
A Flair for Truffles by Deborah Garner
A Fatal Slip by Melissa Glazer
Valentine by Celina Grace
Caveman's Valentine by George Dawes Green
A Valentine for One by Patrice Greenwood
My Bloody Valentine by Alastair Gunn
Bleeding Hearts by Jane Haddam
Sweetheart in High Heels by Gemma Halliday
The Valentine's Day Murder by Lee Harris
Deadly Valentine by Carolyn G. Hart
Valentine Victim by Kelly Hashway
Faith, Rope, and Love by Wendy Heuvel
Romantically Ever After by Liwen Y. Ho
Death of a Chocoholic by Lee Hollis
The Ghost of Valentine Past by Bobbie Holmes
Cupid's Revenge; The Sham by Melanie Jackson
Handmade Hearts by June McCrary Jacobs
Ghoul You Be My Valentine? by Olivia Jaymes
Vistas, Vices, & Valentines by Tonya Kappas
Your Heart Belongs to Me by Dean Koontz
A Big Surprise for Valentine's Day by Jackie Lau
Killing Cupid by Laura Levine
Valentine's Victim by Harper Lin
Love from A to Z by Lia London
A Fatal Slip by Meg London
Roses and Revenge by London Lovett
The Scent of Murder by Jeffrey Marks
Valentine's Cupcake & Murder by Ann S. Marie
A Valentine's Kill by Mona Marple
The Winter Mystery by Faith Martin
Sugar and Spite by G.A. McKevett
Buttercream Bump Off by Jenn McKinlay
The Valentine Victim by Dougal McLeish
Scot on the Rocks by Catriona McPherson
Valentine Murder; Chocolate Covered Murder: Valentine Candy Murder by Leslie Meier
Cupid's Corpse by Willow Monroe
Cat Playing Cupid by Shirley Rousseau Murphy
Tequila Shorts & Valentine Knots by Tricia O'Malley
The Body in the Attic, The Body in the Snowdrift by Katherine Hall Page
A Judgment in Stone by Ruth Rendell
My Deadly Valentine by David W. Robinson
Valentined by Patricia Rockwell
The Valentine's Day Clue by Rupali Rajopadhye Rotti
Chocolate Covered Murder by Necole Ryse
Valentine by Tom Savage
The Treble Wore Trouble by Mark Schweizer
Sweet Hearts by Connie Shelton
Gilt by Association by Karen Rose Smith
My Wicked Valentine by Lotta Smith
Deadly Valentine by Kathleen Suzette
One Rough Man by Brad Taylor
My Nerdy Valentine by Vicki Lewis Thompson
Pineapple Valentine Mystery by Amy Vansant
Thou Art with Me by Debbie Viguie
Outside Valentine by Liza Ward
A Murderous Valentine by Beverley Watts
Valentine's Blizzard Murder by Linnea West
Murder at First Sight by Shelly West
Red Roses by J.A. Whiting and Nell McCarthy
Daughter Of The Stars by Phyllis A. Whitney
Mrs. Morris and the Venomous Valentine by Traci Wilton
Short Stories
Cupid Shot Me, a collection of Valentine's Day LGBTQ+ mystery stories, edited by Frank W. Butterfield
Valentine's Madness: a 1920s Historical Mystery Anthology, edited by Beth Byers
"My Heart Cries Out for You" by Bill Crider
Valentine's Day Is Killing Me edited by Leslie Esdaile, Mary Janice Davidson, Susanna Carr
"Sweetheart in High Heels" by Gemma Halliday
Crimes of the Heart edited by Carolyn G. Hart
Love and Death, edited by Carolyn G. Hart
Valentine’s Day: Women Against Men-Stories of Revenge edited by Alice Thomas
Homicidal Holidays: Fourteen Tales of Murder and Merriment, edited by Donna Andrews, Barb Goffman & Marcia Talley
Children's
Valentine's Day Disaster by Geronimo Stilton
Scooby-Doo! A Very Scary Valentine's Day
















