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Samantha Sweet Mysteries
Samantha Sweet breaks into houses for a living . . . where any number of surprises can await.
But her real dream is to open her own pastry shop, Sweet's Sweets.
ISBN 978-1945422003
Life is a little crazy for Sam right now. At one of her break-in properties a dying woman insists that she take a small wooden box. Sam doesn't realize that the old woman was known locally as a bruja, a witch, until she begins to feel some strange effects from the box, herself.
Meanwhile, at another property, she finds an unmarked grave and the authorities come to investigate. The property owner disappeared a few months earlier and Sam wonders--who is the body in the grave? A small mural in the house leads to a connection with a famous artist; a bogus will points to possible fraud; and the handsome deputy investigating the case seems completely enchanted with Sam.
While Sam scrambles to fill bakery orders and keep her properties in order, she's equally intrigued with the idea of a new romance. It all makes for a delightful romantic mystery with elements of the paranormal.
"Shelton again has done a superb job in bringing New Mexico to life."-- Albuquerque Journal
"Love this new series. Can't wait for the next one." -- queenofsheba, an online fan (5 Stars)
First title in the series -- Ebook version is only 99 cents at most online retailers!
New Improved Links - Find ebook, paperback, and audiobook formats with just one click!
Meanwhile, at another property, she finds an unmarked grave and the authorities come to investigate. The property owner disappeared a few months earlier and Sam wonders--who is the body in the grave? A small mural in the house leads to a connection with a famous artist; a bogus will points to possible fraud; and the handsome deputy investigating the case seems completely enchanted with Sam.
While Sam scrambles to fill bakery orders and keep her properties in order, she's equally intrigued with the idea of a new romance. It all makes for a delightful romantic mystery with elements of the paranormal.
"Shelton again has done a superb job in bringing New Mexico to life."-- Albuquerque Journal
"Love this new series. Can't wait for the next one." -- queenofsheba, an online fan (5 Stars)
First title in the series -- Ebook version is only 99 cents at most online retailers!
New Improved Links - Find ebook, paperback, and audiobook formats with just one click!
Sweet's Sweets - The Second Samantha Sweet Mystery
ISBN 978-1945422171
Sam is working hard to get her new pastry shop, Sweet's Sweets, open for business. Just when she's really got her hands full with that, she's assigned a new property to take care of as part of her contract with the USDA. The place is a hoarder's delight and Sam is feeling more than a little bit overwhelmed as she begins cleaning with a vengeance. When a blood-soaked garment turns up among some things Sam has dropped off at the thrift shop, Sam recommends that they call the Sheriff's office. Deputy Beau Cardwell is a bit under pressure himself, as the Sheriff is so busy running for reelection that the office is understaffed. Together, Sam and Beau sift through the evidence and discover that the bloody coat leads to a far more complicated situation than a simple case of murder.Once again Sam calls upon the powers of the magical wooden box that came into her possession a few months earlier to help unwind the tangled threads of the case.
"Loved it! Worth the wait to find out what Sam and Beau were up to next . . . Thanks, Connie!" -- T. Harper, online reviewer, 5 Stars
Available in Paperback, Ebook and Audio Book. Click this universal link to get it at your favorite online retailer
or request it at your local bookshop, using the ISBN number shown here
Sweet Holidays - The Third Samantha Sweet Mystery
ISBN 978-1945422188
It's Christmas and a chocolatier shows up at Sweet's Sweets, offering to create a special line of hand-dipped chocolates for Sam's customers. He says he will work for no pay, just to prove himself. But she learns that he has connections to the wooden box that seems to give Sam her mystical powers, and discovers that certain evil people will do just about anything to take it away from her.
With the same combination of mystery, romance and the paranormal as the other books in this series, Sweet Holidays brings a bit of magic to the season.
Available in Paperback, Ebook and Audio Book. Click this universal link to get it at your favorite online retailer
or request it at your local bookshop, using the ISBN number shown here
Sweet Hearts - The Fourth Samantha Sweet Mystery
ISBN 978-1945422195
Will there be Valentine wedding bells for Sam and Beau?
Things are crazy at the bakery, as Sam tries to replicate the magical chocolates that the quirky Romanian chocolatier introduced at Christmas-time. Meanwhile, there are lots of weddings, in addition to her own, and other pastry shop demands during this
romantic holiday week.
While Sam tries to keep up with it all, another mystery comes her way. Marla Fresques needs to find her missing son. The woman is dying and wants her son home to raise the daughter he left behind. When Sam learns that the authorities dropped the case years ago, she feels she must help. Can she find the missing man?
Or will she resort to using her uncanny healing powers to cure Marla's illness?
Through all this, Sam's life becomes further complicated by the fact that an ex-girlfriend of Beau's shows up in town, determined to win him back.
Available in Paperback, Ebook, and Audio Book. Click this universal link to get it at your favorite online retailer or request it at your local bookshop, using the ISBN number shown here
Bitter Sweet - The Fifth Samantha Sweet Mystery
ISBN 978-1945422201
Is there a serial killer in Taos?
It’s the height of the wedding season at Sweet’s Sweets and Sam has all she can do to stay ahead of the rush of bakery orders. Plus, her side job—breaking into houses—isn’t allowing much summer time off either. Not to mention that her mother is pressuring Sam and Beau to set a wedding date.
When Sam encounters two older women who then die suddenly, it appears that there may be a serial killer on the loose. Sam and Beau are shocked to consider that Beau’s own mother may have been an earlier victim of someone who operates by preying on the women’s trusting natures.
As they begin to investigate, a number of suspects emerge and it looks like someone is desperate to keep Sam quiet.
Available in Paperback, Ebook, and Audio Book. Click this universal link to get it at your favorite online retailer or request it at your local bookshop, using the ISBN number shown here
It’s the height of the wedding season at Sweet’s Sweets and Sam has all she can do to stay ahead of the rush of bakery orders. Plus, her side job—breaking into houses—isn’t allowing much summer time off either. Not to mention that her mother is pressuring Sam and Beau to set a wedding date.
When Sam encounters two older women who then die suddenly, it appears that there may be a serial killer on the loose. Sam and Beau are shocked to consider that Beau’s own mother may have been an earlier victim of someone who operates by preying on the women’s trusting natures.
As they begin to investigate, a number of suspects emerge and it looks like someone is desperate to keep Sam quiet.
Available in Paperback, Ebook, and Audio Book. Click this universal link to get it at your favorite online retailer or request it at your local bookshop, using the ISBN number shown here
Sweets Galore - The Sixth Samantha Sweet Mystery
ISBN 978-1945422218
After postponing their Valentine wedding earlier in the year, it's now less than a week until Sam and Beau's September ceremony. The entire Sweet clan is converging on Taos for the big day, and the preparations have reached a maddening pace when Sam discovers that her gown no longer fits.
She's nearly in a panic!
A crash diet and dealing with her mother may turn out to be the least of Sam’s problems, though, when an unwelcome visitor walks into her pastry shop—Sam’s old heart-throb, the charmer, Jake Calendar. Jake wants money for a Hollywood get-rich-quick scheme and he tries to sweet-talk Sam into financing the deal. Can Sam convince him that the answer is ‘no’ or will he sabotage the plans for her wedding?
"The (Samantha Sweet) books have a wonderful, easy flow that draw in the reader. The stories feel a little like a slice of life. . . for anyone who enjoys cookery/mystery tales." Tasha Dobbin, Amazon.com reviewer
"Another great read - mystery, romance, good characters, and so much fun to read about all the "sweets" from the bakery. Connie has done a super job . . . can't wait for the next one. It has all the elements to keep one reading half the night - just a bit of danger to keep one wondering, a bit of romance, some touching moments, and enough sugar and spice. Loved it!" -- Jacquie, 5-Star Amazon.com review
Available in Paperback, Ebook, and Audio Book. Click this universal link to get it at your favorite online retailer or request it at your local bookshop, using the ISBN number shown here
Sweets, Begorra -
The Seventh Samantha Sweet Mystery
ISBN 978-1945422225
When Sam learns that an Irish great-uncle left her an inheritance she and Beau can't resist the first-class air tickets and a stay in a luxury hotel, so they change their honeymoon plans and go to the Emerald Isle. Will the gift be something lavish and wonderful, or is there
no pot of gold waiting for Sam?
Meanwhile, before Sam fully has the answers to her questions, a new mystery presents itself when a local charter boat is found adrift near the rocky Irish coast, its occupants missing. The family of the captain wants answers and when it looks like a group of Americans might be implicated, the Galway homicide detective in charge of the case enlists Beau’s help.
The honeymooners find their time filled with everyone else's concerns and begin to wonder if they will ever be able to get some romantic time alone.
Available in Paperback, Ebook and Audio Book. Click this universal link to get it at your favorite online retailer or request it at your local bookshop, using the ISBN number shown here
no pot of gold waiting for Sam?
Meanwhile, before Sam fully has the answers to her questions, a new mystery presents itself when a local charter boat is found adrift near the rocky Irish coast, its occupants missing. The family of the captain wants answers and when it looks like a group of Americans might be implicated, the Galway homicide detective in charge of the case enlists Beau’s help.
The honeymooners find their time filled with everyone else's concerns and begin to wonder if they will ever be able to get some romantic time alone.
Available in Paperback, Ebook and Audio Book. Click this universal link to get it at your favorite online retailer or request it at your local bookshop, using the ISBN number shown here
Sweet Payback - The Eighth Samantha Sweet Mystery
ISBN 978-1945422232
Revenge is often a cold dish, but in the tiny northern New Mexico town of Sembramos emotions are running decidedly hot. When two men convicted of murdering a local girl are released from prison after serving only a few years, their convictions overturned, the town’s old pain rises to the surface and tempers flare.
Samantha Sweet has her hands full with Easter at Sweet’s Sweets, while her husband, Taos County Sheriff Beau Cardwell, is charged with keeping order among the two hundred residents of Sembramos. Topping it off, Sam is assigned another house to break into and must drive there
daily, right through the small war zone where payback seems to be on everyone’s mind.
Available in Paperback, Ebook, and Audio Book. Click this universal link to get it at your favorite online retailer or request it at your local bookshop, using the ISBN number shown here
Samantha Sweet has her hands full with Easter at Sweet’s Sweets, while her husband, Taos County Sheriff Beau Cardwell, is charged with keeping order among the two hundred residents of Sembramos. Topping it off, Sam is assigned another house to break into and must drive there
daily, right through the small war zone where payback seems to be on everyone’s mind.
Available in Paperback, Ebook, and Audio Book. Click this universal link to get it at your favorite online retailer or request it at your local bookshop, using the ISBN number shown here
ISBN 978-1945422249
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Sweet Somethings - Book 9
Two things are weighing on Samantha Sweet’s mind this summer—organizing the Sweet Somethings chocolate festival and tracking down information on the mystical carved wooden box that came into her life nearly two years ago, changing her forever. At last, she believes she has located the person who can give the answers. The festival is behind schedule, committee members are at each others’ throats, competitors are after the big prize money and hungry crowds will soon be gathering at the gates. A slew of conflicting personalities are going at each other, and Sam is holding her breath, certain that this will not turn out well. When someone does indeed turn up dead, the trick is to find out who among the many parties committed the dirty deed. Meanwhile, Sheriff Beau has his own set of problems trying to keep order at an encampment of free-spirited hippies who have moved into the area, so Sam is mostly on her own to keep the festival on track and find a killer. And the magic box? What Sam learns is that its powers are greater than she ever imagined, its history much more convoluted. Available in Paperback, Audiobook, and Ebook. Click this universal link to get it at your favorite online retailer or request it at your local bookshop, using the ISBN number shown here |
The Woodcarver's Secret answers the question Samantha Sweet fans have been asking: "Where did that magic box come from?" The mysterious artifact that was given to Samantha in her first outing, Sweet Masterpiece, has intrigued my readers (and me!) and I worked for a year to scout out the answers. Here is how the adventure begins:
ISBN 978-1945422263
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On a summer day in 13th century Ireland a simple Celtic woodworker took a walk past a near-dead alder tree where a chance act of nature and the woodcarver’s hidden talent started an unimaginable chain of events. From the wood of that dead tree John Carver created three boxes.
One box, legend says, imparts healing and light; One box answers to the forces of darkness; The third box represents the middle way, with an ability to adapt to the spirit of the person who possesses it—whether good or evil. Through the centuries the boxes pass through many hands, exerting their influence, changing lives, creating a world of secrets, until one of them lands in the hands of Samantha Sweet. It's from there that the saga continues with the bestselling mystery series. Available in Paperback, Ebook, and Audio Book. Click this universal link to get it at your favorite online retailer or request it at your local bookshop, using the ISBN number shown here |
ISBN 978-1945422256
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Sweets Forgotten, Book 10
When a woman walks into Samantha Sweet’s pastry shop, claiming to have amnesia, it’s a puzzle that seems to have nothing to do with Sam’s new commission for a fantastic one-of-a-kind order of chocolates, although "Jane Doe" seems to know a lot about that. Sam calls Sheriff Beau to solve the mystery of who this stranger is and where she belongs. But Beau’s attention is occupied by other things: nearly his entire force is out sick with some kind of flu bug, and now a murder far from Taos requires his full attention. Nothing is fitting together, until suddenly it does. “Jane’s” forgotten memories become vitally important as Beau and Sam work to piece the puzzle together. Available in Paperback, Audiobook and Ebook. Click this universal link to get it at your favorite online retailer or request it at your local bookshop, using the ISBN number shown here Coming soon in Audio! |
ISBN 978-1-945422-27-0
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Spooky Sweet, Book 11 Now that Samantha Sweet has a contract to provide her special handmade chocolates for the wealthy jet-set clients of Book It Travel, Sweet’s Sweets bakery is taking on a whole new dimension. Only problem, Sam isn’t ready. It’s almost Halloween, her pastry shop is bursting at the seams and she needs extra employees but there is no place to put them. Meanwhile, Beau is trying to find out where a duffle bag stuffed with cash came from, and it looks like the new location Sam has chosen for her chocolate factory ... well, it just might be haunted. Available in Paperback, Audiobook and Ebook. Click this universal link to get it at your favorite online retailer or request it at your local bookshop, using the ISBN number shown here |
ISBN 978-1945422331
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Spellbound Sweets, A Samantha Sweet Halloween Novella
It’s Halloween, one of the busiest seasons of the year for Samantha Sweet and the crew at her pastry shop, Sweet’s Sweets. After baking a zillion pumpkin cookies, ghostly cupcakes, and an all-black cake for a young witch’s wedding, the gang is looking forward to a gala costume party at the neighborhood bookshop. But when one of the guests is murdered and a rare book vanishes—practically in front of their eyes—the evening takes a whole different turn and Sam finds herself in the midst of another mystery. BONUS: Includes 10 dessert recipes from my personal collection. This novella first appeared in an anthology with several other authors' work ---Now for the first time you can get it as a standalone book, along with my family dessert recipes as a brand-new bonus!--- Only $3.99 for the e-book, $9.99 in paperback Get yours today! |
Paperback ISBN 978-1945422478
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Sticky Sweet, Book 12
It's the beginning of a new year at Sweet's Sweets, and Sam finds herself busy as ever, especially when her top client comes in with a new idea. His travel firm is selling a new Travel the World itinerary for the jet-set, and Sam is to come up with special chocolates to make the spectacular trip memorable for his wealthy clientele. At $200 a box, she can't exactly say no. Things get a little sticky when a friend calls with a problem, which involves Sam going back to her old job (temporarily, at least) of breaking into houses. How she manages to juggle it all ... well, it just might involve a little magic. Meanwhile, Beau answers the call to a traffic fatality that turns way more complex when he realizes he has a murder to solve. The couple's paths cross less frequently than they would like, but as luck would have it, Sam ends up providing some of the critical clues in Beau's case and the answers come as a surprise to both of them. Get your copy from many online stores worldwide--Just click here. Or request it at your favorite neighborhood bookstore or your library! |
Paperback ISBN 978-1945422751
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Sweet Magic, Book 13
Samantha Sweet’s life is a little crazy right now, beginning with her daughter’s wedding, which coincides with Sam’s receiving a huge new contract for her chocolate factory. The day after the wedding someone takes a shot at Sam and she discovers the bad guys are back. OSM’s henchman, Marcus Fitch, who showed up in Taos once before, is more determined than ever to get his hands on the carved box that gives Sam her unusual powers. But as the sheriff’s department investigates the shooting, it seems Fitch has an airtight alibi. Meanwhile, Sam’s daughter is honeymooning in England where she and her new husband discover some interesting clues that connect to home. As Kelly learns of her mother’s secrets, she is pulled into the world of the magical artifacts in ways no one could have foreseen. And Sam discovers that her own world is about to change—forever. Get it now! Available in paperback and ebook -- click here to go to your favorite online retailer or request it at your local bookshop! |
Paperback ISBN 978-1945422911
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Deadly Sweet Dreams, Book 14
When Beau hires a young man to help out on the ranch, no one suspects Danny Flores comes with a lot of baggage. Until Lila shows up, the girl he left behind—or rather, the one he tried to escape. She’s manipulative and domineering, and she seemingly won’t let go of the relationship, right down to calling and texting him at all hours, despite the fact that he has changed his number and moved out of state. Beau and Sam wish Danny all the best, but there isn’t a lot they can do. But then Lila is murdered and Danny is the only suspect the new sheriff, Evan Richards, is looking at. Sam wants to spend her time with her four-year-old granddaughter, Anastasia. Plus, she and Kelly have been cooking up some new ways to spend their days, learning how to decipher the strange book with the rune-like writing and to use the powers of the carved boxes for good purposes. She’s not really out to solve a new mystery but it seems no one else, except maybe Eliza the calico cat, is going to help Danny. Plus, Sam is more than a little bit involved, since it might have been a potion from the magic book that got Danny into this jam in the first place. Lots of changes in Sam’s life, and seemingly many more to come. “Connie Shelton gets better with every book she writes.” --The Midwest Book Review |
Paperback ISBN 978-1945422980
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The Ghost of Christmas Sweet, Book 15
Samantha Sweet is back at Sweet’s Sweets, turning out her amazing cakes and pastries for the busy holiday season, when Emily Plankhurst, the new young librarian in town, stops in. Emily tells Sam a strange story involving a hidden niche in the library revealed to her in a vision, supposedly, by her dead grandmother. Would anyone believe this farfetched story? Possibly not anyone but Sam, who has had more than a few unexplained occurrences in her own life. It turns out the hidden space contains a rare painting, The Ghost of Christmas, which was believed to have been destroyed in a fire twenty-five years ago at the luxury home of a hedge fund billionaire. A young man died in the fire and the insurance company paid the claim for the valuable painting. But now that the painting has turned up, how can Emily prove that her own grandfather wasn’t the one behind the arson? It’s a Christmas mystery with a lot of twists and turns! ~ ~ ~ Praise for Connie Shelton’s previous mysteries: “Ms. Shelton continues to perfect her craft with every book.” —5 stars, Kindle reader “LOVE, LOVE these books!” —5 stars, online review “Shelton again has done a superb job in bringing New Mexico to life.” --Albuquerque Journal “Connie Shelton gets better with every book she writes.” --The Midwest Book Review |
Paperback ISBN 978-1649141064
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Tricky Sweet, Book 16
It’s Spring Break and a trio of California college kids head out, not to the beach but to the mountains of New Mexico, where they plan on a week of snowboarding, beer, and fun. But the instructions to reach their vacation rental are less than precise and it’s late and snowy when they arrive at Taos Ski Valley. They’re surprised to find an older couple in the cabin they believed to be theirs but hey, Casey Hardwick, the ringleader of the group, is not known for reading directions or getting all the facts. Maybe the place is actually a B&B. They troop inside and are shown to a bedroom. Days later, Casey’s sister is calling the only friend she knows in Taos—Kelly Sweet—hoping to get word to her brother that their mother’s condition has worsened and she doesn’t have long to live. No one has heard from Casey, and she urgently needs to reach him. Samantha and Kelly are together when the call comes, and the mystery only deepens once they talk to Sheriff Evan Richards. Yes, the family reported the missing boys and he investigated. He found no evidence that they’d ever arrived. His theory is that the boys changed their plans at the last minute and are living it up somewhere else. But Sam has a bad feeling about it. Without the help of law enforcement, will she and Kelly figure out how the boys disappeared? And can they find the boys and get Casey home before it’s too late to see his mother again? Their only clues seem to come from the mysterious book of runes. |
Paperback ISBN 978-1649141484
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Haunted Sweets, Book 17
When Emily Plankhurst is visited by the ghost of Gabriel Graystone, and learns he was murdered, she knows she must find justice for him. The only problem is, Gabriel was killed a hundred years ago, shortly after he broke off his engagement to the daughter of a prominent Taos family, and there aren’t many other clues to go by in finding his killer. Emily, who runs a private research library—a place that’s known to harbor its own share of ghosts—teams up with Samantha Sweet and her daughter to investigate. As they delve into the case they discover that the story goes much deeper than a broken engagement or an old feud. There are hidden places in Taos that no one knows about, and plenty of ghostly old secrets. With danger lurking in the shadows, can they uncover the truth before those secrets catch up with them? Readers are raving about these lighthearted, relaxing, well-written books—Samantha may not be young, beautiful or have the perfect body, but she is intelligent, independent, and hard working, the kind of person you feel you already know. |
Paperback ISBN 978-1649141835
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Secret Sweets, Book 18 Samantha Sweet’s husband, Beau, gets a call from a cousin he hasn’t seen in decades. Cecelia’s husband was recently murdered, and the local cops in their small town haven’t come up with a single suspect. She knows it wasn’t the random act of violence they’re claiming; Mark had been digging into something mysterious at his workplace and no one knows what kind of secrets he may have uncovered. Sam and Beau are on the road to Oklahoma to figure it out. Creston is a typical small town and no one wants to believe there’s a killer in their midst. But someone is hiding a secret that’s probably worth millions of dollars. And as Beau always says—behind most murders there’s a connection to either territory, love, or money. He and Sam just have to sort through the various suspects and motives to figure it out before the killer turns it back on them. Can they manage to catch the killer and still get home in time for the Thanksgiving holiday in Taos? “Connie Shelton gets better with every book she writes.” —The Midwest Book Review |
Available in ebook and paperback!
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Thankful Sweets
A Samantha Sweet holiday novella Samantha Sweet and her husband Beau have wrapped up a case in Oklahoma and returned to Taos, only to immediately receive surprising news from a friend. There’s been a shakeup in the Taos Sheriff’s Department and suddenly Beau has his old job back. Meanwhile, it’s Thanksgiving week and Sam’s bakery is busier than ever, as they’ve been asked to supply pies for the community Thanksgiving dinner. Plus, there’s a new event—the Harvest Feast. Chefs from around the state will compete to create and share fantastic ways to use holiday leftovers, while local farmers and vendors have their wares on display at the kickoff to the shopping season. But even before the festivities begin, well-known celebrity chef Hernando Rodriguez is found dead at his workstation, poisoned by one of his own dishes. Clearly, he was murdered, and now the challenge is for Sam and Beau to work the case while keeping the whole incident low-key enough that it doesn’t spoil Thanksgiving for everyone else. The victim’s abrasive personality means that suspects abound, and time is running short. Can they solve it before the killer gets away? Includes Bonus Recipes! |
Some links on my site go to affiliate retailers where I earn commissions.
