Nettle & Bone by T. Kingfisher

 

Nettle & Bone by T. Kingfisher, 245 p.

"After years of seeing her sisters suffer at the hands of an abusive prince, Marra—the shy, convent-raised, third-born daughter—has finally realized that no one is coming to their rescue. No one, except for Marra herself.

Seeking help from a powerful gravewitch, Marra is offered the tools to kill a prince—if she can complete three impossible tasks. But, as is the way in tales of princes, witches, and daughters, the impossible is only the beginning.

On her quest, Marra is joined by the gravewitch, a reluctant fairy godmother, a strapping former knight, and a chicken possessed by a demon. Together, the five of them intend to be the hand that closes around the throat of the prince and frees Marra's family and their kingdom from its tyrannous ruler at last."--Goodreads blurb

Is cozy horror a thing? It is now. Going on a magical, impossible quest to save your abused sister with a skeleton dog by your side apparently makes for a great story! Really enjoyed this.

 The Dogs by Allan Stratton
258 pages
   
Moving, again, is something Cameron must endure.  He and his mother are fleeing from an abusive husband. This time, they have moved into a farmhouse in a small country community. From the first walk-thru of the house and meeting with the home's owner, things don't seem right for Cameron. Is he just imagining the boy he sees or is it a ghost? The bully who teases him about "the dogs", leads Cameron to do some investigating about his new home.
The author and Cameron share a common thread of domestic abuse and a vivid imagination.
Publish release date is September 2015.

Tippy Toe Murder by Leslie Meier

Tippy Toe Murder by Leslie Meier, 252 pages

Leslie Meier writes cozy murder mysteries.  I have read most of her books. This is one of her early novels, which I found a little disappointing.  Her books follow amateur sleuth Lucy Stone around Tinker's Grove, Maine as she tries to solve local murders. This one is no different and finds Lucy trying to prove her friend innocent of murdering the cranky, old, local hardware store owner.  Lucy manages do this while taking care of her husband and three young children with another on the way.  The side story of a local dance teacher gone missing reveals a story of domestic abuse and incest that also involves Lucy coming to the rescue of the young victim.  The side story was a little dark and disturbing to read in a cozy mystery.  The author could have left the incest out and possibly just dealt with the domestic abuse issues.