When the Girls accept a very strange invitation to a lavish party on a remote island estate, they find that murder has a way of ruining even the most glamorous of evenings.

The invite delivered to 6151 Richmond Street was short on details, only promising to celebrate “the greatest artist of the century” and accompanied by a jewel-encrusted brooch—the whole package a brand of mysterious opulence that another Saturday night of gin rummy just can’t match.

Blanche Devereaux’s passionate dalliances are as plentiful as hot Southern nights, and surely one can’t be expected to remember all of one’s suitors. But when the Girls disembark the party’s ferry at a small Biscayne Bay island and meet their secretive host, the memories come flooding back: she a Radio City Rockette in her twenties, he the poor artist who could offer her nothing but his love. Fate drove them apart, but Declan, now a famous artist El Toro, professes that Blanche has always been his muse.

Featured prominently in his artworks and central to El Toro’s return to the apex of the art world, Blanche is thrilled to have been such an inspiring figure to this man. But looking around at a party filled with those who have made their livings off the artist’s fame—his assistant, his art dealer, his greatest critic, and more—Dorothy isn’t so sure they’re welcome on the island after all.

When a tropical storm knocks power out across the island, an optimistic Blanche proclaims that everyone looks better by candlelight anyway. But when Declan is found dead the next morning, all eyes are on her, his supposed muse of thirty-plus years. Trapped at the estate with the other guests—suspects all—the Girls must band together to find the true killer and get back to pleasant evenings of card games and cheesecake.

The post Death on the Lanai: A Golden Girls Cozy Mystery appeared first on Rachel Ekstrom Courage.

The first novel in the all-new Golden Girls Cozy Mystery Series!

Download the free and printable Murder by Cheesecake book club kit on Netgalley or Disney.com…

“Murder by Cheesecake is a nostalgic, fast-paced and hilarious escape. An absolute delight!” —Christina Lauren, New York Times bestselling author of Love and Other Words

“If you were a big fan of The Golden Girls, as I was, you’ll relish this chance to join them again for this lighthearted caper.” —Rhys Bowen, New York Times bestselling author of The Tuscan Child

“Murder by Cheesecake shows the Golden Girls at their best: being true friends—and having fun at any age!” —Nancy Martin, bestselling author of Some Like It Lethal

“It’s murder most witty as the Golden Girls sleuth, spar and support one another in their irrepressible style. This escape to 80’s Miami, complete with teal, coral, breezy palms and shoulder pads, contains more red herrings than a St. Olaf wedding. Will young love triumph? Will justice be served, Everglades-style? Will Sophia take off her compression hose? You’ll love—and laugh at—every page-turning moment.” —Julia Spencer-Fleming, New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of At Midnight Comes the Cry

“Reader, Murder by Cheesecake is the real deal. It takes guts and serious talent to write jokes worthy of Dorothy, Rose, Blanche, and Sophia, and author Rachel Ekstrom Courage has the goods. She nails the voices, character nuances, and humor of our beloved foursome…”—Audible (Editors Select: April 2025)

“Literary agent Courage (Nothing Bad Happens Here) kicks off a new series with this breezy whodunit featuring characters from The Golden Girls […] Courage splendidly captures the voices and mannerisms of her much-loved characters, and wisely resists the impulse to modernize the show’s 1980s Miami setting. For Golden Girls fans, this is a nostalgic delight.” —Publishers Weekly

“Did you ever watch The Golden Girls and wish they were solving murders? Your wish has been granted!”—Book Riot

“The Golden Girls—Dorothy, Blanche, Rose, and Sophia—live again in this sparkling cozy [….] Humor, plot twists, convincing portrayals of the Golden Girls, and the Miami setting add up to a satisfying cozy that will be relished by Golden Girls fans.” —Booklist

“If you are a Golden Girls fan, even a casual fan, or if you are a fan of cozy mysteries like Murder She Wrote, The Maid, or Thursday Murder Club—Murder by Cheesecake is for you.” —H. Alan Scott, Senior Editor at Newsweek and co-host of Out on the Lanai: A Golden Girls Podcast

“There’s no doubt author Rachel Ekstrom Courage is a true ‘Golden Girls’ devotee. She takes the time to describe even the furniture in the women’s home to bring us fans back to that familiar kitchen and living room. References to plots and recurring characters from the show are sprinkled throughout the pages…. [An] especially pleasant, breezy way to have ‘the girls’ back again for a little while.”—Associated Press

“[A]nyone who has ever watched The Golden Girls […] knows that one of the show’s signatures is ‘cozy.’ Another is ‘witheringly funny,’ a quality abounding in Rachel Ekstrom Courage’s welcome first title in a projected series. Courage succeeds valiantly at creating interior lives for Rose and Dorothy that ring true to their TV personas. Critically, she has a fan’s ear for the show’s rapid-fire dialogue and a superfan’s eye for its decor (the rattan!) and fashions (those blazers!) […. I]t’s a delight and a gift to Golden Girls fans who had given up all hope of a new adventure for the fearsome foursome.”—Shelf Awareness (“The Best Books This Week”)

“Have your cake and eat it too when amateur sleuthing meets The Golden Girls in this quirky murder mystery. Adding a twist to their usual antics, Blanche, Dorothy, Rose and Sophia deliver plenty of laughs, surprises and everything we missed from the TV show.” —B&N Reads, “The Best Mystery and Thriller Books of 2025 (So Far)”

“Move over, J.B. Fletcher![…] The best part? How perfectly each Golden Girl is depicted.” —Parnassus Books (Musing Blog, Recommended by Ashby)

When Dorothy’s obnoxious date is found dead in a hotel freezer, it not only ruins a gorgeous cheesecake but threatens the elaborate St. Olaf–themed wedding Rose is hosting…”

More info: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/770129/murder-by-cheesecake-by-rachel-ekstrom-courage/

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Disney Publishing Worldwide (@disneybooks)

B&N Reads: “A mouth-watering mystery featuring a few of our favorite characters. Join the Golden Girls in this rollicking whodunit set in the swampy wilds of Miami. Read on for an exclusive essay from author Rachel Ekstrom Courage on writing Murder by Cheesecake…”

The post Murder by Cheesecake: A Golden Girls Cozy Mystery appeared first on Rachel Ekstrom Courage.

“Beautiful, vivid writing and a power-packed plot . . . I truly loved it.” –Lauren Tarshis, bestselling author of the I SURVIVED series (on Storm Blown)

“Awesome. Super-intense, suspenseful, edge-of-your-seat stuff.” –Max Brallier, New York Times bestselling author of the Last Kids on Earth series (on Storm Blown)

“A page-turning climate disaster set in New York City [….] Courage maintains a swift pace bolstered by engaging appearances, including a candy-loving climate scientist and Pizza Rat.” –Publishers Weekly (New and Noteworthy)

“This story skillfully provides a manageable, survivable view of factually terrifying possibilities. Important, adventurous.”–Kirkus

Snow Struck on The Reading Life

Neither Elizabeth nor her little brother, Matty, have ever been north of Georgia. They’re used to sandals and shorts, not boots and parkas. So when they fly to New York City to spend the holidays with their cousin Ashley, they want to experience one thing: SNOW!

Ashley can’t wait to show her cousins how magical Manhattan is at Christmastime. But instead of a week of fun, what they get is an arctic blast that knocks out the power and plunges the skyscrapers into darkness. It’s unreal: the blizzard covers the Statue of Liberty in ice and topples the famous Christmas tree at Rockefeller Center!

When Ashley’s dog, Fang, gets lost outside, the cousins take matters into their own hands… and are caught in the storm’s dangerous path as they chase Fang across the frozen city. Can the little Pomeranian survive the cold, snow, and ice blanketing Manhattan? Can they?

The post Snow Struck by Nick Courage appeared first on Rachel Ekstrom Courage.

Emily’s brother, Elliot, has been really sick. He can’t go outside their New Orleans home, so Emily decides to have an adventure for him. She’s on a secret mission to the tiny island Elliot loves. She’s not expecting to meet up with an injured goose or a shy turtle. And nothing has prepared her for Megastorm Valerie. Soon Alejo and Emily will be in Valerie’s deadly path. Who will survive?

“A riveting, deftly crafted, and consistently entertaining novel for young readers ages 9-12, Storm Blown by Nick Courage is unreservedly recommended for both school and community library general fiction collections.”–Midwest Book Review

“Reminiscent of high-stakes blockbusters, the intense, time-stamped scenes switch back and forth between settings, trying to capture the overwhelming power of the natural world and the futility of humanity’s attempts to control it.” –Kirkus

[arve url=”https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fxNuDEQEiR4″ /]

Storm Blown on The Reading Life

The post Storm Blown by Nick Courage appeared first on Rachel Ekstrom Courage.

“A picture-perfect climax… Plot twists keep the wheels of Courage’s suspenseful debut spinning while the mysterious girl gang and ample romantic frivolities provide the fun.”—Publishers Weekly

“[A] spellbinding blend of mystery, thrills, and drama […] rich in character and suspense. This haunting thriller with dynamic, empathetically portrayed characters is both entertaining through its many twists and turns and filled with lessons about trusting intuition.”—Booklist

“You don’t have to be on a beach vacation to enjoy Nothing Bad Happens Here, a summery, smart YA thriller that’s good fun at any time of year.” —Literary Hub

“The perfect summer read! Rich teens beach-partying in glamorous Nantucket . . . and then a murder. Enough mystery, twists, secrets and surprises to keep you reading to the startling finish. Loved it!” —R.L. Stine, author of the Goosebumps series and Fear Street

“Part mystery, part thriller, part deep dive into the heart of a grieving teen, Nothing Bad Happens Here is compelling and vivid and absolutely pitch-perfect! A summer in Nantucket you won’t forget!” —Sarah Beth Durst, New York Times bestselling author of The Lake House

“Perfect for fans of We Were Liars. You won’t want to miss this tense, twisty, gorgeously written read!” —Kass Morgan, New York Times bestselling author of the series The 100 and The Ravens

“One part fairy tale and one part old-fashioned New England whodunit, with a twist I never saw coming!” —Katie Cotugno, New York Times bestselling author of Liar’s Beach

“Expertly layered twists and the perfect kiss of the supernatural. Thriller fans, rejoice!” —Erin A. Craig, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Thirteenth Child

“A serpentine sea-misted mystery as elegant and bold as a Nantucket sunset. I was fully seduced by Lucia’s dark and stormy summer and could hardly pull myself away. Rachel Ekstrom Courage’s debut is a riveting, graceful high wire act, a delectable and dynamic New England thriller that pulls no punches. It left me utterly breathless.” —Derek Milman, author of A Darker Mischief and Swipe Right for Murder

“An atmospheric thriller where darkness is just beneath the surface.” —Mindy McGinnis, Edgar Award–winning author of A Madness So Discreet and The Female of the Species

“A can’t-put-it-down mystery layered with authentic relationships, sharp class commentary, and touches of magical lore. I absolutely devoured it.” —Jacqueline West, New York Times bestselling author of Last Things and the Books of Elsewhere series

“[A] smashing suspense debut! A page-turning exploration of the way the truth gets concealed—and the all-too-human and all-too-necessary desire to find the truth at any cost. Sure to be one of the best YA thrillers of the year. Don’t miss it!” —David Bell, New York Times bestselling author of She’s Gone and Nobody Needs to Know

“Love We Were Liars? Pick up this unforgettable thrill-ride.” —Readworthy by Bookbub (“This Month’s Best New YA”)

“With twists and turns and a touch of the supernatural, this mysterious teen beach read is a welcome addition to any high school library.” —School Library Journal

“A carefree New England vacation is just what sixteen-year-old Lucia needs to chase her sadness away. At least, according to her mom, who whisks them away for the summer with her ridiculously wealthy new boyfriend. Nothing bad happens in Nantucket, a charming island with cobblestone streets and million-dollar cottages.

But when Lucia stumbles upon the body of a teenage girl on a beach, the discovery reopens old wounds from her past. With the dead girl’s identity a mystery, Lucia takes it upon herself to investigate and crosses paths with Selah and her pack of devil-may-care besties. The three girls are beautiful, chaotic, and a little wild—and they help Lucia forget her crushing sense of grief and loneliness. But as Lucia becomes a part of their shimmering world, she begins to suspect that there are dark secrets hidden in this quiet enclave, and that uncovering them may be the key to solving the dead girl’s murder. Not everything on this island is what it seems…”

The post Nothing Bad Happens Here appeared first on Rachel Ekstrom Courage.