How to Win at the Game of Life

And a FREE cozy mystery that makes you think twice about bad hair days...

Thanks for being here, book bestie. You could’ve picked anywhere to spend your reading time, but I’m honored you landed in my sweet and cozy world. No matter what genre I write, the only thing steamy you’ll find in here is the coffee.

At the 2025 office holiday party and gift exchange, one of my coworkers showed off her customized bingo card. It’s been a month, and I’m still thinking about it. In fact, you could say I was suffering from FOMO (fear of missing out). And that’s what inspired me to create my own bingo card of things I want to do this year.

Some items are things I can do in the comfort of my home, like finish unpacking (because those boxes have only been sitting in my bedroom for five years, and it’s time to go through them). Finishing a knitting project and making a writing playlist are two things that I can use to procrastinate unpacking for a little bit longer.

Other things will force me to get out of the house, such as attending a town hall meeting (in person) or going on a beach date.

Are you itching to play bingo? Under my signature, further down this page, is a blank bingo card that you can print and fill out with your own 2026 bucket list items.

One thing on the list is to help with research for writing a new book series. The sidekick is a Scottish Terrier named Rory. Guess in the comments, and if someone gets it right, I’ll reveal the answer next week!

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It’s no mystery. This book is FREE!

One of the items on my bingo card is to get a haircut in an actual salon. The last time that a stylist cut my hair was in 2019. After nearly seven years of self-cuts (and one mullet that I’d rather never revisit), I’m going to let a stylist do their thing. I already picked out where I’m going. Wish me luck!

Although I won’t be getting a perm—because I’m not ready to revisit the 1980s—I will be reading Permed to Death by Nancy J. Cohen.

“Fast-paced and jaunty.” Publishers Weekly

“A plot with more tangles than an uncombed perm.” Kirkus Reviews

“Permed to Death is a beauty of a read. The characters are believable, the mystery is well-plotted, and the suspense is a real manicure-ruiner.” I Love a Mystery

Hairstylist Marla Shore untangles a knot of secrets when she’s suspected of poisoning her client’s coffee creamer in this debut case.

Hairstylist Marla Shore is giving grumpy Mrs. Kravitz a perm when her client dies in the shampoo chair. If that isn’t enough to give her a bad hair day, handsome Detective Vail suspects Marla of poisoning the woman’s coffee creamer. She needs to find the real culprit before her reputation is ruined and customers stop coming to her salon.

While combing Bertha Kravitz’s privileged world for clues, Marla uncovers a tangled web of suspects. There’s the resentful son excluded from his mother’s will, a shady business partner with secrets, and a niece who inherits a substantial fortune. But Marla might have to look closer to home, especially when her janitor vanishes without a trace and she discovers one of her stylists is living a lavish lifestyle.

With the detective tightening the net, Marla races to decipher the clues before her own secrets are exposed. If she doesn’t solve this hair-raising case fast, he’ll pin her with a motive and lock her away in a place where bad hair days will become permanent.

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Can you help Rumple and his human solve a mystery?

Matilda Livesay thought retirement would give her peace. She was spectacularly wrong.

When a retired librarian inherits her murdered friend’s yarn shop and teams up with a talking raccoon, she discovers that Gunther’s Landing has far more secrets than stitches—and she’s going to have to solve them all. Serial Knitters is a cozy mystery trilogy about second chances, found family, and the power of showing up, even when everyone thinks you’re guilty.

Because small towns hold big secrets. And once you start unraveling them, you can’t stop.

Perfect for fans of cozy mysteries with heart, the Serial Knitters series follows Matilda and Rumple as they navigate murders, thefts, and kidnappings in the shadowy corners of their South Carolina hometown. It’s a tale of friendship—both the kind we inherit and the kind we choose.

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That's all for now. I hope your day is filled with books and coffee (or whatever you’ve got in your favorite mug). Happy reading!

Until next time,
Becky

P.S. Here’s your blank bingo card! Right-click and choose “Save as” to save it to your device, then print as many times as you like.

Cozy mysteries with caffeine, chaos, and charm.
Romantic stories with heart, hope, and absolutely zero heat.
The only thing steamy in here is the coffee.
www.beckymuth.com

P.S. Every ❤️ you click keeps the magic brewing. Leave a comment to let me know you stopped by. I read every single one. Bonus points if you mention coffee.

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