Culinary Fiction

Magical baker Lillie Dean is settling into her new life in Silverkeep, along with all the creatures who'd come out of hiding after magic was made legal once more. The south side of town near the wharf is bustling with new neighbors, including merchant Jeremias Scarp, who's just procured a magical pendant that he swears is going to take his fledgling business to the next level. But when that pendant goes missing, Lillie's on the case to find out who might've taken it, while also avoiding the attention of powerful Mr. Globe.

Hollywood has come to town—and Faith Fairchild has to feed it! Hired to cater meals for the movie crew that is filming a modern-day version of The Scarlet Letter in the tiny New England village of Aleford, Faith is eager to treat the talented tantrum-throwers to the best of her culinary delights. But an accusation that her famous Black Bean Soup is poison has left a bad taste in Faith’s mouth. Her exploration into the source of the nasty slander leads the amateur investigator behind the scenes to a shocking off-camera murder. And suddenly more than Faith’s reputation is at stake.

After a long hot summer in Balsam Dell, Carly Hale is ready for crisp Vermont weather and gourmet grilled cheeses at her Grilled Cheese Eatery. And the upcoming Halloween food competition is the perfect way to impress the locals. But Ferris Menard, the owner of Sub-a-Dub-Sub, is nursing a serious grudge against Carly. Two days before the competition, one of Carly's employees quit his part-time gig at Menard's sub shop, sending Menard into a serious snit. In a confrontation at the Eatery, Menard accused Carly of sabotage and vowed to bring her down.

Between developing her food blog, Hope at Home, and choosing low-cal recipes for a feature in Cooking Now! magazine, Hope has a full plate. Still, she's never too busy to compete in a Jefferson, Connecticut, tradition - the town's annual scavenger hunt. But as she races with her team to check off the next item, Hope discovers a grisly surprise - the body of shady real estate developer Lionel Whitcomb, shot in a parking lot. His wife Elaine, who's also in the hunt, gasps and nearly faints. But two other women on the scene cry out that their husband is dead.

In the first book of the Lexi Fagan Mystery series, Baker's Dozen, Lexi is newly arrived in San Francisco and lands a job working at McCracken's Bakery. When her lover, firefighter Jerry Stevens, turns up dead in a devastating hotel fire, Lexi has no time to mourn. Homicide detective Robert Reiger discovers Jerry's death was no accident. Caught up in the investigation, Lexi uncovers a shocking secret that just might get her killed.

Sofie's getting her feet under her as a PI and business is booming. So much so that she's hired her layabout cousin and a one-time petty criminal as "boys of all work". Okay, so her reputation's become, well, complicated - everyone in Astoria, Queens, knows that from time to time she shoots one of her own clients - but on the whole, she's getting a lot more respect than when she was best known for leaving her groom at the altar.

Can Roxy filter through the lies before the true culprit grounds her investigation for good? Pour yourself a cup of intrigue with "Pour-Over Predicament" and follow Roxy as she uncovers that in Honey Springs, the truth can be as slippery as black ice.

Leona's spirits are flying as high as the flags over Honeytree's Fourth of July Festival. Her fledgling egg business is booming, her new relationship is flourishing, and it's finally warm enough to put the top down on her convertible. Everything is sunny-side up. But her good mood disappears faster than a speeding pullet when the local beauty queen is shot during the fireworks finale - and the murder is pinned on one of her close friends.

Nachdem Clémence Damour einen weiteren Mordfall erfolgreich gelöst hat, freut sie sich auf ruhigere Zeiten. Doch die Idylle währt nicht lange: Als eine glamouröse Pariser High-Society-Dame spurlos verschwindet, wird Clémence zusammen mit Inspektor St. Clair schnell misstrauisch. Ihr Verdacht fällt auf Carlos, einen geheimnisvollen Mann aus ihrer Vergangenheit, der möglicherweise hinter der Entführung steckt. Für die Ermittlungen stürzt sich Clémence in die Rolle der Muse eines angesagten Modedesigners und übersteht einen eigenen Entführungsversuch.

Kaum ist Clémence Damours letzter Fall gelöst, taucht plötzlich ihr Ex-Freund Mathieu, ein geheimnisvoller und talentierter Maler, auf, und bittet sie um Hilfe bei einem rätselhaften Geisterfall. Doch während sie sich mit diesem unheimlichen Geheimnis beschäftigt, gerät ihre Beziehung zu ihrem Freund Arthur ins Wanken. Die Situation eskaliert, als Mathieus Freundin Charlotte unter mysteriösen Umständen in ihrem eigenen Zuhause ermordet aufgefunden wird. Clémence sieht sich gezwungen, noch mehr Zeit mit dem charmanten, aber undurchsichtigen Mathieu zu verbringen.

It's summertime, but sales at their bakery are below zero, so Mel and Angie are willing to try anything to heat things up! When local legend Slim Hazard offers them a chance to sell cupcakes at the annual Juniper Pass rodeo, they're determined to rope in a pretty payday! But not everyone at the Juniper Pass is as sweet for Fairy Tale Cupcakes as Slim - including star bull-rider Ty Stokes.

Melanie Cooper and Angie DeLaura are finally living out their dream as the proud owners of the Fairy Tale Cupcakes bakery. But their first big client is a nightmare. She's a bridezilla who wants 500 custom cupcakes for her wedding. When Mel stumbles upon the bride-to-be dead - by cupcake - Mel becomes the prime suspect. To save themselves and their business, the ladies need to find the real murderer, before the cupcake killer ices someone else.

Angie and her County Seat staff are all prepared for some much-needed R&R. Hope's been hinting at an arts-and-crafts-themed retreat. Instead, they end up at a military veteran's home, where it's their job to get it spic-and-span for summer. In between weeding the garden and painting the rooms, Angie starts up a conversation with an older vet who wants to make amends with his son before it's too late. Unfortunately, he has no idea of his son's whereabouts. It's the perfect side job for the County Seat team, but someone keeps blocking their efforts.

It’s time for the annual Cheese Festival in Providence, Ohio, and Charlotte Bessette’s cheese shop is packed with homemade specialties. Meanwhile, her friend Erin is prepping her dairy farm and inn for cheese makers, marketers, journalists, and one surprise guest—Lara Berry, pretentious cheese whiz, pompous bestselling author, and pungent critic whose extra sharp tongue can crumble a reputation. Even though any love for Lara by her friends curdled long ago, Charlotte is surprised when the foodie is smothered to death in her room at Erin’s inn.

It's an exciting time in Sweet River, Texas, and the whole town is talking. Maybe, a little too much. Former English professor Ainsley McGregor has gambled everything on her new business: Bless Your Art, an artisan market where local artists sell their wares and teach classes. The bright, white space is filled to the brim with colorful art, yarn, jewelry, pet treats, antiques, and even a few medieval weapons. Oh, and there are wine tastings. Everything is better with wine. Ainsley is surprised by how well things are going—right up until the moment her Great Dane finds a dead body.

When high school football star Theo Claverback breaks his leg just weeks after a devastating break-up, he’s forced to call an audible on his summer plans and put his college ones on hold. He soon finds himself in the most unlikely of places for a jock on crutches: the kitchen of an upscale French restaurant, where he’ll work as a prep cook while his heart and leg heal. But it’s in the kitchen where Theo finds new purpose and a new romance. As he becomes a trusted employee to Chef and is welcomed into his inner circle, Theo begins to discover the true costs of running a restaurant.

When Thwing is found sleeping with the fishes beneath a local lobsterman's boat, the police quickly finger Julia's brother-in-law Sonny as the one who cooked up the crime. Sure, everyone knows Sonny despised the Mussel King . . . but Julia believes he's innocent. Proving it won't be easy, though. It seems there's a lot more than murder on the menu, and Julia needs to act fast . . .

Newly single pizzeria owner Delilah O’Leary is determined to keep her restaurant afloat in the picturesque resort town of Geneva Bay, Wisconsin. To boost her bottom line, she sets her sights on winning the hefty cash prize in the town’s annual “Taste of Wisconsin” culinary contest. In her corner, she’s got her strong-willed, “big-boned” cat Butterball, her wisecracking BFF, her cantankerous great-aunt, and a nearly-flawless recipe for Pretzel Crust Deep-Dish Bratwurst Pizza.

Paige Palmer spent her entire adult life studying to earn her doctorate in philosophy, only to be passed over for the job of her dreams. Escaping academia, she takes a job as barista at a quirky and cozy shop, The Roastery on 33rd, feeling somehow drawn to the charming spot in the quaint New Hampshire town. But there are secrets in the Roastery that have been percolating for decades. When a body is discovered in a secret room in the building, Paige’s impatient and tough-as-nails boss becomes increasingly convinced that an in-house investigation will be necessary to catch the culprit.

It's a truth universally acknowledged that a genuinely top-notch party must be in want of a theme. Allie Catt, caterer and personal chef in the beautiful mountain community of Asheville, North Carolina, has devised a winning formula by using her clients' favorite books as inspiration. Her first themed event is based on Pride and Prejudice (Allie's cat, Darcy, approves), and it's so popular that soon she has grand ideas for future parties based on Rebecca, The Great Gatsby, Babette's Feast, and more.