Showing results by author "Kelli Fudge" in All Categories

Maple and Kelly are back at it—proving once again that in Acorn Falls, even the coziest café can’t escape a little chaos. Trouble seems drawn to the Sweater Weather Café like cream to coffee, and this time, it’s personal. When a big-city publisher asks Maple to write a true-crime memoir about her famous cold-case sleuthing, she’s ready to trade clues for cappuccinos—until a desperate stranger walks in with a decades-old mystery. Now Maple’s writing her book and solving a disappearance that someone would kill to keep secret. Between latte foam, local gossip, and one very ...

When history hides more than it tells, Loretta Lockwood is the woman to uncover the truth. At the cozy Maple Cabin Inn in Vermont, a stormy weekend with the Vermont Heritage Club turns deadly after a priceless map—and the club’s president—vanish. With her sharp instincts, meddling friend Birdie, and steady ally Jonas, Loretta follows a trail of forged documents, secret tunnels, and family legacies that refuse to stay buried. But as the mist lifts over Maple Hollow, the real treasure proves to be something far more dangerous than gold—truth. Perfect for fans of small-town charm, slow...

Christmas in Grandeur, Maine wouldn’t be complete without the annual Fudge Festival—a sugary showdown where rival bakers pull out their best recipes, and gossip is served with every bite. Hannah Green is ready for cocoa, carols, and candy canes, not chaos. But when a judge keels over after sampling a tray of fudge, the festival goes from festive to fatal. Was it sabotage? A culinary accident? Or cold-blooded murder wrapped in sprinkles? The whole town has theories, and fingers quickly point toward Hannah’s closest friend. But Peppermint, Hannah’s feisty Yorkie with a candy-striped ...

When the phone rings at midnight, the next recipe might be murder. When the phone rings at midnight, Chesterfield’s favorite casserole confidante, Nessie Stewart, thinks it’s another neighborly crisis—until a distorted voice whispers, “Crack chicken’s next on the menu.” The next morning, recipe queen Delilah Crane is found dead beside her famous dish, and the caller strikes again with eerie predictions that keep coming true. Now every voicemail reveals another secret—and every secret leads back to Nessie’s own kitchen. In her final case, the woman who’s heard everyone ...

The Bad Girls are back on tour! With their bakery expanding and reputations golden, Stephanie, Marla, and Dannie Jo are the rock stars of Butcher Creek. For the town's first Bohemian Fair, they’ve even created a headlining dessert: the Bohemian Raspberry Tart. But the festival's peace-and-love vibe dies when reclusive rock legend Jace Stone is found murdered backstage—with their signature tart as the main act. The girls are once again the prime suspects, but this time, they have a crew of loyal allies. They find themselves up against their toughest critic yet: a sharp-witted state ...

Life is finally sweet for the leather-clad bakers of Bad Girls Bake Better. Stephanie, Marla, and Dannie Jo have gone from murder suspects to local heroes, and their dessert bar is the talk of Butcher Creek. But at the town's first annual Sweet Treats Festival, their hard-won peace crumbles when a wealthy philanthropist drops dead after eating a donut from another baker's stand. When the town turns on the gentle, elderly donut maker, he comes to the only people who understand being wrongly accused: the Bad Girls themselves. Agreeing to help, the trio dives into a fresh mystery, sifting ...

A murdered scientist. A toxic secret in the harbor. And two lobster-roll sisters who just got pulled into something deadly. When Becky and Lisa roll their lobster truck, Let’s Lobstah!, into the town’s summer fair, they expect buttered rolls, beach crowds, and breezy profits—not a body tied to secrets deeper than the tide. But when a local marine researcher turns up dead and whispers begin about a dangerous chemical threatening the fishing industry, the sisters find themselves tangled in a web of deception stretching from the docks to the cliffs. With Detective Alvarez closing in, an ...

Crisp autumn air, pumpkin spice, and falling…bodies? Autumn in Seaview, Maine means crisp air, falling leaves, and The Lighthouse Diner’s newest hit—the Patty Melt Special. But when a rival food-truck owner is found stabbed behind the diner—with one of Gus Bailey’s own kitchen knives—the cozy season turns deadly fast. With police circling and gossip sizzling hotter than the griddle, Hazel sets out to clear Gus’s name. The investigation uncovers a mess of motives: stolen recipes, jealous lovers, and bribes buried beneath the town’s Autumn Fair. As Hazel digs deeper, she ...

Welcome back to Seaview, where the syrup is sweet, the gossip is sticky, and murder’s always on the menu. When Jaynie Hart debuts her new Blue Plate Special—Banana Pancakes with Maple Butter—the crowd goes wild… until a beloved festival chairwoman collapses mid-bite. With her diner once again under suspicion, Jaynie teams up with sassy waitress Eleanor and steady Sheriff Cal Barnes to uncover the truth hiding beneath all that maple and mischief. From syrup smuggling to small-town scandal, Jaynie’s hunt for justice takes her from fog-filled woods to the heart of Seaview’s Fall ...

Spring has sprung in Seaview, Maine—and so has a shocking murder! Spring in Seaview, Maine should mean daffodils, warm breezes, and comfort food at The Lighthouse Diner. But when Gus serves his famous Sunday Pot Roast Special, the meal comes with an unexpected side: murder. Councilman Richard Crandall, known for his sharp tongue and sharper dealings, collapses in his booth before dessert. At first, suspicion falls on Gus’s beloved pot roast—until Hazel discovers a small brown bottle hidden beneath the table. Poison, not gravy, was the real culprit. Packed with humor, small-town charm,...

A stolen recipe. A bitter rivalry. And a murder baked right into the heart of a charming New England town. When Lizzie and her sister Carolyn plan a progressive dinner on Thanksgiving, most of the other innkeepers in Ember Falls are happy to participate. But when one of them–Griselda Pike–accuses the ladies of stealing her cinnamon roll recipe, things get ugly…fast. Then, after a public confrontation, Griselda turns up dead in the sisters’ backyard. With the murder weapon tied to their kitchen and rumors spreading faster than gossip at a town meeting, Lizzie and Carolyn suddenly ...

For the Bad Girls of Butcher Creek, life is finally peaceful. But when a historical archivist is attacked and priceless blueprints are stolen from the haunted Blackwood property, the only clue left behind is a deliberate taunt: one of their signature cookies. The crime brings in a sharp, empathetic state detective who zeroes in on a secret from Marla's past, making the bakery's tough protector her prime suspect. To save one of their own, the girls and their loyal "Butcher Creek Detective Club" must dive into a dangerous mystery involving Prohibition-era tunnels and a ruthless killer seeking...

A blue ribbon victory… and now someone’s been poisoned at the dance. Clara Halloway thought the worst was behind her after solving the Harvest Festival mystery—but when a glamorous dance instructor’s partner collapses mid-waltz, panic sweeps through Seacrest. With secrets from the past resurfacing and suspicion swirling through the town, Clara finds herself pulled into another dangerous puzzle. As whispers grow louder and tensions rise, Clara—with her loyal best friend and a surprisingly clever cat—must uncover the truth before fear tears the community apart. Because in a town ...

When a beloved librarian collapses at Acorn Falls’ Autumn Book Festival, Maple’s quiet life turns into a full-blown whodunit. Poor Maple can’t run fast enough to escape being the town’s modern-day Angela Lansbury! With her sharp-tongued and handsome partner, Kelly, and loyal friend Honey by her side, Maple dives into a swirl of lattes, lies, and local gossip to catch a killer before the next victim takes a final sip. Perfect for fans of Gilmore Girls and Murder, She Wrote, Murder is Sticky Business is a warm, witty, and deliciously twisty cozy mystery brewed for fall nights and ...

Do we ever really know the person we love… or just the story they tell us? Nessie knows by now that her sweet little hometown of Chesterfield is full of dark and twisty secrets behind the picket fences. But nothing prepares her the latest confession from Lydia—who admits to building a life on a dead woman’s foundation. Nessie becomes obsessed with Lydia's impossible situation: how do you tell your husband that he married a ghost? But when the real Lydia’s family starts asking questions, Nessie realizes her client’s secret isn't just about a stolen identity—it's about stolen time...

Welcome back to Seaview, Maine—where the coffee’s strong, the gossip’s juicy, and murder is always on the menu. When Jaynie Hart’s Seaview Diner reopens with her new Blue Plate Special—the Double Cheeseburger with Seaview Sauce—business is sizzling. But when a famous food critic keels over mid-bite, Jaynie’s back in the hot seat. With Sheriff Cal Barnes urging her to stay out of it (ha!) and Eleanor stirring up theories faster than cream in coffee, Jaynie dives into another deliciously dangerous investigation. Between rival chefs, blackmailing critics, and one suspicious “...

The Bad Girls are back, but this time the trouble is imported. Just as Stephanie, Marla, and Dannie Jo are settling into their peaceful new lives and expanding their bakery, a mysterious stranger is found dead after eating their latest creation: the "Smuggler's Scone." The crime is too clean, too professional for small-town Butcher Creek, and it brings in a new, formidable opponent: a cold, clinical FBI agent who sees only one suspect. When a planted tip and a link to a dangerous biker club from his past put Jax in the crosshairs of a federal investigation, the girls must rally their ...

A sunny festival, quirky townsfolk…and a purse snatcher who just turned deadly. The Spring Fling Festival should be all tulips, treats, and small-town charm—but this year, it’s handbags that are disappearing. When a string of purse thefts hits town, suspicion falls on everyone from traveling vendors to friendly neighbors. Lilianna Harper and her daughter Remi, owners of The Cookie Company, get pulled into the mystery when their Peanut Butter Crunch cookies vanish—along with a customer’s designer purse. With gossip swirling and the thief growing bolder, the Harpers must sift ...

Fall has arrived in Buttercream Bay… and so has a thief with a taste for trouble. Piper Malone is ready for crisp mornings, colorful leaves, and the debut of her newest treat—the irresistible Butternut Maple Donut. But her cozy autumn plans crumble when she discovers her truck mysteriously unlocked and her entire stock of butternut puree stolen. Even worse? A handwritten warning is left behind: Don’t bake what isn’t yours. When Sheriff Meyers waves it off as “a hungry raccoon,” Piper teams up with Logan Hart and her mischief-loving cat Churro. Soon, they uncover a string of ...

In Chesterfield, the gossip’s hot, the casseroles hotter—and one bite can be deadly. When a beloved Chesterfield choir director drops dead after a bite of green bean casserole at the church potluck, small-town gossip boils over faster than a Sunday stew. Enter Nessie Stewart—amateur sleuth, expert casserole artist, and owner of the most trusted Pyrex dish in town. Between jealous choir members, competitive cooks, and a suspiciously spotless pantry, Nessie finds herself neck-deep in secrets baked right into the heart of her small town. As whispers rise and alibis crumble, she discovers...