Cold Case on the Boardwalk

A Coastal Bakery Cozy Mystery

Winter has come to Rolling Wave Cove, and baker Nelly Hartley is up to her elbows in orange-cranberry star cookies for the town's beloved Winter Cookie Walk. But the festive mood shatters when a local shop owner is found dead at the bottom of the boardwalk stairs on the morning of the event. The sheriff calls it a tragic accident—a slip on the ice, a broken railing, a fatal fall. But Nelly's loyal English Bulldog Bruno knew something was wrong with those stairs hours before the body was discovered, and Nelly has learned to trust his instincts.

As Nelly digs deeper, she uncovers a web of secrets the victim left behind: hidden debts, stolen recipes, ruined reputations, and a trail of enemies stretching far beyond Rolling Wave Cove. Threatening letters surface, alibis crumble, and it becomes clear that someone transformed a winter tradition into the perfect cover for murder. With her best friend Trudy's research skills, handyman Cal's quiet support, and Deputy Rosa Delgado's reluctant assistance, Nelly must piece together the clues before a killer escapes justice.

In this third installment of the Baked by the Sea Mysteries, Nelly discovers that some grudges never thaw—and that even the coldest cases can be solved with warmth, determination, and a little help from friends both human and four-legged.