Showing results by author "Tessa Aura" in All Categories

Bath, Maine’s Festival of Lights was supposed to twinkle with cheer, not fizzle with murder. When demanding organizer, Margot Bellamy, is found electrocuted beside Santa's sleigh, the holiday glow dims fast. Suddenly, Santa's a suspect, the lights keep flickering, and Bath is buzzing louder than a string of faulty bulbs. Penelope should be busy selling scarves and ornaments at her shop, The Curious Finds, but with Grandma Joyce declaring doom, Teo, Penelope’s Teacup Chihuahua, sniffing up trouble, and the festival on the line, sleuthing feels as inevitable as fruitcake. Could it be Edna...

It was just another day of paw-prints and vintage sales, until a dead body landed on Penelope’s to-do list. Returning from her walk, Penelope finds Mabel’s owner, Eloise, skewered with a letter opener purchased from her store. Detective Caleb warns her, again, to keep her nose clean, but she can't resist diving into the weapon's past. With Teo, her Teacup Chihuahua, in tow, Penelope discovers Eloise had enemies of her own. Cryptic journals about her colleague, Ramona, threaten to disclose dangerous therapies at Eloise’s retreat. Burnt files prove Felicity, the realtor, was forging ...

The Winter Gala was meant to honor victims—not add another to the list. Renee Morrow, a budding journalist, dies just as she's about to hand Maggie a warning—and her exposé dies with her. Biscuit, her loyal hound, and Maggie chase shattered pearls, hidden microchips, and an old locket that won't stop burning against her skin. But the truth tangled in this case feels too close to Maggie’s own splintered past. Suspects are everywhere: a curator guarding the museum's reputation, a historian obsessed with Maggie’s former identity, a janitor cleaning up the wrong mess, and an accountant...

Molly Montgomery and her adorable sidekick, Mitz, lead you into some page-turning mysteries in Maple Lake. Meet her fellow sleuth, Lila and of course, Jake and Max as their stories unfold. Pandemonium at the Pet Store Molly and her quirky BFF, Lila, are back at it when a handsome but mysterious guest, Max, vanishes from Molly’s newly renovated B&B. Max had recently opened a pet shop in Maple Lake, sparking suspicion when he goes missing. With her furry sidekick, Mitz, Molly and Lila investigate strange deliveries and shady dealings, leading them to a web of secrets. As they follow the ...

Penelope makes a fast break from her old life to the picturesque small town of Bath, Maine. But the excitement halts when a dead body is found near her dumpster. Divorcée Penelope starts a new chapter in the town known for its boutiques. But when handyman Ricky's body is found behind her shop, the old cliché, shop 'til you drop, suddenly becomes a literal reality. Her curiosity quickly turns shop owner into amateur sleuth as she sets out to unearth the truth, with her bite-sized sidekick, Teo the Teacup Chihuahua, in tow. When town gossip reveals Ricky's shady past and his recent argument...

A fall festival in full swing. A hidden body behind the tents. And Maple Lake's coziest season taking a deadly turn. Molly Montgomery is ready for caramel apples, pumpkin contests, and a cozy weekend at Maplewood Haven, her charming bed and breakfast—with Jake, the handsome handyman, and warm cider. But when her Chihuahua, Mitz, leads her to a body behind a festival tent, plans for small-town charm unravel fast. With her chaos-loving best friend, Lila, at her side, this amateur sleuth follows threads of gossip and odd behavior through the crowds. Two suspects rise quickly: Edith Patterson...

Just when Penelope thought the stickiest thing in her life was toffee…her best friend, Claire, finds a dead body in her candy store. Claire bursts into Penelope’s boutique, pale and shaking—she's just found candy supplier, Dennis Granger, lying dead in Sweet Retreat's storeroom. To make things worse, someone wearing Penelope’s boutique-branded scarf was spotted leaving the scene. With Mabel, Caleb’s police dog, and Teo, her Teacup Chihuahua, at her side, she starts digging for the truth. Dennis had been blackmailing Claire over an old scandal. Blaine Hanson, investment partner-...

At Bath's Harvest Festival, one pie is to die for…literally. Just when Penelope thought life in Bath, Maine might finally settle down, Grandma Joyce shows up—suitcase in one hand, apple pie in the other. But when the festival's judge keels over after a single bite, all fingers point straight at Granny. With Granny’s initials stamped on the poisoned pie tin, and Penelope’s own reputation on the line, Teo, the Teacup Chihuahua, and Penelope have to sniff out the truth fast. Hank, the debt-ridden Harvest King, hides more secrets than hay bales. Nadine Fletcher, a rival baker with a ...

Divorcee Penelope moves to Bath for a fresh start until a corpse clutching the jack of clubs turns her shop into a deadly poker game. An innocent walk in the park ends with dead bodies, poker hands, and Penelope in the middle of the shuffle. Unaffected by Detective Caleb's warnings, she’s determined to unmask the killer, with her teacup chihuahua, Teo, nose to the ground. As cards and corpses stack up, each tied to Bath's failed bakery co-op, her curiosity peaks. Secrets rise like yeast, revealing a web of deceit and betrayal that's far from sweet. Local baker, Maisie, seems secretly ...

When Maggie’s memories start to piece together the mysterious death of Hugh Simons, she’s drawn into a web of deceit that stretches back decades—and threatens her future in this fractured memories cozy mystery. Alongside detective friend Harper, Maggie embarks on an investigation into Hugh’s untimely demise, but as they inch closer to the truth, more danger surfaces. Maggie’s loyal dog sidekick, Biscuit, senses the growing threat. Shadows of her past reveal uncomfortable truths about failed experiments, vengeful plots, and the manipulative Dana Timmons. With Jack Timmons—a ...

A vanished guest. A ruined pet shop. And Maple Lake’s calm thrown into chaos in this chihuahua cozy mystery. Molly Montgomery was finally settling into life at Maplewood Haven—fluffing pillows, perfecting pancake batter, and tiptoeing around the sparks between her and Jake, the rugged handyman. But when newcomer Max Reynolds disappears from her B&B, leaving behind a pet store with a locked back room, Molly’s peaceful routine unravels fast. With her pint-sized chihuahua sidekick, Mitz, and her gossip-loving best friend Lila, Molly digs into Max’s secrets: exotic-animal equipment he ...

Curiosity draws Maggie back to the wooded retreat when random items and a camper goes missing. But a dead body means she’s staying in this camp cozy mystery. Maggie returns to sister camp, River Rock, to help locate Wesley. But when his lifeless body is found, her gut tells her there's more linking these wooded retreats than pine trees. Detective Harper warns her away, but unresolved history pulls them into a fragile alliance to find the truth. As whispers of the murder burn through the camp like wildfire, Leah, with her violent past, suddenly reappears and Dana's sinister facade becomes ...

As if planning a double wedding in a couple of months isn't stressful enough, now the wedding planner is found dead. Cozy small-town Maple Lake glistens in the winter wonderland of trees lit with garland sparkling against the frozen water. Molly’s wedding planning is in full motion at Maplewood Haven bed and breakfast with poinsettias, cake, and guest list. But when Lila's sister, Sarah, discovers the wedding planner was poisoned at the cake tasting shortly before the big day, plans take an abrupt stop. Sarah and Mrs. Potts, the baker, become the prime suspects in this holiday mystery. ...

Bella’s plan was to start over among picture-perfect Genova’s pastry elite, not to catch the culprit who iced the last chef in this dessert cozy mystery. When Paolo’s death changes from natural causes to murder, the beautiful Italian harbour town turns into a case of spine-chilling whodunit. Belle whips up confections, not conspiracies. But her scruffy clue-sniffing beagle sidekick, Cinnamon, has different plans for this sun-kissed town: to remove the stench of murder. Motives linger as the sous chef, Enzo, craves the spotlight, while Luca, the supplier, has a sour taste left behind ...

Cinque Terre, a quaint Italian harbour town, normally boasts of the aromas of garlic, basil, tomato sauce, and crisp sea air, not the scent of murder. The pastel buildings and cobblestone streets are lined with Italian trattorias, including the famous La Nonna’s Nonna, named after Filomena's grandmother. But when Pepperoni, her clue-sniffing beagle sidekick, leads to Filomena to the dead body of the notorious food critic, Alistair, the bustling restaurant halts to a standstill. Marco, the charming wine bar owner, offers his help digging through the endless suspects and rumors. As ...

Perished by Pasta In the charming, aroma-filled town of Cinque Terre, murder's scent mingles with the sea. When Alistair, a feared food critic, is found dead, my beagle Pepperoni uncovers the trail. With wine bar owner Marco by my side, we navigate a sea of suspects among the town’s elite, during the Harbour Festival. I must solve the mystery and save the reputation of our tourist town before my involvement is discovered, and my fate is sealed by their deadly threats. Peril by Pinot At the Riley’s Harbour Wine Festival, chef Anya faces a deadly mystery when a critic is poisoned at her ...

Maggie’s summer escape to Camp Willow Creek promised campfires and marshmallows, not murder and mayhem. What her clumsy arrival at the lakeside camp, designed for recovery and relaxation, didn’t mess up, a dead body in the woods certainly did. First at the scene makes her Detective Harper's prime suspect. But whispers about Donnie's untimely death pique her curiosity; no way she’s sitting this one out. Maggie and Biscuit, her trusted sidekick mutt, sniff out clues in this small-town retreat. The secrets they uncover are slicker than the murky lake bottom. Campers' motives run sharper ...

**A dead body. A chihuahua on the case. A small-town B&B hiding deadly secrets. ** Inheriting a rundown bed and breakfast to rebuild with a guest missing was bad enough—now Maple Lake has another murder. Molly’s sweet Aunt Mabel loved this place. Her guests were family. It was cookies and chamomile tea—until Lila, a guest, went missing decades ago. The disappearance nearly sank the Haven. Harold Finch’s murder now rattles peaceful Maple Lake, exposing shady deals, old secrets, and a deadly tie to the past. Molly and Mitz, her faithful chihuahua, are on the case. With Hank, the ...

A new apartment, a new career, and a dead ex-colleague. And Maggie’s suspect number one in this prime suspect cozy mystery. Maggie’s return to the city was supposed to be a fresh start. Her cozy apartment, her loyal dog Biscuit, and a new detective partnership, Harper…not a deadly reminder of the past. When a forgotten file resurfaces, and Jordan turns up dead, Maggie’s pulled into a web of secrets she thought she’d left behind. Worse? She was Jordan’s last call. Now she’s suspect number one. Harper and Maggie dive into the mystery, and the clues only get darker: files are ...

When a renowned wine critic is poisoned at the annual Riley’s Harbour Wine Festival, Anya, the talented chef at La Cucina, suddenly finds herself embroiled in a chilling mystery. Anya is no stranger to pairing wine with gourmet Italian dishes, but when a notorious critic drops dead in front of her tasting booth, secrets and suspicion begin to swirl. She’s a chef, not a sleuth, yet when Detective Ethan asks her to use her wine expertise to help solve the mystery, Anya dives in. Suspects range from a slick wine merchant, Damiano, to a suspicious sommelier, Antonio; even her lifelong ...