Showing results by author "Tessa Aura" in All Categories

At Bath’s Harvest Festival, one pie is to die for…literally. Just when I thought life in Bath 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 her. With her initials stamped on the poisoned pie tin—and my own reputation on the line—Teo and I 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 failing shop, bristles with motive. And Vera Montgomery, ...

Just when I thought the stickiest thing in my life was toffee…my best friend finds a dead body in her candy store. Claire bursts into my 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 my boutique-branded scarf was spotted leaving the scene. With Mabel and Teo at my side, I start digging for the truth. Dennis had been blackmailing Claire over an old scandal. Blaine Hanson and Nadine Carver, both burned by a failed Sweet Retreat venture, would love a little revenge. And Trisha ...

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 ...

Maple Lake’s Fall Festival is supposed to be about hot apple cider and pumpkin contests; not a dead body. The crisp autumn air settles over Molly's charming B&B as tourists arrive for the fun. But when a stranger is found dead behind a festival tent, the town is thrown into chaos. Molly, with her clue-sniffing chihuahua, Mitz, her BFF Lila, and handsome handyman Jake dig into the lives of potential suspects. The local pet store owner, the security guard, and the event organizer are all on the list. As secrets unravel, the team discovers a dark and crooked past of one of the towns own. ...

It was just another day of paw-prints and vintage sales—until a dead body landed on my to-do list. Returning from Mabel’s walk, I find her owner, Eloise, skewered with an antique letter opener I just sold. Detective Caleb warns me—again—to keep my nose clean, but I can’t resist diving into the weapon’s past. With Teo, my Teacup Chihuahua in tow, I find out that Eloise had enemies of her own. Her cryptic journals about her colleague, Ramona, threaten to disclose the wellness retreat’s dangerous treatments. Burnt files prove Felicity, the real estate agent, was forging death ...

The grand library of Ashford Crossing was meant to unveil its future— not a body. When Dr. Miriam Clarke is discovered stuffed in a crate bound for the dump, the tour ends and our latest case begins. Everyone looks guilty. Prescott Langford, president of the historical society, whose family name fills Clarke’s final notes. Graham Holloway, the hot-tempered restoration head, who argued with her days before her death. Natalie Voss, a graduate student whose fraud Clarke threatened to expose. And Lucien Pratt, the rare-book consultant with charm to spare—and lies to match. But suspicion ...

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 ...

The plan was to start over here with the picture-perfect Genova’s pastry elite; not to catch the culprit who iced the last chef. When Paolo’s death goes from natural causes to murder, my trip to the beautiful Italian harbour town turns into a case of spine-chilling whodunit. I whip up confections, not conspiracies. But my scruffy clue-sniffing beagle has different plans for us in 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 after a heated argument. Even Giulia, ...

Molly & Mitz are at it again - when a handsome but mysterious guest, Max, goes missing from her newly renovated B&B without warning. When Max checks in, Molly’s quirky BFF, Lila, is intrigued. But Molly can’t shake the sense of unease around him. When Max opens a competing pet shop in the small, cozy town of Maple Lake, it seems innocent enough - until he goes missing. Molly, Lila, and furry sidekick Mitz, are hot on the trail. As strange deliveries arrive at Max’s pet store, several locals become suspects. The trio follow the leads, hoping to uncover the truth behind Max’s ...

My summer escape to Camp Willow Creek promised campfires and marshmallows, not murder and mayhem. If my clumsy arrival to camp, designed for recovery and relaxation, wasn’t enough, then unpacking to a dead body in the woods certainly didn’t help. Being the first at the scene, Detective Harper, makes me his prime suspect. The camper’s whispers about Donnie’s untimely death makes my curiosity run deep; there’s no way I’m sitting this one out. Biscuit, my trusted sidekick mutt,and I sniff out clues. What we uncover is a web of secrets slicker than the murky lake bottom. The other ...

A new apartment, a new career and a dead ex colleague. And I’m suspect number one. My return to the city was supposed to be a fresh start—my cozy apartment, my dog Biscuit, and a new detective partnership with Harper. Not a deadly reminder of the past. But when a forgotten file resurfaces and Jordan turns up dead, I’m pulled into a web of secrets I thought I’d left behind. Worse? I was Jordan’s last call. Now I’m the prime suspect. Harper and I dive into the mystery, and the clues only get darker: files are scrubbed, Callum’s story unravels, Lara’s key card puts her near the...

As if planning a double wedding in a couple months isn’t stressful enough, now the wedding planner is dead and my sister's the prime suspect. Cozy Maple Lake glistens in the winter wonderland of trees lit with garland sparkling against the frozen water. Wedding planning is in full motion with poinsettias in place, cake ordered and guests invited. But when Lila’s sister, Sarah, discovers the wedding planner poisoned only weeks before the big day, plans take an abrupt stop. Sarah and Mrs. Potts, the baker, become the prime suspects. Molly, Lila, and their fiancé's, Jake and Max jump into...

We have a body; there’s no time for cake! Our PI Grand Opening gets put on hold when Eliza’s body was found in her bookstore, at the bottom of a spiral staircase she never used. Police have ruled it an accident, but my instinct tells me, there’s more to this story. With Detective Harper at my side and Biscuit, my devoted clue-sniffer, on my heels, we dig into Eliza’s life and uncover a hidden manuscript, a secret forgery business, and enough motives to fill a library. Oliver, her assistant, has money problems and an alibi that doesn’t check out. Theodore, a rival bookseller, holds...

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, she’s haunted by the dizzying tale of secrets and murder. She’s a chef, not a sleuth, but when the charming detective, Ethan, asks her to use her wine expertise to assist in this chilling case, Anya can’t help but dive in deep. Afterall, murder spoils their idyllic Italian ...

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

Penelope makes a fast break from her old life to the picturesque town of Bath, Maine. But the excitement halts when a dead body is found near her dumpster. Divorcee', Penelope, starts a new chapter in the town known for it’s boutiques. But when handyman Ricky’s body is found behind her shop, the old cliche, shop ‘til you drop, suddenly becomes a literal reality. Her curiosity piqued over the unsolved murder, 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 with Harry...

When Maggie’s fractured 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. Alongside her detective friend Harper, Maggie embarks on an investigation into Hugh’s untimely demise, but as they inch closer to the truth, the more danger they uncover. As Maggie’s loyal dog, Biscuit, senses the growing threat, the shadows of her past reveal uncomfortable truths about failed experiments, vengeful plots, and the manipulative Dana Timmons. With Jack Timmons—a jittery, evasive man—...

As if an inherited decrepit B&B with a reputation for vanished guests isn’t enough; our tranquil lake town now has a murder. My sweet, Aunt Mabel loved this place. Her guests were like family. She showered them in baked cookies and chamomile tea. Until Lila, a past guest, went missing decades ago. The overshadowing gloom put the haven in financial ruin. This is now mine to rebuild. Today news of a murder of deceitful Harold Finch now whispers through Maple Lake. Once a peaceful town, it’s now shaken with shady business deals, secrets, and a murderous connection to the past. My faithful ...

Moving to Bath was supposed to be a fresh start. Until a corpse clutching the jack of clubs turns my shop into a deadly poker game. How did my walk in the park end with dead bodies, poker hands, and me in the middle of the shuffle? Unaffected by Detective Caleb's warnings, I’m determined to unmask the killer, with my Teacup Chihuahua, Teo, nose to the ground. As cards and corpses stack up, each tied to Bath’s failed bakery co-op, my curiosity peaks. Secrets rise like yeast, revealing a web of deceit and betrayal that's far from sweet. Local baker, Maisie, seems too kneaded into the mix....

Curiosity draws me back to the wooded retreat when random items and a camper goes missing. But a dead body means I’m staying. My return to sister camp, River Rock, was to help locate Wesley. But when his body is found lifeless, my gut tells me there’s more linking these wooded retreats than pine trees. Detective Harper warns me away, but unresolved history pulls us 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 more suspect. Adding another layer...