A Batter Way to Die
(2026)(The second book in the Havenwood Mysteries series)
A novel by Alisson Bento
A dead body in the proofing room. A killer hiding behind good manners. A recipe for disaster.
Lila Hart’s mornings are usually filled with the comforting scents of cinnamon, butter, and yeast at the Lighthouse Bakery. But when she walks into her kitchen before dawn and finds Havenwood’s beloved lighthouse keeper, Oliver Dawes, dead on her floor, her perfectly measured life curdles.
The crime scene is a masterpiece of framing: a marble rolling pin staged just out of reach, a brass key dusted with sugar, and a canceled receipt that points straight to Lila. The town is ready to whisper her into a guilty verdict over their morning coffee.
Enter Detective Jonah Reed. Ten years ago, a bitter high school grudge tore them apart and sent him packing to Boston. Now, he’s back in Havenwood wearing a badge and a steely refusal to accept the town's tidy, polite lies. Instead of slapping cuffs on Lila, the methodical detective steps between her and the gossip, realizing they must work together to find the real killer.
As Lila and Jonah dig deeper, they uncover a chilling truth: the killer didn't just use Lila’s bakery; they weaponized her grief and her daily routines. When Lila discovers her late mother left behind a secret cipher hidden inside holiday recipe cards, the investigation cracks wide open. From missing ledgers and poisoned honey glazes to treacherous lighthouse stairs, the clues lead to a shocking conspiracy funded by the town's most trusted elites.
With the killer escalating from staging crime scenes to throwing bricks and pushing witnesses down cliffs, Lila and Jonah must race to decode the final recipe. Can they stop a murderer who hides behind casseroles and fake smiles, or will Lila’s bakery become her own tomb?
If you love gripping coastal mysteries, slow-burn romantic suspense, and clever culinary clues, you won't be able to put down A Batter Way to Die.
Tropes & Themes You'll Love:
Lila Hart’s mornings are usually filled with the comforting scents of cinnamon, butter, and yeast at the Lighthouse Bakery. But when she walks into her kitchen before dawn and finds Havenwood’s beloved lighthouse keeper, Oliver Dawes, dead on her floor, her perfectly measured life curdles.
The crime scene is a masterpiece of framing: a marble rolling pin staged just out of reach, a brass key dusted with sugar, and a canceled receipt that points straight to Lila. The town is ready to whisper her into a guilty verdict over their morning coffee.
Enter Detective Jonah Reed. Ten years ago, a bitter high school grudge tore them apart and sent him packing to Boston. Now, he’s back in Havenwood wearing a badge and a steely refusal to accept the town's tidy, polite lies. Instead of slapping cuffs on Lila, the methodical detective steps between her and the gossip, realizing they must work together to find the real killer.
As Lila and Jonah dig deeper, they uncover a chilling truth: the killer didn't just use Lila’s bakery; they weaponized her grief and her daily routines. When Lila discovers her late mother left behind a secret cipher hidden inside holiday recipe cards, the investigation cracks wide open. From missing ledgers and poisoned honey glazes to treacherous lighthouse stairs, the clues lead to a shocking conspiracy funded by the town's most trusted elites.
With the killer escalating from staging crime scenes to throwing bricks and pushing witnesses down cliffs, Lila and Jonah must race to decode the final recipe. Can they stop a murderer who hides behind casseroles and fake smiles, or will Lila’s bakery become her own tomb?
If you love gripping coastal mysteries, slow-burn romantic suspense, and clever culinary clues, you won't be able to put down A Batter Way to Die.
Tropes & Themes You'll Love:
- Rivals to Lovers / Second Chance Romance: A bitter, ten-year grudge turns into a slow-burning spark.
Forced Proximity: A fiercely independent baker and a stoic detective forced to team up to clear her name.
Small-Town Secrets: A picturesque coastal town where polite smiles hide deadly real estate fraud.
Secret Codes: Cryptic ciphers hiding a dangerous truth inside family recipe cards.
Protective Hero:
Genre: Mystery
Used availability for Alisson Bento's A Batter Way to Die