Winter's Roast
(2025)(The seventh book in the Perfect Blend Mystery series)
A novel by Emily Brewster
A genealogist's murder. Heritage fraud worth millions. Harbor Point's Underground Railroad history under attack...
When professional genealogist Dr. Miranda Ashworth arrives in Harbor Point during the town's first Winter Heritage Festival, coffee shop owner Maggie Porter is happy to fuel her research with a specialty "Frosty Morning" blend featuring rare beans from the Porter family's heritage collection. But after Miranda's body is discovered in the historical society archives, Maggie realizes her carefully crafted coffee has been turned into a murder weapon using deadly toxins extracted from her own rare botanical specimens.
As Detective James Cooper investigates during a massive blizzard that cuts Harbor Point off from the mainland, Maggie learns that Miranda was exposing a multi-state genealogical fraud network. Someone has been creating and selling fake Underground Railroad family histories for years, generating enormous profits while dishonoring the memory of genuine freedom fighters. When the investigation reveals that Harbor Point's own Historical Society president has been selling access to authentic documents to help criminals create convincing forgeries, the entire community must confront uncomfortable truths about greed, family pride, and historical integrity.
With a killer still loose and threatening to poison the town's water supply during the storm, Maggie must use her expertise in rare coffee toxicology and her community's knowledge of their own Underground Railroad tunnel system to expose a conspiracy that reaches from Harbor Point to heritage tourism programs across New England. As the blizzard rages and the truth emerges, she discovers that protecting authentic history requires the same courage and community cooperation that once helped escaped slaves find freedom through the very tunnels now sheltering the town's defenders.
Racing against winter storms and a desperate killer, Maggie learns that some family histories are worth dying for—and some are worth killing to protect.
Perfect for fans of Ellery Adams' Book by the Bay series, Sofie Kelly's Magical Cats Mysteries, and Lucy Burdette's Key West Food Critic Mysteries, this compelling installment combines genealogical intrigue with historical preservation and small-town resilience.
The Perfect Blend Mystery series delivers a rich, full-bodied cozy experience that will leave readers craving the next cup!
Genre: Mystery
When professional genealogist Dr. Miranda Ashworth arrives in Harbor Point during the town's first Winter Heritage Festival, coffee shop owner Maggie Porter is happy to fuel her research with a specialty "Frosty Morning" blend featuring rare beans from the Porter family's heritage collection. But after Miranda's body is discovered in the historical society archives, Maggie realizes her carefully crafted coffee has been turned into a murder weapon using deadly toxins extracted from her own rare botanical specimens.
As Detective James Cooper investigates during a massive blizzard that cuts Harbor Point off from the mainland, Maggie learns that Miranda was exposing a multi-state genealogical fraud network. Someone has been creating and selling fake Underground Railroad family histories for years, generating enormous profits while dishonoring the memory of genuine freedom fighters. When the investigation reveals that Harbor Point's own Historical Society president has been selling access to authentic documents to help criminals create convincing forgeries, the entire community must confront uncomfortable truths about greed, family pride, and historical integrity.
With a killer still loose and threatening to poison the town's water supply during the storm, Maggie must use her expertise in rare coffee toxicology and her community's knowledge of their own Underground Railroad tunnel system to expose a conspiracy that reaches from Harbor Point to heritage tourism programs across New England. As the blizzard rages and the truth emerges, she discovers that protecting authentic history requires the same courage and community cooperation that once helped escaped slaves find freedom through the very tunnels now sheltering the town's defenders.
Racing against winter storms and a desperate killer, Maggie learns that some family histories are worth dying for—and some are worth killing to protect.
Perfect for fans of Ellery Adams' Book by the Bay series, Sofie Kelly's Magical Cats Mysteries, and Lucy Burdette's Key West Food Critic Mysteries, this compelling installment combines genealogical intrigue with historical preservation and small-town resilience.
The Perfect Blend Mystery series delivers a rich, full-bodied cozy experience that will leave readers craving the next cup!
Genre: Mystery
Used availability for Emily Brewster's Winter's Roast