A Tart Most DeadlyIn Maplewood, nothing ever happens by accident.
At least, that’s what people like to believe.
Owen Harper has built his life on routine: early mornings, careful recipes, and Harper’s Hearth—the small-town bakery that has quietly held Maplewood together for years.
Until someone dies inside it.
When a visiting food critic collapses during a tasting and later dies, Owen''s world fractures overnight. The café is no longer just his livelihood—it’s the center of a growing investigation, and the source of every rumor spreading through town.
But something doesn’t add up.
As suspicion settles over Harper’s Hearth, Owen begins to notice the details others ignore—a hesitation, a contradiction, a silence that lingers just a little too long. Working alongside Police Chief Grace Miller, he follows a trail of small inconsistencies that point to something far more deliberate than anyone wants to admit.
Because in a town like Maplewood, secrets don’t stay hidden by accident.
They stay hidden because someone is protecting them.
With his reputation at risk, his relationships shifting, and the truth pulling him deeper than he ever intended to go, Owen must decide how far he’s willing to push—before uncovering the truth costs more than he can afford.
Genre: Cozy Mystery
At least, that’s what people like to believe.
Owen Harper has built his life on routine: early mornings, careful recipes, and Harper’s Hearth—the small-town bakery that has quietly held Maplewood together for years.
Until someone dies inside it.
When a visiting food critic collapses during a tasting and later dies, Owen''s world fractures overnight. The café is no longer just his livelihood—it’s the center of a growing investigation, and the source of every rumor spreading through town.
But something doesn’t add up.
As suspicion settles over Harper’s Hearth, Owen begins to notice the details others ignore—a hesitation, a contradiction, a silence that lingers just a little too long. Working alongside Police Chief Grace Miller, he follows a trail of small inconsistencies that point to something far more deliberate than anyone wants to admit.
Because in a town like Maplewood, secrets don’t stay hidden by accident.
They stay hidden because someone is protecting them.
With his reputation at risk, his relationships shifting, and the truth pulling him deeper than he ever intended to go, Owen must decide how far he’s willing to push—before uncovering the truth costs more than he can afford.
Genre: Cozy Mystery
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Used availability for Julian Brooks's A Tart Most Deadly