Frosting, Frames, and Felonies
(2026)(The fourth book in the Through the Lens series)
A Story by Lyla Blue
Lights. Camera. Cupcakes…
and a mystery no one saw coming.
When food stylist, Cora Hartley, returns to work with Bright Nest Studios after a rocky stretch, she’s hoping for something simple—a fresh start, a familiar crew, and a low-stakes project that lets her do what she does best: make everything look picture-perfect. Instead, she lands in the middle of a behind-the-scenes documentary filming in charming Cedarbrook, North Carolina, where a cozy mystery microseries is being brought to life inside one delightfully quirky house.
There are frosted cupcakes stacked just so, cameras rolling at every angle, and a cast determined to make movie magic. But behind the scenes, tensions simmer hotter than a summer afternoon—especially when the production’s leading man proves to be far more difficult off-camera than on.
When he vanishes overnight, leaving behind a perfectly staged set and a whole lot of unanswered questions, Cora can’t ignore the feeling that something about this production isn’t quite as polished as it seems.
With her keen eye for detail—and a little help from her loyal goldendoodle, Mabel—Cora pieces together what really happened between ‘cut’ and ‘action.’
Because in a house full of hidden corners, carefully placed marks, and scenes designed to deceive…
Not everything is as perfectly framed as it appears.
And this time, the truth might be hiding just out of view.
Genre: Cozy Mystery
and a mystery no one saw coming.
When food stylist, Cora Hartley, returns to work with Bright Nest Studios after a rocky stretch, she’s hoping for something simple—a fresh start, a familiar crew, and a low-stakes project that lets her do what she does best: make everything look picture-perfect. Instead, she lands in the middle of a behind-the-scenes documentary filming in charming Cedarbrook, North Carolina, where a cozy mystery microseries is being brought to life inside one delightfully quirky house.
There are frosted cupcakes stacked just so, cameras rolling at every angle, and a cast determined to make movie magic. But behind the scenes, tensions simmer hotter than a summer afternoon—especially when the production’s leading man proves to be far more difficult off-camera than on.
When he vanishes overnight, leaving behind a perfectly staged set and a whole lot of unanswered questions, Cora can’t ignore the feeling that something about this production isn’t quite as polished as it seems.
With her keen eye for detail—and a little help from her loyal goldendoodle, Mabel—Cora pieces together what really happened between ‘cut’ and ‘action.’
Because in a house full of hidden corners, carefully placed marks, and scenes designed to deceive…
Not everything is as perfectly framed as it appears.
And this time, the truth might be hiding just out of view.
Genre: Cozy Mystery
Used availability for Lyla Blue's Frosting, Frames, and Felonies