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Gala Mystery
(2025)(The tenth book in the Candice Holladay Cozy Mystery series)
A novel by Carla Crowe
When the body of keynote speaker Charles Hargrove is discovered backstage moments before East Black Oak’s annual community gala begins, the celebration teeters on the brink of chaos.
Fortunately, retired detective and bookstore owner Candice Holladay—alongside her loyal German Shepherd, Chowder—arrives just in time to keep the scene contained. With help from reporter Christopher Donovan and a few trusted allies, Candice quietly assists Chief Sterling in preventing panic while the local coroner removes the body out the back door.
Hargrove was set to announce a major donation to the Community Foundation—funds earmarked for a highly specific (and highly contested) project. Among those in attendance: his ambitious ex-wife, the new city manager, and a smooth-talking real estate developer with too much charm and too little transparency.
As the night unfolds with music, dancing, and record-breaking fundraising totals, Candice and her team begin peeling back layers of deception. With a phony attorney, suspicious town officials, and undercover staff playing both sides, it’s a race to uncover the killer’s motive—before they strike again.
Small-town secrets, high-stakes philanthropy, and a curious bookshop cat named Whiskers round out this twisty, feel-good mystery.
Genre: Mystery
Fortunately, retired detective and bookstore owner Candice Holladay—alongside her loyal German Shepherd, Chowder—arrives just in time to keep the scene contained. With help from reporter Christopher Donovan and a few trusted allies, Candice quietly assists Chief Sterling in preventing panic while the local coroner removes the body out the back door.
Hargrove was set to announce a major donation to the Community Foundation—funds earmarked for a highly specific (and highly contested) project. Among those in attendance: his ambitious ex-wife, the new city manager, and a smooth-talking real estate developer with too much charm and too little transparency.
As the night unfolds with music, dancing, and record-breaking fundraising totals, Candice and her team begin peeling back layers of deception. With a phony attorney, suspicious town officials, and undercover staff playing both sides, it’s a race to uncover the killer’s motive—before they strike again.
Small-town secrets, high-stakes philanthropy, and a curious bookshop cat named Whiskers round out this twisty, feel-good mystery.
Genre: Mystery
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