Harvest Festival Murder
(2027)(The fourth book in the Maplewood Mystery series)
A novel by Kathleen Guire
Everyone has secrets. In a close-knit town, keeping them is the tricky part.
Autumn has arrived in Maplewood, bringing crisp leaves, hot cider, and the annual Harvest Festival. Gabby Keats is happily surrounded by books at the library booth while friends and neighbors fill the town square, Brandon takes his chances in the police department’s dunk tank, and The Sleuths volunteer wherever they can be the most helpful—or the most nosy. Even Agatha is enjoying the festivities, although her interests lean more toward unattended treats than community service.
But the cozy celebration comes to a halt when a local pastor is murdered just hours after a heated public argument with the mayor. Suddenly, Maplewood has more than festival gossip to talk about—and one very obvious suspect.
As whispers spread, Gabby discovers the victim had stirred up more than one disagreement in their close-knit community. With secrets surfacing and suspicion falling on familiar faces, she and The Sleuths must figure out who was merely angry with the pastor—and who was angry enough to kill.
Because in a town where neighbors look out for one another, a murderer is counting on everyone looking in the wrong direction.
Perfect for readers who love amateur sleuths, small-town mysteries, found family, community-as-character, bookish sleuths, clever animal sidekicks, quirky sleuthing crews, detective/amateur-sleuth couples, and murder at a town festival. With faith, friendship, autumn atmosphere, and gentle humor at its heart, Harvest Festival Murder is a clean Christian cozy mystery filled with the warmth and community readers love about Maplewood.
Grab a cup of cider, settle into your coziest chair, and see if you can solve Gabby’s latest mystery before The Sleuths do.
Genre: Mystery
Autumn has arrived in Maplewood, bringing crisp leaves, hot cider, and the annual Harvest Festival. Gabby Keats is happily surrounded by books at the library booth while friends and neighbors fill the town square, Brandon takes his chances in the police department’s dunk tank, and The Sleuths volunteer wherever they can be the most helpful—or the most nosy. Even Agatha is enjoying the festivities, although her interests lean more toward unattended treats than community service.
But the cozy celebration comes to a halt when a local pastor is murdered just hours after a heated public argument with the mayor. Suddenly, Maplewood has more than festival gossip to talk about—and one very obvious suspect.
As whispers spread, Gabby discovers the victim had stirred up more than one disagreement in their close-knit community. With secrets surfacing and suspicion falling on familiar faces, she and The Sleuths must figure out who was merely angry with the pastor—and who was angry enough to kill.
Because in a town where neighbors look out for one another, a murderer is counting on everyone looking in the wrong direction.
Perfect for readers who love amateur sleuths, small-town mysteries, found family, community-as-character, bookish sleuths, clever animal sidekicks, quirky sleuthing crews, detective/amateur-sleuth couples, and murder at a town festival. With faith, friendship, autumn atmosphere, and gentle humor at its heart, Harvest Festival Murder is a clean Christian cozy mystery filled with the warmth and community readers love about Maplewood.
Grab a cup of cider, settle into your coziest chair, and see if you can solve Gabby’s latest mystery before The Sleuths do.
Genre: Mystery