A Show Stopper Murder
(2026)(The fifth book in the Lila Lawson Cozy Mystery series)
A novel by Lilly Gibbs
A National Bake-Off. A Bitter Rivalry. And a Murder Served on Live TV.
Lila Lawson, a small-town reporter, expected a week of sugar and spice while covering the nation’s biggest baking competition in Copper Falls.
Instead, her plans were shattered when celebrity judge Julian Vane collapsed during the signature round, poisoned by a lethal ingredient in front of millions of viewers.
With her best friend Lexi being arrested for the crime, Lila takes over, sifting through clues while fighting her urge to organize every rolling pin in sight.
The clues lead to a kitchen full of suspects, including Marco, a rival baker with a grudge, and Jerry, the high-stakes producer who stands to inherit a fortune now that the star chef is gone.
Only one problem: the murder weapon was found hidden in Lexi’s own baking bag.
But when Lila and her loyal Collie, Ella, uncover a shadowmoving in the raw footage of the crime, Lila realizes the killer isn't finished with their recipe for revenge.
With a target on her back and the timer ticking down, catching the culprit is the only way she’ll save her friend—and herself.
Genre: Cozy Mystery
Lila Lawson, a small-town reporter, expected a week of sugar and spice while covering the nation’s biggest baking competition in Copper Falls.
Instead, her plans were shattered when celebrity judge Julian Vane collapsed during the signature round, poisoned by a lethal ingredient in front of millions of viewers.
With her best friend Lexi being arrested for the crime, Lila takes over, sifting through clues while fighting her urge to organize every rolling pin in sight.
The clues lead to a kitchen full of suspects, including Marco, a rival baker with a grudge, and Jerry, the high-stakes producer who stands to inherit a fortune now that the star chef is gone.
Only one problem: the murder weapon was found hidden in Lexi’s own baking bag.
But when Lila and her loyal Collie, Ella, uncover a shadowmoving in the raw footage of the crime, Lila realizes the killer isn't finished with their recipe for revenge.
With a target on her back and the timer ticking down, catching the culprit is the only way she’ll save her friend—and herself.
Genre: Cozy Mystery
Used availability for Lilly Gibbs's A Show Stopper Murder