A milestone birthday. A fiercely contested baking competition. And a recipe for murder.
Autumn has arrived in Willowby, and the small town is celebrating with its first ever Custard Festival. Traditional squares, French-inspired pastries and modern creations are all competing for top honours, and everyone seems to have an opinion on what makes the perfect custard square.
Tamsin Blake has other things on her mind. Her thirtieth birthday is approaching, and she'd much rather let it pass quietly. Unfortunately, her friends are behaving suspiciously, the Velvet Scone is busier than ever, and festival judge Margaret Ellison has managed to upset half the local baking community.
Then Margaret is found dead.
Outspoken French pastry chef Henri Beaumont looks like the obvious suspect after his very public clashes with Margaret, but Tamsin isn't convinced. As she digs deeper, she discovers that the rivalry over custard squares may be hiding something far more valuable, involving missing records, historic recipes and secrets someone is determined to keep buried.
With Professor Pembroke lending a paw and Tamsin's friends acting increasingly strangely, she'll have to separate the clues from the red herrings before the killer slips away.
Because in Willowby, even the sweetest traditions can hide a deadly secret.
A Custard Square to Die For is a warm and witty New Zealand cozy mystery filled with small-town secrets, café treats, quirky characters, found family and a murder to solve.
Genre: Cozy Mystery
Autumn has arrived in Willowby, and the small town is celebrating with its first ever Custard Festival. Traditional squares, French-inspired pastries and modern creations are all competing for top honours, and everyone seems to have an opinion on what makes the perfect custard square.
Tamsin Blake has other things on her mind. Her thirtieth birthday is approaching, and she'd much rather let it pass quietly. Unfortunately, her friends are behaving suspiciously, the Velvet Scone is busier than ever, and festival judge Margaret Ellison has managed to upset half the local baking community.
Then Margaret is found dead.
Outspoken French pastry chef Henri Beaumont looks like the obvious suspect after his very public clashes with Margaret, but Tamsin isn't convinced. As she digs deeper, she discovers that the rivalry over custard squares may be hiding something far more valuable, involving missing records, historic recipes and secrets someone is determined to keep buried.
With Professor Pembroke lending a paw and Tamsin's friends acting increasingly strangely, she'll have to separate the clues from the red herrings before the killer slips away.
Because in Willowby, even the sweetest traditions can hide a deadly secret.
A Custard Square to Die For is a warm and witty New Zealand cozy mystery filled with small-town secrets, café treats, quirky characters, found family and a murder to solve.
Genre: Cozy Mystery