Cake, Crime, & Cocker Spaniels
(2026)(A book in the Whiskers and Whisks series)
A novel by Gayle M Irwin
Sabotage, secrets, and a stolen recipe. Can Ruby save her grandmother’s legacy before Madison Vale’s Christmas-in-July festival begins?
When Ruby Hale inherits her grandmother’s bakery in a charming Montana town along the Madison River, she trades her corporate marketing life for the small community near Yellowstone National Park that she loved as a child. But just days before the festive Christmas-in-July Jamboree and its ‘Red Velvet Reindeer Bake-Off,’ her grandmother’s treasured recipe disappears.
Alongside her inquisitive cocker spaniel, Biscuit, Ruby dives into the mystery. Trouble deepens when someone sabotages the building which houses the legendary establishment. Childhood friend Liam Brooks—now a rugged carpenter and part-time outdoor guide—steps up to help with repairs. He soon adds sleuthing to his skill set as he, Ruby, and Biscuit uncover more clues.
Christmas decorations pop up in shop windows, a beach-clothing-clad Santa gathers his antlered horses, and festival contestants prepare for the bake-off while suspicions and secrets swirl like snow among rival bakers, event organizers, and longtime locals.
Cake, Crime, & Cocker Spaniels blends western small town charm and cozy mystery fun with a dash of romance and a sprinkle of summertime Christmas magic.
Genre: Mystery
When Ruby Hale inherits her grandmother’s bakery in a charming Montana town along the Madison River, she trades her corporate marketing life for the small community near Yellowstone National Park that she loved as a child. But just days before the festive Christmas-in-July Jamboree and its ‘Red Velvet Reindeer Bake-Off,’ her grandmother’s treasured recipe disappears.
Alongside her inquisitive cocker spaniel, Biscuit, Ruby dives into the mystery. Trouble deepens when someone sabotages the building which houses the legendary establishment. Childhood friend Liam Brooks—now a rugged carpenter and part-time outdoor guide—steps up to help with repairs. He soon adds sleuthing to his skill set as he, Ruby, and Biscuit uncover more clues.
Christmas decorations pop up in shop windows, a beach-clothing-clad Santa gathers his antlered horses, and festival contestants prepare for the bake-off while suspicions and secrets swirl like snow among rival bakers, event organizers, and longtime locals.
Cake, Crime, & Cocker Spaniels blends western small town charm and cozy mystery fun with a dash of romance and a sprinkle of summertime Christmas magic.
Genre: Mystery