Elisa Brown is the prime suspect for her arch enemy's murder.
The only problem? She didn't do it.
Elisa's life is finally getting back on track after six months of post-breakup chaos. New dress, new assistant, and a hard-won sense of optimism. But when her business rival Kelly Armstrong is found stabbed in the café bathroom, all eyes turn to Elisa, the woman Kelly publicly humiliated, whose designs Kelly stole, and who was seen arguing with her just minutes before the murder.
With the police convinced of her guilt and her reputation in tatters, Elisa has no choice but to investigate. Armed with her best friend Stella's analytical skills, her assistant Luca's social media savvy, and her own stubborn determination, she dives into Sydney's criminal underworld.
What she uncovers is a web of deception involving gangsters, counterfeit luxury goods, a shadowy business partner, and a connection to her own past she never saw coming. As threatening messages arrive and her apartment is ransacked, Elisa realizes the killer is closer than she thought, and far more dangerous.
Can a middle-aged interior designer with a dodgy pelvic floor and a tendency toward impulse shopping catch a murderer before she becomes the next victim?
**Perfect for fans of cozy mysteries with sharp wit, harbour views, and a heroine who refuses to go down without a fight.**
Tropes you love:
The only problem? She didn't do it.
Elisa's life is finally getting back on track after six months of post-breakup chaos. New dress, new assistant, and a hard-won sense of optimism. But when her business rival Kelly Armstrong is found stabbed in the café bathroom, all eyes turn to Elisa, the woman Kelly publicly humiliated, whose designs Kelly stole, and who was seen arguing with her just minutes before the murder.
With the police convinced of her guilt and her reputation in tatters, Elisa has no choice but to investigate. Armed with her best friend Stella's analytical skills, her assistant Luca's social media savvy, and her own stubborn determination, she dives into Sydney's criminal underworld.
What she uncovers is a web of deception involving gangsters, counterfeit luxury goods, a shadowy business partner, and a connection to her own past she never saw coming. As threatening messages arrive and her apartment is ransacked, Elisa realizes the killer is closer than she thought, and far more dangerous.
Can a middle-aged interior designer with a dodgy pelvic floor and a tendency toward impulse shopping catch a murderer before she becomes the next victim?
**Perfect for fans of cozy mysteries with sharp wit, harbour views, and a heroine who refuses to go down without a fight.**
Tropes you love:
- Amateur Sleuth
Wrongly Accused
Midlife Heroine
Best Friends Solve Crime
Fish Out of Water
Small Business Owner Sleuth
Organised Crime Elements
Underestimated Woman
Comic Relief Sidekicks
Double Life/Dual Identity
Genre: Cozy Mystery
Used availability for Jemima Jenkins's The Cafe Murder