Rachel Winters has spent five years perfecting her craft at Autumn Ales, her cozy microbrewery tucked into the Vermont hills. With her award-winning pumpkin ale ready to compete and her loyal beagle Amber by her side, she's excited for Cedarbrook's fifteenth annual Octoberfest celebration—a week of brewing competitions, harvest markets, and small-town charm at its finest. But the festival's cheerful atmosphere sours when an aggressive Boston investor named Vanessa Hartwell arrives with plans to modernize the town, threatening everything from Gordon's historic inn to Linda's beloved bookstore. When Vanessa publicly challenges Rachel about disputed property boundaries that could shut down her brewery, the confrontation leaves Rachel shaken and angry.
The next morning, Vanessa is found dead at the bottom of the inn's wine cellar stairs. What looks like a tragic accident quickly becomes a murder investigation, and Rachel finds herself at the top of the suspect list. With no alibi, a very public argument with the victim, and a threatening legal letter from Vanessa's attorney, Rachel realizes she needs to clear her name before the sheriff makes an arrest. Together with her best friend Marcus, Rachel begins asking questions around town—only to discover that nearly everyone at that kickoff dinner had a reason to want Vanessa gone. Stolen business proposals, unpaid invoices, destroyed livelihoods, and a web of suspicious real estate deals all point to multiple people with motive and opportunity.
As threatening notes arrive warning Rachel to stop investigating, and another local brewer is attacked and left injured, the danger escalates beyond anything Rachel imagined. Someone in Cedarbrook is desperate to keep their secrets buried, and they're willing to kill again to make sure the truth stays hidden. With the festival continuing around her and a killer walking freely through the autumn celebration, Rachel must piece together the clues before she becomes the next victim. In a town where everyone knows everyone, can Rachel figure out which neighbor turned deadly, or will her quest for the truth lead her straight into a killer's trap?
Genre: Cozy Mystery
The next morning, Vanessa is found dead at the bottom of the inn's wine cellar stairs. What looks like a tragic accident quickly becomes a murder investigation, and Rachel finds herself at the top of the suspect list. With no alibi, a very public argument with the victim, and a threatening legal letter from Vanessa's attorney, Rachel realizes she needs to clear her name before the sheriff makes an arrest. Together with her best friend Marcus, Rachel begins asking questions around town—only to discover that nearly everyone at that kickoff dinner had a reason to want Vanessa gone. Stolen business proposals, unpaid invoices, destroyed livelihoods, and a web of suspicious real estate deals all point to multiple people with motive and opportunity.
As threatening notes arrive warning Rachel to stop investigating, and another local brewer is attacked and left injured, the danger escalates beyond anything Rachel imagined. Someone in Cedarbrook is desperate to keep their secrets buried, and they're willing to kill again to make sure the truth stays hidden. With the festival continuing around her and a killer walking freely through the autumn celebration, Rachel must piece together the clues before she becomes the next victim. In a town where everyone knows everyone, can Rachel figure out which neighbor turned deadly, or will her quest for the truth lead her straight into a killer's trap?
Genre: Cozy Mystery
Used availability for Maisy Marple's Bitter Finish