Deadline for Murder
(2025)(The third book in the Deadlines & Deadlines Mystery series)
A Story by Maisy Marple
When a food critic dies, this small-town reporter must find the killer before the festival ends!
The Millfield Summer Arts Festival should be the highlight of the season—a celebration of creativity, community, and culinary delights. For journalist Lucy Hartwell, it's the perfect assignment: cover the festivities, support her photographer friend Jake's first exhibition, and maybe enjoy a quiet dinner with the town's handsome doctor, Nathan Cooper.
But when renowned food critic Grayson Pierce collapses after judging the baking competition, Lucy's reporter instincts tell her this is no accidental death. As the town's beloved baker Sophia Palmer is hastily arrested, Lucy is convinced of her innocence and dives into an investigation that will stir up secrets buried for twenty years.
With her trusted team—photographer Jake Bennett and eager young reporter Zoe Rodriguez—Lucy uncovers a tangled web of revenge, betrayal, and complicated relationships. Three suspects emerge, each with powerful motives: festival organizer Vanessa Clark, restaurant owner Julia Sanchez, and rival critic Thomas Wright. All three had their careers destroyed by Pierce twenty years ago in Chicago. All three have rebuilt their lives in Millfield. And now all three are hiding something.
As Lucy pieces together clues from poisoned pie to threatening notes, she realizes the three suspects share more than just hatred for the victim—they have a history together that goes far deeper than professional rivalry. But when Lucy gets too close to the truth, she becomes the next target.
With the festival's closing ceremony approaching fast, Lucy must identify the killer before they strike again. Because in Millfield, the deadline for murder might be closer than she thinks...
Genre: Mystery
The Millfield Summer Arts Festival should be the highlight of the season—a celebration of creativity, community, and culinary delights. For journalist Lucy Hartwell, it's the perfect assignment: cover the festivities, support her photographer friend Jake's first exhibition, and maybe enjoy a quiet dinner with the town's handsome doctor, Nathan Cooper.
But when renowned food critic Grayson Pierce collapses after judging the baking competition, Lucy's reporter instincts tell her this is no accidental death. As the town's beloved baker Sophia Palmer is hastily arrested, Lucy is convinced of her innocence and dives into an investigation that will stir up secrets buried for twenty years.
With her trusted team—photographer Jake Bennett and eager young reporter Zoe Rodriguez—Lucy uncovers a tangled web of revenge, betrayal, and complicated relationships. Three suspects emerge, each with powerful motives: festival organizer Vanessa Clark, restaurant owner Julia Sanchez, and rival critic Thomas Wright. All three had their careers destroyed by Pierce twenty years ago in Chicago. All three have rebuilt their lives in Millfield. And now all three are hiding something.
As Lucy pieces together clues from poisoned pie to threatening notes, she realizes the three suspects share more than just hatred for the victim—they have a history together that goes far deeper than professional rivalry. But when Lucy gets too close to the truth, she becomes the next target.
With the festival's closing ceremony approaching fast, Lucy must identify the killer before they strike again. Because in Millfield, the deadline for murder might be closer than she thinks...
Genre: Mystery
Used availability for Maisy Marple's Deadline for Murder