Murder at the Gingerbread Festival
(2025)(A book in the WillowBrook Cozy Mystery series)
A novel by Aj Provost
Snow falls gently on WillowBrook as the Gingerbread Festival kicks off, and Main Street brims with spiced aromas and dazzling displays. Violet Green'''s greenhouse-themed gingerbread house faces off against Daisy’s literary creation and Lily’s bustling candy market in the friendly town competition. Anticipation builds for the arrival of celebrity judge Julian Frost, a sharp-tongued pastry critic famed for both his sugary praise and bitter insults.
Excitement turns to alarm when Julian is found dead just before the festival’s opening parade—not by poisoned treats, but by a toppled gingerbread archway outside the WillowBrook Cafe. Festive chaos erupts as Julian’s demise is quickly ruled suspicious: the gingerbread arch was expertly sabotaged, the supporting structure removed. Whiskers, Violet’s mischievous tabby, provides the festival’s first clue after getting stuck in a pile of collapsed candy rubble, hilariously sending gumdrops flying in all directions.
Violet dives into sleuthing with her signature flair and gardening know-how, soon joined by sisters Daisy and Lily. Buddy, Daisy’s golden retriever, causes comic mayhem, sniffing out hidden blueprints (and a stray turkey leg) behind the displays. Lily’s penchant for gossip and snacks leads her onto frosty stakeouts, where her eavesdropping turns into slapstick adventures in caramel corn. Tom mans the ham radio, intercepting coded messages whispered by anxious vendors, uncovering sabotage plots that run deeper than molasses.
Genre: Cozy Mystery
Excitement turns to alarm when Julian is found dead just before the festival’s opening parade—not by poisoned treats, but by a toppled gingerbread archway outside the WillowBrook Cafe. Festive chaos erupts as Julian’s demise is quickly ruled suspicious: the gingerbread arch was expertly sabotaged, the supporting structure removed. Whiskers, Violet’s mischievous tabby, provides the festival’s first clue after getting stuck in a pile of collapsed candy rubble, hilariously sending gumdrops flying in all directions.
Violet dives into sleuthing with her signature flair and gardening know-how, soon joined by sisters Daisy and Lily. Buddy, Daisy’s golden retriever, causes comic mayhem, sniffing out hidden blueprints (and a stray turkey leg) behind the displays. Lily’s penchant for gossip and snacks leads her onto frosty stakeouts, where her eavesdropping turns into slapstick adventures in caramel corn. Tom mans the ham radio, intercepting coded messages whispered by anxious vendors, uncovering sabotage plots that run deeper than molasses.
Genre: Cozy Mystery
Used availability for Aj Provost's Murder at the Gingerbread Festival