Hi, my name is Cedar Woods, and I am a recovering ostrich. You read that right—I like putting my head in the sand and ignoring decisions until I get bitten in the butt. Life hasn’t been peachy—the ex-husband left me penniless and for an older woman—but I was getting by, cleaning my friends’ fancy McMansions in the Bay Area. When my Aunt Coco took a tumble and broke her hip, I hightailed it back to my hometown, a mountain town in northern California.
Corgis, Reincarnation, and a Tea-rific Gamble
Welcome to Mirror Falls, a place where peculiar is the name of the game. Imagine this: Aunt Coco insists her new corgi is her late husband’s spirit come back to life. And here’s the kicker—she’s been taking financial tips from the fluffy critter and pouring her retirement money into a tea shop venture. A tea shop, folks! Who takes financial advice from a four-legged guru? As I scratched my head in disbelief, I couldn’t help but wonder if my ancestors were somehow orchestrating this chaos as a form of punishment.
A Murder Most Mysterious
Things took a dangerous turn when a rival tea shop owner shuffled off this mortal coil. And guess who’s the prime suspect? Yep, Aunt Coco. Suddenly, my peaceful hometown turned into a scene from a suspense flick. I found myself thrust into the role of amateur detective.
Sipping Tea, Solving Mysteries, and Making Friends
The journey to exonerate Aunt Coco and prepare the tea shop for its grand opening during the Fall Festival was far from straightforward. I encountered a cast of quirky characters, each with their own secrets to hide and motives to consider—a childhood foe who was now in a position of authority and a family friend who openly disliked me. The more I delved into the investigation, the more I realized that my own past was intertwined with the present mysteries of Mirror Falls.
Unmasking the Culprit and Finding Home
As the web of deceit tightened, I stress ate, guzzled tea by the gallon, and trekked through Old Town. I discovered hidden alleys and hidden strengths within myself—I never saw that one coming. And I learned that home is not just a place—it’s a feeling of belonging, of being surrounded by those who care for you, no matter the circumstances.
From divorce and financial woes to quirky family dynamics and a murder mystery, my journey through Mirror Falls has been anything but ordinary. As I embraced this new chapter in my life, I’m armed with an open heart and a cup of tea—a reminder that life’s most profound moments often unfold in the simplest of gestures.
Giveaway: Anne has generously offered to give away one digital copy of Arrest The Alibi to three lucky commenters. To enter, please leave a comment below. One entry per person. The giveaway ends September 7, 2023. Good luck everyone!
Arrest the Alibi, A Cedar Woods Mystery Book #1
Genre: Cozy Mystery
Release: September 2023
Format: Print, Digital, Audio
Purchase Link
“Arrest the Alibi” is a humorous cozy mystery featuring a Chinese-American sleuth, a matchmaking auntie, and a guardian angel corgi in an intriguing whodunit.
My name is Cedar Woods, and I am a recovering ostrich. I have the unfortunate habit of burying my head in the sand. Newly divorced and penniless, I am cleaning my friends’ fancy McMansions to make ends meet while lawyering up for a financial audit on my ex-husband’s tech company.
When my Aunt Coco fell and broke her hip, I hightailed back to Mirror Falls. But things took a bizarre turn when I found out my Chinese aunt thought her new corgi was her husband’s reincarnated spirit, and she took the dog’s financial advice to invest her retirement money into a tea shop. Is she losing her mind, or am I being punished by my ancestors?
To make matters worse, a rival shop owner turns up dead, and Aunt Coco becomes the prime suspect. With the help of newfound friends, I must shift through the town’s secrets to exonerate my aunt and prepare the tea shop for its grand opening. But with a vicious murderer on the loose, I might be in over my head. Can I catch the killer before someone else gets hurt? Will I find the home I spent my entire life searching for?
This humorous cozy mystery will charm readers with its endearing characters, heartwarming family relationships, and an intriguing whodunit that will keep readers guessing until the end. Don’t miss out on the fun. Grab your copy now.
About the author
USA Today bestselling author Anne R. Tan writes the Raina Sun Mystery series, the Lucy Fong Mystery series, and the Cedar Woods Mystery series. Her humorous cozy mysteries feature Chinese-American amateur sleuths dealing with love, family, and life while solving murders. Her books feature diverse characters and relationships because everyone deserves to be an armchair detective. For more information, visit: annertan.com.
Note From Anne
My books are my love letters to my children. They will not grow up in the San Francisco Bay Area like I did. Without a cultural hub, our family would lose this part of our heritage in one generation. My children are visitors to Chinese culture, just like my readers. At its core, Chinese culture is about family and community. And my characters—Raina Sun, Lucy Fong, Cedar Woods, and their dynamic families—embody these values in every chapter. Come experience the vibrant world I’ve created. I promise you’ll enjoy reading my books as much as I’ve loved writing them.
All comments are welcomed.
This sounds like a fun series. Don’t enter me in the giveaway because I don’t have an e-reader. But I will check to see if my library has it.
I love Anne R Tan as a enjoyable cosy mystery writer. Her character’s are fun and charming
Sounds like a fun story. And Sue, you can download the Kindle app for free and read e-books on your phone. I was reluctant at first, but now I probably read as many e-books as physical ones.
I love a book with dogs and tea shops–you can’t beat that combination
A couple of books, my special dog and a big cup of coffee. Tea’s okay, but I’d rather have coffee… And about those books: one I’ve read half a dozen time, one I’m in the middle of and some that I think sound good. Meet you at the coffee & tea shop.
Always entertaining reading
Sounds like a fun read!
Anne Tan is a cozy mystery GOAT!!
A quirky new series from Anne Tan, one of my favorite authors.
I love Anne’s books, her colorful characters and the world’s she creates. I am eager to start this new series. I never thought I would abandon print books, but I am now 100% Team ebook! My 10th generation Kindle fits in my purse so I am never without a book.
I never thought I would abandon print either, but I love my e-reader. I have a few paperbacks where the font is too small (never read those books). I even read from the Kindle, Apple Books, and Book Funnel apps on my phone. Mostly, I love being able to adjust the size of the font and having my entire library with me when I travel or on the go. No more deciding if the one paperback is enough or the wrong book for a trip.
Spot on! Rather read on with big print and multiple choices of genres and authors. The enlarged print reminds of of elementary school books, even preschool. Maybe my glasses and a bit of gray hair is obvious and I don’t have to explain why the print is So Big!!!
Fun reading with enjoyable characters – I’m sure she can’t write anything that I won’t like
such a fun author to read! a wonderful sense of humour.
Thank you for the opportunity to win.
Sounds like the perfect autumn read!
Sounds like a fabulous read
I love that you share your heritage with your children, my family on my Mom’s side came from Slovakia and most of that generation has passed and so little of their history and culture remains, we know a little but I always feel like we’ve lost so much of our history and that’s sad.
This sounds like a fun, quirky cozy. Thank you for the chance to win a copy!
Sounds like a neat book! No I won’t try to figure out where in Northern California it is, although I’m always tempted to! Most of the time it’s made up!
Love all your books..always entertaining and lol worthy!!
This book sounds really interesting.
This book sounds so good.I am already in love with the storyline and character.
Sounds interesting, love finding new books, would love to add to my 3000+ kindle books
I love books with dogs in them. I would love to win.
Anne Tan’s books are a wonderful escape. I thoroughly enjoy her books.
this book sounds so interesting and fun!
This looks to be another delightful book!
Sounds like a fun story. Thanks for the great post.
This sounds great. I hope it’s the first book of many more to come!
4-legged guru? Gotta see where that goes (and if he is as accurate as my friend’s pooch).
Love your cozy mystery’s
I’ll be reading Raina Sun later this month, & I’ve read Lucy Fong, so I’d love to read Cedar Woods! Your books are great!
These are fun whimsical books love the trouble that characters get into !
I love these books. Anne writes about humorous quirky lovable characters, scenic surroundings that are real page turner’s.
Real life situations, fiction, paranormal and family history that will be passed onto her family’s legacy are captured in each book.
Each book is like a box of chocolates. You never know what you will get! You will love each one.
Love your Cedar Woods Mysteries, Thanks for the chance to win 🙂
Your books sound like so much fun! I would love to delve into the Chinese culture since I know nothing about it. You are never too old to learn something new about others!
This sounds like fun. I would never take advice from our dogs. All they would do is tell me to jump a fence or chase a chicken.
I’ve really enjoyed everything I’ve read by Anne so far, so a new series sounds great.
Congratulations to the winners: Bernadette Cinkoske, Rochelle, and Jan