It is my pleasure to share with you the cover for the next book in the “Justice Bay” mystery series, coming in August 2026 and now up for preorder.
Publication Date: August 11, 2026
Series: A Justice Bay Mystery, Book 2
Genre: Traditional Mystery in a cozy setting
Format: Print, Digital
Author Website: patriciasmiley.com
Book Synopsis
It’s been two months since Emmaline McCoy moved from L.A. to the remote Northern California coastal town of Justice Bay to settle her aunt’s estate. One cold November morning, as she runs along a rural road, she notices a flurry of one-hundred-dollar bills floating in the air and follows the source to a meadow where she finds a man shot in the head execution-style.
Early suspects range from a billionaire Russian real estate oligarch to a local chicken farmer, but law enforcement’s failure to identify the victim hampers the investigation. Feeling an inexplicable responsibility toward the dead man, Emma uses her resourcefulness to search for a killer, relying on shoe leather and a series of strange visions that lead to a shocking truth, transforming Emma’s worldview and her sense of safety.
About the author
Patricia Smiley is the author of nine mystery novels, including her latest in the Justice Bay series, A Cold November Murder. Her short fiction has appeared in Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine and in Two of the Deadliest, an anthology edited by Elizabeth George. Patty is the former president of Sisters in Crime/Los Angeles and the current vice president of the Southern California Chapter of Mystery Writers of America. For more information, visit patriciasmiley.com.