Release: May 1, 2019
Series: Rita Calabrese Culinary #2
Genre: Cozy Mystery

Rita Calabrese thought she had mastered her second act. Long acknowledged as Acorn Hollow’s best cook and most lovable (or, as a few ignorant souls might say say, overbearing) Italian-American matriarch, she has more recently become its most celebrated journalist and sleuth too.

But on the eve of Rita’s fortieth wedding anniversary—and the town’s tercentenary—the sudden arrival of two very different men threatens Rita’s comfortable existence. First, her husband’s shady cousin shows up on their doorstep. Then, Rita’s old high school beau suddenly returns after a fifty-year absence, and Rita is assigned to interview him. Stefano’s a successful historian now and he’s still bellissimo—but he’s also hiding something.

When the town’s time capsule is flung open to reveal a toothless skeleton, Rita hopes that solving this cold case will be just the diversion she needs. But if identifying the victim proves difficult, managing the men in her life becomes nearly impossible. A cagey ex-flame and boorish, cigar-smoking houseguest are enough to deal with, but it’s another thing entirely when her husband, normally so skeptical of Rita’s nose for crime, begins insisting his recently deceased grappa-swilling, red-meat-loving septuagenarian friends did not die of heart attacks, but were murdered.

Only one thing’s certain—if she can survive it, this will be an anniversary to remember.

Featuring brand-new, mouth-watering Italian-American recipes ripped from the pages of Rita’s garden-to-table cookbook, including a recipe for chocolate-dipped peanut butter biscotti!


The author is giving away a signed advanced reader copy of A SECRET IN THYME. Leave a comment to be included in the giveaway. The ARC will be sent directly by the author. U.S. entries only, please. The giveaway ends March 11, 2019. Good luck everyone!


Meet the author
Maureen Klovers is the creator of the Rita Calabrese culinary cozy series and the Jeanne Pelletier amateur sleuth series. She loves poking around forgotten corners of D.C.; speaking Italian, testing recipes for Italian-American classics (which will later work their way into Rita’s cookbook!), and traveling to Italy; and spending time with her incredibly supportive husband, fun (but exhausting!) toddler, and energetic black Lab. She is a member of the Chesapeake Chapter of Sisters in Crime.

All comments are welcomed.