Mornings come early at the bakery. My name is Glory Harper and starting my day at the crack of dawn is something I had to get used to when I began helping my daughter, Macy, in her new bakery, Macy’s on Main. I grew up in the little town of Sweetwater Springs, Alabama, but I just recently moved back after years of living in Texas. You see, my husband turned up dead in a parking garage three years ago, the victim of a supposed mugging, but it was never proven. In fact, I never believed it to begin with, but how can you convince the police when all you have to go on is intuition? Anyway, after they officially declared it a cold case, I decided I needed to get back to family. A girl needs support from those she loves, right? So back to Alabama I went and Sweetwater Springs welcomed me home with open arms.
Since I’ve been back, I have stumbled into more sticky situations than I care to think about. Sweetwater’s finest boys in blue don’t always seem to appreciate it, but I have managed to solve a few murders over the last year. Hopefully, all of that is in the past. I never want to see another dead body as long as I live!
Our town sits smack dab in the middle of the Bankhead National Forest and on the shores of beautiful Smith Lake. This makes us a prime tourist location for families and lake life enthusiasts, especially during the summer months. There’s always a festival or special event of some sort happening around here. Right now, we’re gearing up for the Annual Smith Lake Car Show and Competition. If that isn’t enough excitement, the election for town mayor is right around the corner and what figured to be an unopposed, smooth move into the Mayor’s office for George Woodard, suddenly became more unpredictable when my momma, of all people, decided she needed to run for mayor! Everybody in town knows Momma is a live wire, but this is something I never saw coming! Momma can be pretty headstrong at times, as evidenced by the fact that she’s been keeping company with an ex-mob boss. (He happens to be Macy’s grandfather-in-law.) Oh, and throw in the fact that my beau, Chief Detective Hunt Walker, is entering his 1966 Emberglo Mustang Convertible into the competition, it looks to be a wild ride for the next few weeks!
But whatever happens, you know there’s never a dull moment in our sleepy, little town! I hope you’ll come and visit sometime! Be sure to stop by Macy’s on Main for the best coffee and pastries in town! See you soon!
Hot Cars and Homicide, A Sweetwater Springs Southern Mystery Book 7
Genre: Cozy Mystery
Release: October 2024
Format: Print, Digital
Purchase Link
When small-town charm meets high-octane drama, anything can happen. In Sweetwater Springs, the annual Smith Lake Classic Car Show draws enthusiasts from far and wide, but this year, the show isn’t the only event revving up tension. With the town’s mayoral election just weeks away, a formerly uncontested race turns into a heated campaign when Momma decides to throw her hat in the ring—railroading a reluctant Glory into the job as campaign manager. She gets a rude awakening when it quickly becomes evident that all is fair in love and politics. Let the mudslinging begin.
When the body of the opposing candidate is found stuffed into a most unexpected location, fingers begin pointing at Momma and her retired mafia don boyfriend. With their relationships to the main suspects a little too close for comfort, Hunt and Jake are under the scrutinizing eye of the FBI and pressure builds to get the murder solved quickly. To help close the case in time for Hunt to enter his beloved ’66 Mustang into the car show, Glory decides that a little covert sleuthing is in order. From shady campaign dealings and old family skeletons to fierce car collectors with secret grudges, the case takes unexpected twists at every turn. Can Glory and Hunt sift through the clues and serve justice before someone else takes a dangerous detour?
Meet the author
S.C. Merritt writes cozy mysteries full of Southern flavor, laughter, a sprinkle of romance, and good, clean murder. Her stories draw you in and the characters become like old friends just waiting for you to stop by for a cup of coffee and the latest gossip.
When she isn’t writing, she’s traveling, binging British mysteries, and collecting flamingos. She lives in Georgia with her husband and miniature Schnauzer, Izzy, and dreams of living in a tropical locale someday.