Have you ever stopped and said to yourself, where has the year gone to? It’s been twelve months since my best friend Leila returned from Florida to take over Sappy Endings, her father’s maple syrup farm in Vermont. His will stipulated that she had to run the farm for one year, and then she could do as she pleased with it. Well, the year has flown by in a blink of an eye, and now the holidays are right around the corner.

I should introduce myself. My name is Heather Murray. I was recently married to the love of my life, Tyler, who is a pediatrician. As for myself, I work as a hair stylist out of our home and love to make people feel more beautiful about themselves. Leila always teases me that my color jobs are to die for. (Eye roll.)

Being a hairdresser means that I am privy to all kinds of juicy gossip. I know about our librarian, Paige Turner, who’s having a secret romance with Jed Simpson, the local butcher. An unnamed source also informed me that the mayor is talking about bringing one of those popular steakhouse chains into our rural town of Sugar Ridge. Personally, I can’t see it happening, but times are definitely changing.

It wasn’t too long ago that my name was part of gossip central. Last spring, my aunt was murdered at my bridal shower, and for a while, it didn’t look like the wedding was going to happen. Fortunately, Leila stepped in and saved the day by identifying the killer.

In an attempt to bring more customers into Sappy Endings, Leila’s decided to host a pie baking contest. I do volunteer work for the local food pantry, and Leila generously offered to donate part of the day’s profits to the organization. As the entries piled in, my mouth began to water—chocolate fudge, maple cream, strawberry rhubarb, pumpkin, apple—oh, I could go on and on. I want to eat them all!

The weather’s been so mild that we decided to hold the event outside. There were also maple lattes—courtesy of Mrs. Khoury, and hand churned ice cream provided by Leila’s boyfriend Noah—who is a hunk and perfect for her in every way. And what’s better on pie than homemade ice cream?

It should have been a perfect day filled with people enjoying the sweets, pie themed music, balloon animals for the kids, and Toast. No, not French toast. I’m talking about Leila’s adorable orange cat. He’s so personable and loves getting snuggles from everyone.

If only Margaret Middleton, the biggest gossip of them all, hadn’t insisted on eating the pumpkin pie. Leila told her to wait for the judges to sample it first, but she wouldn’t listen. Now she’s dead, and Leila may not have to worry about if she wants to continue running the farm. There may not be a farm for much longer since Margaret’s family is threatening with a lawsuit.

I would do anything to help my best friend. The problem is, we can’t seem to figure out who wanted Margaret dead. There’s a good reason why. As it turns out, Margaret was not the intended victim, which means that the killer is going to strike again. And this time, it may be closer to home.

Life can sure be a sticky mess at times.

In The Blink Of A Pie, A Maple Syrup Mystery Book 3
Genre: Cozy Mystery
Release: October 2024
Format: Print, Digital
Purchase Link

USA Today bestselling author Catherine Bruns is back with the third installment in the “delightfully sweet” Maple Syrup Mysteries, transporting readers back to the cozy town of Sugar Ridge, Vermont, where things are bound to go from sweet, to sour.

Sometimes, there’s no one you can crust…

It’s Thanksgiving in Sugar Ridge, Vermont, and Leila Khoury, manager of Sappy Endings Farm, is ready to usher in the holiday season by hosting a pie-baking contest. The day is meticulously planned, from the judging panel to the maple lattes, and Leila can’t wait for the entire town to enjoy some sweet treats.

But when a neighbor drops dead from sampling a poisoned pumpkin pie, it’s not just Leila’s perfect day that’s in jeopardy―her livelihood is now at stake. And after yet another near-fatal incident, she realizes an even more terrifying truth: the killer wasn’t targeting her neighbor, but someone even closer to home!

Can Leila figure out who’s behind the murder, before the dough hits the fan?

Includes delicious holiday pie recipes!

About the author
Catherine Bruns is the USA Today bestselling author of the Cookies & Chance mysteries. She lives in New York with her very patient husband, three sons, and several spoiled pets. Catherine also writes the Italian Chef, Cindy York, and Maple Syrup mysteries. Her book, For Sale by Killer, won the Daphne du Maurier award for Best Mainstream Mystery/Suspense. She’s written 30 novels and has many more stories waiting to be told.

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