“Mornin’ Darce,” I grumble, starting my day as I always do with a snout just inches from my face. Liquid brown eyes beg me to wake up.

“Good morning, Bobbie,” I imagine my dog responding. I know better. What he’s really saying is, “Breakfast time. Let’s go!”

The floor chills my feet as I step out of bed and slide into my ratty slippers and bathrobe. Honestly, waking to a ninety-pound Labrador retriever beats an alarm clock any day, even if he doesn’t have a snooze button. Once again, I’m grateful for my sister’s none-too-subtle nudge to start my own photography studio in Vermont. Left to my own devices, I’d still be in Boston, stuck in my old daily grind while grieving my husband’s death.

I scoop kibble into Darcy’s bowl, let him out the back door to do his thing, pour myself a mug of coffee, and grab a down throw. October in Stonebridge is chilly, but that doesn’t keep me from settling on my porch swing to watch my quaint little village come to life. If you’ve never experienced autumn in Vermont, you’re missing out. I sip my sweet, creamy coffee and watch as the morning sun casts its rays on the mountains beyond the village green. Fiery orange, red, and yellow set the mountains ablaze beneath the baby blue sky.

“Hey girl,” my best friend Rose calls from next door, all bright eyes and bouncing red curls. She sets her sandwich board on the sidewalk, as bleary-eyed caffeine-seekers stumble into her coffee shop.

I wave back, greeting my friend. From where I sit, I can just make out the message on her sign: Congratulations! You made it out of bed. Coffee awaits.

“Busy day?” she calls to me.

“Never too busy to stop by,” I answer.

To the casual onlooker, life in Stonebridge appears peaceful—idyllic. In many ways, it is. But not so long ago that I found myself in the midst of more excitement than I’d bargained for. Believe me, I don’t go looking for dead bodies. Nor do I fancy myself as a detective. My foray into the world of sleuthing wasn’t optional, though. After clearing my name, which involved a harrowing confrontation with an unhinged killer, I gladly hung up my deerstalker.

Today, my focus is solely on my business. It’s going to be a perfect fall day for an engagement shoot with an adorable couple. Then, tonight, I’ll dress up as my photography idol, Annie Leibovitz, and join my fellow villagers as we kick off Stonebridge’s annual harvest festival with a masquerade party on the village green.

Food, dancing, spiked cider, and masked marauders. The Stonebridge Keep it Snappy Shutter Club will be there to capture it all. What could possibly go wrong?

MASKED INTENTIONS
Series Name: A Camera Club Mystery, Book 2
Genre: Cozy Mystery
Release: January 2026
Format: Print, Digital
Purchase Link

It’s autumn in Vermont, and the mountains are ablaze with color, just in time for Stonebridge’s annual harvest festival. The village is swarming with leaf-peeping tourists, and the celebration is off to a jubilant start as residents gather for their favorite kick-off event: a masquerade party on the village green. But the crisp fall air turns chilling when a party guest is found lifeless and another is whisked away in an ambulance, on the verge of death.

Photographer Bobbie Brooks vows to leave the investigation to the professionals until a tearful plea from a friend causes her to shift her focus from merriment to murder. The Stonebridge Keep it Snappy Shutter Club is on another case as Bobbie plunges into the world of herbal poisons and masked motives. The truth is concealed in the details captured through her lens. But as everything comes into focus, Bobbie finds herself in danger once again. Can she unmask the killer before the killer zooms in on her?

About the author
Kara Lacey is the author of the Camera Club Mystery Series, traditional whodunnit mysteries with a warm, cozy vibe. She lives in a quaint village nestled in the beautiful Green Mountains of Vermont—the inspiration for her novels. Like her protagonist, Kara is a photography enthusiast who also enjoys hiking, watching the sunrise, and curling up by the fire with a good book. When she’s not at her laptop creating havoc for her characters, you’ll find her rambling through the forest with her husband and incorrigible Labrador retriever, camera in hand.

Kara is a member of Sisters in Crime and Mystery Writers of America. Connect with Kara at: karalaceyauthor.com or on social media @karalaceyauthor.