Hey all! Katie Chambers here. Sorry if I’ve been a little distracted but I’ve just spent most of the weekend perfecting two new puzzles from our Winter Paradise series because, well, it’s my job at Cedar Bay Puzzles to make sure that they’re the best they can be before we launch them into the world.

That’s why I’m rushing out the door to meet with the rest of the South Island Jigsaw Crew, our little gang of puzzle enthusiasts who gather every Sunday to test new designs before my boss and I give them the green light. The skill, knowledge and passion this team possesses are a testament to its founder, my mom, and definitely make my job a little easier, but I wouldn’t call it easy.

In fact, the hard part isn’t really the job at all. It’s the emotions around it. You see, I recently moved back to Cedar Bay, a serene enclave nestled in the southwest corner of Washington State’s Whidbey Island, because my mom died. That was…holy cow. I can’t believe it’s already been six months. Yes, it was difficult to leave my job at my favorite Denver-based independent publisher, as well as the beauty and splendor of the Rocky Mountains, but my dad needed me. So did CBP (that’s what the locals call Cedar Bay Puzzles). Given my background in graphic design and my history of hanging around CBP since before I could walk, I was a natural to take her place. At least, that’s what my boss Neal thought. Some of the others at the company? Well, let’s just say they’re adjusting.

The recently revived Jigsaw crew? It’s thriving.

As for Dad, he’s come a long way. When I first moved back, I was really worried about him. He was depressed. He wasn’t eating well. He wasn’t socializing. He wasn’t even interested in reading! Which, as a librarian, is like ringing a four-alarm fire. Speaking of firemen…nah. Not ready to go down that road. Not yet. Give me a month or two. Or a year.

But Dad? Looking back and seeing how much he’s improved? Just thinking about how the whole town rallied around him brings me to tears. One of a million reasons why Cedar Bay is so great. He’s not back to where he was, and I’m not sure he ever will be. I know I won’t. But he’s so much better than he was.

Now we just have to review these incredible puzzles, including one that Elena Larsson, a member of our Crew, designed. Keep as much stress off Dad’s back as I can and eventually we’ll put as many of the pieces of our lives back together as we can.

Picking Up the Pieces – A Jigsaw Puzzle Mystery, Book 1
Genre: Cozy Mystery
Release: August 2025
Format: Print, Digital
Purchase Link

A dedicated group of jigsaw puzzle enthusiasts must put their problem-solving skills to the test when one of their own is murdered, for fans of Kate Young and Richard Osman.

After her mother’s passing, Katie Chambers returns to Cedar Bay, a serene enclave nestled in the southwest corner of Washington State’s Whidbey Island to support her newly widowed father, Jim Chambers. Stepping into her mother’s footsteps, Katie takes on the role of graphic designer at Cedar Bay Puzzles. With the help of her father, she resurrects her mom’s cherished initiative, the South Island Jigsaw crew, a group of puzzle enthusiasts who gather weekly at the library to test and tackle the latest Cedar Bay Puzzles creations. But when a member of their club is murdered and Jim is the last person to see her alive, resulting in his arrest, Katie and the rest of the gang must use all of their resources to obtain justice for both.

To prove her father’s innocence, Katie reaches out to Connor Crozier, a firefighter and her former flame who shattered her heart seven years ago. With problems piling up at work and a competitor outright accusing CBP of stealing his designs, it is up to Katie to puzzle out the mystery before it’s too late.

Perfect for fans of The Fellowship of Puzzlemakers and The Marlow Murder Club, this charming and fun mystery will have readers puzzling over the mystery until the last page.

About the author
J.B. Abbott is the pseudonym for the cozy mystery writing team of Jeff Ayers, author, reviewer, and former Co-Executive Director of Thrillerfest and Brian Tracey, author, executive, and former Chairman of DFWCon. Jeff also writes the National Parks Thriller Series with Jon Land, as A.J. Landau.