September, Smith Orchard
Twenty-eight-year-old Macki Smith has been in self-imposed prison at her family home after the worst breakup in history since May. She’s betrayed by her own sweet tooth when she dares a stop at Cosmic Café for Hunter’s apple-blueberry crepes. If there was an actual tooth to blame, she’d yank it out.
Halfway through that delicious crepe, her ex-best friend, Lisha Felling corners her at the table where she’s eating with her younger sisters, Jazz and Ambrosia. Has Lisha been waiting for the chance to pounce and apologize? Under siege, Macki accepts the apology and next thing she knows, she’s agreed to participate in the Cider Falls annual apple pie competition, something she hasn’t done in ten years. A steaming Macki realizes that Lisha only apologized so Macki would compete.
Her crepe is ruined, and Hunter boxes the other half up for her—he’s so sweet.
The entire walk home, her sisters share their confusion on why she’s not baking when Macki is hands-down the best baker in the Smith family, which is saying something.
Macki feels like a loser. The dream of her popup bakery, Crust to Crumble, is barely alive after her failures in Seattle. The only good thing about Seattle was meeting Logan Foster, the security guard at her and stupid-Gary’s condo. Logan had quit after she left to return to his passion of being a private investigator. They’ve remained friends through the occasional text. Macki has sworn off men forever.
At the farmhouse, Granny Honeybee knows about Macki’s acceptance to compete just as she and her sisters arrive home. Granny has kept Macki’s baking knives and returns them along with the advice to practice until the magic comes back. Macki has ignored the little voice inside her for far too long.
The filling for her apple pie is fine, but the perfect crust is just out of reach. She fears that she’s lost her mojo for good and Lisha, along with Penny, and Amber, just might take the blue ribbon.
Granny suggests letting go and just feel the dough. Connect with the flour and water from the crystal stream on their property, until the magic returns. Even if she doesn’t win the blue ribbon, Macki must do her best. It’s what’s in her heart—she is a Smith baker.
Let the competition begin!
Giveaway: Leave a comment below for your chance to win a print copy of APPLE PIES AND POSIONED LIES AT THE CIDER FALLS FESTIVAL. One entry per person. U.S. residents only, please. The giveaway ends August 27, 2026. Good luck everyone!
APPLE PIES AND POSIONED LIES AT THE CIDER FALLS FESTIVAL
Series: A Cider Falls Orchard Mystery, Book 1
Genre: Cozy Mystery
Release: August 2026
Format: Print, Digital, Audio
Purchase Link
For lovers of everything cozy and fall time, USA Today bestselling author Traci Hall brings all the autumn vibes to a brand new series featuring a family of Washington State apple orchard owners who become entangled in a murder investigation…
In the foothills of Washington’s Cascade mountains, the Smith family’s Cider Falls Orchard is at its busiest amid the bustling autumn season—but when murder enters the mix, one bad apple may have spoiled the whole barrel . . .
If you care for the land, the land will care for you.
For generations, that’s been the Smith family’s motto. Between hayrides, apple picking, bonfires, and tasty apple treats, their Cider Falls Orchard provides an autumn bounty that draws locals and tourists alike. And now, Mcintosh “Macki” Smith—named after an apple variety, just like her siblings—is home too, after a bad breakup.
Macki is glad to be on hand when her parents are sidelined by an accident, and she’s even been persuaded to enter the Cider Falls Festival’s prestigious baking competition with her famous double crust apple pie. But someone has taken the contest to deadly serious levels . . .
It seems there are plenty of surprising motives for murder, especially after Macki learns that a crooked developer wants to buy and demolish the orchard—which makes her parents’ accident increasingly suspicious. But serving up the real killer will put her in unexpected danger, because someone in this picture-perfect town finds murder as easy as pie . . .
About the author
USA Today bestselling author Traci Hall crafts small-town mysteries to cozy up with. Check out her Scottish Shire series, which takes place in Nairn, or the Salem B & B series as Traci Wilton, or the Irish Castle series as Ellie Brannigan, with the brand-new Cider Falls mysteries out in 2026. Learn more here: www.tracihall.com.