Although I enjoy every season of the year, fall is my favorite. I love the crisp air with its hint of wood smoke, the colorful leaves, frosty mornings, and delicious locally grown apples. To me, fall is the perfect season for curling up under a cozy blanket with a good book and a cup of tea or a mug of apple cider. If the book is an autumn-set cozy mystery, so much the better!
I also love the prevalence of pumpkins in the fall. Carving jack-o-lanterns is one of my favorite activities at this time of year and I have several favorite pumpkin recipes: pumpkin bread, pumpkin pie, pumpkin crêpes, and pumpkin waffles. Just thinking about those delicious foods makes my mouth water!
I’m lucky to live in a town that offers fun activities at this time of year, making fall even more enjoyable. The annual Harvest Festival takes place in early October and features lawn tractor races, rutabaga bowling, and a pumpkin catapult competition that provided some inspiration for one of my upcoming books, Wine and Punishment. Closer to Halloween, there’s a haunted corn maze at a local historic ranch and a Walk of Terror put on by a theatre group.
Of course there’s the decorating too. As soon as October 1st comes around, it’s time to put up the Halloween lights—I’ve got orange ones, purple ones, and flashing green skeletons. One day I’d love to turn my front yard into a graveyard for Halloween, with headstones with funny epitaphs. Nothing too scary for the kids, though. If they won’t come to the door, I’d end up eating all the candy!
In USA Today bestselling author Sarah Fox’s delicious new Pancake House Mystery, it’s up to Marley McKinney to discover the waffle truth behind a rival’s murder . . .
Winter has come to Wildwood Cove, and riding in on the chill is Wally Fowler. Although he’s been away for years, establishing his reputation as the self-proclaimed Waffle King, the wealthy blowhard has returned to the coastal community to make money, not friends—by pitting his hot and trendy Waffle Kingdom against Marley McKinney’s cozy pancake house, The Flip Side. Wally doesn’t see anything wrong in a little healthy competition, until he’s murdered in his own state-of-the art kitchen.
Marley isn’t surprised when the authorities sniff around The Flip Side for a motive, but it’s her best friend Lisa who gets grilled, given her sticky history with the victim. When a second murder rocks the town, it makes it harder than ever for Marley to clear Lisa’s name. Marley’s afraid that she’s next in line to die—and the way things are looking, the odds of surviving her investigation could be stacked against her.
Includes pancake recipes right from The Flip Side menu!
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