A Cookie to Die For by Kira Seamon

About the Book

Charming, heartwarming cozy mystery novella from award-winning author Kira Seamon. Heather Moore has just picked a huge basket of her own peaches for neighbor Graham Barclay, but when she walks over to deliver them to him, she walks into a crime scene! When Charlotte, Graham's stunning white Persian indoor cat suddenly leaps into her arms from the bushes, she knows something is very wrong . . . dead wrong! Just as she's puzzling all this out, Graham's granddaughter, Madeleine, pulls up lame in his driveway - with a car that has overheated and won't drive any further.

While breaking the news to Madeleine about her grandfather's death, Heather gets drawn into the Barclay family secrets and nothing is as it appears. Madeleine is going into hiding and needs a secluded place to stay. Heather has just the place for her. Meanwhile, other townspeople keep coming up to her with more and more suspicious news about that family and Heather decides that she better start an investigation of her own. Graham's cookie empire looks like it's crumbling to pieces as it is attacked from all sides . . . and even worse . . . it seems that he may have taken his famous cookie recipe to the grave with him! Can Heather chip away at the evidence and milk her sources to save the day? Suspects are lining up in her mind and she knows someone will be caught with their hand in the cookie jar.

Become charmed by the cute pets in this story, including Blossom, Heather's loyal and adorable pug dog, and Charlotte, the Barclay family's brave cat. Smile as Heather finds one creative way after another to keep ahead of all the incoming news as she pieces together what happened and finds justice for Madeleine. This sparkling, fast-paced novella will warm your heart and entertain you.

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Excerpt

“How is your daughter Ginger, and what did I just hear you say about Graham’s cookies? Unavailable everywhere? How can that be?”

Heather posed her questions to Coco even as she got out her smartphone and started researching the world-famous graham cracker cookies that Graham Barclay’s company was known for. Graham’s Grahams was founded by Shellesby’s most famous resident using a secret recipe that purportedly only he knew. He put chocolate chips in his graham crackers, but that wasn’t what made them special. There was apparently a hefty dose of a rare honey that was credited with their addictive appeal, but no one knew which type of honey he used. His cookie recipe was constantly attempted by other companies and home bakers alike, but no one could ever make the same delicious goodness that was a Graham Graham.

“Unavailable, as in out-of-stock everywhere! Check out his website. It says there is a supply-chain issue.” Coco shook her head in dismay and her tightly curled brown hair danced about her face. Heather visited the company’s website to duly see that across the front of the homepage in all capital letters was the message that the cookies were unavailable for the time being.

“Wow, that is surprising. Let’s talk more - I’ll be right outside!” Heather said as Coco went to the kitchen to pick up another diner’s order, served it to the customer, and then went outside to Heather’s table with a solemn expression.

“Have you heard the day’s other big news? Graham’s cookies aren’t the only things . . . um . . . out-of-stock. He’s apparently ‘out-of-stock' too. Graham was found dead this morning!”

Heather decided to not divulge to Coco that she found his body, so she could perhaps learn more about what happened. “Yes, I heard! I am heartbroken - it is such bad news.”

“I have heard that Graham was being blackmailed by his business partner and that Graham was in the process of dissolving the partnership. I wonder if that had something to do with the death?”

“Who was his partner?”

“Wellington Davis . . . Olivia, the front desk manager over at the All-Seasons hotel, texted me that a certain Wellington Davis checked in recently. Apparently, he flew in from NYC last night.”

“Really? Do you know why the partnership was on the rocks?”

“Well, I heard from a customer who sat on the same board as Wellington, that he wanted a much bigger stake in the company than he currently had. I think Graham was being pressured by him to give him 75% of his entire business empire.”

“75%!”

“I hear it was even worse. I think Wellington also wanted to have Graham sign over his mansion on Blueberry Lane to him instead of it going to his granddaughter, as was intended.”

Heather’s mind was reeling, and she felt her thoughts whirling around in her head as fast as the wind gusts she was being subjected to.

“Are you still OK out here, or do you want to move inside?”

“I’m fine. I prefer the wind to that terrible thunderstorm we had last night.”

“Oh, me too,” Coco said as she quickly slipped back inside and returned with an enticingly warm giant oatmeal-raisin cookie on a delicate bone china plate. She also brought a small teapot and filled Heather’s cup of tea.

“That is a bombshell indeed! That Wellington fellow sounds like he was strong-arming Graham from every angle.”

“That’s what my sources tell me,” Coco said as she jumped as she felt a text enter her phone along with the accompanying beep. “Hold on here, another text from Olivia!” Coco pulled out her phone from her back pocket, intensely scanned the text, and scrolled hurriedly.

“She says Wellington came to the lobby and asked her if the hotel had a safe. He said he has an important document he needs to safeguard while he’s there.”

“I wonder what else he has up his sleeve?” Heather’s mind was trying to do an inventory of all the potential suspects and motives for the murder of Graham Barclay. She knew in this small town, a murder like this didn’t just happen; there must have been a reason for it. And I will get to the bottom of this and find justice for Graham, she thought. A niggly feeling made her feel uneasy. I just feel like I am forgetting a detail or something, but I don’t know what it is. Oh well, maybe it will come back to me, she hoped.

About the Author

Kira Seamon is an award-winning author and earned FIRST PLACE in the 2022 Winter Pinnacle Book Awards in Romance, FIRST PLACE in the 2022 Royal Dragonfly Book Awards in Romance, FIRST PLACE in the 2022 BookFest Awards in Humorous, FINALIST in the 2022 Book Excellence Awards in Romance, SECOND PLACE in the 2022 Bookfest Awards in Girls & Women, SILVER AWARD in the 2022 Literary Titan Book Awards, SILVER MEDAL in the 2022 Global Book Awards, BRONZE MEDAL in the 2022 Readers' Favorite Book Awards, and HONORABLE MENTION in the 2022 BookFest Awards in Coming of Age categories. She writes under her real name, Kira Seamon, and her pen name, Krista Lockheart. Her cozy mysteries are filled with characters with her signature charm, kindness, and furry pets! She lives in New London, CT.

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