Showing results by author "Catherine Bruns" in All Categories

With snow dusting the ground and sauce sizzling on the stove, local chef Tessa Esposito is ready to serve up some holiday cheer. And with the annual Festival of Lights underway, it seems nothing can dim her spirits. Not even Mario Russo, the newest scrooge in town whose espresso bar has been quickly disrupting businesses and stealing customers from Harvest Park's favorite coffeehouse. But when Mario is discovered at the festival's opening, face down in a Santa suit, Tessa realizes the bah humbug runs deeper than she could have imagined.

Maddie Springer may know more about fabulous heels than tough trivia, but she's thrilled when her hairdresser-to-the-stars stepfather, Fernando, earns a spot on a celebrity edition of American's favorite game show. But she's not so thrilled when, after taping ends, one of the other contestants dies, the media are suddenly everywhere, and one reporter in particular is threatening to not only point the finger at Fernando, but also expose his biggest secrets to the world!

Leila Khoury has always believed that everyone loved her father as much as they loved his artisanal maple syrup. But when he's killed and she returns to Sugar Ridge, Vermont, to take over his business, she starts to realize how much of his life she's left untapped. With her brother under suspicion, her mother just barely holding it together, and the police not producing any leads, Leila will have to investigate herself if she wants answers about her father's sticky end. But the more she learns, the more she worries that there won't be a sappy ending to the story.

All struggling agent Cindy York wants is the real estate listing promised to her, but co-worker Tiffany Roberts has other ideas. After Cindy tells her to back off, she stumbles upon the woman's lifeless body and suddenly finds herself as the number one suspect. Cindy has no choice but to discover who's trying to frame her, before the next contract is out on her!

It’s been four years since sometime sleuth Cindy York left the real estate world behind in favor of a more fulfilling career as a stay-at-home mom. Now that her little one is starting school, Cindy fears her life is about to become dull. She shouldn’t have worried. An old college roommate soon surfaces and begs Cindy to sell her home, making it impossible for the former agent to say no. Pamela Hilton is going through a messy divorce, and any profit will need to be split between the woman and her louse of a spouse.

New to both Hawaii and the Aloha Lagoon Resort, Carrie Jorgenson has big dreams of stardom. But, while she awaits fame and fortune, she's forced to accept a job waitressing at the resort's The Loco Moco Café. It isn't long before she discovers the dish on her new boss - also known to many as "The Big Kahuna". Hale Akamu is rich, handsome, repulsive...and dead. When Carrie discovers Hale's lifeless body, she's suddenly forced into yet another role: amateur sleuth.

Six months after her husband's death, Tessa Esposito is hoping to drum up reservations for her restaurant's grand opening. And since a signing with best-selling author Preston Rigotta is sure to draw a crowd, Tessa agrees to cater her cousin's bookstore event - whipping up some of her famous Italian desserts. But the event soon takes a sour turn when Preston's publicist, an old high school rival, arrives and begins to whisk up their old grudges.

USA Today Bestselling Series! Sally Muccio’s had her crosses to bear: a cheating ex-boyfriend, crazy Italian parents, and an unfaithful husband, just to name a few. After her divorce, she returns to her hometown to start a novelty cookie shop whose specialties include original fortune cookies, served with a sprinkle of foreshadowing. But there’s no warning when her ex-husband’s mistress drops dead on Sal's porch, and police confirm it’s a homicide. Determined to stop her life from becoming a recipe for disaster, Sal takes matters into her own hands.

It's Thanksgiving in Sugar Ridge, Vermont, and Leila Khoury, manager of Sappy Endings Farm, is ready to usher in the holiday season by hosting a pie-baking contest. The day is meticulously planned, from the judging panel to the maple lattes, and Leila can't wait for the entire town to enjoy some sweet treats. But when a neighbor drops dead from sampling a poisoned pumpkin pie, it's not just Leila's perfect day that's in jeopardy—her livelihood is now at stake.

With the real estate world thriving and her daughter’s wedding right around the corner, Cindy York is busier than ever. The bridal couple is searching for the home of their dreams and Cindy's only too pleased to help. When the happy couple finally locates a home, Cindy is less than thrilled to discover that the listing agent is Hillary Ryder, a condescending snob who once dated her husband. For her daughter's sake, she tries to cooperate and get the sale over with as soon as possible.

From USA Today bestselling author Catherine Bruns comes the next sinfully delicious Cookies & Chance Mystery... Just when things appear to be going well for baker and sometime sleuth, Sally Muccio, life turns up the heat again. It’s summertime, and the living is easy for the Muccio clan. Sal’s wedding to her beloved fiancé is rapidly approaching, Mom’s won a beauty contest, and sister Gianna is now a licensed public defender. But when the bakery Sal’s worked so hard for goes up in smoke—along with her dreams!—she’s not sure how much more she can stand.

Local chef Tessa Esposito is struggling to get back on her feet following her husband's fatal accident. And when the police knock on Tessa's door, things just get worse. They've discovered Dylan's death wasn't an accident after all, and they need Tessa to start filling in the blanks. Who would want her beloved husband dead, and why?

Spring has finally come to Sugar Ridge, Vermont, and with it the end of syrup-making season. But Leila Khoury, new owner of Sappy Endings Farm, won't be making like molasses any time soon. Her best friend Heather's wedding is coming up, and Leila will do anything to make sure it lives up to all her sweetest dreams.

Carrie Jorgenson is living the dream in Hawaii. But when she's asked to deliver food to a guest at the Aloha Lagoon resort - who then drops dead! - her dreams quickly become the stuff of nightmares. World renowned food critic Randolph Cremshaw has no shortage of enemies. He's rude, patronizing, and famous for his one-star reviews. After the coffee Carrie delivers is discovered to have been poisoned, she and the café quickly rise to the top of the suspects list.

All struggling real estate agent Cindy York wants is the home listing that was promised to her. But her deceitful co-worker, Tiffany Roberts, has other ideas, and she always manages to get what she wants. Tired of being manipulated, Cindy tells her to back off - or else! But when Cindy stumbles upon Tiffany’s lifeless body, she suddenly finds herself front and center in a deadly investigation. Now everyone from her kids' classmates to her monstrous mother-in-law is sold on the idea that Cindy's guilty.

It’s been a busy year for real estate agent Cindy York. She’s excited to be making a killing at selling houses and is in the middle of planning a surprise 50th birthday party for her husband, Greg. If this wasn’t enough to deal with, Greg’s younger sister Annette, whom the family hasn’t seen in 20 years, makes a surprise visit. Annette asks Cindy for help finding a house to rent. She claims that she wants to get to know her loved ones again, but Cindy suspects the woman is hiding something.

Baker turned reluctant amateur sleuth, Sally Muccio’s, finally found the happiness that’s eluded her for years. She’s in love with a great guy, her bakery is thriving, and now she and her best friend Josie Sullivan are gearing up to appear on the popular reality baking show, Cookie Crusades. But a visit from Sal’s greedy ex-husband Colin, who's looking to cash in on the bakery’s dough, changes everything. Within a few hours Sal’s world—like the shop’s original fortune cookies—is broken apart when Colin turns up dead, and her boyfriend’s arrested for the crime.

Some secrets aren’t meant to stay buried forever. Real estate agent and super sleuth Cindy York has always been haunted by thoughts of her childhood friend, Paul Steadman, who committed suicide 25 years ago. A high school reunion and the prospective sale of his former home - where Cindy was the one to discover his lifeless body - bring the memories back in full force. But Cindy gets more than she negotiated for when new information comes to light that convinces her Paul’s death was anything but self-inflicted.

If something sounds too good to be true, it probably is. Words for Cindy York to live by. The struggling real estate agent, full-time mother, and part-time sleuth has been having a tough winter and is desperate for a juicy commission. When she stumbles across a quaint mansion that's "For Sale by Owner", she can hardly believe her luck.