Puzzled to Death (An Emma Carter Cozy Mystery, Book 1)

A cryptic puzzle, a web of secrets, and a town full of suspects—can a determined bookstore owner uncover the truth before it’s too late?

In the small town of Thistle Ridge, Emma Carter attends the estate sale of Gertrude Holloway, the town’s former recluse, hoping to find unusual books for her beloved new bookstore, Novel Escapes.

However, she gets more than she bargained for when a puzzle book reveals chilling clues about Mrs. Holloway’s untimely death.

Help arrives in an unexpected way as the town's mischievous golden retriever, Chewie, leads his owner—handsome local veterinarian Jake Donovan—straight into her shop. Jake’s puzzle-solving skills prove invaluable as the unlikely trio dives into cryptic puzzles, unraveling a trail of secrets hidden beneath Thistle Ridge’s cozy facade.

The puzzle’s riddles expose startling connections to the townsfolk, including one of Mrs. Holloway’s longtime friends and even the ever-charming mayor, whose defensiveness raises more questions than answers.

But just as the pieces start to fit together, a foreboding warning “For those who seek, beware.”

With tensions rising and danger closing in, Emma must find the final puzzle piece before the killer strikes again.
Puzzled to Death is a heart-pounding cozy mystery where secrets hide in plain sight, and peril lies close to every turn.