Pearls and Poison

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Joanne Fluke

Bakery owner Hannah Swensen just can’t keep her hands out of the batter when murder stirs things up in Lake Eden, Minnesota, leaving the sheriff dead, a deputy accused, and a killer on the loose…For Hannah, life seems to be lacking a certain flavor lately. Maybe it’s the local sheriff’s election that’s got her down. For years, Sheriff Grant’s been the iron hand in town. But now, Hannah’s brother-in-law Bill is giving the old blowhard the fight of his long, dubious career—and Grant’s not taking it well, especially once the polls show Bill pulling ahead.But before anyone can taste victory, things go sour. While Hannah’s emptying the trash, she makes a very unappetizing discovery: Sheriff Grant’s body in the Dumpster behind the high school where she’s teaching her cooking class. And as if that weren’t bad enough, the poor man still has fudge frosting on his shirt from one of her cupcakes.The number one—and only—suspect is Bill, but Hannah’s not swallowing it. Plenty of people had reason to hate Sheriff Grant. Soon, Hannah’s dishing up scandalous secrets, steaming hot betrayals, and enough intrigue to keep the gossip mill at The Cookie Jar going through several pots of decaf. And the closer Hannah gets to the truth, the closer she gets to smoking out a murderer with a very nasty recipe for silencing people…

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Cleo Coyle

At the Village Blend, Clare Cosi's best baristas may refer to a decaffeinated espresso as a "why bother?" but Clare knows a good percentage of her customer, prefer the neutered brew. So when an old friend of her ex-husband develops the world's first botanically decaffeinated coffee bean and smuggles it into the country, Clare believes it's a business opportunity she needs to investigate...at least until the first dead body shows up. With casualties piling up and a complicated blend of old and new loves muddying the waters, it's up to Clare to find the murderer before one of her near and dears takes the fall. Otherwise, her latest addition to the menu will prove to be a real buzz killer...

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Michelle Kelly

"Keeley Carpenter has found her center. After returning to Befrey, the traditional English village she called home ten years ago, she's opened her dream yoga cafe which doubles as both a yoga studio and a delicious vegetarian cafe. Even better, Keeley is dating handsome Detective Ben Taylor, and things are beginning to look serious. Too bad things never seem to run smoothly for long. Eager to get involved with the local community, Keeley sets up a booth at the annual Belfrey Arts Festival, along with her nemesis, fellow small business owner Raquel. Preparing herself to play nice, she's shocked when Raquel's boyfriend, Town Mayor Gerald, is found dead after a public spat. Despite Ben's strict warnings to stay out of it, Keeley isn't going to let an innocent woman take the blame for the murder--even if it is glamorous, spoiled Raquel. Now Keeley must balance a precarious murder investigation with the demands of her growing business and now-strained relationship. But when the killer takes a personal interest in Keeley, can she find the culprit before she gets bent out of shape? Charming and delicious, this cozy follow up to Downward Facing Death features recipes from Keeley's cafe and is perfect for fans of Cleo Coyle and Laura Childs"--

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Marian Babson

When his beloved twin sister Vanessa is left in a coma after being pushed down a flight of stairs, a vengeful Vance dons her clothes and makeup to masquerade as his sister and find out who might want her dead.