Pages
314
Year
2026
Language
English

About

A Cup of Crime is the sixteenth book in the Cafe Crimes series-a clean culinary cozy mystery featuring amateur sleuth and former true-crime podcaster Parker Hayes in the charming small town of Magnolia Grove.

Parker Hayes is determined to start the year right. With No-Junk January in full swing, gym passes collecting dust and her relationship with Whit still making her smile, she's ready to focus on her cafe, her community and a calmer life.

But calm doesn't last long in Magnolia Grove. When a new personal trainer is found dead at Baxter's Blue Ridge Bootcamp, the police are quick to chalk it up to a tragic accident. Parker's instincts disagree … and the town's newest detective seems a little too eager to wrap the case with a bow.

As gossip spreads and suspicion tightens around the gym owner, Parker can't stand by while a good man becomes the convenient answer. Enlisting the help of her ever-faithful dog Major and her partner-in-sleuthing Whit, she begins to connect the dots between a growing list of suspects hiding behind "good intentions." Parker will have to move fast-before the killer slips away for good.

A Cup of Crime is a Southern cozy mystery filled with New Year hope, small-town drama and one cafe owner who keeps stumbling into trouble-served up with matcha lattes, sharp wit, and a deadly twist.

THE CAFE CRIMES SERIES ORDER:
Start your journey in Magnolia Grove with A Shot of Scandal (Book 1), then continue the adventure with A Drizzle of Danger (Book 2) and A Blend of Betrayal (Book 3). This is an ongoing mystery series, with new adventures in Magnolia Grove released regularly-so be sure to visit the Cafe Crimes Series Page for the latest updates!

All books in the series can be read as standalones.

Perfect for fans of: Cleo Coyle, Ellie Alexander, and Laura Childs.

Featuring favorite tropes:

Small-town Southern charm
Amateur sleuth (Former true-crime podcaster)
Culinary cozy (Coffee shop setting)
Clean & wholesome mystery (No gore/profanity)
Quirky animal sidekick

Love the small-town charm of Magnolia Grove? Head to the coast for more mystery in Simone Stier's Cape Fear Bookshop Mysteries, starting with Stacked in Suspicion.

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