Maple Hills Cozy Mystery

When Nikki's husband of 20 years decides that he wanted a different life in Los Angeles it spawns a new life for her as well. Leaving behind Atlanta and her journalism career there, she and her college-bound son move to the small and tightknit town of Maple Hills, Vermont. With a bustling tourist season, the thriving community seems the perfect place to set up her new chocolate shop...yet opening day proves more deadly than profitable. A hit and run right outside her shop door leaves a man dead and questions swirling. When the victim is identified as Steven Denforth, the most hated and reviled man in town, it resurrects the fissures that had recently torn Maple Hills apart. It seems that when Denforth first came to town, the quiet man bought the local paper, then proceeded to publish damning articles about some of the communities' most prominent members - secrets that no one should have known about. Now he is dead and everyone is a suspect, including Nikki. As both a former reporter and an FBI consultant, Nikki instinctively knows the dirt in Maple Hills is piled high and if she doesn't get to the bottom of it, and to the murder, then her stay in the quaint Northern Town may very well be short lived.

An amateur sleuth, a handsome detective, and a dead body found in their cozy town... Can Nikki and Hawk solve this mysterious murder? From the moment Nikki first made Maple Hills, Vermont, her home, she has had a dark and dangerous cloud follow her. First she discovered a web of underground Mafia members and now there is a dead body at The Lodge — a dead body that just happens to hail from her own home town of Atlanta. As the newest, and arguably the nosiest, neighbor in the area, she knows all eyes will soon turn her way and tongues will start to wag. Nikki has no choice but to garner her new friends and put her extensive experience as a big city reporter to use, playing a modern day Nancy Drew against a backdrop of gorgeous hills and the Canadian border. Along with her pseudo partner and maybe love interest, Hawk, a local cop who just happens to be the Chief's son, the duo must unravel a mystery that gets more complex by the minute — all the while trying to stay one step ahead of a murderer with murky, yet dire, motives. And to think... all Nikki really wanted to do when she moved to the quaint town was make chocolates...

It's a murder case that cuts just a little too close to home for Nikki, an amateur sleuth, in the latest crime to hit her not-so-quiet cozy town! Nikki Bates's time in picturesque Maple Hills, Vermont has been far from the postcard scene she first imagined. While her chocolate shop is doing well, her personal life has hit a few snags... and bodies... along the way. Between exposing corrupt officials, unmasking the Mafia and solving more than a few murders, Nikki has made some friends and earned many enemies. Now, an old vendetta from her days in Atlanta has reared its head and followed her north, finding her nestled amongst the trees and chocolate, surrounded by gossip, intrigue and people that want Nikki out of town. When a woman with close ties to her newest ward is found murdered, Nikki must race to connect the clues, solve the case and salvage her reputation. Yet the wheels of vengeance are turning and this is one time Nikki may lose everything, including her life... This cozy mystery is a clean read: no graphic violence, sex, or strong language. It can be read in one to two hours. It is perfect for those moments when you are waiting at an appointment or want to enjoy a quick read.

An amateur sleuth, a handsome detective, and a murder. Cozy up for the night with this mystery. Taking a break from the recent murders and intrigues that have plagued Maple Hills, Vermont, Nikki and Detective Hawke take advantage of a generous offer and set sail on the Open Sea Queen. The cruise ship appears ancient and ready to sink, far away from the modern and spacious liner they were promised. Yet with eager hearts the duo, along with their friends, Lidia and her husband, board the aged ship, headed towards Alaskan waters and vistas that will ease their current burdens. Though the old cruise ship may appear decrepit on the outside, inside it proves itself with Titanic like splendor, Lustrous wooden walls, a picturesque lobby, old fashioned lamps and fireplaces in each room — it is everything they could hope for, and more. Unfortunately, trouble seems to follow Nikki like a dark cloud of misfortune. When the Captain is murdered, it is up to the ready sleuths to get to the bottom of the mystery... before the storm barreling down their tail reaches them, and before the murderer can strike again. This cozy mystery is a clean read: no graphic violence, sex, or strong language. It can be read in one to two hours. It is perfect for those moments when you are waiting at an appointment or want to enjoy a quick read.