The Custard Conspiracy
When the brass bell above Cosgrove Pye's bakery falls silent and the scent of yeast gives way to something far more sinister, amateur sleuth Iris Thistleberry knows that twenty years of small-town rivalry have finally boiled over into something deadly. The beloved Cosgrove Pye bakery has been the heart of the town's gossip, grudges, and glory for two decades, and Iris has measured her own life against it step for step. Now, with suspicion dusting every counter like powdered sugar, she must sift through the secrets of her neighbors, friends, and fiercest competitors to uncover the truth. From the sharp-tongued Fern Briarby to the suspiciously well-timed Bertie Quigley, from Hollis Thistleberry's quiet loyalty to Linnea Tarte's guarded recipes, every resident harbors a layer they would rather keep hidden. As the evidence points in too many directions at once, Iris faces an impossible choice: accuse the wrong baker and shatter an innocent life, or let a calculating killer vanish back into the flour-thick air. The recipe for justice is dangerous, the stakes are higher than any pastry tower, and one taste could be her last. Cozy, clever, and brimming with intrigue, The Custard Conspiracy is a mystery where every crumb counts and every secret has a price.