UNKNOWN

When murder rises from the ashes, this Southern baker's got more than bread on her hands.

Lou Ellsworth is finally back in the dough. After a fire reduced her outdoor kitchen to cinders, she's rebuilding her routine one loaf at a time. She's thrilled to have been asked to serve as judge at Oak Haven's beloved Breadwalk, where townsfolk and visitors alike stroll the square sampling everything from challah to ciabatta... and gossip spreads faster than butter.

But the yeast hits the fan when a construction crew uncovers skeletal remains beneath the foundation of her former kitchen. At first, folks assume it's a relic from ages past-until the bones are dated to just fifteen years ago. Suddenly, Lou's backyard is a crime scene, and her peaceful corner of Tennessee is thrust into a cold-case murder investigation.

Then the mayor's brother, who's already known for being a little out there, starts acting jumpier than popcorn in a hot pan. He's paranoid, anxious, and muttering to shadows, and no one's quite sure if he's scared of something... or losing his grip entirely.

When another body turns up, Lou knows she's caught in something deeper than over-proofed dough. With her reputation crumbling, her dogs digging up trouble, and the past refusing to stay buried, she'll have to rise to the occasion before someone else ends up six feet under.

Patsy Hicks serves up cozy mysteries as delicious as her famous peach cobbler, seasoned with a dash of southern charm and a pinch of mischief. Born and raised in the Home of Hot Chicken, Patsy's appetite for small-town shenanigans and mouth-watering mysteries was nurtured by her mother's love for whodunits and her grandmother's special recipe box.Before she started cooking up crimes on paper, Patsy balanced books as an accountant and later, balanced a houseful of foster kids-an adventure that taught her how to wrangle chaos, whip up meals faster than you can say "bless your heart," and spin tall tales to keep young minds entertained. These experiences now simmer together in her novels, creating a rich roux of culinary capers and heartwarming humor.When she's not busy plotting the perfect crime (on paper, of course), you might find Patsy elbow-deep in bread dough, sweet-talking her tomato plants, or trying to convince Bruiser the Chihuahua that the mailman isn't plotting world domination. She shares her home just outside Nashville with her husband and their two four-legged sleuths: the aforementioned Bruiser and Brown the Corgi-mix, whose keen noses for trouble serve as models for Patsy's canine characters.Patsy's kitchen is always open (figuratively speaking) to readers who love their mysteries served with a side of comfort food and a tall glass of sweet tea. Just remember to wipe your feet before coming in, or Bruiser might not let you past the welcome mat!For a taste of Patsy's latest literary confections, mosey on over to www.patsyhicksauthor.com.But fair warning: her books are more addictive than her famous pecan pie, which happens to be her husband's favorite!