Samantha “Sam” Stellar just wanted a fresh start. After losing her restaurant, she packed up her life, her beloved Standard Poodle Dill, and a secondhand catering van nicknamed The Rolling Scone, and headed for the charming waterfront town of Carlton Cove. Her first big gig — the dessert spread for the town’s annual Strawberry Social — was supposed to put her new business on the map. Instead, the reigning Strawberry Queen collapses after a single bite of Sam’s signature shortcake, and suddenly the new caterer in town is the prime suspect in a murder investigation.
With her business on the line and a sharp-eyed detective watching her every move, Sam starts asking questions — and discovers that beneath Carlton Cove’s sunny surface lies a tangle of old rivalries, bruised egos, and grudges that have been simmering for decades. Armed with nothing but her instincts, a notepad, and a poodle with an uncannily good nose, Sam must sort through small-town secrets and long-held jealousies to find the real killer before her catering career is dead on arrival.
Packed with witty banter, quirky characters, and a mystery that will keep you guessing, The Strawberry Social is the deliciously fun first installment in the Recipe for Revenge series. If you love cozy mysteries with a side of humor, a dash of heart, and a dog who deserves his own badge, pull up a chair — Sam Stellar is serving something you won’t want to miss.
