The Big Steep
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- £4.99
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- £4.99
Publisher Description
Wisconsin coffeehouse owner Maggy Thorsen attempts to solve a mystery steeped in shocking family secrets, tragedy and murder.
Maggy Thorsen’s new neighbours, Philip and Vivian Woodward, are forging ahead with their plans for The Big Steep tea shop. Philip’s enthusiasm to turn the neglected cottage once owned by Vivian’s reclusive grandparents, the Koepplers, into a tea lover’s paradise is infectious, but Vivian seems less excited. And when Maggy's sheepdog Frank arrives at Uncommon Grounds coffeehouse bearing a ‘gift’ he discovered in the Woodwards’ compost heap, the tea shop project takes a chilling turn . . .
As the Woodwards’ backyard becomes a crime scene, a deadly chain of events is set in motion. Can Maggy dig up the truth of what happened at the cottage many years ago before further tragedy strikes?
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
A cold case drives Balzo's cleverly plotted 14th mystery featuring tenacious Maggy Thorsen, co-owner of the Uncommon Grounds coffeehouse in Brookhills, Wis. (after 2021's Flat White). Philip Woodward, a dedicated noir fan, and his wife, Vivian, are preparing to open a teashop in town called the Big Steep on land that once belonged in the swinging 1960s to Paz and Harmony Koeppler, Vivian's grandparents. While cleaning out the decades of debris that has accumulated on the property, they discover the broken bones of a baby, whose injuries seem to indicate repeated abuse. Maggy's determination to discover the infant's identity leads her to Brookhills Manor, a home for still-spry old folks. When a woman is murdered, drowned in the creek that runs by the old Koeppler place, Maggy suspects that the two deaths may be connected. Lively, intelligent characters and Maggy's refreshingly anxiety-free relationship with her fiancé, Brookhills County Sheriff Jake Pavlik, make this stand out from the cozy pack. This is a perfect entry point for newcomers.
