The Grim Roaster

A dead man behind her coffee camper. Her apron string around his neck. For Tessa O'Malley, the morning rush is about to become a murder roast.

In the rainy Pacific Northwest town of Whispering Willows, Tessa runs The Daily Grind, a vintage coffee camper serving caffeine, comfort, and the occasional piece of unsolicited life advice. She knows her customers by their orders, her espresso machine by its moods, and her market community by the secrets they try very hard not to spill.

But when Julian Vane, the polished wellness vendor everyone loves to hate, is found murdered behind Tessa's camper, all eyes turn her way. The weapon appears to come from her own stall. The victim had threatened her livelihood. And Detective Miller seems far too ready to accept the simplest blend of evidence.

Tessa knows she has been framed.

The only clues that don't fit are strange ones: a mysterious blue espresso cup, cryptic latte-art symbols, traces of pottery dust, and a trail leading through bitter rivalries, broken romances, council schemes, and long-buried town resentments.

With her loyal assistant Brody at her side, her beloved coffee bus stuck in police impound, and a killer leaving clues like a twisted tasting menu, Tessa must uncover the truth before Whispering Willows serves her up as the prime suspect.

Perfect for readers who enjoy quirky small-town cosy mysteries, coffee shop sleuths, culinary clues, eccentric suspects, and murder with a strong shot of humour.