Freshly Ground Murder

Madison Perkins knows the perfect roast requires heat, timing, and a little bit of pressure. But she never expected murder to be part of the blend.

In the quaint town of Steeplechase, Oregon, Madison Perkins is fighting to keep her beloved Perk & Puzzle Roastery alive. When the corrupt Mayor "Slick" Simon threatens to bulldoze her historic firehouse location to make way for luxury condos, Madison is ready to brew up a storm. But her plans for a peaceful protest go up in steam when the Mayor drops dead at the annual Bean & Brew Festival—seconds after swallowing a cup of Madison's signature "Mayor's Morning Jolt".

Now the prime suspect in a poisoning case, Madison is forced to trade her tamper for a magnifying glass. With her shop taped off as a crime scene and a handsome but tea-drinking Detective named Gabe Miller watching her every move, Madison has to clear her name before she's roasted for good.

Armed with a mysterious 1920s journal found in the walls, a flamboyant seventy-year-old ex-showgirl assistant named Mavis, and a cat named Espresso with a penchant for violence, Madison must track down a killer who knows too much about rare toxins. From secret high-top sneaker prints to deadly beans hidden in plain sight, the clues are grinding together to reveal a conspiracy that goes deeper than the bottom of a coffee cup.

Can Madison filter out the lies and serve up justice? Or will this be her final pour?