Murder by Mischief

Every picture tells a story. This one reveals a killer.

When notorious prankster Rhett Dunn is found lifeless behind the dunk tank at Moon's Landing's annual carnival, most assume it's a trick gone too far. But photographer Birdie Lopez sees something others don't. A costume out of place. A shadow in the background. A vintage devil mask that doesn't belong.

With her camera in one hand and her loyal hound Butterscotch at her side, Birdie begins to unravel a mystery buried beneath candy apples and carousel music. But the deeper she digs into Rhett's final investigation—a podcast exposing local scandals—the more resistance she faces. The town's old guard seems awfully nervous about what secrets might surface.

What Birdie discovers threatens to expose more than just a murder. Rhett died trying to reveal a buried HOA scandal that touches her own family's history, and someone is willing to kill again to keep those secrets buried beneath the carnival lights.

Somewhere in the crowd, behind the costumes and painted smiles, the killer is still playing their deadly game. And Birdie just became the next target.

Murder by Mischief is a Novella in the Birdie Lopez Two-Hour Read Cozy Mystery series.