The Starter's Secret: A Brookdale Mystery

When a 76-year-old sourdough starter bubbles up century-old secrets, one baker must knead truth from lies before Brookdale crumbles.

Ella Oak returns to fog-shrouded Brookdale, Oregon, expecting to revive her late grandmother Mae's coastal bakery amid the scent of sea salt and fresh loaves. Instead, she inherits Agnes-a feisty family starter since 1968-and a recipe box etched with waterwheel codes, whispering of the abandoned mill where her ancestors ground more than grain.

As Ella deciphers Mae's cryptic notes, threats rise like overproofed dough: a shadowy watcher at dawn's lamppost, a brick shattering her window with a chilling warning, and ledgers revealing a 1924 Prohibition murder buried in the foundation-bones and all. The Calloway Foundation feeds hundreds on "blood money" philanthropy. Her own kin profited from silence. And now, someone will kill to reseal the vault.

In this Pacific Northwest cozy with historical grit, Ella confronts inherited guilt: shield the town's facade, or let revelations tear it apart? Perfect for fans of Ellie Alexander's atmospheric bakeshop mysteries and Amanda Flower's historical cozies, where flour-dusted clues meet stubborn courage.

You'll love this if you enjoy:

• Mysteries blending cozy charm with ethical dilemmas
• Small-town PNW secrets rooted in bootlegging lore
• Culinary hooks that drive the plot (recipes included!)
• Women sleuths doubting their way to justice
• Atmospheric coasts where truth ferments slowly
• First in the Brookdale Mysteries-complete with twists that linger

A 28,000-word mystery novella.

Some secrets eat through their jars and poison everything. But truths? They rise like bread-whether you're ready or not.

The first Brookdale Mystery. Read now and join the rise.