The Tainted Taffy

A Magnolia Bay Mystery #1

by Fiona Grace

On the charming, historic isle of Magnolia Bay, Autumn Ray runs her bed-and-breakfast and enjoys a different pace of life. But whether she likes it or not, Autumn will have to step into the role of sleuth to defend not only her name, but her home.

Summer brings more than just tourists to Magnolia Bay; it ushers in a chilling mystery when poison taints the sugar-sand shores. Autumn Ray must trade her tranquil routine for detective work when she's thrust into unraveling the murder of a beloved local confectioner. Will her sleuthing skills prove sweet enough to catch a killer? Or will she face the bitter aftermath of a community torn apart by suspicion?

MAGNOLIA BAY THE TAINTED TAFFY is the first book in an exciting new cozy mystery series by Fiona Grace, #1 bestselling author of Murder in the Manor, which has over 10,000 five star reviews!

The Magnolia Bay Mystery series offers an engaging and delightful cozy mystery experience, whisking you away to an idyllic scenery brimming with wit, romantic moments, and unexpected plot developments. Prepare to become enamored with a captivating new heroine who's sure to become a favorite.

Future books in the series will soon be available!

"Very entertaining. I highly recommend this book to the permanent library of any reader that appreciates a very well written mystery, with some twists and an intelligent plot. You will not be disappointed. Excellent way to spend a cold weekend!"
--Books and Movie Reviews, Roberto Mattos (regarding Murder in the Manor)
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

“The story line wasn't just a who done it, but had a story about her life and romance, including village life. Very entertaining.”
--Amazon reviewer (regarding Murder in the Manor)
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

“It has endearing and sometimes quirky characters, a plot that keeps you reading and the right amount of romance. I can’t wait to start book two!”
--Amazon reviewer (regarding Murder in the Manor)
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

“What a great story of murder, romance, new beginnings, love, friend ships and a wonderful cascade of mystery.”
--Amazon reviewer (regarding Murder in the Manor)
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

“This is a clean contemporary romance that you will find hard to put down!”
--Amazon reviewer (regarding Always, Forever)
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

“A bit of romance and a very determined woman! I have read many of Fiona Grace's novels and loved every one of them—this was no exception. I am looking forward to reading the rest of this new series!”
--Amazon reviewer (regarding Always, With You)
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Genres: Mystery, Cozy Mystery, Ebooks, Fiction, Mystery Thriller, Thriller, Audiobook

198 pages, Kindle Edition

Published June 21, 2024

About the author

Debut author Fiona Grace is author of the LACEY DOYLE COZY MYSTERY series which includes MURDER IN THE MANOR (Book #1), DEATH AND A DOG (Book #2) and CRIME IN THE CAFE (Book #3). Fiona would love to hear from you, so please visit www.fionagraceauthor.com to receive free ebooks, hear the latest news, and stay in touch.

Reviews

[Rachel A Library Fairy]

A fun, quick little cozy mystery! I enjoyed this overall. The part with the parrot 🦜 made me LOL 😂 Definitely was a solid mystery but needed much more development for me personally! More quirky side characters 🙏🏻
It did feel somewhat predictable though & there were some subjects discussed that I didn’t love (focus on dieting, getting to a goal weight etc, not exactly cozy 😣). I CANNOT recommend the audiobook. Please 😂 don’t get the audio, the narrator is a “synthesized voice”. It was so bad 😂😭

[Emmalynn · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.7 stars. Quick read but it was ehhh

[Carol · Rating 1 out of 5]

It’s probably best if I don’t give this book a star rating but here I go giving it a 1 star anyway. Summary: it wasn’t great.

I usually love cozy mysteries but this one needs a ton of work. The characters are literal adults who all act mostly like middle or high schoolers. A grown woman over 30 years old (possibly over 40 or even 50!) used “she started it” as a way to defend herself about having an argument and later in the story started a cat fight. A whole ass police officer took two inexperienced 20-something civilians into an interview of a suspected murderer and let one of them conduct half of it. What is this?? At least pretend to be writing this book for adults instead of children.

Besides all that, the characters are 1-dimensional, the writing is pretty bad, especially when it comes to conversations, and there are errors everywhere like a tech being referred to as both he and she within a few sentences and a character having two different names in the same paragraph. I’m glad this book was free in the kindle store but I’ll never get back the hours of my life spent reading it.

[Alayne · Rating 4 out of 5]

3 and a half stars. I found this story to be slow, and annoying in that despite the main character being warned off by the police 3 times, she just went ahead and continued her questioning of people. Also, the police were not interested in anything she had found out, so that was doubly annoying. I just didn't find it realistic.

[Kelly (the book hussy) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Shortish cozy mystery.
Writing was ok
Character were just ok.

[Esme · Rating 2 out of 5]

Audiobook was really bad but the story itself was okay.

[Terry · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good cozy mystery read.

[Lise · Rating 4 out of 5]

Magnolia Bay is home to Autumn Ray's B&B. The paradisal island welcomes summer tourists who bring in much-needed revenue for the year-round residents. When the candy store owner is murdered, panic sets in, and visitors begin to leave Magnolia Bay in droves. Autumn, determined to protect her home at all costs, takes on the mantle of detective and investigates the crime.

This book introduces the Magnolia Bay Mystery series. A slow pace unveils the mystery and the main characters make themselves known. I wasn't crazy about the main character, who didn't click with me. However, the read was decent, and I liked the resolution to the mystery. I'll probably pick up the next in the series in time.

[Ainee Beland · Rating 4 out of 5]

What did I like about this reading?
I did not like this reading at first because it was very slow. Once the death of the sweet shop owner was discovered, there seemed to be nothing else but for Autumn to try and discover who the culprit (s) are and to have them arrested.

I liked Autumn, as she was good at making people feel at ease around her because she was a person whom other people loved chatting to.
The isle was one where others walked or pedaled or caught a horse-drawn buggy to get around. There’s not a sound to be heard, as far as traffic is concerned, all that’s to be heard is the clip-clop of hooves. There were only a few cars allowed on Magnolia Bay: the ambulance, the police car, and the island’s refuse collection and maintenance vehicles. Apart from those, nothing was allowed; even the mail and parcels were delivered by horse and buggy, they had two “post ponies” at their disposal—part Hackney carriage horse and part something calmer and steadier.

Okay, what I enjoyed about this book came nearly at the end; some chapters before…imagine needing to plant a camera at the home of the decease and you phone the new veterinarian in town hoping he might want to go for a late night walk around the isle but when you phone him, he has other plans with some historical society women. So you phone the next best thing, your ex-boyfriend, who, after explaining what you wish to do, thinks he is speaking to someone who sounds like her but is not her…because I don’t know what is going on Earth is going on here. You’re planting cameras in people’s houses? Well, Autumn would like help from her ex-boyfriend to plant this camera at one of the entrances to the house to capture the culprit as they’re entering to go and steal the recipe (s) from the late sweet shop owner.
Her ex-boyfriend does show up, and she convinces him to do just that, yet as they were trying to secure the camera up high in a tree or such, Autumn notices that there was someone already inside the house, trying to figure out what to do. They both decided to get the guy, they climbed through a window to enter the house, and by the time they entered, it seemed that the guy was heading for the front door to leave and so they began to chase after him out back until they caught up to him and made him stop running. Turns out that the guy wanted a recipe for his wife, but he was not the killer; he was an accountant with an alibi for the time of the murder. Laugh-out-loud-funny; hilarious uproar with her ex-boyfriend, who just drops what he is doing to help her.

All in all, this was good reading, very slow, and at times, Autumn was a bit boring and self-involved, while her sister Willow was a great help and self-absorbed. Yet they both lived on this island, with only walking or biking as a means to get to and from. This was an island where everything was possible and within reach or at one’s fingertips; or ask, and all is granted to thee.

[Jenny · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Tainted Taffy is book one in the A Magnolia Bay Mystery series by Fiona Grace. Autumn Ray runs her bed-and-breakfast on the isle of Magnolia Bay and was happy with the quiet life until murder came to the island. With the death of the local confectioner, Autumn Ray must step up to find the killer to allow Magnolia Bay to get back to normal. Readers will continue to follow Autumn Ray's investigation to discover what happens.

The Tainted Taffy is an excellent cozy mystery that I engaged with from the first page. This is the first book I've read by Fiona Grace, and I will read another in this series. I engaged with this book from the first page and continued to the end.

I enjoy the way Fiona Grace portrays his characters and their interactions throughout this book. The Tainted Taffy is well written and researched by Fiona Grace. I like Fiona Grace's descriptions of the settings in The Tainted Taffy, which let me imagine being part of the book's plot.

I recommend this book.

[Marian Greco · Rating 3 out of 5]

another cozy story

sanitized. always. it must be contractual. hot chocolate and blueberry muffins. iced tea and lemonade. take it to the bank there will be something blueberry and someone who.likes to cook. when the dead body is discovered, it was dead already when it was found and no real violence described. blood and guts fan i am not, well, not much of one. but I do like the taste of realism and believable characters. the most believable character in this tale was Max, the dog. oh yeah, that's the other very predictable cozy mystery fixture: there will be some kind of four footed pet in almost every scene. why do I read them? they're free and plentiful. but right now, I'm heading to James Patterson or Jeffery weaver. five stars for sure.

[KMDL · Rating 1 out of 5]

Terrible. I couldn't finish it. First I got the audiobook and the reader was awful, so I returned that and downloaded the ebook hoping that it would be better. Nope.

The main character, Autumn, finds the dead body of the sweet shop owner in town and jumps to the conclusion that her sister Willow killed him, just because he said something harsh to her that morning.

Willow jumps to the conclusion that Autumn killed him because she took offense to what he said to Willow. What kind of family is this?

I honestly couldn't get any further than that.

[Zee · Rating 4 out of 5]

What I found interesting and somewhat comical was that this story took place on an island where you had to bike, hike, or buggy your way around, except for the single policeman who had a motorized vehicle (and maybe someone else, the coroner perhaps? Not sure anymore.) The plot had me thinking who had done the crime and I had actually come up with a different angle than what it actually was. The title of The Tainted Taffy is a bit confusing as it didn’t seem to fit this story.
I am still a huge Fiona Grace fan.

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Tainted Taffy mystery takes place in Magnolia Bay on Lake Michigan. Twenty-seven year old Autumn Ray runs the Harbor View bed and breakfast, which she inherited after her parents died in a car crash. Her sister runs a store close by called Odds and Ends. When Autumn discovers Mr. Harold Sweetly, owner of Sweetly's Treats, has been poisoned to death, she feels forced to figure out who killed him. Tourists are leaving because they don't feel safe! This is a simple cozy mystery that is a quick read.

[Natelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Autumn Ray enjoys running her tiny little bed and breakfast on her little island. Then murder happens and threatens to empty her rented rooms and send visitors fleeing to the mainland. Despite warnings to stop asking questions and distracting personal events, she can’t help but feel she needs solve this before island commerce suffers beyond the point of repair.

An interesting little cozy mystery complete with dog. A few scenes tugged too hard at the edges of believability, but I was still amused.

[Suzan · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have read other Fiona Grace books and enjoyed them. This series not so much. Autumn Ray comes across as a rebellious teen who will not listen to authority but is a grown woman. I think the bones of this series are good. Autumn and her sister have a good relationship and I can see that leading to more investigations. I also loved Magnolia Bay and think it is a fun setting for a cozy mystery series.

[Chili Diane Evance · Rating 5 out of 5]

Who killed the maker of fine sweets in town?

This story was perfect for an amateur sleuth. All Autumn wanted to do was help find a killer before there quaint town was empty of tourists that were scared to stay. Autumn had had her guests at the B and B she owned slowly check out early. Was she going to lose all her summer business? Not if she could help it.

[Larry · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have read at least two other series by this author and pleased with both of them, so I tried this one. The characters are interesting, the backdrop of an island in one of the Great Lakes (Lake Michigan I think) is quite appealing, and the plot is easily followed. The premise is finding out who killed the surprisingly mean candy seller and why. The answers were sad. I do recommend this story.

[Sharon Binter · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fast Read

This book was an easy read because you could envision the characters and why they had to solve the murder quickly! I've been in many towns that could have been affected by a murder such as described in the sweet shop! Fiona Grace has an ability to describe both her characters and their environments as related to why they acted the way they did!

[Andree · Rating 2 out of 5]

Probably should have DNF'd. This is fine as a cozy mystery, of a bit slight. Mostly, I didn't really get on with the writing style, which felt a bit off. For example, none of the dialogue felt like how people talk. Just didn't read quite right. May be just me, but this was another kobo book that didn't quite work.

[Cindy Stalvey · Rating 2 out of 5]

I listened to the audio book version and to be honest it could have been better. They used a “synthesized voice” as the reader and it was off putting. The cadence was wrong and there were weird mispronunciations and random extra sounds. All of that made it really hard to get immersed into the story.

[Heather Lewis · Rating 1 out of 5]

I listened to this book. It's a strong no for me. The story didn't flow well, and the dialogue was weak. I appreciate how they didn't delve too much into the potential romance. The ending was a bit of a let down. Also, the audio book was oddly done. Almost every chapter had at least ten glitches, and the narrator would randomly change her voice for certain characters. It made no sense.

[Lea · Rating 3 out of 5]

Audiobook on Hoopla - Small vacation town in Michigan starts off quickly with the murder. There’s something I didn’t like about the writing that I have a hard time putting my finger on. I think it’s the forced dialogue, it doesn’t flow sometimes and that isn’t how people talk to each other. It was distracting.
I would read the others in the series because I like the location and the plot.

[Connie Cassell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Harold’s brothers wife wanted the sweet shape for herself, and she thought she was going to get it, but with the help of Autum and her sister Willow, they were able to figure out what really happened to Harold!

[Lourdes Agostini · Rating 1 out of 5]

nope

Same tired plot of stupid woman investigating and solving a crime despite having no training or experience and in plain view of inept police force. Implausible characters spewing inane dialogue.

[heidi canton · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’d like to read one or two more books in the series. I quite enjoyed the main character and the plot line. I would like to see more involvement from her dog, though. So, while it was a good read, I reserve judgment for the moment, on the series.

[Liza · Rating 4 out of 5]

When a local shop-owner is poisoned, lots of holiday visitors start cancelling their stays. I can understand why Autumn would want to investigate the events.

Her method is soft and she gradually discovers the truth.

[Diane · Rating 4 out of 5]

Autumn has to investigate to save her business and others on the island after someone was killed. Visitors started to get nervous and leave
It’s kinda cute to see Autumn and Ben get nervous with each other

[Pat Oatman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Be careful of those bearing gifts!

A whimsical story of a quiet little island with lots going on. A busy little bed and breakfast owner who is quite the sleuth, accompanied by her trusty dog who helps her meet the gorgeous new vet.

[Cynthia A · Rating 4 out of 5]

A nosy person

Autumn discovers a man murdered in his shop. People are leaving the small island because they are afraid they will be poisoned next. Autumn’s bed and breakfast was losing guests so she decides to find the killer. Lots of mystery and action.