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Festival of Death: A Small Town Tourism Cozy Mystery
Not yet published
Expected 13 Jan 26Some traditions are meant to be preserved. Others are deadly to unearth.
Tourism Director Ellie Summers faces her biggest challenge co-chairing Millcrest Falls' sesquicentennial Harvest Festival alongside Margaret Freeman, guardian of festival traditions for twenty-five years and descendant of the town's founding family.
Their uneasy partnership ends when Margaret is found drowned in the apple-bobbing barrel.
Suspicion falls on Ellie's assistant, Sabrina Townsend, whose modern ideas clashed publicly with Margaret's devotion to tradition. But Ellie knows Sabrina isn't capable of murder—and as she digs deeper, she discovers Margaret had plenty of enemies.
Margaret recently cut her nephew from her will, leaving him desperate. A decades-old rivalry with town historian Eileen May traces back to a festival scandal in 1975. And someone has been sabotaging festival preparations with increasingly dangerous "accidents."
When Ellie finds a vintage recipe book hidden in the Heritage Barn, its coded margin notes reveal a shocking some of Millcrest Falls' most cherished "colonial traditions" were invented in the 1940s. Margaret was about to expose the fraud—and destroy certain families' reputations in the process.
With the festival days away and a killer growing bolder, Ellie must decode a historical conspiracy while planning a celebration that honors the past without being buried by it.
Some traditions are meant to be preserved. Others are deadly to unearth.
FESTIVAL OF DEATH is the second book in the Millcrest Falls Tourism Mystery series. Each book features a complete, standalone mystery while building the relationships readers will follow throughout the series.
Tourism Director Ellie Summers faces her biggest challenge co-chairing Millcrest Falls' sesquicentennial Harvest Festival alongside Margaret Freeman, guardian of festival traditions for twenty-five years and descendant of the town's founding family.
Their uneasy partnership ends when Margaret is found drowned in the apple-bobbing barrel.
Suspicion falls on Ellie's assistant, Sabrina Townsend, whose modern ideas clashed publicly with Margaret's devotion to tradition. But Ellie knows Sabrina isn't capable of murder—and as she digs deeper, she discovers Margaret had plenty of enemies.
Margaret recently cut her nephew from her will, leaving him desperate. A decades-old rivalry with town historian Eileen May traces back to a festival scandal in 1975. And someone has been sabotaging festival preparations with increasingly dangerous "accidents."
When Ellie finds a vintage recipe book hidden in the Heritage Barn, its coded margin notes reveal a shocking some of Millcrest Falls' most cherished "colonial traditions" were invented in the 1940s. Margaret was about to expose the fraud—and destroy certain families' reputations in the process.
With the festival days away and a killer growing bolder, Ellie must decode a historical conspiracy while planning a celebration that honors the past without being buried by it.
Some traditions are meant to be preserved. Others are deadly to unearth.
FESTIVAL OF DEATH is the second book in the Millcrest Falls Tourism Mystery series. Each book features a complete, standalone mystery while building the relationships readers will follow throughout the series.
246 pages, Kindle Edition
Expected publication January 13, 2026
1 person want to read
About the author
Adelaide Mills
4 books5 followersSmall towns. Big secrets. Cozy mysteries with wit, warmth, and a body (or two).
Adelaide Mills writes cozy mysteries that blend clever puzzles, nosy neighbours, and heroines who can’t help stumbling into trouble. Her stories capture the charm and chaos of small-town life—where everyone knows everyone, gossip spreads faster than wildfire, and secrets never stay buried for long.
With a cup of tea in hand (or three), Adelaide creates twisty whodunnits full of humour, heart, and just enough danger to keep readers turning pages past midnight. Her amateur sleuths are everyday women—bakers, booksellers, and teachers—who prove that curiosity might kill the cat, but it also catches the killer.
When she’s not plotting her next fictional murder, Adelaide is devouring true-crime podcasts, alphabetizing her bookshelves, or pretending she’d totally survive in a murder mystery herself.
Adelaide Mills writes cozy mysteries that blend clever puzzles, nosy neighbours, and heroines who can’t help stumbling into trouble. Her stories capture the charm and chaos of small-town life—where everyone knows everyone, gossip spreads faster than wildfire, and secrets never stay buried for long.
With a cup of tea in hand (or three), Adelaide creates twisty whodunnits full of humour, heart, and just enough danger to keep readers turning pages past midnight. Her amateur sleuths are everyday women—bakers, booksellers, and teachers—who prove that curiosity might kill the cat, but it also catches the killer.
When she’s not plotting her next fictional murder, Adelaide is devouring true-crime podcasts, alphabetizing her bookshelves, or pretending she’d totally survive in a murder mystery herself.
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
December 19, 2025
We're back in Millcrest following Ellie's journey with the festival! Right before the festival is about to begin someone has lost their life, Margaret. Margaret has a lot of enemies and a very over zealous nephew who might have counted his chickens before they hatched.
Ellie sets out to clear Sabrina who is accused of harming Margaret and along the way more secrets of Millcrest come out. Grab some snacks, a drink and cuddle up with your favorite comfort item... because Millcrest is going to pull you in as Ellie unravels the story behind how the town was really founded.
Thank you to Booksprout and the author for an advance reader copy in exchange for an honest review.
Ellie sets out to clear Sabrina who is accused of harming Margaret and along the way more secrets of Millcrest come out. Grab some snacks, a drink and cuddle up with your favorite comfort item... because Millcrest is going to pull you in as Ellie unravels the story behind how the town was really founded.
Thank you to Booksprout and the author for an advance reader copy in exchange for an honest review.
Review of advance copy received from Author
Set at the festival celebrating the town, a murder happens while they are preparing for the festival. Ellie decides to play amateur sleuth and investigate what has happened. The killer doesn’t want the festival to take place and reveal long kept secrets and sabotages the festival and threatens Ellie to stop investigating. Can the secrets be revealed without damaging the town and its history? Can they find the killer before they kill again?
This cute cozy mystery is awesome, it’s a who done it and a why did they did story. The festival setting is wonderful. The characters are ones you get invested in and want to keep reading about. Highly recommend.
This cute cozy mystery is awesome, it’s a who done it and a why did they did story. The festival setting is wonderful. The characters are ones you get invested in and want to keep reading about. Highly recommend.
Review of advance copy
Although this is Book 2 of the Millcrest Falls series it can be read as a standalone.
The characters continue to grow and develop and they are quirky and humorous as ever. The world building continues to excel and impress. Plot was intriguing, exciting and well paced. All in all a great addition to the series. Thoroughly enjoyed and highly recommend this series.
Grab a copy, kick back and enjoy!.
I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.
The characters continue to grow and develop and they are quirky and humorous as ever. The world building continues to excel and impress. Plot was intriguing, exciting and well paced. All in all a great addition to the series. Thoroughly enjoyed and highly recommend this series.
Grab a copy, kick back and enjoy!.
I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Review of advance copy
loved it !! love this series !!! love Ellie... this is another murder mystery for her to solve... a fast paced mystery during the sesquicentennial Harvest Festival... small town secrets... old rivals... traditions vs. modernization... and where and when the traditions came into being and why ??? so good !!!.
I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews