Baker's Dozen: Rooted In Evil

by C.L. Merklinger

Every family recipe has its secrets. Hers are lethal…

Harmony Hollow thinks it knows Riley Baker. Dutiful daughter. Skilled baker. A woman grieving the sudden death of her mother, Paulina.

But Riley knows the truth.

Paulina wasn’t the beloved matriarch everyone adored—she was a predator. A master of control who shaped her daughter in silence and shadows. Now the bakery—and everything it conceals—belongs to Riley. Along with it comes a choice: bury her mother’s legacy… or surrender to it.

As Riley struggles to maintain her carefully crafted mask, the lessons drilled into her refuse to fade, echoing like a second heartbeat. And in the quiet corners of town, something lingers—someone watching, someone who knows too much, someone ready to tear everything apart.

Trapped between who she was made to be and who she dares to become, Riley must confront the truth buried deep within her bloodline.

Because when violence is inherited… can you ever truly escape it?

Some legacies you escape.

Others are in your blood.

338 pages, Kindle Edition

Published September 27, 2025

About the author

C.L. Merklinger the author of The Realms & Realities Series, grew up with an insatiable appetite for reading and all things scary. Inspired by Horror Authors such as Ray Bradbury; Stephen King; Dean Koontz; and Edgar Allan Poe, she was also deeply influenced by great Mystery Character Authors such as Lawrence Sanders, Agatha Christie and Mary Higgins Clark. Following her passions for Horror and the Paranormal she pulls from her experiences as an Empath which inspired her to write this series. C.L. resides in San Antonio TX where she is all about the music and photographing the crazy nature scene.

Reviews

[Lizzy M · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loving the book can't wait to read more :)