Murder Most Pumpkin: A Fall Themed Small Town Cozy Mystery

by Maisy Marple

Fall has arrived in picturesque Cinnamon Falls, and café owner Harper Lane is perfecting her signature pumpkin spice blend for the annual Spice & Harvest Festival competition. With famous food blogger Savannah Bloom judging this year's entries, winning could put Harper's quaint Whisking Leaves café on the culinary map. But when Savannah is found floating in the historic mill pond the morning after the festival gala—with traces of Harper's unique spice blend found in her lungs—the cozy competition turns deadly. Suddenly, Harper finds herself the prime suspect, her reputation in tatters, and her beloved café closed by police order.

Determined to clear her name, Harper teams up with her teenage barista Tessa and best friend Maggie to investigate Cinnamon Falls' secrets. Between her café rival Gloria Finch's smug accusations, gruff farmer Eddie Whitlock's mysterious opposition to town development plans, and retired history teacher Norman Crisp's obsession with the mill's mechanisms, Harper uncovers a web of motives more complex than any recipe. Even Detective Miles Rowan, whose professional demeanor can't quite hide his growing attraction to Harper, is following evidence that all points in her direction.

As Harper delves deeper into the town's hidden rivalries and long-simmering resentments, she realizes the killer has more planned than just framing her for murder. With the festival competition rapidly approaching and more evidence mounting against her, Harper must identify the culprit before they decide she's becoming too troublesome to leave alive. In Cinnamon Falls, it seems the most dangerous ingredient isn't in the pumpkin spice—it's the secrets bubbling just beneath the surface of this seemingly perfect small town.

Genres: Cozy Mystery, Amazon

110 pages, Kindle Edition

Published October 7, 2025

Reviews

[Anna Jason]

Murder Most Pumpkin delivers everything I want from a cozy mystery: an inviting autumn setting, a suspicious death, plenty of possible suspects, buried secrets, misleading clues, and that wonderful feeling that the answer is sitting right in front of you—you just haven’t figured out how all the pieces fit together yet.

What I enjoyed most was the actual investigation. The mystery unfolds piece by piece, and every new discovery seems to raise another question. Just when I thought I had settled on the most likely suspect, another clue or revelation made me reconsider everything. There are motives to untangle, stories that don’t quite add up, and people who clearly know more than they are willing to admit.

I also loved that the suspects weren’t simply thrown into the story to create confusion. The fun comes from trying to determine which secrets actually matter to the murder and which ones are sending you down the wrong path. I found myself paying attention to conversations, suspicious behavior, little inconsistencies, and seemingly unimportant details because I was convinced one of them would eventually crack the case wide open.

That’s what made this such an entertaining whodunit for me. I wasn’t just watching the mystery get solved—I was actively trying to solve it myself. I accused people, changed my mind, questioned motives, and definitely became suspicious of characters who probably didn’t deserve nearly as much side-eye as I was giving them.

And underneath all those cozy pumpkin-filled fall vibes is a mystery with enough twists and unanswered questions to keep the pages turning. The contrast works perfectly: everything feels warm, charming, and autumnal on the surface, while something much darker is hiding underneath.

Murder Most Pumpkin is perfect for readers who love amateur sleuths, suspicious townspeople, hidden motives, red herrings, small-town gossip, unexpected clues, and a murder that makes practically everyone look guilty at some point.

Cozy enough to read with a blanket and pumpkin-spice latte, mysterious enough to make you suspicious of the entire town.

[Lesley Goldthorpe]

Murder Most Pumpkin by Maisy Maple is basically everything I want from a cozy fall mystery—pumpkins, small-town charm, secrets, suspicious characters, and, naturally, a dead body because apparently we can’t just enjoy autumn without someone getting murdered. 😂🎃
This was such a cute, easy read. The mystery kept me interested without becoming overly complicated, and the fall atmosphere was probably my favorite part. It has that cozy little-town feeling where everyone knows everyone…and everyone also knows everyone else’s business.
Which, obviously, is perfect for murder. 😂
There’s plenty of investigating, gossip, suspects, and those wonderfully questionable decisions cozy mystery characters make when they decide, “Maybe I should investigate this dangerous situation completely by myself.”
Ma’am. No.
But also…please continue because I need to know what happens. 😂
It’s not scary or particularly dark, but that’s not what I wanted from this one. This is pure pumpkin-spice murder territory—light, cozy, slightly quirky, and perfect when you want a mystery without anything too heavy.

[Kathy Cohen]

Pumpkin Spice With a Side of Murder

Cute little murder mystery. Cinnamon Falls is holding its annual fall festival with a latte competition. An influencer is coming to town to help judge the competition but is found dead, drowned in the lake but with a spice mixture found in her system. What did she discover that someone in town wanted kept secret? The Mayor, a developer, an historian and 2 cafe owners. Who wanted her dead and why. Harper and Gloria, the cafe owners are competing in the latte competition, one accusing the other of murder. But who really did it? All the evidence points to Harper. Did she do it? The Mayor and developer have been meeting secretly. Why? They think no one sees them but the little elderly lady, Clara sees more than anyone else in town. Why is the old water mill running when it hasn’t run in years? What’s the connection to the murder? You just have to read this book to find out? Happy reading!

[Crys]

A fast cozy mystery that takes readers on a journey with Harper Lane being our amateur sleuth.

Harper is preparing for a fall festival competition when one of the judges is found murdered…and Harper is the prime suspect. She has to clear her name because it’s clear there’s a frame job pointing the finger - and evidence - right at her.

Cinnamon Falls seems to be a character itself, but because the mystery is a fast one, it doesn’t get as developed as I expect we’ll see in the other books. We get an introduction in this one via a fall festival, but I look forward to learning more about this quaint small town.

I found this to be a fun, satisfying read. Sometimes the shorter cozy mysteries feel rushed, but this one did not. The pacing matched the story the writer wanted to tell.

[Cheryl]

The main character is Harper Lane. Her small town is having it's fall pumpkin spice festival and she has entered with her spice blend from her business. A woman who came to judge the events is found murdered in the river by the old mill. They found Harper's spice blend in her lungs with pond water. Everyone it seems believe Harper did it but she didn't. She with a couple of friends set out to find out who did. The closer they get the more likely it seems she will be the next one to die. Can they figure this all out before it's too late ?

[S]

In Cinnamon Falls, café owner Harper Lane is working on her pumpkin spice blend for the annual Spice & Harvest Festival competition. Celebrity food blogger, Savannah Bloom will be judging the entries. Unfortunately, Savannah is found in the mill pond with traces of Harper’s spice blend in her lungs. Harper is a suspect, and her café is closed by the police. Harper and her friends decide to investigate. They discover the how Savannah was killed. Now they have to figure out the who.
This was an interesting mystery with a number of clues and suspects. I enjoyed it.

[Susan A.]

Great read with delightful characters

This book would make a great series all on its own. Would love to see more of Harper Lane owner of the Whisking Leaves cafe and her friends solving more mysteries in Cinnamon Falls. And a continuation of her relationship with Detective Rowan Miles. This book could easily grow into a long term series. Please do think about it and make it so. Harper solving more murders would be totally readable and an enjoyable cozy series.

[Shelly Fabian]

A fun, quick, fall read.

“Coffee quality is about relationships as much as beans."

"Balance," she pronounced. "The true secret ingredient. Not just in the flavors, but in the approach. Past, present, and future in harmonious coexistence.”

“In Cinnamon Falls, it seemed, the secret ingredient wasn't just in the spices. It was in the connections between people, the balance of tradition and innovation, and the courage to stand up for the truth—“

[Toni]

A great blend of amateur sleuths and small town romance

This book immediately sucked me in. I spent the entire read wondering if Maisy Marple might revisit this character set. She has a good grasp of how to plot a cozy mystery, create a villain and set up a protagonist. I definitely like her style. This book was just the complete picture of a great read.

[Marsha Asquith]

Food blogger to be a judge in Cinnamon Falls Festival, turns up dead and Harper is the number one suspect. She and friends set out to find the person trying to frame her.
Fun quick story. Love the character Tessa, she is young and energetic and fun!

[P.S. Winn]

That drowning was no accident. With Savannah found floating in a pond with traces of Harper Lane's special spice found in her lungs, a mystery begins. This tale is short, and feels a bit incomplete, but it is still a great way to kill an hour, maybe.

[R]

Honestly, the only thing that makes me uncomfortable about this book (and this publisher/publishing company/author) is that I think they've moved to all being AI generated. That being said, it was still an enjoyable read, but I'm not sure that there's a human behind the production any longer.

[Susan Ballain]

This was a cute small town cozy mystery with a store owner being accused of murder! She had to solve her own mystery with the help of her friends!
This book was very likable along with the characters! Lots of action and adventure!

[Ilene G>]

Did not finish.

Did not finish. I do not like most of the characters and the overall plot. I stopped at 33 percent.

[Donna]

Quick read but entertaining. The plot moved at a quick pace and the characters were an interesting assortment of people. First book I’ve read by this author but I plan to read more of her stories.

[Emilia]

it felt far too short, a bit unoriginal and predictable

[DONNA FOSS]

Very well written.
Kept me interested completely.

[Susan]

loved it love the characters and the small town, the mystery was interesting and the people worth reading look forward to reading more of these books

[Lois Hinderliter]

Delightful

It is a delightful mystery. Harper is suspected of murder. She and her fiends investigate to find the real murderer. Its quite interesting. It won't disappear
Kind you.

[Kaye]

good start to a series

Good start to a series. At times a little hard to keep characters straight but still fun. Good read. Recommend.

[Jean Hall]

When a food blogger is found dead, Harper is suddenly the prime suspect. She and her friends start working right away to figure out who framed her.

[Bourbon N Books]

Quite the action packed novella! 1st time reading Maisy. I really enjoyed Harper, Maggie and Tessa and the town.

Fun and neatly wrapped up!

[Kim Sawyer]

Spicy murder

Cute cozy mystery wrapped up quickly. It is a fast and easy read. I really enjoyed this. Perfect for fall.

[Princesspint]

This is a delightful cozy mystery that's perfect for curling up with on a crisp autumn day. Marple has crafted a charming world filled with quirky characters and a deliciously intriguing whodunit. The small-town setting, complete with pumpkin patches and fall festivals, provides a wonderfully atmospheric backdrop for the unfolding mystery.
The protagonist, with her sharp wit and knack for amateur sleuthing, is incredibly endearing and easy to root for. The clues are cleverly sprinkled throughout the narrative, keeping you guessing until the very end without being overly complicated. It’s the kind of mystery where you feel like you're solving it alongside the characters, making the eventual reveal all the more satisfying.