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Murder at the Midsummer Feast
She came for a fresh start. She stayed to solve a murder.
When Cressida Vale returns to the small town of Blackvale, she’s hoping for quiet—a few months helping at her great-aunt Sylvia’s inn, some freelance photography work, and maybe a chance to figure out what she actually wants from life. Instead, she gets a dead celebrity chef, a poisoned tart, and her beloved aunt accused of murder.
Henrietta Dodd collapses at the town’s annual Midsummer Feast & Fair—right after tasting Aunt Sylvia’s jam tart. With all evidence pointing to Sylvia and the sheriff closing in, Cressida knows she has to act fast. Enter Miles Stone, her childhood friend and fellow reluctant hometown returnee. Together, they navigate rival bakers, town gossip, blackmail, and decades-old grudges to uncover the truth.
But in Blackvale, the sunny façade hides shadows deeper than either of them imagined. And the real killer is closer than they think.
A cozy gothic mystery where summer sunshine meets dark secrets, and every smile might hide a motive. Perfect for fans of amateur sleuths, culinary mysteries, and small-town intrigue.
When Cressida Vale returns to the small town of Blackvale, she’s hoping for quiet—a few months helping at her great-aunt Sylvia’s inn, some freelance photography work, and maybe a chance to figure out what she actually wants from life. Instead, she gets a dead celebrity chef, a poisoned tart, and her beloved aunt accused of murder.
Henrietta Dodd collapses at the town’s annual Midsummer Feast & Fair—right after tasting Aunt Sylvia’s jam tart. With all evidence pointing to Sylvia and the sheriff closing in, Cressida knows she has to act fast. Enter Miles Stone, her childhood friend and fellow reluctant hometown returnee. Together, they navigate rival bakers, town gossip, blackmail, and decades-old grudges to uncover the truth.
But in Blackvale, the sunny façade hides shadows deeper than either of them imagined. And the real killer is closer than they think.
A cozy gothic mystery where summer sunshine meets dark secrets, and every smile might hide a motive. Perfect for fans of amateur sleuths, culinary mysteries, and small-town intrigue.
384 pages, Kindle Edition
Published January 1, 2026
About the author
J.P. White
2 booksJ.P. White is a librarian and writer based in the United States, born and raised in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. By day, she helps readers discover the stories meant just for them; by night, she writes the ones she once searched for herself.
A lifelong creative, J.P. enjoys digital art, watercolor painting, and visiting museums and libraries wherever their travels take them. Her work is deeply inspired by everyday life and the countless people she encounters through her work in libraries-each conversation, question, and recommendation offering a glimpse into the quiet mysteries of human connection.
Though surrounded by books professionally, J.P.'s path to writing didn't begin with a love of reading so much as a love of helping. She entered librarianship to guide others toward stories that resonated with them-stories that felt like home. When those same stories proved elusive for her own younger self, J.P. began writing instead. What started in high school as a search for belonging has grown into a lifelong vocation.
Under the pen name J.P. White, she writes cozy and gothic-tinged mysteries that center atmosphere, character, and emotional truth-stories where found family matters, curiosity is rewarded, and justice often arrives with a teacup nearby.
A lifelong creative, J.P. enjoys digital art, watercolor painting, and visiting museums and libraries wherever their travels take them. Her work is deeply inspired by everyday life and the countless people she encounters through her work in libraries-each conversation, question, and recommendation offering a glimpse into the quiet mysteries of human connection.
Though surrounded by books professionally, J.P.'s path to writing didn't begin with a love of reading so much as a love of helping. She entered librarianship to guide others toward stories that resonated with them-stories that felt like home. When those same stories proved elusive for her own younger self, J.P. began writing instead. What started in high school as a search for belonging has grown into a lifelong vocation.
Under the pen name J.P. White, she writes cozy and gothic-tinged mysteries that center atmosphere, character, and emotional truth-stories where found family matters, curiosity is rewarded, and justice often arrives with a teacup nearby.
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February 2, 2026
J.P. White delivers a quintessential cozy mystery that perfectly balances the "sunny" vibes of a Southern festival with the "shadowy" undertones of a Gothic thriller. It is an impressive series starter that manages to feel both familiar and fresh.
Displaying 1 of 1 review