One Toast Too Far: A Texas Hill Country Cozy Mystery

by Susana Sage

176 pages, Kindle Edition

Published April 14, 2026

About the author

Susana Sage writes cozy mysteries with a heart as big as Texas.

Set in the charming Texas Hill Country town of Hillcrest, her books follow amateur sleuth Tilly Martin, a young widow with a flair for needlepoint, a stubborn streak, and a tendency to land in the middle of murder investigations. She is often accompanied by her mischievous cat Stitches, who has a knack for finding clues. Blending small-town charm, quirky characters, and twisty plots, Susana’s stories are perfect for readers who love their mysteries served with friendship, sassy feline sidekicks, and a dash of spice.

When she’s not writing, you can find her adding to her ever-growing needlepoint stash and trying to complete current projects, sipping iced coffee on the porch, or being bossed around by her brown tabby cat. She’s passionate about creating stories that celebrate resilience, community, and clever women who don’t wait around for someone else to solve the mystery.

Reviews

[Chere Gruver · Rating 5 out of 5]

There’s another death in Texas Hill Country!

This time around, there’s a major celebration at the vineyard for the birth of one of the founders’. For a gift, the family decided to have Tilly create a canvas to hang in the vineyard’s tasting room. During the time she spent working on the canvas, Tilly became close to some of the family members. Of course, Tilly and artist Sarah, along with most of the town, show up at the celebration. After everyone leaves, a body is found. And so, Tilly starts investigating to find out how the victim died. I really do enjoy these stories. In every one of these stories, we get to meet new characters, some good, others not so good, just like everywhere else. I am enjoying being there as Tilly becomes more and more a part of her community. The stories are all well written and hold my attention throughout and the plots are always engaging.

I received an advanced reader’s copy and am voluntarily leaving this review.

[Brandie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tilly and Stitches are back, helping their new town solve a mystery. I love that it is set in my general area (Central Texas Hill Country). Tilly notices things and uses the information to help solve mysteries and murders. Stitches is a perceptive gray kitten. Tilly owns a cross-stitching store in a small Texas town where she relocated after her husband died. The people in the town have grown to care for Tilly (and Stitches) and appreciate her talent for finding the truth. After making a special display for the local winery owner's 80th birthday, one guest didn't survive the celebration. (Hmm, not in the book, but it could be a fun place to haunt.) I haven't cross-stitched in years, and yet, these books are very entertaining. You should check out the whole series.

[Julie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tilly and Stitches are back at it as they work to piece together the death at a wine tasting. After getting close to the family, Tilly is determined to get to the bottom of it. With each mystery Tilly grows more into herself and becomes a more integral part of her community, and we meet more members of that community. What exactly was the victim involved in, and how did it get him killed?

I was gifted a copy of this book and voluntarily provided this review. Happy Reading Y'all 📚
(If you're new to the series, like I was, you'll love Stitches!! 🐱❤️)

[Brenda · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this detailed cozy mystery that takes place in a small town with diverse quirky characters. Loved the cat Stitches which is a great name for a cat whose owner has a cross stitch craft store and seriously enjoyed the cat stroller because I could totally see myself doing that to my cats and them not liking it. This was a story where a misunderstanding lead to a tragedy. Even though I figured out who did it but didn’t really figure out why, I still enjoyed the story and the ending.

[Ruth McDaniel · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was another good Hill Country mystery!
Tilly must discover why a man at a wine tasting party has ended up dead...had he made someone angry? Was he attempting to get a land deal illegally? Was it water rights? Who could have wanted him dead and have the police decided it was a homicide or an accident? Read on to find out. This was a quick fun read that I liked a lot.
I received an ARC of this story from the author and am leaving my voluntary review.

[Rita Pierrottie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Enjoyable Read

This whole series was enjoyable to read. The characters were realistic and the setting felt exactly like a small town would feel. I liked the fact that the stories were entertaining, but short.