Review Group discussion

Welcome to Maplewood, a picture-perfect town where the coffee is strong, the gossip is stronger, and the secrets are far darker than anyone dares to admit.

Lara Morgan, thirty-eight, buys Maplewood Bookshop just two weeks before its previous owner’s sudden death, an ominous start to what she hoped would be a new beginning after a messy divorce.

Then she finds a diary entry from Elizabeth Shirley, written days before her demise, with a single warning:

“If anything happens to me, start with the poetry shelf.”

When Maplewood’s sharp-tongued Kayla turns up dead, the town’s warm veneer begins to crack. Drawn into a web of old gossip and new lies, Lara finds unlikely allies: Leo, the cat who seems to know more than he should; Maggie, her chaos-in-heels best friend; and Sheriff Graham Miller - the man whose heart she broke before leaving town.

As danger circles Maplewood again, Lara must uncover what Elizabeth discovered before the same shadows close over her. From hidden secrets to whispered alibis, the trail leads to a conspiracy that might involve someone she knows all too well.

Murder at the Maplewood Bookshop is a heartfelt cozy mystery about love, loss, and the stories we can’t leave behind. Perfect for readers who love small-town secrets, slow-burn second chances, and cats who steal every scene.

☕Come for the coffee,
Stay for the crime – fictional, of course.