I’ll get some water out when we get there, and we can rest for a few minutes and have a drink.” She hefted her small backpack farther onto her shoulders and started forward. You sure do love these early morning walks, don’t you?” The big, furry dog, who still hadn’t quite grown into his chunky paws, stopped at the sound of her voice, turned back to her, and tilted his head, then waited for her to catch up. She sucked in a shaky breath, the humidity making her chest heavy. Looking into the woods surrounding her property and not knowing what lurked just behind the tree line gave her the creeps, but hiking the local trails and actually seeing snakes, alligators, and other critters, some of which she couldn’t even identify, brought nightmares.Īnd yet, here she was… She’d been looking forward to hiking the new trail, but her mind was too cluttered with everything else to focus on enjoying the peaceful morning. If anything, they terrified her even more. Though they did help her focus better, they did nothing to help her embrace her new surroundings. Savannah and Trevor had both insisted early morning hikes would clear her head and help her get used to living at the edge of the forest. So she trudged on, despite wanting to go home and spend her morning curled up with a good book. Unfortunately, her hectic schedule at the café didn’t allow much time for hiking, or anything else for that matter. She didn’t have the heart to call him back, even though she wasn’t in the best mood this morning and her mind was a million miles away. Thor trotted happily alongside her, sometimes darting ahead, but always staying on the trail and within sight. Though she enjoyed their walks, which allowed her to spend time with Thor and provided both of them some much needed exercise, her nerves sometimes got the better of her. Gia stepped over a large branch blocking the path through the woods, then patted her pocket-for the millionth time-to make sure her canister of bear spray was still there. To save her café and bring a killer to justice, Gia and her friends will have to figure out a killer’s recipe for murder. There’s a secret buried in the books at town hall, and someone killed to keep it hidden. Gia is considering hanging up her apron and going back to New York, but before she gives up on her dream, she discovers something shocking in the local swamp: Marcia Steers, dead in the water. A forgotten zoning regulation means that the café was opened illegally, and hardboiled council president Marcia Steers refuses to budge. New York native Gia Morelli is just getting used to life in Florida when she gets word that the town government wants to shut down her pride and joy: the charming little diner known as the All-Day Breakfast Café. To save her cozy Florida diner, Gia Morelli must choke down a heaping helping of murder.

Murder Made to Order (All-Day Breakfast Cafe Mystery)

Tangled Web by Crista McHugh