Welcome to Pecan Grove, Georgia—a town where the courthouse dome shines like a lantern at dawn, casseroles solve as many problems as committees, and every bake sale hides more than recipes.
For Jo Mercer, coming home to reopen Blessed & Buttered bakery was supposed to mean second chances and clean slates. Instead, her very first church fundraiser back turns into chaos: a celebrity judge collapses mid-bite, the nut-free kitchen station isn’t as safe as it should be, and whispers about sabotage threaten to scorch Jo’s hard-won reputation before the lemon bars have even cooled.
Armed with a whisk, a clipboard, and her stubborn sense of hospitality, Jo refuses to let gossip decide the truth. With Deputy Mariah King at her side (and a very opinionated polydactyl cat keeping watch from the bakery counter), Jo maps out the fellowship hall like a crime scene: cups placed left or right, cords taped down in neat blue lines, every ramekin and recipe card a possible clue. Behind the choir’s harmonies and the casserole table’s comfort lies a tangle of motives: financial missteps, old resentments, and one missing EpiPen that should have been there when it mattered most.
Murder at the Mission Bake-Off is the start of The Blessed & Buttered Mysteries—a warm, puzzle-first cozy series where faith and food, friendship and fairness, all matter as much as the final reveal. You’ll meet the “Bakery Six”: Jo, her choir-director Aunt Birdie, steady contractor Cal, meticulous city clerk Eden, over-extended Thea, and Mariah, the deputy who believes in both protocols and people. Together they prove that even in the messiest moments, a small town can choose competence, care, and community.
OUR READERS LOVE THE BAKE ALONG FEATURE! Every book in the series includes a bake-along feature: real tested recipes you can make at home while following Jo’s sleuthing. This first volume invites you into the kitchen with two crowd-pleasers straight from the Mission Bake-Off:
🥧 Jo’s Lemon Bars — bright, tangy squares on a buttery shortbread crust, dusted with powdered sugar. Perfect for bake sales, small victories, or any day that needs sunlight on a plate.
🍲 Mission Hall Chicken-n-Dumplin’ Casserole — hearty comfort with tender chicken, vegetables, creamy sauce, and golden drop-biscuit topping. The kind of dish that feeds a town after a long day of questions.
Whether you read for the mystery (fair-play clues and red herrings included), the romance-on-simmer, or the recipes that remind you of church suppers and family kitchens, this series is designed for fans of cozy crime with a generous dash of comfort. No gore, no graphic scenes—just small-town secrets, witty banter, and the assurance that kindness and competence can win the day.
Pull up a chair at Blessed & Buttered. The coffee’s hot, the cat approves, and Jo Mercer is about to discover that in Pecan Grove, every recipe comes with a story—and sometimes a clue.
Includes:
✔️ Complete mystery with satisfying solution
✔️ Two bonus short stories set in Pecan Grove
✔️ Bake Along Recipes: Jo’s Lemon Bars & Mission Hall Chicken-n-Dumplin’ Casserole
For fans of faith-based cozies, culinary sleuths, and small-town whodunits.
