A Brunch With Death

Fall has painted Ashland, Oregon, with a brush of jewel tones. Everyone's favorite artistic director, Lance, from the Oregon Shakespeare Festival, is in a sparkling mood. Things are winding down at the theater, and he's already planning a spectacular lineup for next season. There's only one problem–cash. Lance's lavish productions don't come cheap.

So when the dreaded Richard Lord, owner of the Merry Windsor Hotel, approaches Lance about partnering for an upcoming brunch show, Lance can't turn him down. Shakespearean kitsch and stale muffins aren't exactly Lance's forte, but he can't pass up an offer to fill the coffers. It's just brunch, after all. It can't be that bad. Can it?

It turns out that brunch is the yeast of Lance's worries. There are far too many cooks in the kitchen, including Richard's secret girlfriend. When the hotel's surly French chef ends up face down in the brunch feast, Lance must convince Juliet, baker extraordinaire, to piece together the clues with him. If they can't craft a recipe to solve this crime, they may end up next on the menu when it comes to murder.

A Brunch With Death, a short cozy mystery spin-off of Ellie's best-selling Bakeshop Mystery Series, is the culmination of a three-month collaboration. Ellie wrote A Brunch With Death with input from Team Torte—her crew of amazing readers. Each week readers suggested a variety of scenarios regarding what should happen next and voted on the potential outcomes to help guide the plot.

To participate in Ellie's next cozy mystery collaboration follow her on Facebook and join her Collaborative Cozy Mysteries Group to be part of the fun.