by Traci Hall
First published 2026
Mcintosh "Macki" Smith comes home to Washington's Cascade foothills after a painful breakup, finding refuge at her family's Cider Falls Orchard during peak autumn season. When her parents suffer an accident that sidelines them from running the busy operation, Macki steps in to help manage hayrides, apple picking, and the flood of tourists. She even enters the prestigious Cider Falls Festival baking competition with her signature double crust apple pie. But the contest turns lethal when murder disrupts the festivities. Macki discovers that a corrupt developer wants to purchase and destroy their family orchard, making her parents' accident seem far from coincidental. As she digs deeper into the crime, she uncovers a web of motives that threaten everything the Smith family has built across generations. Macki must identify the killer before she becomes the next victim in this seemingly perfect small town where murder proves as simple as baking pie.
Genres: american-fiction, mystery, crime, contemporary, adult-fiction, cozy-mystery
Vibes: atmospheric, cozy-yet-suspenseful, engaging, fast-paced, small-town-charm
Tropes: amateur-detective, fish-out-of-water, found-family, personal-stakes
Setting: Cascade Foothills, Washington, Cider Falls Orchard, Cider Falls Festival
Period: autumn, contemporary
321 pages · Paperback · Kensington
Content warnings: death, murder
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