Cirrus@Austlit

'Armed with an over-zealous love for her town and unlimited tenacity, Betty Brookson takes no prisoners when she openly challenges a construction tycoon at an emergency town meeting. No-one wants to see the nursing home turned into high-rise apartments in the name of progress, least of all Betty.

'The arrival of her broken-hearted granddaughter peps her up. Charlotte McCorrson, an award-winning master baker and passionate soul was just like her grandmother. But she arrives amid the cops questioning her grandmother. And she doesn't like what they were saying.

'When Derek Pantell is found floating unconscious in the nursing home pool with a horrific head injury, all evidence points to Betty. She soon becomes the number one suspect.

'Betty's stellar reputation is on the line and with the help of her trustworthy granddaughter, they set out to uncover the truth. Will they find the person responsible, or will they become the next victims in their master plan?'

Source: Publisher's blurb.

'Welcome to Ashton Point. One sweet taste could be her last.

'Charlotte McCorrson has spent her entire life building her business, CC’s Simply Cupcakes. The town of Ashton Point is her home and she’s garnered a reputation of stellar service and delightful pastries, one nibble at a time. But everything isn’t as sweet in the sleepy, coastal town as Charlotte would like to think. She is in for a rude awakening and no amount of sugar will make this medicine go down any smoother.

'After catering a large town-wide event, Ashton Point’s morning newspaper fills Charlotte McCorrson with an icy sense of dread. The headlines scream Cupcake Killer! and put the blame squarely on CC’s Simply Cupcakes. When bodies begin to pile up behind her confectionary goodies, Charlotte must prove that while her cupcakes are delicious, they aren’t literally to die for—before she ends up in jail for a crime she didn’t commit.' (Publication summary)

'Clair McCorrson has spent the last three years building her business. CC’s Simply Cupcakes with her sister gaining a reputation for mouth-watering excellence in their seaside town of Ashton Point. While Charlotte is the master baker, Clair keeps the business side looking sweet and if everything goes as planned, she’ll be more than the girl behind the scenes.

'Expanding their business to the nearby town of Watson’s Creek is Clair’s idea, and acquiring the Sweets Mansion is her dream come true, her chance to step out from her sister’s shadow and make it on her own. Clair’s excitement quickly turns sour when she stumbles across the murdered body of local settlement agent.

'Newspaper headlines screaming Cupcake Killer Strikes Again! Clair’s life seems to be going from bad to worse when rumours of the cursed Mansion begin to surface igniting chaos among the locals. Bodies literally begin to mount up around CC’s Simply Cupcakes and all the evidence points to Clair. Wrongly accused of murder, it’s a race against time to find the real culprit before she’s spends the rest of her life behind bars.' (Publication summary)

'Cassidy McCorrson has worked hard to develop her reputation as a leading interior designer in her seaside town of Ashton Point. Since arriving home from visiting her parents in New York, her skills have been in high demand. Between juggling the design for her sister’s new cupcake shop and her private client, Cassidy barely has time to prepare for the upcoming Christmas celebrations.

' Cassidy is excited at the prospect of delivering designs she can be proud of, but her world is turned upside down when the body of a local reporter is found murdered on location at her latest work site. What should have been a straightforward job turns out to be the worst decision of her life.

'In order to clear her name and restore her reputation, Cassidy must find the real killer before she ends up redesigning the interior of a jail cell. Can she unearth the killer before time runs out?' (Publication summary) 

'Mistletoe magic or the kiss of death?

'Alexandra Cohen is determined to show her boss she has what it takes to be manager of The Springs Café on the outskirts of Ashton Point. She's smart and with the addition of CC's Simply Cupcakes, sales have sky-rocketed. The town is in full holiday spirit and with the Christmas Fair fast approaching, Alex has to work twice as hard to keep her interfering ex-boyfriend, out of the picture before he destroys her life forever.

'After reluctantly agreeing to run the kissing booth at the fair, Alex has to deal with a continuous line of male customers, as well as an ex who has ignored her requests to leave her alone. But the day is really tarnished when Alex stumbles across a body on the ground of her kissing booth dressed as Santa.

'The evidence is gathering against her and Alex must decide if she should let the police do their job and pray they do it well or if she should take matters into her own hands. With the help of the McCorrson sisters, Alex must investigate so she doesn't become the town scapegoat and forced to spend Christmas behind bars.' (Publication summary) 

'A stab at the competition.

'Since arriving in Ashton Point, Master Chef Margarete Becker has managed to turn the dilapidated, old Tea 4 Two Café into a thriving meeting place. She draws both locals and tourists with her mouth-watering treats. Her childhood dream is to own her own 5-star restaurant and with the success of the Tea 4 Two Café, that dream could become a reality sooner than she imagined.

'Margarete's chance to show she has what it takes to run not just a café, but a thriving restaurant arrives when she secures the contract to cater the McCorrson's 30th Wedding Anniversary dinner. With dessert taken care of, Margarete's has only the entrée and main course to perfect. A piece of cake....or so she thought. It proves a slice more difficult than expected when the body of a local chef, Margarete's competition, is found murdered.

'Evidence against Margarete is mounting and it's obvious someone is trying to frame her. She only has one option; enlist the help of the McCorrson sisters to help clear her name and find the real killer before time runs out and her dreams are shattered forever.'

Source: Publisher's blurb.