Family secrets. A cryptic clue. And a town with more mysteries than streetlamps.
Julia Wright thought Maple Bay was just another quiet coastal town—until a package tied to her late grandfather arrives on her doorstep. A sharp-witted investigative journalist with a love for puzzles and a stubborn streak, Julia can’t resist digging into the cryptic key and diary Cooper, her golden retriever, helps uncover.
She’s not alone in her search. Lucy, her quirky librarian best friend, supplies local lore and comic relief, while Detective Andrew Vance does his best to keep Julia out of danger—though he can’t help admiring her determination. But Maple Bay’s history hides more than charming bookstores and gossip. Professor Bing, an eccentric academic, seems to know too much, and Mrs. Jenkins, a feisty shopkeeper, guards secrets she refuses to share. Each could be tied to the web of deceit stretching back generations.
As Julia unravels hidden blueprints, long-buried betrayals, and shadowy figures willing to silence her, the danger closes in. If she fails to crack the puzzle her grandfather left behind, Maple Bay’s legacy—and her own life—might be lost forever.
