It is the start of a new venture for Margaret and her son, Zach, setting up their dream candy store, Nichol’s Candy Store. With the business owners around her, there is never a dull moment – from Stacy Koontz the café owner, Mr. Stewart, the dog-groomer who needs a new personality, and Simone Peretti, who is as eccentric as the antiques she sells. It was nothing Margaret couldn’t handle, until their neighbor, Dorothy, was found murdered. A woman who was hated by everyone – making the entire neighborhood a suspect. On top of that long list is the new resident, Kyle, who’s kind-hearted beneath a gruff around the gills hard coating. Wanting justice for Dorothy and Kyle, Margaret decides to investigate this mystery herself. With an attractive detective by her side, it’ll lead to more connections than she ever anticipated. Is she sweet enough to solve this sour blooded mystery? This cozy mystery is a clean no graphic violence, sex, or strong language. It can be read in one to two hours. It is perfect for those moments when you are waiting at an appointment or want to enjoy a quick read.

An amateur sleuth, a handsome detective, and a dead body found in their cozy town… Can Margaret and David solve this mysterious murder? Margaret is living the dream running her sweet shop alongside her son, Zach and her good friend, Patti. Business is hurting though, due to new construction work going on around one of the vacant units, and other tenants are beginning to feel the tension. Usually, everyone treats each other with a degree of respect, but it seems everyone wants to be rid of the new coffee shop chain that has opened. It has damaged business for the tea shop, the bakery, and the small mobile coffee stop. To make matters worse, Scott Freeman, the owner of the coffee stop, is an arrogant sod who has managed to insult various customers in the short time he has opened the business. When Margaret decides to get a coffee one morning, she finds his dead body on the floor. David is assigned to investigate the suspicious death, warning Margaret to keep her distance after the injuries she'd sustained in the last case. Tensions rise in both her personal and business life and Margaret finds herself struggling to get this mystery out of her head. With a pinch of homemade sweetness (with or without the apron) Margaret intends to become close to Scott’s widow to get to the bottom of this bitter cup of coffee. Previously published as A Shot of Bitterness. This version has been completely rewritten. This cozy mystery is a clean read: no graphic violence, sex, or strong language. It can be read in one to two hours. It is perfect for those moments when you are waiting at an appointment or want to enjoy a quick read.

The entire neighborhood is shaken when their friend and respected school teacher, Jose Santiago, is found dead by his teenage son, Michael. That’s not the only unnerving threat hitting the streets recently, Margaret has been getting wry letters taped to the door of her candy store. Her son, Zach, and Detective David Graham don’t think it’s a coincidence as an investigation to find the killer gets underway. Dark details of Jose’s murder come to light as the cause of death was cyanide poisoning, with markings of a local coven found around the crime scene. Suspicions fall on the local ‘witch’ coven, making them the primary suspects. Michael hires Margaret to try and track down his father’s murderer, with David begrudgingly accepting her help on the investigation to keep an eye on her. As more cryptic notes are left, along with lousy misfortune hitting the residents – this cozy town soon dissolves into a ghostly version of a frenzied Salem in 1962. Paranoia stands on every corner and the bad luck and backlash quickly turn a friend to foe – to a killer.

Join Margaret, an amateur sleuth and candy store owner, as she investigates another grisly mystery that is far from fun and games! Margaret is being taught new tricks of the trade – Zach is helping her build a website for Nichol’s Candy Store to help promote her tantalizing sweets. Especially when Mark Sheridan visits all shop owners with a briefcase and a proposition to demolish their premises to make way for a large strip mall. He is met with some harsh backlash. Margaret grows concerned when Mark doesn’t show up to collect his order and takes time to drop it off at his house as a good-will gesture, only to find him face down in his living-room, dead. This tragedy isn’t the only thing weighing on her mind. Her budding romance with Detective David Graham is slowly wilting before the bloom – and one sugar-coated lie threatens to end their relationship for good. The tension proves challenging when Margaret is invited to join the investigation as people come forward and report that Mark was not afraid to push his limits to get what he wanted. With evidence leading her astray and David blocking her input at every turn, Margaret will have to fight tooth and claw to hunt down the killer before they turn their attention on another victim. These are shaky foundations to walk across - and a safety net is not guaranteed. Previously published as Popcorn Treats and Deceit. This version has been completely rewritten. This cozy mystery is a clean read: no graphic violence, sex, or strong language. It can be read in one to two hours. It is perfect for those moments when you are waiting at an appointment or want to enjoy a quick read.

Mysteries are swirling like the autumn wind. Is Margaret up to the challenge this time? As Thanksgiving approaches, Margaret finds herself hip-deep in another case. Mr. Stewart, the resident dog groomer, is found dead. He was a cranky old man, but who would use that as a reason for murder? Margaret must find the answer to this question and more: What is her son, Zach, up to? Should she rekindle her romance with Detective David Graham? Is she truly happy with who she is?

A Winter Carnival, Christmas Candy, and Murder Margaret is back on the case, and this time she has to prove herself innocent of murder. Amidst trying out Christmas candy recipes and handing out flyers for the annual Winter Carnival, Margaret stumbles upon another dead body. After alerting the authorities, she’s stunned when Detective David Graham dismisses her offer of help. Shock follows when Margaret realizes she’s the prime suspect—the only suspect—in this particular murder. Determined to clear her name, Margaret and her friends begin an investigation... that leads them to a person Margaret never suspected. Now the race is on to not only prove herself innocent, but to stay alive long enough to put the real killer behind bars.

New Year’s candy rush, check. Spontaneous New Year’s dinner party, check. Another murder for Margret Nichols to solve . . . check. Amid the tourist crowd and dinner plans, Margaret and Detective David Graham have another murder to solve: Who killed Christopher Partridge, and why? The suspect list is short, but the case is hot. Margaret is determined to find the killer, host a perfect New Year’s Eve dinner—which will include her parents, and help her friends with the problems they share with her. But with time running out and the murderer setting his sight on a new victim, will Margaret be able to save the day? Or will she start the new year off dead?

Margaret thinks it’s boring. Then the body is found . . When her son, Zach, stumbles across the dead body of a friend, his first call is to the Police. His second call is to his mother. Margaret agrees to assist Detective David Graham in tracking down the murderer. But as they get closer to the truth, the killer gets closer to Margaret. Once again in danger, Margaret must find a way to solve this crime. Or she just may lose everything she holds dear.

Margaret is planning a promotion while someone else is planning a murder. Excited about spring being just around the corner, Margaret comes up with the perfect new promotion: milkshakes! Just a few days later, she notices that a new ice cream parlor is going to open in West End. And just a few days after that, a woman is murdered in her own home. Margaret now has another case to solve, along with dealing with milkshake flavors and flagging spirits. When the unthinkable happens and Margaret’s loved ones are fighting for their lives, realization dawns. But will Margaret be able to solve the crime and save lives? Or will this be her last case? This cozy mystery is a clean read: no graphic violence, sex, or strong language.

A summer rush. A secluded swimming cove. Another dead body. It just wouldn’t be West End without Margaret Nichols trying to solve a murder. This time, the mystery is more perplexing and personal than ever. Who could have killed a florist and why? Suspects abound, the summer crowd intensifies, and decisions are made that will affect everyone’s future. Can Margaret fend off a killer and live to see those futures? Or is this her last summer in West End? This cozy mystery is a clean read: no graphic violence, sex, or strong language.