Read Other Books by Carolyn Maplewood

Novel Grounds for Murder The Secret Santa Caper

Cover image with city in the background and a flea market tent loaded with wares in the front

By Carolyn Maplewood

The Flea Market Sting

Cozy Murder Mystery | A Hickory Hills Cozy Thriller Mystery

Buy on Amazon - $6.99 paperback | $2.99 Kindle | Read for Free on Kindle Unlimited

Welcome to Hickory Hills, Missouri—where secrets hide in antiques, flea market adventures end in gunfire, barn dances break hearts, and love shows up wearing a hoodie. When Josie McCarthy agrees to help decorate the annual barn dance, she expects twinkle lights, hay bales, and mason jars—not FBI raids, black-market ledgers, and the sudden, terrifying kidnapping of her best friend right in front of her. Now Holly is gone.

As law enforcement scrambles for answers, Josie is thrust into a dangerous mystery involving hidden maps, counterfeit money, and a high school nemesis who’s always been obsessed with her—and may finally be unhinged enough to act on it. With the town whispering cruel lies and grief clawing at her resolve, Josie must rely on her instincts, a few fiercely loyal friends, and the one man who’s always shown up—Deputy Caleb Barlow. Quiet. Steady. Complicated. She wants to trust him… but this time, his silence might be part of the problem—yet another mystery she can’t solve. And her heart is already on the line.

As the truth unravels in the quiet corners of Hickory Hills, Josie must decide who she can trust—and what she’s willing to risk—to bring Holly home. Cozy suspense meets slow-burn romance in this small-town mystery full of quirky charm, emotional grit, and a heroine worth rooting for. Perfect for fans of Gilmore Girls, Hallmark mystery movies, and anyone who’s ever dreamed of running away to a book café and solving crimes.

Buy on Amazon - $6.99 paperback | $2.99 Kindle | Read for Free oN Kindle Unlimited

Cozy Mystery Author

Carolyn Maplewood

Carolyn Maplewood grew up in a small town in Missouri, and she still calls it home—just like the fictional characters in her cozy mysteries. She’s an unabashed fan of classic 80s TV shows like ‘Murder, She Wrote’ and ‘Scarecrow and Mrs. King’. Carolyn brings a touch of that nostalgic charm into her own writing. She’s never met a cozy mystery she didn’t love, and she crafts stories filled with quirky characters, sweet romance, and intriguing puzzles that’ll keep you guessing until the end.

Autumn is Carolyn’s favorite season, and you’ll often find her soaking up the beauty of fall with her trusty Goldendoodle by her side, a cup of coffee in hand, and her mischievous cat curled up nearby. Whether it’s the crunch of leaves underfoot or the smell of firewood in the air, she’s in her element when the world is blanketed in shades of orange and gold.

Carolyn writes the kind of stories she loves to read—packed with small-town charm, quirky characters, sweet romance, and, of course, a deliciously puzzling mystery. So, grab a cup of coffee, settle in, and escape to the heart of her charming, small-town mysteries.

picture of Kelly Douglas on pier overlooking river

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Welcome to the world of Carolyn Maplewood Mysteries!

Grab a cup of coffee, cozy up, and dive into small-town intrigue, quirky characters, and sweet romance—because in my books, the mystery is always clean, clever, and full of heart...

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Pickleball & Peril

Cozy Mystery | Short Story

The competition isn’t the only thing heating up at the annual Hickory Hills pickleball tournament. When Mandy Morrison, the high-strung and overbearing tournament director, suddenly collapses mid-game, whispers about her tampered sports drink send shockwaves through the small town.

Josie McCarthy, the owner of the beloved book café Novel Grounds, can’t shake the feeling that something more sinister is at play. With her trusty friends by her side—and maybe a little help from the town’s handsome deputy, Caleb Barlow—Josie digs into the town’s tangled web of rivalries, secrets, and grudges.

As tensions mount and suspicions swirl, Josie races to uncover the truth before someone else gets hurt. In Hickory Hills, nothing is ever as peaceful as it seems…

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