(As proven in Buttercream and Bullets)
January is supposed to be quiet. Reflective. Boring.
Which is exactly why it’s perfect for murder.
Here’s why no cozy mystery heroine is ever safe once the calendar flips to January:
1. Everyone Is Hungover and Emotional
Bad decisions love a New Year’s Eve hangover. So do confessions, fights, and people saying things they really shouldn’t. Our amateur sleuth + cupcake baker, Ava Decker starts Book 7 with a headache and ends it with… well. A body.
2. New Year’s Resolutions Make People Reckless
“I’m going to change my life this year” is basically a crime-novel incantation. Quit your job. Leave your spouse. Confront your nemesis. What could possibly go wrong?
3. Empty Buildings Are Creepy
Museums. Town halls. Closed bakeries.
January = fewer witnesses + more shadows = terrible outcomes for anyone opening doors too early.
4. Small-Town Secrets Don’t Stay Buried
When it’s cold and miserable outside, people gossip inside. Feuds resurface. Money goes missing. Old grudges thaw just enough to turn deadly.
5. Cozy Towns Are Extra Murdery After the Holidays
All that forced cheer? It snaps. January is when the glitter comes down and resentment takes over. Cozy towns are basically pressure cookers with cupcake frosting.
6. Amateur Sleuths Are Back “Just to Help”
Ava knows the drill. She doesn’t want to investigate… but she also can’t ignore a mystery. Especially when the victim has a pantry’s worth of enemies.
7. Cats Know Something Is Wrong
If the feline sidekick is staring too long at the hallway or sitting directly on your evidence, congratulations—you’re in danger.
Final Thought
January might be quiet… but in a cozy mystery town, it’s never peaceful for long.
If you like:
- sarcastic bakers
- murder with frosting on top
- messy love triangles
- small-town drama
- and cats who absolutely know who did it
then Buttercream and Bullets is waiting for you.
About the Author
Lisa Siefert is a USA Today Bestselling Mystery Author who writes humorous cozy mysteries. She dedicates all of her free time to testing out different latte flavors at every coffee shop she comes across and has never once skimped on dessert because life is too short not to. She lives in San Diego with Lucky, her own devious but adorable Abyssinian kitten. She excels at recounting every Hallmark Movie plot ever conceived and can also whip up a mean batch of mint chocolate chip ice cream.
Her books feature amateur women sleuths that always believe in silver linings despite all of the murderous clouds surrounding them.
