A New Mystery Is Coming

Hi there,

It is time for another return to Willowby, and I am so excited to share a first look at A Macaron to Die For, which arrives on 19 August.

Every book in the Velvet Scone Mysteries begins with a different café treat, and I always enjoy thinking about how that particular food can inspire the story. This time, it was the macaron.

I have always admired macarons. They are elegant, colourful, and they look almost too pretty to eat. But anyone who has ever tried making them knows they have a reputation for being one of the trickiest things to bake. Get one small step wrong and they can crack, collapse, or simply refuse to behave.

That idea stayed with me while I was planning this mystery.

Willowby might look like the perfect small town from the outside. The café is busy, neighbours know each other by name, and life seems to tick along at a comfortable pace. But just like a macaron, appearances can be deceiving. Beneath the polished surface, people have secrets, old rivalries, and stories they would rather keep hidden.

As Tamsin soon discovers, it only takes one small incident to upset that delicate balance.

I also had a lot of fun introducing a little more elegance into Willowby. Macarons feel quite different from scones, pavlovas, or sausage rolls, and I loved imagining how the town would react when something a little more sophisticated arrived on the scene. Not everyone welcomes change quite as enthusiastically as others.

Of course, there is still everything you would expect from a Velvet Scone mystery. Tamsin finds herself asking questions she probably should leave alone, Iris is ready with sensible advice, Cal is trying to keep everyone out of trouble, and Inspector Crumpet has a habit of appearing at exactly the wrong... or perhaps the right... moment.

I cannot wait to share this story with you. I hope you’ll enjoy spending another visit in Willowby.

With tea and treats,

Andie 🫖