Murder at Mile Marker 18

Jaden (Mystery of the Holiday Hustle) kicks off her Mallory Beck Cozy Culinary Capers series with this entertaining introduction to Mallory Beck. Mallory has barely left the house in the eight months since her mystery novelist husband, Cooper, was killed in a fire. Her first trip back to church ends with her volunteering to bring a casserole to the Montrose family, whose patriarch was recently killed in a car accident. After meeting the family, Mallory becomes obsessed with solving the mystery of Dan Montrose’s supposed hit-and-run car accident that left almost no physical traces on the road. Helping her are the victim’s 15-year-old daughter, Amber; police officer Alex Martinez, Mallory’s middle school crush; and Cooper’s cat, Hunch, who loves a good mystery. Together they sniff out clues, and Mallory slowly comes out of her self-imposed shell as the trio narrow down the suspects, who include a twitchy lawyer, Dan’s son, the Montrose housekeeper, and a friend of the family. Surprising twists and the sweet romance between Mallory and Officer Martinez will keep readers engaged until the open-ended finale. This cozy mystery blends cooking, cats, and sleuthing to great effect. (Self-published)