❄️ COMING SOON:
Hello, dear readers!
Today, I get to bring you into the world of Mulberry Falls, the charming, snow-dusted town at the heart of my upcoming holiday cozy mystery, Bite-Sized Murder. This post serves as your warm-up, your sneak peek, your fireside invitation into a story filled with winter magic, unexpected danger, small-town secrets — and a six-pound Chihuahua with the bravery of a lion.
Think of this as your early-access tour of what’s to come.
Grab a blanket and a mug of something warm. Let’s go to Mulberry Falls.
🎄 Welcome to Mulberry Falls: A Small Town with Big Secrets
Mulberry Falls is the sort of place people dream about during the holidays.
Picture a snow-covered main street lined with wreaths and twinkle lights. Picture neighbors greeting each other by name, holiday music drifting from shop windows, and freshly baked gingerbread cooling on windowsills.
It’s festive. It’s nostalgic. It’s comforting.
And it’s about to be shaken to its core.
When Todd Abernathy turns up dead, the postcard-perfect quiet is replaced with whispered accusations, shuttered windows, and sudden suspicions. A town that once felt warm becomes cold in more ways than one.
Under the snow and smiles, Mulberry Falls hides long-held grudges and private wounds. Everyone knows everyone else… or thinks they do. But in a town this small, secrets can grow large — and deadly.
🕵️♀️ Meet Rebecca Danes: The Reluctant Sleuth
Rebecca Danes didn’t move to Mulberry Falls to solve crimes.
She came seeking simplicity. A slower pace. A chance to rebuild her life one quiet day at a time. She’s thoughtful, observant, and armed with a stubborn streak she pretends doesn’t exist.
What she doesn’t have is any intention of sticking her nose into a murder case.
But fate has other plans — and so does her dog.
Rebecca becomes an investigator not out of ambition, but out of necessity. When a man is wrongly suspected and the sheriff is too eager to close the case, she can’t look away. She knows justice matters, even in the smallest of towns — especially when the truth is being buried under snow and fear.
She may not carry a badge, but she carries something more powerful:
Curiosity.
Compassion.
And a fierce refusal to let the innocent be blamed.
🐾 Meet Penny: A Tiny Dog With a Giant Instinct for Trouble
If you ask Penny the Chihuahua, she’s the star of this investigation.
Small, sassy, and surprisingly brave, Penny is more than a pet — she’s Rebecca’s partner, bodyguard, trouble detector, and occasional instigator. She leads with her nose and follows with her heart, dragging Rebecca into situations she would never choose on her own.
Penny senses things before Rebecca does. She hears what others ignore. She growls at the right moments.
And sometimes?
She solves clues without meaning to.
Her paws may be tiny, but the footsteps she leaves in this mystery are enormous.
👮♂️ Sheriff Roger Holt: Determined, Set in His Ways, and Possibly Wrong
Sheriff Holt prides himself on keeping Mulberry Falls peaceful.
So when Todd Abernathy is found dead during the busiest time of the holiday season, Holt wants the case wrapped up quickly — too quickly. A convenient suspect appears, and he seizes the opportunity, willing the town to move on before fear spreads.
But quick answers aren’t always true answers.
Rebecca sees what he doesn’t. Penny smells what he won’t. And as the sheriff digs into one narrative, Rebecca opens the door to another — a far more complicated one.
What results is a clash of instinct, authority, and perspective.
Holt wants the case solved.
Rebecca wants the killer caught.
And Penny wants Holt to move out of her way.
🔍 The Murder That Changes Everything
Todd Abernathy was not the most influential man in Mulberry Falls. He wasn’t disliked, but he wasn’t beloved. He moved quietly through town, observing, listening, noticing things others overlooked.
But when he dies, the tremor that shakes Mulberry Falls is immediate.
Suddenly, the charming little town feels like a snow globe someone has dropped.
People flinch when doors close.
Strangers glance over shoulders.
Neighbors whisper in clusters under the glow of Christmas lights.
And the deeper Rebecca looks, the more she realizes that Todd’s life intersected with others in quiet, intricate ways — some harmless, some not.
His death wasn’t random.
It wasn’t senseless.
It wasn’t simple.
Someone wanted Todd gone.
And someone is determined to make sure Rebecca doesn’t uncover the truth.
🧩 A Web of Secrets Beneath the Snow
Mulberry Falls may sparkle at Christmastime, but behind those warm lights lies a tangled network of hidden motives.
As Rebecca and Penny dig deeper, they uncover:
– long-standing grudges no one talks about
– marriages balanced on thin ice
– businesses one bad month away from collapse
– property disputes conveniently swept aside
– and a shared event from the past the whole town refuses to acknowledge
Every cheerful storefront and gingerbread-decorated house holds layers of stories, some sweet… and some sharp as sleet.
Rebecca starts to see the town not as a cozy retreat but as a puzzle — and every person a potential piece.
Some pieces fit.
Some don’t.
Some are being deliberately hidden.
And someone is willing to do much more than hide a piece.
Someone is willing to eliminate it altogether.
🌨 Why I Wrote Bite-Sized Murder
This story began with one idea:
What if the coziest town in the world was hiding something dangerous?
I’ve always loved holiday mysteries, the way they blend charm with tension, comfort with unease. Winter brings a natural stillness, a hush that feels both peaceful and haunting. Snow covers everything — houses, trees, footprints — creating beauty while concealing clues.
It was the perfect backdrop for a story that mixes:
– warmth and danger
– innocence and suspicion
– friendship and betrayal
– hope and fear
I wanted Rebecca to feel like someone you’d be friends with in real life — imperfect but determined. And I wanted Penny to embody the unexpected courage animals often show: small but mighty, underestimated but critical.
Together, they bring heart and humor to a story laced with twists.
🎁 What You Can Expect When the Book Arrives
Without giving away spoilers, here’s a taste of what awaits you in Bite-Sized Murder:
– a mystery that slowly unravels with each chapter
– atmospheric winter scenes that feel both cozy and suspenseful
– characters you’ll love, mistrust, suspect, and root for
– unexpected humor courtesy of a certain four-legged sleuth
– small-town politics woven with holiday festivities
– a tension-building climax that brings every secret to light
It’s a story meant to be read under a blanket, ideally with something sweet nearby — but maybe don’t read it alone at night unless you’re ready for a few shivers.
📝 Behind the Scenes: Building Mulberry Falls
Creating the town of Mulberry Falls was one of the most enjoyable parts of writing this book.
I wanted a setting that felt real and lived-in — a place readers would want to visit, despite the body count.
A place where:
– holiday traditions matter
– neighbors have long histories
– the local gossip mill runs faster than the snowfall
– and every building has its own personality
But I also wanted an undercurrent of tension, the kind that makes you wonder what lies beneath the surface of all that charm.
Mulberry Falls holds both beauty and shadows — just like real small towns do.
🔮 What This Blog Post Means
This post marks the official countdown.
Bite-Sized Murder is coming soon, and this is your first look into the mystery, the town, the characters, and the dynamics that shape the story.
Over the coming weeks, you’ll get:
– sneak peeks
– character deep-dives
– behind-the-scenes writing insights
– holiday-themed bonus content
– and more opportunities to fall in love with Rebecca, Penny, and Mulberry Falls
This is only the beginning.
Bundle up.
Stay curious.
And remember:
In Mulberry Falls, even the smallest dog can uncover the biggest trouble.
Meet Patti – Your Friendly Neighborhood Storyteller
Hey there! Let me introduce you to Patti, who’s basically living the dream – writing stories all day in her pajamas while sipping chocolate milk and munching on cereal.
Patti’s the creative force behind the upcoming animated TV series “ELLIOT FINDS A HOME,” about a Sheltie with opposable thumbs and his boy with Autism. She’s been incredibly lucky with her writing – she made the USA TODAY bestseller list, International Bestselling Author and has hit #1 bestseller in seven different genres multiple times.
With over 200 books in print, she writes Culinary Cozy mysteries, sweet Hallmark-y romance and Halloween themed stories. Her life’s been pretty wild too.
She was on “Romper Room” at 4, hung out with Captain Kangaroo and Mr. Green Jeans, met Bozo the Clown, shared a train sandwich with Sidney Poitier, high-fived President Nixon at the circus, went to school with David Copperfield, roller-skated with young John Travolta, and had cocoa with Abe Vigoda.
Then there was Uncle Floyd – quite the character who always kept things interesting!
When Patti’s not writing (still in those pajamas), she’s enjoying retirement, being a grandma, watching Scooby Doo, and sharing her home with two little pups who are clearly plotting world domination. On particularly challenging writing days, she trades the chocolate milk for a glass or two of Chocovine.
As a Wiccan High Priestess and the “Queen of Halloween,” she brews up spooky stories that readers can’t get enough of. So come hang out in Patti’s world – where the stories are great, the pajamas are comfy, and there’s always room for one more friend!
Follow her here: https://pattipetrone-miller.com/
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