Ivy Creek Cozy Mystery

Discover five humorous and clean best-selling cozy mysteries by Ruth Baker.

Lucy Hale always wanted to make a name for herself. A name that people would associate with excellence, creativity and fun. She thought she had found her calling in the big city and was on her way to becoming a world-renowned food blogger...Until she got some tragic news that pulled her back to her small town. Can she still make a name for herself in Ivy Creek and survive the the suffocating attention of its citizens who think she's too big for her britches? Will she acquit herself in the court of public opinion and help to find the killer or become the killer's next victim?

When Lucy is invited to serve her pastries at a charity gala, she's excited at the opportunity to rub shoulders with the movers and shakers in town. Things turn better than expected, when she's approached by a wealthy couple who want her to cater for a landmark event in their lives. Lucy's life is thrown into a tailspin, when she hears that this warm couple have been found dead. Things go from bad to worse when the rumor mill in Ivy Creek goes into overdrive with insinuations that Lucy's pastries might have been what killed the couple.

It seems Lucy has finally gotten the hang of running a bakery and serving the good citizens of Ivy Creek. She knows she has a lot to learn, but she’s up for the challenge. She just never bargained for competition from a new couple in town. When one half of this dubious couple is found dead, Lucy is torn between minding her own business and helping the grieving person find justice. Will she unearth the secrets that surround a building in town that seems linked to the murder? Will she help to find a killer who doesn’t want to be found and restore normalcy to her small town?

Lucy is looking forward to a holiday season that's filled with Christmas carols, remembering, and yummy food. She's also excited about all the festive recipes she'll be introducing to the menu at Sweet Delights bakery. When she finds out that an obnoxious woman at an event for the homeless has stolen some of her treats for her business, Lucy gives this lady a piece of her mind in no uncertain terms. She's left bewildered when this lady is found dead. Did Lucy's harsh words, spoken in the heat of the moment, have an effect on the lady's life, or is something more sinister at play?

When Lucy's asked to provide the treats at the book launch for a popular author, she's excited about the opportunity to be in the presence of this author who might just give her tips on becoming an author herself.

When a new developer in town sways the community to support his plans of building new complexes that would involve knocking down Lucy's bakery, she's not much pleased. She's determined to fight tooth and nail to uphold her parent's legacy and retain Sweet Delight's presence in Ivy Creek's landscape.

An innocent baker thought she was tagging along to enjoy a Halloween attraction. That is, until she encountered spooked animals, creepy sounds, and a dead body!

When she discovers a dead body among the fir trees while looking for the perfect Christmas tree, she’s left shocked and shaken at witnessing such a horrific sight at this most wonderful time of the year. Things only take an almighty turn for the worse when the remainder of some fruitcake from Lucy’s bakery is found in the deceased’s home...and is laced with poison!

Lucy has many reasons to be excited about Valentines’ that’s just round the corner. One of them includes visiting a new restaurant in town that claims to serve the best steak. When she visits this restaurant with her friends, they’re impressed by the interior decor and blown away by the yummy food. It seems not everyone is excited about this new establishment, as the chef from a rival restaurant causes a scene as he claims the new restaurant has stolen his recipe. Lucy’s boyfriend, a local detective, is on hand to calm frayed nerves and usher this unruly chef out of the restaurant.

Lucy is terrified and puzzled by this latest murder in her small town. It seems a dark cloud has settled over her town as rumors abound about why the killer did it and when they did it. Eventually, the prime suspect is identified as the former classmate Lucy hired at her bakery. Many people witnessed an altercation this person had with the deceased and they’ve been judged guilty in the court of public opinion. But Lucy knows there’s more to this murder mystery than meets the eye.

Lucy Hale is excited about a new bridal shop in town, like the rest of the citizens in Ivy Creek. Perhaps the buzz about this new entity on the high street has to do more with the appearance of a famous person at its launch. When the day of the grand opening of the bridal shop arrives, the invited guests are looking forward to gazing at stunning bridal dresses, basking in the presence of a celebrity and enjoying free food! Everything seems to be going as planned until a sudden commotion leads to the death of the celebrity’s assistant.