Bookseller Tricia Barnes is in love. David Price, her boyfriend of several months, understands her in a way that none of her exes ever have. So what if some of the other townsfolk call her a cougar due to the 20-year age difference between her and her younger man?

David has only recently moved to her town of Stoneham, New Hampshire, to take on the role of children’s librarian. He’s pretty nervous about hosting his first big event for the public library–a reading and signing by Lauren Barker, author of the bestselling Cuddly Chameleon children’s book series. Tricia attends the event to show her support and also to accompany her older sister Angelica and Angelica’s grandchildren, who adore the Cuddly Chameleon.

Things start going downhill when Lauren abruptly announces that she will only be signing books—no personalizations. Her attitude towards the attendees is far from stellar, even before local crackpot Dan Reed starts making a scene about how her books teach kids a terrible lesson about changing themselves at will. Then, when Stella Kraft, her former high school teacher, tries to compliment her on her career, Lauren starts a fight with the elderly woman about how no one in the Stoneham school system ever supported her, despite Stella’s claims.

A mortified David tries to take control of the situation and, with Tricia’s help, manages to calm everyone down. But the worst has yet to happen. As the lovers close up the library after the event, they realize that a lone car is still sitting in the parking lot. Swinging by to make sure that everything is okay, they’re shocked to discover that Lauren is inside, strangled to death in her rental vehicle.

Suspects abound given Lauren’s uncanny talent for inciting the wrath of others. Stella, for one, is so shaken by the idea that she might be considered a suspect that she begs Tricia to find the real killer and clear her name. But Tricia has more than one motive for tracking down the killer. David’s new boss–the recently installed library director, Amelia Doyle–seems to be holding him personally responsible for the fiasco of a signing. The sooner the killer is apprehended, the sooner he’ll be able to reclaim his job security–or so the lovers hope.

Tricia’s concerns about all the things that could tear her apart from her new love are so heartfelt and relatable here in this 18th installment of the Booktown Mystery series. David’s reaction to her fear–when she finally works up the nerve to confide in him–is a gold standard of both sincerity and honesty. Any woman would be lucky to have a man like David in her life. The way in which the couple ultimately works together to catch the killer is also an excellent testimony to how they enrich each other’s lives. I’m rooting for them all the way!

There were five happy hour recipes included here of snacks Tricia has with her sister during their regular get-togethers. I decided to try out this one:

Pumpkin Cheese Puffs

Ingredients

2 cups canned pumpkin

1 cup grated cheddar cheese

2 eggs, lightly beaten

1 cup self-rising flour (or 1 cup all-purpose flour, plus 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder, plus ¼ teaspoon salt

¼ cup chopped fresh chives, plus extra, to serve (optional)

Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C, Gas Mark 4). Lightly grease twelve cup muffin pans. Place all the ingredients together in a large bowl and season. Fold the ingredients together until well combined.

Divide the mixture among the prepared muffin pans. Bake for 25 minutes or until puffed and golden (they will sink a little upon cooling).

Set aside in the pans for 5 minutes to cool slightly. Gently remove the muffins from the pans. Serve warm or at room temperature, sprinkled with extra chopped chives, if desired.

Yield: 12 puffs

For once, a muffin pan recipe that claims to make 12 actually yielded 12! I loved this savory take on a baked good, even if everyone else in my family was surprised that a dish with pumpkin wasn’t sweet like they expected. I did take the instruction to season the mixture quite seriously and really enjoyed the pep that a half teaspoon of black pepper gave to this dish. This also seems like the kind of recipe that invites experimentation with spices and different cheeses, and it’s a great recipe to keep on hand with pumpkin season coming up soon!

Next week, we travel to the Midwest to whip up a dessert while investigating the unexpected and vexing appearance of multiple bodies around our heroine’s bakery. Do join me!

See also: Cooking the Books: Come Shell or High Water by Molly MacRae