The Bun Also Rises: A Snooty Foodie Mystery
Publisher: Scorpius Carta Press
Published: February 2, 2026
Format: Kindle
Number of pages: 216
Description: A hexed chef. Three ghostly gourmet ancestors. A murder in a Florida beach town. Crystal Bay could be the fresh start Viv needs if she can tame the flame.

Perfect for foodies who love ghostly sidekicks, crave-worthy recipes, and small-town sleuthing.

When Vivianna Marston enrolls in culinary school after a family showdown about her future, she never expected this. She’s a chef hexed by fire. She’s also haunted by three ghostly gourmet ancestors who pop into her food unannounced.

Uncle Floyd, Aunts Clara and Earlene claim they’re here to help her break the curse, but the task is harder than they thought. Then Viv stumbles onto a murder scene and becomes the A.1. Sauce suspect. Clearing her name will take more than an alibi from three gourmet ghosts.

Viv hoped that moving into Crystal Bay and the home she inherited from her namesake aunt was going to be the remedy she needed. It isn’t. Whenever she applies heat, the kitchen goes up in flames. Stove, oven, Crock-Pot, toaster. Heat is off-limits.

Enter Jake Palmer, volunteer firefighter and local heartthrob, who’s keeping a close eye on Viv. He knows fire, and the flames in her kitchen don’t behave like they should.

Banned from cooking, Viv reinvents herself as the Snooty Foodie columnist for the local newspaper. It’s the perfect cover for sleuthing. She soon discovers her Crystal Bay neighbors have history, secrets, and maybe something worth killing for.

Can Viv solve the mystery before the retiring detective makes Viv his last arrest? Can she break the hex before it ruins her career? Is Jake an ally or a distraction?

The Snooty Foodie Mystery series blends small-town sleuthing, ghostly sidekicks, and culinary chaos with a pinch of magic.