Title: A Bitter Tea
Description: In the quiet town of Willowdale, a group of lifelong friends harbors a secret so dark it threatens to destroy them one by one. When mysterious deaths begin to strike, each connected by a shared cup of tea, suspicion brews and trust shatters. A Bitter Tea is a gripping small-town drama filled with suspense, betrayal, and the haunting consequences of buried truths. As secrets rise to the surface, the question remains: who will be the next to sip the poison?
Subjects: suspense; mystery; small-town drama; betrayal; secrets; poison; friendship; murder mystery; psychological thriller; dark past; haunting; emotional twists; small-town secrets; tea poisoning; gripping fiction; female protagonist; crime drama; revenge; hidden truths; whodunit; contemporary fiction
Places: Willowdale – A quiet, fictional small town where the story unfolds	•	Rachel’s Cottage – A cozy but secluded home near the woods, hiding emotional scars	•	The Tea Room – Once a beloved gathering spot for the group of friends; now a place of suspicion	•	Willowdale Police Department – Where Noah and Deputy Harris work to piece together the truth	•	Ben’s Cabin – An abandoned and remote location tied to the group’s dark secret	•	Mira’s House – Modern, sharp-edged home that mirrors her guarded personality	•	Town Square – The heart of community events and gossip	•	Eleanor James’s Porch – A quiet place where truths are whispered and memories linger	•	Willowdale General Hospital – Where victims are taken and medical truths are uncovered	•	The Cemetery on Hawthorne Hill – A final resting place—and a clue buried in plain sight
People: Rachel Morgan – Main protagonist; a determined woman unraveling the town’s deadly mystery	•	Noah Briggs – Town sheriff and Rachel’s secret lover	•	Mira Collins – Mysterious friend with a hidden agenda	•	Ben Wexler – Presumed-dead ex-friend with a vengeful past	•	Eleanor “Ellie” James – Elderly neighbor and keeper of old secrets	•	Deputy Harris – Loyal to Noah but skeptical of the case	•	Dr. Linda Cray – Medical examiner noticing strange patterns	•	Mayor Dalton – Town official trying to keep things quiet	•	Sasha Greene – Victim and friend; her death sparks the investigation	•	Detective Rowan – Outside investigator with suspicions about everyone
Time periods: 2024 reflecting back to 1990