Patricia Covington

A carefree summer in Deadhampton turns lethal when the tide washes in the body of Clea, an investigative journalist whose passions included environmental issues and more than her share of boyfriends. The suspects are all in 12-step programs, but somebody's not abstaining from murder. Soon Bruce, Jimmy and Barbara are up to their necks in sleuthing. As the summer heats up, secrets and lies start buzzing around this dream vacation like flies at a beach picnic. Bruce must find answers by Labor Day without getting himself killed.

When Hollywood invades Savannah's historic district to film a Revolutionary War movie, magical baker Katie Lightfoot and her witches' coven, the Spellbook Club, take a break from casting spells for casting calls. One of the witches snags a part as an extra, while Katie's firefighter boyfriend, Declan, acts as on-set security. Katie and her Aunt Lucy decide to stay out of the action, but after the movie's "fixer" fires the caterer, the Honeybee Bakery comes to the rescue, working their magic to keep the hungry crew happy.

Fed up with dating after a disastrous setup, the only thing Hayley wants to snuggle up to is a box of made-to-order chocolates from plus-sized, plus-mouthed chocolatier Bessie Winthrop. But when Bessie is found dead in her kitchen, only Hayley suspects that Bessie's "heart attack" might actually be a candy-coated murder. Turns out Bessie had more enemies than a boxful of chocolates, each one a suspicious flavor. It's sticky business juggling a job, two teenagers and finding a killer, but it's better than letting a killer find Hayley first…