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When fashion columnist April May inherits her grandmother’s lake house, she vows to sell it in one week.

To her surprise, the small-town charm and mysterious local occurrences pique her interest.

A missing heirloom, threatening letters, and a string of local deaths are just the beginning of the mystery.

With the help of the handsome local vet and new friends in town, April learns to crochet (badly), starts wearing hideous rubber boots, and digs into her grandmother’s mysterious past.

Only someone in town doesn’t want her digging.

When a poisonous plant is left in her living room and another local almost dies, April has to race against time to discover the true culprit.

Unless she finds who it is quickly, her high heels won’t be the only thing to die in Laurel Lake.

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The April May Mystery Books are standalone books in a new series aimed at adults that can be enjoyed by young adults who love a great whodunit full of friendship, clues, and heart.

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Behind the Writing of Secret Inheritance

Tell us about the background for the theme, what inspired it or why you wanted to write in this setting, or with play with these tropes?

Secret Inheritance is set in Laurel Lake, Minnesota’s. A fictional middle-of-nowhere small town with new friends to discover, foes to make and a handsome vet to fall in love with. I chose this setting since I went from Canada to to Bible College in MN for a few years and our twins were born there. I have many dear friends who live in the mid-West, so it holds a special place in my heart. We’re planning a month long family road trip there for summer 2024!

Are any of your characters based on real people you know?

None whatsoever. They are fun amalgamations of people I’d like to know, or could imagine living in small town Minnesota if I were a footloose and fancy free single thirty one year old heiress.

Tell us about character traits that were fun or hard for you to include in the book.

April May is a fashionista with a slight prejudice against small town folk & ways. I don’t own anything with a Gucci or Christian Dior label, nor could I be bothered. So, it was a stretch to make her lovable flaw believable.

Which of the side characters would you love to explore more, or turn into a main character in another series?

Lucy the librarian will play a bigger role in a future book when her past comes back to haunt her. As for a spin off series; time will tell! This one has just begun and I have lots of fun ideas for it.

What do you hope readers will take away from this story?

That the best things in life are free and there’s no place like home.

Hazel Smith is the pen name for an introverted homeschool mom who lives in small-town Canada. Faith, family and food bring joy, hope and occasional drama to her life. In between taking care of her family & home, her free time is spent creating cozy mysteries on the porch with her laptop or in her favorite wingback chair whilst nursing the baby and typing with one finger.

She is the author of the deliciously addictive Maid Ivy Cozy Mystery Books, set in London England. Grab a cuppa and the first book in the series, Mystery Maid, on Amazon now.

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