Books, beach roses... and bodies.

Bookseller and recent divorcée Max Sayers has risked her life savings to start a fresh chapter with the purchase of Seaside Cottage Books in cozy Snug Harbor, Maine. But she's barely opened the shop's doors when her new storybook life takes a dark turn. The morning after the grand opening—featuring a famous author who shows up at the store on the arm of Max's ex-husband—Max's rescue dog Winston finds a dead man on the beach behind the shop. The murder weapon? A doorstop—an antique flatiron—from Max's store.

Will Max solve the case before the murderer strikes again?

Or will her bright new beginning turn into a killer of an ending?