The Channel Islands Mystery: An addictive seaside village British cozy mystery

Welcome to Gull Bay - a picture-postcard harbour village in the Channel Islands where the sea sparkles, the cakes are legendary, and secrets lie buried beneath the golden sand.

Meet April Hart: new Gull Bay resident, café owner . . . and reluctant amateur sleuth.

April has poured every penny she owns into renovating the rundown beachfront café she inherited from her grandma.

Moving from the bustling city of Manchester to a close-knit island community was never going to be easy, but she's beginning to feel at home with her small team. Loyal chef Miguel, bright new hire Rachel, and relentlessly pessimistic Hope, the most inappropriately named woman on the island.

Then a freshly baked Toffee Crunch cake vanishes from the café kitchen . . . only to turn up in a harbourside bin. Whole. Uneaten. April can't explain this crime against cake. She's just certain none of her staff are to blame. Are they?

But the missing cake is only the beginning.

As the incidents grow increasingly sinister, April begins to suspect her café is being deliberately targeted. And if she doesn't find the culprit - and soon - it's not just her cosy little café that's at risk.

It's her life.

With a dash of mystery, a pinch of gossip and a whole lot of cake, The Channel Islands Mystery is the first in the delightful Gull Bay cozy mystery series - perfect for fans of Faith Martin, Fiona Leitch, the Rev Richard Coles, M.C. Beaton, Lucy Connelly and Ellery Adams.

Please note this is a completely revised version of Burned at the Bake.

Includes a selection of delicious recipes, for hungry readers who'd like to try some of the café's mouthwatering menu - including Grandma Ruby's famous seed cake!

Meet the sleuth

Twentysomething April Hart never planned to become a café owner - let alone a sleuth. But when her grandma left her a rundown seaside café in her will, she packed up her bags and left her home in Manchester for a new adventure. She soon discovers that running a café in a harbourside village comes with more mysteries than menu specials . . . but she's always determined to solve the case and make sure justice is served in time for tea.

The setting

April lives in Gull Bay in Jersey, the largest of the Channel Islands - even though it's only five miles wide! A steep, winding lane lined with granite cottages leads down to the golden shore. There you'll find the beachside Sea Breeze Café, where April's undoubtedly busy serving tea and cake. Walk further along the harbour, to visit quirky independent shops. Remember to buy some locally-caught fish - and pause to breathe in the fresh sea air! But don't be fooled by the calm. In Gull Bay, even the quietest streets can be hiding secrets, just waiting to rise with the tide . . .