Simple Assault and Buttery

Simple Assault and Buttery photo

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The holiday season is fast approaching in Moss Hollow, Georgia, and there's a pronounced chill in the air, thanks in large part to the cryptic notes being sent to residents from an anonymous source. Based on an old poem and tailored to each recipient, the notes hold accusations that have tempers boiling. 

Soon the warmhearted people who welcomed Jillian back to town with open arms are at each others' throats, slinging accusations like Mississippi mud. Jillian wonders what has happened to the town she thought she knew.

After a beloved community staple is burned to a crisp and a woman is found unconscious in her own backyard, it's clear to Jillian that there's a more sinister recipe in play than just a few harmless pieces of paper. 

Another round of notes hits, these nastier than the ones before, and Jillian has to think outside the recipe box to find out who could be behind the sudden wave of suspicious activities around town. With emotions running high, her list of suspects continues to grow . . . and then things turn deadly. 

Someone has it out for the small community, and it even affects Jillian's love life, which is less than sweet after her investigation leads her to cross a line with handsome mortician Hunter Greyson. Can Jillian rise to the occasion and restore her town to the way it was? Or are assault and buttery the new normal in Moss Hollow?

The Characters

At 39, Jillian is living the life she always dreamed. Using her creative talents, she's built a successful career as one of the top executives at a prestigious advertising agency in California, and she's engaged to an amazing man who showers her with love and the finer things in life. Life couldn't be more perfect.

But as quickly as a chocolate souffle can flop, Jillian's "perfect" fiance is arrested for embezzlement, putting a quick end to the engagement, and the advertising agency coincidentally "downsizes" Jillian after the scandal, leaving her without a job. But Jillian is a strong Southern woman who has learned how to endure from her feisty and iron-willed grandmother. She decides to leave California and make a fresh start where her life began, in the quaint town of Moss Hollow, Ga.

Under Grandma Bertie's roof at Belle Haven mansion and under her wing, Jillian prepares to take over the family business: The Chocolate Shoppe Bakery. But she doesn't expect to find murder on the menu! Will returning home to reconnect with her Southern roots ultimately prove to be a blessing or a fatal mistake?

Longtime member of the Sweetie Pies baking club and grandmother extraordinaire, Lenora has managed the bakery for decades and is considered a part of the family. Since fixing a salad is Jillian's greatest culinary accomplishment on most days, she encounters a few hurdles while learning how to create the decadent treats the bakery is known for. She's grateful for Lenora's wise counsel and encouragement!

The curious and cuddly house cat keeps a close eye on the happenings at Belle Haven mansion and lends a hand -- or paw -- in helping Jillian solve the intriguing mysteries of the small town.

Savannah is one of Jillian's oldest and best friends. She's delighted Jillian moved back to town and looks forward to reconnecting with her childhood companion. But she's also keeping a secret that may be the key to unlocking the mystery of Nadine's untimely demise.

Jillian's down-to-earth and lovable grandmother is ready to retire from the hectic demands of running The Chocolate Shoppe Bakery, but she refuses to sell to a complete stranger. Jillian is her last hope for keeping the business in the family, even if Jillian can barely boil water. Bertie is determined to help Jillian succeed in the business and to see her marry a good Southern man before the bloom falls completely off the rose.

Cornelia may be Bertie's twin, but she is different from her sister in every way, from her flair for the dramatic to her eccentric nature. She moved back to Belle Haven mansion to live with Bertie five years ago after the death of her husband. She claims to possess a joie de vivre that simply cannot be tamed. Bertie prefers to call it "flighty." Despite her theatrics, Cornelia has a generous heart and wants nothing but the best for her grandniece. She will do anything to see Jillian happy and settled in Moss Hollow ... even if it means bending a few rules.