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Thanks for Muffin: A Merry Muffin Mystery
by Victoria Hamilton
Thanks for Muffin: A Merry Muffin Mystery
Contemporary Cozy Mystery
8th in Series
Setting – Wynter Castle, Western New York State
Publisher : Beyond the Page
Publication date : October 14, 2025
Number of Pages: 211
Paperback
ISBN-10 : 1966322240
ISBN-13 : 978-1966322245
Digital
ISBN-13 : 978-1966322238
ASIN : B0FMY9PQ2D
When Merry Wynter’s festive gala takes a fatal turn, she’ll have to grill her guests to catch a killer . . .
After years of planning and hard work, Merry Wynter was finally ready to host the grand opening gala of the Wynter Woods Center for the Performing Arts. With musicians, entertainers, members of the media and even influencers on the guest list, the event went off without a hitch—until a particularly nasty journalist posted a criticism of the gala and everything Merry was trying to accomplish. Still reeling from the review days later, Merry wasn’t sure what to feel when she discovered the reporter’s dead body on the grounds of Wynter Castle.
With many of her guests staying on at the castle for the weekend, Merry realizes they’ve got a murderer in their midst. Going from celebrating to sleuthing, she discreetly questions each of them, trying to weed out the culprit. She quickly learns that the victim had heated arguments with several of the people at the gala, and it turns out those people were all connected by a tragedy in the past. Certain the killer is among them, Merry will have to unearth the final clue that nails the killer—before the killer decides she’s getting too close .
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I Say Bru-shetta, You Say Bru-sketta!
By: Victoria Hamilton
I love growing herbs. I have, in the garden: sage, thyme, lemon thyme, lemon balm, summer savory, oregano, chives and others. Lately I have moved to growing annual herbs in a pot. I have marjoram, rosemary (a tender perennial that doesn’t fare well this far north) and a couple of types of basil.
However… the basil really takes over potted herbs! What to do with all that luscious basil? Bruschetta is something many enjoy only in the restaurant as an appetizer, but I often make it, topped with cheese, for lunch, or a meal side dish.
Now, as to the title… well, I started seeing it long ago on menus and so pronounced it my own way, as bru-shetta, only to learn it should be pronounced bru-sketta. But it’s hard to break old habits, right? Ask me, the gal who still pronounces ‘mandarin’ with the emphasis on the middle syllable, man-DAR-in, because that’s how I thought it sounded.
Enjoy my bruschetta, delicious any way you say it!
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Ingredients
Two or three tomatoes
Generous handful of fresh basil, whatever kind you have.
¼ cup finely diced sweet or red onion
2 – 3 garlic cloves
2 – 3 tablespoons olive oil
Garlic butter
2 – 3 panini rolls (or whatever kind of roll or bun you like)
1 cup grated cheese – I used extra old cheddar, but use whatever you like! Mozzarella or Monterey Jack would be perfect!
*Some people use balsamic vinegar; I’m not a fan, but go ahead if you like it, a tablespoon or so!
Freshly grated sea salt and pepper.
Directions
Do this part a few hours before you plan to make the bruschetta:
1 – Chop tomato to a medium dice, discarding seeds and excess liquid. Throw in a bowl, and add: chopped or chiffonade of basil, finely chopped onion, chopped or grated garlic.
2 – Add olive oil and balsamic vinegar (if you’re using it) the fresh ground sea salt and black pepper to taste – not too much – and mix it all up.
3 – Set aside in a jar or covered bowl so the flavors marry. You can hold a ceremony if you like, but don’t expect the garlic to obey. It’s more strong-willed than that.
Just before meal:
4 – Split your rolls. (Don’t get confused and roll your splits). You can spread a good commercial garlic butter on the split rolls, or just brush olive oil and rub a garlic clove over it.
5 – Broil until the top is crusty but keep an eye on it so it doesn’t burn!
6 – Take buns out of oven (you should never leave a bun in the oven too long!) and pile the bruschetta mix on – I use a slotted spoon so the mixture drains and I don’t soak the buns with too much of the liquid – top with grated cheese, and broil again until bubbly and melted, or even until the cheese is browned a little on top.
This is a versatile dish, as you can tell by my ingredients list, and easy to stretch. It can be an appetizer, but I call it lunch!
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About Victoria Hamilton
Victoria Hamilton is the pseudonym of nationally bestselling romance author Donna Lea Simpson. Victoria is the bestselling author of three mystery series: the Lady Anne Addison Mysteries, the Vintage Kitchen Mysteries, and the Merry Muffin Mysteries. She also wrote a Regency-set historical mystery series, starting with A Gentlewoman’s Guide to Murder.
Social Media Links: Website / Facebook / BlueSky / Instagram / Goodreads / Amazon
Purchase Links:
Amazon.com – Amazon.ca – Barnes & Noble – Kobo – Smashwords
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