Sugar and Vice

April 1, 2020
Kate McGuire, who left a hectic life (and a smothering fianc�) in New York City to put her pastry-chef skills to work for the Cookie House on Coral Cay, off the coast of Florida, has put down roots. Relaxing after a day of gardening, she and her neighbor, Maxi M�s-Buchanan, owner of the flower shop next door, see Oliver, the village puppy who adopted Kate, continuing to dig in the yard behind the floral shop. Then stop, howling. His find? A skeleton still dressed in leather boots with buckles. Could it be the notorious sixteenth-century pirate Sir George Bly, reputed to have buried his plundered treasure on the cay? Unfortunately, for the boost to local business such a find would be, especially with the Pirate Festival coming up, it's a recent skeleton, making Maxi the initial suspect. Then Kate's ex shows up to win her back, offering to fund a real search for Sir George. The threads of Kate's life?clearing Maxi's name, evading her ex, researching Sir George, and running a daily cookie contest at the bakery?intertwine in a well-told story with richly drawn characters.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2020, American Library Association.)