Book Description

Ready for a delectably sweet treat? Indulge in this boxed set of the first four books in the Samantha Sweet cozy bakery mystery series by USA Today bestselling author Connie Shelton. Here’s what others are saying: “Connie Shelton gets better with every book she writes.” —The Midwest Book Review “I’m addicted to this series!” --M. Williams, 5 star review online “Great series. Holds your interest and leaves you wanting more.” --Paula Kroencke, 5 stars, online review Book 1: Sweet Masterpiece - Author Connie Shelton introduces her most delightful cozy mystery series yet—with a little romance, a little magic and a lot of chocolate! When she's not baking her scrumptious pastries Samantha Sweet breaks into houses for a living, and sometimes the things she discovers lead to trouble. When she finds an unmarked grave on a property in a remote spot in Taos County, New Mexico, Sam calls in the authorities. A small mural painted inside a closet in the abandoned house provides clues and Sam is caught up in an investigation with the good-looking Deputy Beau Cardwell. A fortune in artwork, a bogus will, and a wooden box that seems to give Sam powers she never dreamed she possessed— it all adds up to a dynamic paranormal romantic mystery. Then, there is all that chocolate! Sam's real goal in life is to use her elegant baking skills to open her own pastry shop, Sweet's Sweets. She's gaining quite the reputation as a baker with a magical touch, but a few obstacles stand in her way. Her grown daughter shows up on her doorstep—jobless and homeless; her bank account is at an all-time low; and trying to work from the tiny cramped kitchen in her home is becoming impossible. Somehow, Sam copes and she finds that her dreams might just have a chance of coming true. Book 2: Sweet’s Sweets - Samantha Sweet is about to realize her dream of opening her pastry shop, Sweet's Sweets, in picturesque Taos, New Mexico. Juggling the crazy amount of work to get her new business off the ground, with her old job of breaking into houses, she's got her hands full. When a blood-soaked garment is found among the discards at one of her properties, and a friend makes a shocking confession, Sam finds herself pulled into a pair of mysteries. The wooden box that came into her possession (in Sweet Masterpiece) is still working its magic, giving Sam the power to see inside people's secrets and figure out who the killer is. Book 3: Sweet Holidays - In this third book in the Samantha Sweet cozy mystery series, it's Christmas and a quirky Romanian chocolatier shows up at Sweet's Sweets, offering to create a special line of hand-dipped chocolates for Samantha's customers. He says he will work for no pay, just to prove himself. But when she learns that he has connections to the wooden box which seems to give Sam her mystical powers, she discovers that certain evil people may do just about anything to take it away from her. With the same combination of mystery, romance and that touch of the paranormal for which the series has become known, Sweet Holidays carries the reader into the special and magical world of northern New Mexico at the holiday season. Book 4: Sweet Hearts - Sam's bakery, Sweet's Sweets is busier than ever during Valentine week, as she struggles to replicate the magical chocolate-making techniques of the enigmatic chocolatier who boosted her winter holiday sales into the stratosphere. However, candy classes take second place to a new mystery when Sam meets a woman whose missing son's case seems to have been dropped by the authorities. Marla Fresques learns that she is dying and needs for her son to come home and raise the daughter he left behind. Sam agrees to help, hoping that Sheriff Beau's inside connections will bring about a quick and happy resolution. But what about Sam's and Beau's own wedding plans? They may be in jeopardy when an entirely new development appears in the form of Beau's ex-girlfriend who is determined to win him back. With the familiar mix of mystery, romance and a touch of magic that has enchanted readers of this series, Sweet Hearts draws the reader even further into the captivating world of Samantha Sweet. "Connie Shelton has another winner," --The Book Report "Shelton continues to combine suspenseful storytelling with sensitive portrayals of complex family relationships." --Booklist “Fans of Southwestern mysteries will find that Shelton's engaging story, likable heroine, and comfortable prose make this a good choice.” – Library Journal