A Rory Lane Cafe Mystery · Prequel
Before Rory Lane had a cafe, a blue notebook, or any reason to investigate a murder, there was an empty shop on Main Street and a door that used to be green. This is how Rory found the cafe, met the people who would become her everyday life, and discovered that Willowbrook had been keeping stories long before she arrived.
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Hazel Butterworth is the author of culinary cozy mysteries that blend small-town charm, café culture, and cleverly layered whodunits. Her stories unfold where menus are debated, orders are overheard, and secrets have a habit of slipping out between sips of coffee. Best known for mysteries set in and around a neighborhood café, Hazel’s books center on observant, underestimated protagonists who solve crimes not through force or authority, but through attention, intuition, and the quiet power of listening. Whether it’s a suspicious ingredient shipment, a missing receipt, or a conversation no one thought mattered, her plots turn everyday details into decisive clues. Hazel’s work is firmly rooted in the traditions cozy readers love: closed-circle mysteries, community-driven stakes, and puzzles that reward careful readers—without graphic violence or high-octane danger. Food is never just background flavor; it’s part of the motive, the method, and the misdirection. With humor, warmth, and tightly constructed mysteries, Hazel Butterworth invites readers into familiar spaces where the coffee is strong, the pastries are fresh, and the truth is always hiding in plain sight.
hazelbutterworth@edenrootpress.comA map of the town, ten recipes from Rory's kitchen, Mabel Finch's guide to knowing everything, Harold's crossword and the parish notices.
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