When PR meets murder, some homecomings are deadlier than others.

Small town secrets. Career reinvention. Reluctant amateur sleuth. Historic settings. Brewing romance. First case investigation.

PR executive Ellie Summers never planned to return to Millcrest Falls. But after a devastating career scandal leaves her reputation in tatters, she reluctantly accepts a temporary contract to rebrand her struggling hometown as a tourist destination. It’s supposed to be a quick job before rebuilding her real career—not the beginning of an unexpected second act.

Jackson Porter, the town’s wealthiest and most disliked businessman, has his own vision for Millcrest Falls—one that would replace historic charm with modern luxury. When he’s found murdered during the grand reopening celebration at the historic mill, suspicion falls on Mayor Bennett after their public argument about development plans.

With a storm isolating the town and the mayor’s career on the line, Ellie must use her PR crisis management skills in an entirely new way. As she digs deeper, she discovers Millcrest Falls harbors decades of secrets behind its quaint façade: • Porter was blackmailing several prominent citizens with devastating secrets • His much-younger wife stands to inherit a fortune—and freedom • His business partner has been embezzling funds for years • A mysterious outsider arrived just before the murder

When Ellie uncovers a hidden room containing evidence about the town’s past, she realizes the killer will stop at nothing to keep certain histories buried. With help from skeptical Sheriff Morgan, town historian Eileen May, and charming wilderness guide Finn Sullivan, Ellie must solve the case before the killer strikes again—and before the storm clears, bringing reporters who could destroy the town’s tourism future.

“Some hometown secrets,” Eileen warns, “are worth killing to protect.”

As Ellie races against time, she realizes her PR skills might save more than the town’s image—they might save her life. And when the town council offers her a permanent position as Tourism Director, Ellie must decide if her future lies in the hometown she once couldn’t wait to escape.

FATAL ATTRACTION is the prequel novella in the Millcrest Falls Tourism Mystery series, introducing readers to the charming but secretive town. While it sets the stage for the series, each book can be read as a standalone mystery without having read the others.

Tropes you’ll love: fish out of water, career reinvention, small town with secrets, isolated setting during crisis, universally disliked victim, and the beginning of a slow-burn romance.

Each book in the Millcrest Falls Tourism Mystery series can be enjoyed as a standalone mystery with its own complete story and resolution. Read them in any order, or experience them sequentially to follow the developing relationships and character growth across the series.