Meet Australian author, Polly Holmes, the sassy, multi award-winning alter ego of Amazon best-selling author P.L. Harris. When she's not weaving romantic suspense tales as P.L. Harris, Polly's concocting her next deliciously devious murder mystery.

​Polly's cozy mysteries are like a warm hug, brimming with rich storylines and characters that stick with you long after the final page. She whips up food-themed and paranormal cozy mysteries, along with hot and steamy paranormal women's fiction and romantic suspense, published exclusively by Gumnut Press.

​Nestled near the beach in the northern suburbs of Perth, Western Australia, Polly shares her cozy abode with her adorable Bichon Frise, Bella. When she's not writing, you might catch her sipping coffee at her favorite café, binge-watching Murder, She Wrote or Charmed, or strolling by the beach, soaking up that fresh, salty air.

Cupcakes and Cyanide by Polly Holmes

If you like quirky loveable characters, engaging reads with a dash of humour and mystery, then you'll love Polly Holmes' Cupcakes and Cyanide book.

Welcome to Ashton Point. One sweet taste could be her last.

Charlotte McCorrson has spent her entire life building her business, CC's Simply Cupcakes. The town of Ashton Point is her home and she's garnered a reputation of stellar service and delightful pastries, one nibble at a time. But everything isn't as sweet in the sleepy, coastal town as Charlotte would like to think. She is in for a rude awakening and no amount of sugar will make this medicine go down any smoother.

After catering a large town-wide event, Ashton Point's morning newspaper fills Charlotte McCorrson with an icy sense of dread. The headlines scream Cupcake Killer! and put the blame squarely on CC's Simply Cupcakes. When bodies begin to pile up behind her confectionary goodies, Charlotte must prove that while her cupcakes are delicious, they aren't literally to die for—before she ends up in jail for a crime she didn't commit.

This is Book 1 in The Cupcake Capers Series and may contain elements of humour, drama and danger. However, it will definitely not contain any of the following potentially lethal substances: Swearing or profanity. Gore or graphic scenes. Cliff-hangers or unsolved endings.

CURATOR'S NOTE

Also a book with two sisters ready to take on the world! Only they run a cupcake business in a sleepy oceanside town. It's delightfully fast-paced and will leave you guessing until the end. – Leah R Cutter

 

REVIEWS

  • "A very entertaining story. Great characters, a tough heroine and a handsome love interest. The mystery had me guessing until the end which is how I like it. Highly recommend!"

    – Reader review

  • "It was a cute story of a very sassy red head and her delicious cupcakes. To save the reputation of her and her sisters bakery. Charlotte has to solve the mysterious murder in her town. But she does get a hot sidekick Liam. The best man at a wedding she baked the wedding cupcakes for. Together they look for clues and fight feelings for one another. The more they learn the more dangerous it gets. It was a plus that I didn't know who the bad guy was until the end. I will definitely be grabbing the next book."

    – Reader review

  • "This is my first book to read by this author and I absolutely enjoyed this story very much. Polly is very good with putting the characters and story line together in a way that you don't want to stop reading till you see those words; The end. And then you still want more."

    – Reader review

  • "Don't mess with Charlotte! Although she can get herself in deeper than she bargained for. A plus was the romantic twist she hadn't counted on with Liam. They made a great pair solving this mystery; read for yourself. ��"

    – Reader review
 

BOOK PREVIEW

Excerpt

"CALLING ALL THE single ladies."

Charlotte McCorrson stood nestled at the back of the reception centre, semi-hidden behind a burgundy-and-white, balloon topiary tree.

Great. Bouquet throwing time, just what I need. For every man in the room to know I'm still single.

When Beth invited her to the wedding she was over the moon, after all, they'd been good friends since Clair and her family moved to Ashton Point three years ago. What she hadn't planned on was still being single by the time the wedding rolled around.

They may as well take out a front-page ad in the Ashton Point Chronicle. She could see it now. "Ashton Point master cupcake baker extraordinaire struggles to snag herself a husband. Could she be lacking that special ingredient all men are looking for? What is wrong with the redheaded beauty?" She'd been over the moon when Beth and Lincoln asked CC's Simply Cupcakes to design a wedding cake, based around Charlotte's award-winning cupcake designs.

"Charlotte? What are you doing back here?" A petite voice spoke from behind.

She spun, her breath catching as her gaze landed on a vision in white. Decked out in a satin Karen Willis Holmes, floor-length, empire dress with embroidered tulle overlay, Beth was a vison of an angel. There had barely been a dry eye in the church as she walked down the aisle to her handsome prince. The fairy-tale wedding every bride dreams of.

Charlotte stiffened as Beth threw her arms around her neck and squeezed. "I never got a chance to properly thank you for the wonderful cupcake display you made. It was truly the cake of my dreams. I'm so glad you were able to share my special day with me. It wouldn't have been the same without you and Clair here," she said with a beaming smile.

"You're welcome, I wouldn't have missed it for the world. I'm so happy you liked it," Charlotte said in a muffled voice. Her mouth was half covered by blonde ruffles of hair, leaving the metallic taste of hairspray on her tongue.

Beth pulled back and their gazes held strong. "Liked it? Are you serious? I loved it." A bolt of electric energy ran up Charlotte's spine. She cherished the buzz she got from seeing the joy her cupcakes brought others. "And if anyone thinks they're taking the leftovers home tonight, they have another thing coming. That's all I'll be eating 'til we leave for our honeymoon next week."

Both ladies burst into laughter. Beth's happiness was starting to rub off on Charlotte.

"Didn't you hear the MC? You need to get to the dance floor. I'm about to throw the bouquet."

Charlotte cringed at the thought. "No, no, it's fine. I'm really okay sitting back and letting someone else take the limelight." She had planned on falling madly in love with the man of her dreams by the wedding.

I guess life doesn't always go to plan.

A sliver of disappointment marred Beth's expression. "I can't believe what I'm hearing. Your grandma would be turning in her grave if she knew you were skipping the bouquet toss. You know how she loved tradition."

Warmth filled Charlotte's heart. Her grandmother treasured her independence. She was the reason they'd moved to Ashton Point in the first place.

She shook her head. "I'm happy watching from the sidelines, besides, a mosh pit of single women jumping around like clucking chickens, all vying for their piece of the elusive dream isn't really my idea of fun."

"Now, that's something I'd like to see." A gruff voice echoed in her ear.

"Excuse me?" Charlotte said, spinning to see Lincoln's best man grinning like the Cheshire Cat.

"A mosh pit of single women jumping around like clucking chickens," he said with a cheeky grin. "Definitely something I'd pay money to see."

Beth sighed, rolled her eyes and play-punched him in the shoulder. "Give it a rest, Liam."

Liam… Mmmm. Why is it that all men named Liam are gorgeous? Liam Hemsworth, Liam Neeson.