In this delightful prequel to the beloved Tourist Trap Mystery series, lawyer Jill Gardner flees job burnout to take a vacation—and finds a brand-new life on the California coast.



Jill's family law career is in a rut. Watching a client go back to her abusive husband, yet again—and then learning she's been passed up for a partnership, yet again—finally prompts her to take a break. She'll have to dip into her emergency fund. But after all those long days in her windowless office, subsisting on leftover cake from the break room, it's time to smell some flowers.



When she arrives in picturesque South Cove on the Pacific coast, she finds friendly residents, a peaceful beach, and nature's beauty. But she also witnesses a shouting match between two business owners with a big score to settle. And when someone she knows turns up dead in the local coffee shop, she finds the town needs her skills, just as much as she needs the town. It's time to set her roots where they belong . . .