Cover Reveal: Murder at the Midsummer Feast

I have been sitting on this secret like a cat on a warm windowsill, pretending I’m not vibrating with excitement.

But today! Today I finally get to slide the cover across the table, clear my throat dramatically, and say: look.

Look at her.

This is the official cover for Murder at the Midsummer Feast, the first book in the Vale & Stone: Consulting Detectives series — and yes, it smells faintly of citrus, summer sunlight, and Extremely Questionable Baking Decisions.

A Little About the Story (No Spoilers, Promise)

When Cressida Vale comes back to Blackvale, she’s not chasing adventure. She’s chasing quiet.

A break.

A breath.

A few months hiding out in her great-aunt Sylvia’s bed & breakfast with a camera, a flexible schedule, and absolutely no interest in town drama.

Unfortunately for Cressida — Blackvale is allergic to calm.

About That Cover Though

I mean. Come on.

A golden tart crowned with toasted meringue.

A single slice missing.

Crumbs scattered like little breadcrumbs of doom.

Sunlight slanting through a window that looks peaceful enough to lie to your face.

This cover is doing exactly what I wanted it to do:

It whispers cozy… and then quietly sharpens a knife behind its back.

It’s warm and inviting and just a little bit ominous — like a town that smiles at you while absolutely knowing where all the bodies are buried (sometimes literally).

When Can You Get Your Hands on It?

I won’t keep you dangling forever — the release window for Murder at the Midsummer Feast is early January.

Yes, that means winter nights, warm drinks, and curling up with a mystery where the stakes involve baked goods, small-town pride, and feelings no one has unpacked since 1998.

Next week’s post will go deeper — including the actual publication date and more behind-the-scenes goodness — but for now, this is your official invitation to get excited with me.

Thank you for being here, for cheering quietly (or loudly), and for loving stories where magic hides in the ordinary, found family sneaks up on you, and sometimes the most dangerous thing on the table is dessert.

More soon.

Very soon.

Until next time,

J.P. White