MOCK APPLE ALIBI IS HERE! — Book 25: When Small Town Secrets Spoil the Recipe
Get ready, culinary cozy mystery fans! The dough is rising and the secrets are spilling in Bald Eagle Falls, Tennessee — Mock Apple Alibi (Book #25), the newest installment of P.D. Workman’s Auntie Clem’s Bakery series, has arrived. Erin Price, gluten-free baker and amateur sleuth, can’t just stick to muffins when murder comes calling.
Welcome back to Bald Eagle Falls, where Erin Price is serving up more than delicious treats at Auntie Clem’s Bakery. This time, the recipe for disaster includes missing persons, clan warfare, and a mock apple pie that’s not as fake as the alibis flying around town! Erin and Vic must cut deep to solve a string of mysterious disappearances.
The Core Tropes: Piecing Together the Past
In this small town mystery, Erin is pulled into simmering town tensions and a frightening run of disappearances. Key elements include:
- The Mock Apple Metaphor. The title nods to the wartime dessert made with crackers instead of fruit — a culinary twist that mirrors the book’s theme: nothing in Bald Eagle Falls is what it seems.
- Clan Warfare & Missing Persons. A bitter feud between the Dyson and Jackson clans escalates while several people vanish, including Charley (Erin’s half-sister), General Store owner Mary Lou Cox, and Erin’s assistant, Vic.
- The Baker as Detective. Erin uses the routine and refuge of Auntie Clem’s Bakery to keep steady, but the anxiety over the missing people forces her into sleuthing mode — baking and investigation collide.
Meet the Bakery Crew
Erin Price — The Gluten-Free Genius
Founder and owner of Auntie Clem’s Bakery. A meticulous baker who specializes in gluten-free and allergen-friendly treats — and an amateur sleuth who keeps finding mysteries in her small town. She’s supported by her law enforcement boyfriend, Officer Terry Piper.
Vic — The Loyal Partner
Erin’s essential partner at the bakery — practical, opinionated about recipes (stack cakes among them), and personally entangled in town affairs that draw her into the clan conflict.
Orange Blossom & Marshmallow
Orange Blossom is a demanding ginger cat who provides comic and emotional support; Marshmallow is a sedate rabbit. Both help ground Erin at home amidst the chaos.
Who Will Love Mock Apple Alibi?
If you enjoy cozy mystery series that pair a strong culinary element with character-driven suspense, this one’s for you. Readers who like domestic settings that conceal deep secrets — and protagonists who balance everyday life with sleuthing — will be satisfied. The book digs into the tight-knit, sometimes prejudiced world of Bald Eagle Falls and the relationships that shape it.
About the Series
Erin Price is a baker, not a sleuth. It’s really not her fault that mysteries keep landing in her lap while she’s trying to run Auntie Clem’s Bakery and make a living from baking gluten-free and specialty goods.
With 24 books, 2 short stories, a novella crossover, a recipe book already dished out, and 3 more books simmering for 2025-6 release, you can look forward to many delicious adventures with Erin and Vic. They will be served up a heaping helping of family secrets, cold cases, the criminal underworld, a cruise gone awry, and sinister villains. These savory stories will provide you with many hours of scrumptious entertainment.
Sink your teeth into these sweet mysteries!
Take Your First Bite!
New to the series?
- Stand-alone Friendly. All Auntie Clem’s Bakery books, including Mock Apple Alibi, are written so new readers can jump in at any book.
- Recent Reads. Mock Apple Alibi follows Muffin to Hide (Book #23) and Custard Cream Conspiracy (Book #24).
- Begin with Gluten-Free Murder (Book #1). Sign up for the mailing list at PDWorkman.com to receive Your First Bite — a Cozy Mystery Starter Pack (first ebook, audiobook, printable recipe cards, and more).
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Q: Is Mock Apple Alibi a culinary cozy mystery?
A: Yes — the Auntie Clem’s Bakery series is a culinary cozy mystery that centers on gluten-free baking and food-related crimes.
Q: Who is the amateur sleuth in the series?
A: Erin Price, owner of Auntie Clem’s Bakery, is the series’ amateur sleuth who frequently uncovers mysteries in Bald Eagle Falls.
Q: Can I read Book 25 as a standalone mystery?
A: Yes. P.D. Workman writes the Auntie Clem’s books so they work as stand-alone reads while still rewarding series readers.
Q: Where is the Auntie Clem’s Bakery series set?
A: The series is set in Bald Eagle Falls, Tennessee — a small town with a lot more under the surface than it appears.
Q: How can I get the first book, Gluten-Free Murder, for free?
A: Sign up for the mailing list at PDWorkman.com and receive the “Your First Bite” starter pack, which includes the first ebook and audiobook.
