Meet Piper Page: Maplebrook’s Bookstore Sleuth
If you’ve ever walked into a cozy bookstore and thought, This place could solve crimes if it had arms and legs, then you’ve already met Piper Page in spirit. But allow me to make the official introduction—because Piper isn’t just a bookstore owner. She’s Maplebrook’s caffeine-fueled, book-loving, sleuth-in-sensible-shoes heroine. And trust me, she never just pours lattes.
Piper Page is the heart and hazelnut mocha soul of Books and Brew, a small-town bookstore café where the espresso is always flowing and the paperbacks may or may not contain clues. (Spoiler: They usually do.) Nestled in the heart of Maplebrook, Kansas—a town where everyone knows everyone and no secret stays buried for long—Piper somehow finds herself at the center of every local mystery, murder, or general mayhem that comes swirling in with the cinnamon-scented air.
What qualifies her to be the town’s unofficial detective? Absolutely nothing... other than a master’s degree in literature, an unshakable curiosity, and a highly judgmental tuxedo cat named Jazz. (He’s cute. He’s cranky. He’s basically the feline version of Sherlock Holmes in a bowtie.) Add in a rotating cast of quirky regulars, a fiercely loyal girl gang, and Piper’s tendency to accidentally overhear conversations while restocking romance novels, and you’ve got a recipe for small-town sleuthing success.
Piper has a soft spot for iced caramel lattes, books that smell like old libraries, and graphic tees with just the right amount of sarcasm. She bakes banana bread so often it’s basically her love language—and no investigation is truly underway until she’s sliced into a warm loaf and passed it around like a peace offering. When she’s not serving up literary recommendations or chasing down shady suspects, she’s dodging her meddling mother, curating themed trivia nights, and—let’s be honest—catching feelings for a certain green-eyed detective who definitely doesn’t approve of her amateur investigations. (We’re all pretending not to notice the romantic tension. Except everyone.)
In this series, Piper doesn’t just uncover secrets. She builds friendships, confronts past heartbreak, and proves that even the coziest lives can be filled with unexpected twists. She’s flawed, funny, and fiercely determined—and whether she’s wrangling espresso machines or suspects, she does it with heart.
So if you love a good whodunit with a dash of whipped cream, a sprinkle of sass, and a whole lot of heart, Piper’s your girl. Maplebrook is your town. And Books and Brew? That’s your new happy place.
Ready to step into Piper’s world? Grab your favorite mug, snuggle up with your cat (optional but encouraged), and download the prequel novella, Books, Brew, and Beginnings, free when you sign up for Lucy’s newsletter. You'll get a first taste of Piper, Jazz, and the cozy chaos of Maplebrook—before the real mystery even begins.
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Sending caffeine and cozy vibes,
Lucy Penbrook