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Lounge & Simon & Schuster

Coffee & Crime Book Club

Lounge is teaming up with Simon & Schuster to bring you the Coffee & Crime Book Club, in collaboration with The Likely Suspects, their crime and thriller novel-loving community.

Each month, we’ll be choosing a Book of the Month to spotlight, with exciting giveaways on our socials to get your own physical or audiobook copy of the novel, as well as interviews with the author and the chance to discover your next favourite read.

And if you want to purchase the book through the links on this page, the money will go to a local bookstore based on your delivery address, so you’ll be giving back to your local community!

September’s pick is The Maple Bakery Murder by R.L. Killmore, bestselling author of the Cinnamon Falls series. Click the link below to purchase, or scroll down to find out a bit more about the book.

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A hand holds the book “The Maple Bakery Murder” by R.L. Kilmore in front of a wall covered with framed paintings in a warmly lit room.
A person with painted nails holds a book titled “The Maple Bakery Murder” by R.L. Kilmore, featuring an illustrated bakery storefront on a pink and orange background.
September's Book - By R.L. Killmore

The Maple Bakery Murder

Welcome back to Cinnamon Falls, the town where the bakes are sweet, the secrets are sticky, and the romance is pumpkin spiced. The Maple Bakery Murder is the third instalment in the must-read Cinnamon Falls series and is perfect for fans of Gilmore Girls, Pretty Little Liars and the Dream Harbor series. 

Ginger Mills is the new girl in town.

She’s ready to start afresh in Cinnamon Falls, focus on herself and bake seasonal sweet treats in her beautifully renovated bakery. Although her infuriatingly handsome contractor, Austin, is already proving an unwanted distraction…

When a body is discovered in her bakery one morning, Ginger’s fresh start goes up in smoke and the town begins to gossip. Who is this new girl? Could she be a killer? Only Austin seems to believe in her innocence.

As the connection between them begins to heat up, Ginger and Austin must follow the crumbs and unmask the real killer… before it’s too late.

The Maple Bakery Murder
A woman with long dark hair and glasses smiles while wearing a blue sweater with wooden buttons, standing in front of a plain light-colored wall.

R.L. Killmore

Q & A With The Author

Every great mystery has a beginning. What was the very first seed of an idea for The Maple Bakery Murder?

This story came to me in crumbs and I spent a lot of time getting to know my main character, Ginger Mills. I wanted to know what kind of woman would move to a slow moving, small town like Cinnamon Falls. What circumstances would she be facing? What is her personality like? How was she raised? How does she handle conflict or stressful situations like finding your delivery driver murdered in your brand new bakery? I wanted to give her a robust and believable background then build the man she deserved from there.

Sum up The Maple Bakery Murder in three words…

Cozy, romantic, sweet

 

What (food, drink) fuels your writing sessions?

I love hot lemon ginger tea in the morning, however, the amount of white cheddar popcorn I eat should be a crime.

 

What crime novel would you always pick up if you saw it in a Lounge Library

The Glory Broussard Mysteries by Danielle Arceneaux. It’s a laugh out loud hilarious cozy mystery. Glory always has a trick up her sleeve! 

The Maple Bakery Murder

What others are saying

‘A little bit of romance alongside a good mystery, plus a cosy atmosphere – just what you need for a good night in’

‘The sweet meets sinister in this perfect autumnal read’

‘Super easy read that will keep you hooked’

‘If you like your mysteries warm, charming and sprinkled with romance, add this one to your TBR ASAP’

A person wearing a red cardigan and striped shirt holds the book "What Happened That Night" by Nicci French, which features an illustration of a house on the cover.
A person in a blue-striped sweater holds the book "Body of Lies" by Jo Callaghan with a pink cover, above a worn wooden floor with various colored squares.
A woman lounges in sunglasses, sipping from a yellow mug and reading "Deception" by Jack Jordan at a café, seated at a table with a yellow patterned tablecloth.
A book titled "A Plot to Die For" by Ardal O'Hanlon stands on a checkered table beside a yellow cup of hot chocolate topped with whipped cream, sprinkles, and pink marshmallows.
Previous Books - August 2026

What Happened That Night

Some friendships don’t survive the truth.

Nearly thirty years ago, Tyler Green was convicted of killing his university friend Leo Bauer. Now, newly released from prison, he is determined to face the past – and the friends who were there the night everything changed.

But when one of them is found dead soon after their reunion, suspicion falls immediately on Tyler. If he killed once, surely he could kill again. As Detective Maud O’Connor investigates, the truth about that night begins to unravel – revealing secrets no one wanted exposed. Can Tyler ever truly escape his past, or is history about to repeat itself?

Taut, atmospheric, and psychologically razor-sharp, What Happened That Night confirms writing duo Nicci French as a master of suspense.

Eight friends. One reunion. Two bodies.

What Happened That Night
Previous Books - July 2026

Body of Lies - Jo Callaghan

CS Kat Frank returns to the Future Policing Unit to investigate a murdered MP… with a cryptic binary message pointing directly at her. As she works alongside AIDE Lock, an AI detective she doesn’t fully trust, the case explodes into a cyberattack on the National Grid and a search for a killer always one step ahead.

In a world of deepfakes and digital deception, Kat must confront whether she can trust AI itself, and whether Lock is solving the crime or orchestrating something far more dangerous.

Jo Callaghan is an award-winning Sunday Times bestselling author, known for the sensational In the Blink of an Eye.

Body of Lies
Previous Books - June 2026

Deception

A deadly game. The ultimate price. The Chain meets Squid Game meets Emily the Criminal in this pulse-pounding new thriller from the master of the moral dilemma, Jack Jordan.

Emma and Miles are out of options. Their son needs life-saving transplant surgery, but in a world of privatised healthcare and impossible costs, they can’t afford it. Then comes the offer: a shadowy syndicate known only as The Levels promises them the exact amount of money they need. All they must do is complete a series of tasks.

The catch? Each task is a crime. As the competition intensifies and they struggle under the weight of their choices, they’re faced with the ultimate question – how far would you go to save the one you love?

Jordan is a global bestselling author of various thrillers, including Redemption, Conviction, and Do No Harm, with Conviction being adapted into a Disney+ series starring Elisabeth Moss in 2027.

Deception
Previous Books - May 2026

A Plot To Die For

One of Ireland’s best-loved actors and comedians has written a new book! Known for his roles in Father Ted, Taskmaster, Derry Girls, Death in Paradise and many more, Ardal O’Hanlon has turned his pen to a brand new mystery, A Plot to Die For.

Set in a small Irish town, celebrity gardener Finn O’Leary returns to his hometown to care for his ageing mother and is roped into the Tidy Towns competition… and a murder investigation.

When an alto-baritone at his mother’s choir practice drops dead, Finn sets out to discover who has brought murder to Abbeyford alongside his mother, her carer Happiness and his best friend’s sister Aoife.

A Plot to Die For is the perfect book for readers who enjoy the warmth of Graham Norton and the mystery of Death in Paradise, all wrapped up in one small Irish town.

Small town Ireland, big time murder..

A Plot to Die For
A man in glasses and a blue shirt stands beside a woman with short hair in a red patterned blouse. They are both facing the camera and smiling slightly against a plain gray background.
A middle-aged woman with blonde hair, wearing a light pink sweater, stands indoors in front of a white wall next to a bookshelf, smiling softly at the camera.
A person with short, light hair wearing a dark blazer and light shirt poses against a plain, dark background, looking confidently at the camera in a black and white portrait.
A man with short brown hair wearing a dark blue button-up shirt stands against a light blue background, resting his chin on his fist and looking at the camera with a thoughtful expression.

Previous Author Q&As

Nicci French

Every great mystery has a beginning. What was the very first seed of an idea for What Happened Last Night?

Every reunion is close to a horror story. Old friends meet after decades apart, and amid all the celebrations and hugs, they’re forced to confront the reality of their lives. Who’s succeeded? Who’s failed? It felt like an irresistible beginning to a psychological thriller.

Sum up What Happened Last Night in three words…

Friendship, regret, murder.

What (food, drink) fuels your writing sessions?

Freshly ground coffee and tea throughout the day, then wine – red and white – in the evening.

What crime novel would you always pick up if you saw it in a Lounge Library?

I will choose two: The Murder of Roger Ackroyd by Agatha Christie and Presumed Innocent by Scott Turow.

Jo Callaghan

Jack Jordan

Ardal O'Hanlon

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