Tea, scones, and old bones…

It may be autumn on Cranberry Island, Maine, but things are heating up for innkeeper Natalie Barnes—and not just because of the cranberry scones in the oven. When a research team discovers the remains of a long-missing German U-Boat just offshore, the Gray Whale Inn becomes the center of operations for the eccentric multimillionaire funding the team. But the excitement over the discovery is soon dampened when something else turns up next to the long-lost sunken vessel: the body of a young woman who went missing twenty years ago, tied to an antique anchor that vanished at the same time. Soon, a second, more recent body, that of a local handyman, turns up next to the inn, a knife from friend and island selectman Tom Lockhart’s kitchen in his back.

Natalie is dismayed to learn that several people close to her—including her husband, John, best friend, Charlene, and Tom himself—were connected with the missing girl, and may now be suspects in her long-ago disappearance. When Charlene’s young niece Tania disappears without a trace, Natalie fears that history is about to repeat itself.

Can she find the culprit—and the missing young woman—before tragedy strikes Cranberry island again?

It’s Christmastime at the Gray Whale Inn.

The inn’s kitchen smells like ginger and spice, the ground is frosted with snow, and wedding bells are about to ring out for innkeeper Natalie’s favorite niece, Gwen. It’s a joyous time… until the families of the bride and groom descend on the island, bringing nasty tempers and a wicked winter storm with them. Add a baffling rash of thefts, a dash of romantic intrigue, and an unexpected power shutdown, and Natalie’s plans for a magical season are looking more like a recipe for disaster. Can Natalie find the missing gifts before the big holiday? And will the happy couple make it to the altar… or will the wedding go up in flames?

Praise for Iced Inn, a Gray Whale Inn Short Story…

“Well this was a wonderful Christmas surprise. I had forgotten that I had ordered this short story in the Gray Whale Mystery series and it arrived in my Kindle today. Perfect timing!! I just finished it and loved it as I do all the stories in this charming series that takes place on Cranberry Island.” — Amazon Reviewer 

“I love the Gray Whale Inn and had been missing all the characters and the inn itself! I love this series! Karen’s stories are some of my favorites. The descriptive scenery, the food references, the characters that I love, all contribute to the great story! Can’t wait for the next!” — Amazon Reviewer

This collection of recipes from Natalie’s Gray Whale Inn kitchen includes recipes from the first six books, both short stories… and a bonus recipe! The cookbook also features an introduction from Karen and a bonus first chapter of Whale of a Crime.   The Gray Whale Inn Kitchen will be available for $2.99 on Amazon and Barnes & Noble… or FREE if you’re a newsletter subscriber! (You can sign up at the top of the page!)

Read Reviews

The long-awaited seventh book of the bestselling Gray Whale Inn Mysteries is finally here!

When a tour company books the Gray Whale Inn for a full week, innkeeper Natalie Barnes can’t wait to get cooking — and to hitch a ride on the antique schooner Summer Winds, getting up close and personal with the local whales. But when one of the humpback whales turns up dragging a mass of fishing gear from its tail, the tour takes a dark turn. It turns darker still when the schooner’s handsome captain winds up attached to the vessel’s anchor, sixty feet underwater… and not by accident.

Before long, the tour naturalist (and Natalie’s best friend’s beau) is behind bars, charged with a murder Charlene swears he didn’t commit. Stir in a surprise visit from Natalie’s quarrelsome sister, midnight kitchen sabotage, a sick orphan kitten, and a mysterious investor with plans for a massive resort on the quaint island, and Natalie’s got a recipe for potential disaster.

When a second body turns up just outside the inn, the heat is on Natalie to solve the double murder… or risk ending up with her own goose cooked.

“This book was the best in the series. ” — Cynthia, Amazon reviewer

“The Gray Whale Inn Mystery series is a great cozy series and Whale of a Crime is the best in the series so far.” — Barb, Amazon reviewer

It’s almost time for the Cranberry Island Harvest Festival and Pie Bake-Off… and the much-anticipated annual Great Pumpkin Contest. But trouble starts brewing when the front-running pumpkin is sabotaged… and flickering, ghostly lights set island tongues wagging. When the corn maze goes up in smoke, things really start heating up… and it’s up to innkeeper Natalie Barnes to get to the bottom of things. Is it really a ghost? Or is it someone’s twisted idea of Halloween hijinks — which may take a deadly turn?

With her own wedding fast approaching and her mother-in-law dating an unexpected beau, the last thing Natalie Barnes needs is to find a young man shot dead in a dinghy. A note she finds with the body suggests the dearly departed had a secret rendezvous planned with somebody on the island. But when suspicion is cast on a fisherman Natalie believes to be innocent, she begins to wonder if the murder was the result of a lover’s quarrel . . . or a lobsterman’s disagreement gone horribly wrong.