Fresh Brew

Hailey Morton inherits the Aconite Cafe in Marble Falls, Texas, from an aunt she barely knew. The coffee shop comes with a cat named Azure — except Azure is not a cat. He is a dragon, he speaks directly into her head, and he does not accept the official story that her aunt's death was an accident.

With the local sheriff uninterested and a business to run, Hailey has to learn the espresso machine, the town, and what it means to be a Dragon Protector, all while working out who in Marble Falls had a reason to kill an old woman.

Verena DeLuca opens the Hill Country Mysteries with a clean, snarky cozy: no romance, plenty of coffee, and a familiar with strong opinions.