Letter from the Editor
Front-Porch Mysteries from the Magnolia Observer
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Dearest readers and friends,
The Observer has been the trusted voice of Magnolia Heights, celebrating the people, stories, and moments that make our community home. From high school football victories to new business openings, from city council meetings to backyard garden parties, we believe every story in our town deserves to be told with care, accuracy, and heart.
This year, we’re proud to launch something special: our first-ever serialized mystery novel, Death Wears a Jade Mask: A Bunny Beaudoin Mystery. Drawing from the rich tapestry of our community— the Fox Theater, our local donors and volunteers, the intricate relationships that bind small-town life— this original story celebrates the amateur sleuths among us and provides that the most compelling mysteries often unfold right in our own backyard.
When a wealthy donor drops dead at her charity gala, Fox Theater fundraiser Bunny Beaudoin finds herself thrust into a murder investigation that threatens everything she's built. Teaming up with enigmatic private investigator Dash O'Neill, Bunny discovers the victim was poisoned—and he's not the killer's first target. As bodies pile up and the theater's reputation hangs in the balance, Bunny and Dash navigate a web of secrets, lies, and dangerous attraction.
Between dodging a suspicious police chief and uncovering a conspiracy that reaches the highest levels of Magnolia Heights society, Bunny must decide how far she's willing to go for justice—and whether she can trust the mysterious man who's stolen her heart. In a world where everyone has something to hide, the deadliest secret might be falling in love with your partner in crime.
Because in a world that moves too fast, some things like community, friendship, hidden secrets, and the thrill of unraveling a good mystery are worth slowing down to savor.
Warmly,
Cordelia Washington-Bell
Editor-in-Chief, The Magnolia Observer