Francine “Frankie” Champagne is the 40-something owner of Bubble and Bake, bakery by day and wine lounge by night in the tourist haven of Deep Lakes, a small central Wisconsin town in Whitman County. After a fire destroyed Frankie’s home five years ago, Frankie left the law firm where she worked as a paralegal to begin anew, pursuing her passion for baking and wine tasting.  Partnering with long-time friend Carmen Martinez, who also manages a sheep farm with her husband, Frankie’s fiery spirit and Carmen’s practical nature combine perfectly for success.

The peacefulness of a Deep Lakes winter is upended when a local pastor is found dead inside his fishing shanty on frozen Lake Loki.  Frankie sticks her curious nose into the investigation, despite warnings from the local police chief to leave it alone.  But Frankie has something to prove, maybe to the local newspaper editor who wouldn’t hire her as a reporter, maybe to herself as she juggles multiple identities:  mother, daughter, business owner, vintner, baker, writer.  Frankie’s fierce independence won’t allow her to back down, so she pursues the clues she finds on the pastor’s desk and in the fishing shanty, while the two sides of her dueling conscience meddle with her decisions. Scraping away layer after layer of information, Frankie discovers the chilling deception that led to the pastor’s icing on the lake.

Grab your favorite vintage, pastry or both, and settle in for a cozy helping of whodunnit with a new friend, Frankie Champagne.