• Skip to main content

Sally Bayless

Author

  • Home
  • Free Mystery!
  • Mystery
    • Bed & Breakfast & Burglary
    • Antiques, Artifacts & Alibis
    • Sales, Secrets & Suspects
    • Home Tours, History & Homicide
    • Donors, Deception & Death
    • Festivals, Funnel Cakes & Felonies
    • Hemlines, Handbags & Havoc
    • Apples, Alumni & Animosity
    • Books, Betrayal & Blame
  • Free romance novella!
  • Romance
    • Love of a Lifetime
    • Love at Sunset Lake
    • Love and Harmony
    • Love and Roses
    • Love Once More
    • Love Meant to Be
    • Love to Believe In
    • Christmas in Abundance
    • Family Trees for the Abundance Series
  • News
  • About Sally
  • Contact

New Release! Apples, Alumni & Animosity: Dogwood Springs Cozy Mystery Book 7

A reunion ripe with secrets, and a killer among them.

Cover of Apples, Alumni & Animosity, which shows Bella the golden retriever in an orchard at apple-picking time

When historian Libby Ballard is asked to offer a series of talks to a group of visiting university alumni, she’s intrigued. When the offer comes with the promise of a large donation to the small-town history museum where she’s the director, it sounds even sweeter. And when she learns the alumni are staying at a retreat center at a lovely local orchard, she readily agrees. What could be better than discussing her favorite topic in an idyllic venue filled with ripe red apples, happy friends, and hayrides?

Yet, the picturesque Missouri setting hides a poisonous secret. When one of the alumni is murdered, it becomes clear there’s a bad apple in the bunch. With the sheriff baffled, and danger lurking among the leaves, the orchard’s desperate owner asks Libby and her beloved golden retriever, Bella, to root out the killer.

As Libby investigates, she discovers that the alumni’s relationships are rotted by long-held grudges and recent rage. If she wants to keep the reunion from culminating in another tragic goodbye, she’ll have to act fast.

Curl up with Libby, Bella, and their friends as they delve into the core of this twisty mystery!

If you like a cozy mystery with a pet who will win your heart, friends who feel like family, and a hint of romance, you’ll love this series!

This is a clean read with no profanity or graphic violence.

Available for purchase here.

A word scramble for Antiques, Artifacts & Alibis

I love all sorts of word games, so I’ve created a word scramble to go with Antiques, Artifacts & Alibis. If you click on the words in blue below, the file will show on your screen. Or you can click the Download button to get the PDF to print. I hope you enjoy!


Antiques, Artifacts & Alibis word scramble
Download
Antiques, Artifacts & Alibis word scramble answersDownload

Interested in online jigsaw puzzles? Click here to find puzzles created from my book covers.

Dogwood Springs Cozy Mystery Book 8

Cover image shows Bella, the golden retriever in a library with a bookend on the floor
Coming 2026

A stolen book, a murdered donor, and a library full of suspects.

When a rare first edition is set to be given to the library in Dogwood Springs, historian Libby Ballard is among those excited to celebrate the literary treasure. But before the event begins, the book vanishes without a trace—and the donor is found murdered.

As the town reels from the shocking news, whispers and theories abound. The police have their suspect, but Libby fears the woman may have been wrongly accused, leaving the real killer walking away free. Determined to see justice served, Libby begins digging into a tangle of family drama, greed, and long-buried secrets.

With her loyal golden retriever, Bella, by her side and her friends ready to help, she starts putting the pieces together. But as the mystery deepens, so does the danger. Someone in town is hiding the truth—and they’ll do anything to keep it buried.

Can Libby identify the killer before another deadly chapter is added to this tale?

View Book

Dogwood Springs Cozy Mystery Book 7

Cover of Apples, Alumni & Animosity, which shows Bella the golden retriever in an orchard at apple-picking time

A reunion ripe with secrets, and a killer among them.

When historian Libby Ballard is asked to offer a series of talks to a group of visiting university alumni, she’s intrigued. When the offer comes with the promise of a large donation to the small-town history museum where she’s the director, it sounds even sweeter. And when she learns the alumni are staying at a retreat center at a lovely local orchard, she readily agrees. What could be better than discussing her favorite topic in an idyllic venue filled with ripe red apples, happy friends, and hayrides?

Yet, the picturesque Missouri setting hides a poisonous secret. When one of the alumni is murdered, it becomes clear there’s a bad apple in the bunch. With the sheriff baffled, and danger lurking among the leaves, the orchard’s desperate owner asks Libby and her beloved golden retriever, Bella, to root out the killer.

As Libby investigates, she discovers that the alumni’s relationships are rotted by long-held grudges and recent rage. If she wants to keep the reunion from culminating in another tragic goodbye, she’ll have to act fast.

Curl up with Libby, Bella, and their friends as they delve into the core of this twisty mystery!

View Book

Dogwood Springs Cozy Mystery Book 6

Cover of Hemlines, Handbags & Havoc showing period dresses and Bella the dog

Amid a century of styles, a historic fashion show turns fatal.

Libby Ballard couldn’t be more pleased. What could be more charming than hosting a historic fashion show as a special event for the museum she runs in the small town of Dogwood Springs, Missouri? But when tragedy strikes and a spiteful local figure is found dead backstage, the curtain rises on a mystery of murderous proportions.

When the police spotlight a suspect who Libby knows is innocent, she realizes she must step in to catch the true culprit and protect the reputation of her beloved museum, already strained by connection to previous murders. With strong determination, a keen eye for detail, and her trusty golden retriever, Bella, by her side, she embarks on a journey through a labyrinth of lies and long-held grudges.

But the suspects are many, the truth is elusive, and the specter of danger lurks in every shadow. Can Libby outwit the killer before another victim falls?

View Book

Copyright © 2025 Sally Bayless. All rights reserved.

Privacy Policy

Use of Affiliate Links