The Guest in Room Four: A Cozy Bed & Breakfast Mystery

At the Wren House Inn on Osprey Lane, Helen has spent twenty-three years perfecting the kind of hospitality guests never forget — thick slices of sourdough at breakfast, strong French press coffee, and a cocoa tray left in each room at turndown. So when Gerald Ashworth, a polished retired art appraiser staying in the inn’s most beloved harbor-view room, is found dead in bed, everyone assumes he passed quietly in his sleep. But Helen knows her inn the way other people know their own heartbeat, and one small detail on the bedside tray tells her something is terribly wrong.

As Helen begins to ask careful questions, the peaceful charm of Hartwell, Maine starts to crack. A guest with too many questions, a forged painting with a dangerous past, and a victim who came to town believing he’d be safe all point to a murder hidden beneath good manners and coastal quiet. With only her sharp eye for detail, her knowledge of people’s habits, and the steady rhythms of innkeeping to guide her, Helen must uncover the truth before another guest checks in with secrets of their own.

Warm, atmospheric, and quietly suspenseful, this cozy mystery blends small-town charm, seaside ambiance, and a smart amateur sleuth who notices the details everyone else overlooks. Perfect for readers who love bed-and-breakfast mysteries, coastal settings, clever clues, and mysteries steeped in comfort, community, and just the right touch of danger.