A dead guy, a Highlander, a murder, and a long-kept secret!

Pepper never expected her morning stroll through the woods to turn into a downhill tumble—literally. Rolling down a hill, she lands in a heap at the most inconvenient spot imaginable, right next to a dead guy with a slashed throat. And as if that’s not bad enough, towering over her is none other than G.I. Joe, decked out in camo with a knife in hand. Killer? Soldier? Or maybe just a guy who takes Halloween way too seriously?

Let’s back up. Pepper, a well-known prepper whose logo is Prepped & Prepared, should’ve known better than to venture into the woods in moccasins. But curiosity got the better of her. Who wouldn’t want to scope out the new neighbor who just bought the massive sixty-acre Willow Lake Lodge property that hugs her modest three acres? Big mistake. Huge.

Her dad—the sheriff of Willow Lake—is ordering her to steer clear of Ian Macgregor, the new lodge owner and now suspect. Josh, youngest of her three brothers and a police officer on the Willow Lake force, warns her as well to avoid the… “hot hunk.”

Growing up with three older brothers wasn’t exactly conducive to getting boyfriends, but at twenty-eight those days are gone—at least she intends to make sure they are. And as far as the hot hunk? He’s too handsome, and handsome equals trouble.

Curiosity has Pepper, once again, sneaking around the lodge with her best friend since grade school, Amy. She takes another fall, but this time Pepper lands at the feet of a Highlander Yes, you read that right—a Highlander. Turns out Ian Macgregor isn’t just the new neighbor, he’s THE Ian Macgregor, a ridiculously handsome and wildly famous romance novel cover model. Oh, and did she mention he might also be a murderer? Because why stop at "annoyingly good-looking" when you can add "potentially lethal" to the mix?

With her dad and brothers practically posting "Do Not Enter" signs around Ian, Pepper knows she should mind her business. But when strange clues surface—and sparks start flying between her and the Highlander—Pepper can’t resist poking around. After all, what’s a little murder mystery between neighbors?

Welcome to Willow Lake, PA, a charming small town where quirky characters abound. Meet Mo, Pepper’s genius Alaskan Malamute and Roxie a calico cat who does as she pleases but what cat doesn’t? Add in a dash of romance, a heap of laughs, and a good dose of suspense, and you’ve got Pepper, The Highlander & The Dead Guy—the hilarious first book in the Pepper the Prepper Mystery Series.