The Bush Tea Murder

Culinary journalist Naomi Sinclair is cooking up a maelstrom of trouble upon her return to the blue waters of her native Saint Thomas.

A new cozy mystery set in the US Virgin Islands, this charming amateur sleuth will enrapture readers of Joanne Fluke and Carrie Doyle.

Food journalist Naomi Sinclair doesn't expect a side of murder with her passion fruit juice. But when her return to Saint Thomas heralds a series of troubling cases, ranging from petty theft to cold-blooded murder, that threaten her tight-knit community, that is exactly the kind of unsavory treat she must sink her teeth into.

Luckily for her neighbors, Naomi is as adept at solving puzzles as rolling johnnycake dough--a good thing, since her island community, though small, keeps serving up plenty of trouble. With the help of her friends and her crush, Mateo, Naomi must navigate the tumultuous turquoise waters of life in the Caribbean, all as her beloved father battles an illness that keeps tugging her back to her island amid her rising career stateside.

Rich with mouthwatering recipes, lush landscapes, and a hefty dose of fun under the sun, The Bush Tea Murder has all the ingredients to make up the perfect beach read.

Author: Ashley-Ruth Bernier
Publisher: Crooked Lane Books
Published: 04/21/2026
Pages: 336
Binding Type: Paperback
Weight: 0.67lbs
ISBN13: 9798892425230
BISAC Categories:
- Fiction | Mystery & Detective | Cozy | Culinary
- Fiction | Hispanic & Latino | Mystery & Detective
- Fiction | Mystery & Detective | Women Sleuths

About the Author
Ashley-Ruth M. Bernier's short fiction has appeared in Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine, Black Cat Weekly, Stone's Throw, Smoking Pen Press, The Best American Mystery and Suspense 2023, Malice Domestic's Mystery Most Devious and Mystery Most Humorous, and The Caribbean Writer. Originally from Saint Thomas, US Virgin Islands, Ashley-Ruth writes mysteries highlighting the vibrant culture of her home. Ashley-Ruth is a 2023 Derringer nominee (novelette category, Short Mystery Fiction Society), a 2023 and 2024 Killer Nashville Claymore finalist (Best Short Story Collection), and one of the 2024 recipients of MWA's Barbara Neely grant for Black mystery writers. She is an active member of Sisters in Crime, Crime Writers of Color, the Short Mystery Fiction Society, Mystery Writers of America, and the North Carolina Writers Network. Ashley-Ruth currently lives with her husband and four children in North Carolina, where she teaches first grade and finds very few things more valuable than uninterrupted writing time.