The Happenstance Chronicles

Matthew Sadler rides his '77 Harley into Happenstance, intent on passing through, but people and events conspire to prevent his leaving.

The elderly Barlow sisters consider Matt their knight on a motorcycle. Matt is entranced by Roni, the other lodger at the Happenstance Hotel, who bears an uncanny resemblance to his beloved, deceased wife. The young doctor in town, Paula Percy, adores Matt's motorcycle. However, she is suspicious of Roni, and the feeling is mutual.

As the days pass, the quaint little town, with its unique residents, begins to show its sinister side. When evidence of multiple thefts lead to Matt's door, he must deal with a mystery and yet more false accusations.

Do the old diaries of Amanda Rutherford Barlow hold the answers Matt so desperately seeks? Will Happenstance let him go, or does he have a reason to stay?

Hairdresser Maisie McDonald loves her life in Happenstance, but when private investigator Sam Kowalczyk comes to town, Maisie is spooked. Will Sam’s questions reveal secrets relegated to the past and ruin her present and her future? And who hired him?

When mysterious newcomer to Happenstance, Julia Freemont, purchases an abandoned shop to turn it into a bistro, everyone is excited. But is Julia’s presence valid, or a ruse to get to Maisie?

Maisie will do anything to protect her family, but can she fight the power that money can buy? Revisit the townspeople of Happenstance as they rally round to help her through her struggle between fear and trust.

Crazy About Maisie is a cozy mystery, the second in the Happenstance Chronicles, about a little town that offers fresh choices and second chances. It’s sure to capture your heart and leave you wanting more.

How does a person return to everyday life after spending almost a year behind bars? Nineteen-year-old Solomon Wuppertal throws himself into the new job his sister offers him as barista at Happenstance Bistro & Books.

But not everyone is pleased to see him return to town. His father is disappointed in him, the local gossip columnist spreads rumors, and secrets from his past haunt him. Besides interacting with customers, Sol must cope with cranky Morris Craddock, who runs the lending library in the same building.

When books go missing from Morris’s library and Sol is implicated, he decides to solve the mystery of the book thefts and stop the rampant rumors. As obstacles mount and self-doubt plagues him, Sol struggles to believe the truth and trust those willing to help him.

Will his determination be enough for him to move ahead and create a productive life in Happenstance? Will he succeed against all the odds?

Abby MacGuire and Joel Pickett find unexpected refuge in the town of Happenstance when a pre-Christmas storm disrupts their plans. Abby never allows anything to alter her course, but in these last days of her pregnancy, she’s forced to admit she can’t fight the weather.

Sandy Fitzpatrick III, former Happenstance resident, returns from Ireland with his PhD in Forestry. He is accompanied by an intern named Cal, a sprite of a woman with the personality of a feral cat. Everyone, except Bear, steers clear of her. He has dealt with feral cats before.

When a traumatic incident takes place, triggered by long-held secrets, friends team up to help Abby and Joel. With Christmas only days away, it seems the Living Nativity won’t come together in time. But what seems like another disruption may be the very thing the people of Happenstance need.

Relax into your favorite comfy chair with a cuppa, and revisit the quirky and well-loved regulars in Happenstance as new friends are introduced into their midst.

Secrets & Second Chances is the fourth novel in The Happenstance Chronicles.