Espresso & Old Embers: A Port Lumina Cozy Mystery

A fresh start. A charming island café. A message from the dead.

After walking away from the breakneck pressure of a Seattle newsroom, Isla Thorne heads to the windswept island of Port Lumina to build a quieter life at her dockside coffee shop, The Roaster’s Reef. With artisan lattes, salty sea air, and the promise of peace, it seems like the perfect place to leave the past behind.

Then Isla pulls a weathered glass bottle from the harbor.

Inside is a cryptic apology addressed to a lighthouse keeper who died ten years ago.

As Port Lumina prepares for its beloved Whale Watching Festival, Isla can’t ignore the feeling that the island’s prettiest traditions are hiding something rotten underneath. What begins as a curious old mystery soon turns into a dangerous hunt for the truth. The deeper Isla digs into the cold case, the more she uncovers buried secrets, bitter grudges, and townspeople who would rather let the dead stay silent.

But on a small island, everyone knows your business—and someone knows Isla is getting too close.