Dye Pot Deception, The: A Cozy Mystery of Colored Clues and a Vat of Villainy

?? Natural dye artist and botanical expert Indigo "Indy" Bloom is preparing for the annual Artisan Market when the market's organizer—a ruthless synthetic dye manufacturer—is found dead in her studio, face-down in a vat of her signature indigo dye. The police suspect a tragic accident, but Indy notices the dye bath has been chemically altered and the victim's fabric swatches contain color patterns that form a coded message. With her dye studio condemned as a hazardous site and her reputation fading fast, Indy must extract the truth from this colorful mess. Assisted by her natural dye collective and the handsome chemist analyzing the contaminated dye bath, Indy uncovers a scheme involving industrial dye sabotage, stolen botanical recipes, and a plot to discredit natural dyers. From suspicious pH levels that reveal tampering to plant materials that don't grow in the victim's region, every hue tells a story. But when Indy discovers the victim was systematically stealing ancient dye recipes from indigenous communities to patent them for corporate profit, she realizes the killer is protecting cultural heritage more valuable than any chemical formula. With the artisan market days away and the real villain still stirring the pot, Indy must fix the colors of truth before her own dye business bleeds out completely.