Phoenix's Pact, The: A Romantasy of Fiery Rebirth and Ashen Regrets

?? Event planner and pie shop owner Autumn "Pumpkin" Spice is organizing her small town's annual Turkey Trot charity race when the race's major sponsor—a notoriously competitive local businessman—collapses at the finish line, a mysterious substance contaminating the celebratory giblet gravy. The police suspect a heart attack, but Pumpkin notices the race route was deliberately altered and the victim's sponsorship documents contain coded notes about financial irregularities. With the Thanksgiving festival in chaos and the town's traditions threatened, Pumpkin must race against time to solve the case. Assisted by her baking staff and the handsome food safety inspector analyzing the tainted gravy, Pumpkin uncovers a scheme involving charity fund embezzlement, race fixing, and a plot to sabotage local businesses. From suspicious timing chips that reveal race manipulation to gravy ingredients that don't match the recipe, every clue tells a story. But when Pumpkin discovers the victim was systematically skimming charity funds meant for the town's food bank, she realizes the killer is protecting community welfare more valuable than any sponsorship deal. With Thanksgiving dinner approaching and the real embezzler still cooking the books, Pumpkin must baste together the evidence before her own business gets permanently stuffed.