Book ~ "Macchiatos, Macarons, and Malice" (2019) Harper Lin

From Goodreads ~ When Matt whisks Fran away on a romantic spa weekend at the Alford Inn, she’s excited to try French macarons from Jacques de Gaulle, the inn’s famous in-house baker. 

But when an off-duty employee is murdered in the spa - during a mud wrap treatment no less - Fran must use the time she could’ve been relaxing to solve another murder case. A friend’s crumbling marriage depends on it!

Francesca is in her mid-thirties and worked in New York for many years in PR.  She moved back home to run the family Italian café in a small town in Massachusetts when her mother passed away almost a year ago.

Fran is busy getting ready for the upcoming summer season at the café and not spending a lot of time with her boyfriend, Matt.  He wants to spend some time away with her so books them into a fancy hotel, complete with spa treatments, for a couple days.  Within hours of arriving, they are doing a tour of the spa when a masseuse is found murdered.

Coincidentally also at the hotel is Mike, their friend who a police officer in their home town.  He is there trying reconcile with his wife, Sandra.  Mike is afraid that Sandra will no longer want to try to work things out now because of the murder.  So Mike tells Fran to solve the murder within the day so Sandra will feel more comfortable in getting their couple's massage the next day and will continue to work things out with him.  And Fran doesn't think twice about it.  Huh??!!  Matt, after having to bug Fran to go away with him for a couple days, is okay with Fran investigating.  He rarely sees her over the next couple of days and when they are together, she is preoccupied with solving the murder.  And he doesn't seem pissed about this at all.

This is the ninth in the Cape Bay Cafe Mystery Series (I've read them all) by this author ... it works as a stand alone (you don't have to read the others to know what's going on).  This book is written in first person perspective in Fran's voice.  The "whodunnit" and ending came together quickly, as always, and this one was non-believable.  It was a quick light read and is a "cozy mystery" so there is no swearing, violence or adult activity.  I don't expect much from this series but this was the most ridiculous one.

There are recipes at the end.