Kindle Unlimited
Unlimited reading. Over 4 million titles. Learn more
Read for Free
OR
Kindle Price: $2.99

Promotions apply when you purchase

These promotions will be applied to this item:

Some promotions may be combined; others are not eligible to be combined with other offers. For details, please see the Terms & Conditions associated with these promotions.

Read with our free app
You've subscribed to ! We will preorder your items within 24 hours of when they become available. When new books are released, we'll charge your default payment method for the lowest price available during the pre-order period.
Update your device or payment method, cancel individual pre-orders or your subscription at
Your Memberships & Subscriptions

Buy for others

Give as a gift or purchase for a team or group.
Learn more

Buying and sending eBooks to others

  1. Select quantity
  2. Buy and send eBooks
  3. Recipients can read on any device

These ebooks can only be redeemed by recipients in the US. Redemption links and eBooks cannot be resold.
Kindle app logo image

Download the free Kindle app and start reading Kindle books instantly on your smartphone, tablet, or computer - no Kindle device required.

Read instantly on your browser with Kindle for Web.

Using your mobile phone camera - scan the code below and download the Kindle app.

QR code to download the Kindle App

Follow the author

Joy Ann Ribar
+ Follow
More books from this author
Something went wrong. Please try your request again later.

Deep Dark Secrets (Deep Lakes Cozy Mysteries Book 1) Kindle Edition

by Joy Ann Ribar (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
4.3 4.3 out of 5 stars 268 ratings
See all formats and editions

You’re invited to visit Deep Lakes, Wisconsin and meet a new friend, Francine “Frankie” Champagne. The 40-something owner of Bubble and Bake—bakery by day, wine lounge by night—Frankie is a spitfire pastry maker, vintner, and budding journalist.

Frankie finds herself on the perimeter of a suspicious death that upends the peaceful winter slumber in Deep Lakes when the local pastor is found dead inside his fishing shanty on Lake Loki. Frankie sticks her curious nose into the investigation, despite warnings from the local sheriff to leave it alone. But she has something to prove, maybe to the newspaper editor who wouldn’t hire her as a reporter, maybe to herself as she searches for fulfillment. Regardless, her fierce independence won’t allow her to back down. Follow Frankie as she stumbles upon one discovery after another, trails potential suspects, and solves the case!

Read more Read less
Previous page
  1. Book 1 of 5
    Deep Lakes Cozy Mysteries
  2. Print length
    282 pages
  3. Language
    English
  4. Sticky notes
    On Kindle Scribe
  5. Publication date
    January 20, 2024
  6. File size
    689 KB
  7. Page Flip
    Enabled
  8. Word Wise
    Enabled
  9. Enhanced typesetting
    Enabled
  10. See all details
Next page
Next 3 for you in this series See full series
Total Price: $12.89
By clicking on the above button, you agree to Amazon's Kindle Store Terms of Use
More like Deep Dark Secrets (Deep Lakes Cozy Mysteries Book 1)
Page 1 of 1Start overPage 1 of 1
Previous page
  5. 5
    Deep Wedded Blues (Deep Lakes Cozy Mysteries Book 5)
    Kindle Edition
    Just released
    $4.95
  6. Deep Lakes Cozy Mysteries    5 book series
Next page
Loading...

Editorial Reviews

From the Author

If you like bakery without the calories, wine without the hangover, and drama without the backlash:  try my Deep Lakes Cozy Mystery Series.  Book 1: Deep Dark Secrets is set in Wisconsin's deep freeze of winter.  Book 2: Deep Bitter Roots brings the promising warmth and renewal of Wisconsin's spring. Both deliver intrigue, humor, and yes, recipes! Enjoy! Joy Ann RibarWant more? Sign up for my newsletter at Joyribar.com

About the Author

Joy Ann Ribar is a Wisconsin native who embraces her Scandinavian roots - wine-tasting and food-munching from every culture. A semi-retired English educator, Joy teaches writing classes at Madison College. She earned a Journalism degree from UW-Madison and a Master's in Education from UW-Oshkosh. She and her husband, John, run a backyard buffet for winged creatures, plus the occasional furry critter. Someday, they plan to sell everything, buy an RV, and escape Wisconsin winters. See more at JoyRibar.com and Subscribe to my quarterly newsletter.

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0CSXNXVD5
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Wine Glass Press (January 20, 2024)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ January 20, 2024
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 689 KB
  • Simultaneous device usage ‏ : ‎ Unlimited
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 282 pages
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.3 4.3 out of 5 stars 268 ratings

About the author

Follow authors to get new release updates, plus improved recommendations.
Joy Ann Ribar

Joy Ann Ribar

Brief content visible, double tap to read full content.
Full content visible, double tap to read brief content.

Joy Ann Ribar is a Wisconsin native with Scandinavian roots. Enjoy her hygge-style mysteries featuring sass, bakery, wine and crime! A semi-retired English instructor, Joy has taught writing courses for high schoolers and college students for 20 years. She holds a BA in Journalism from UW-Madison and an MS in Education from UW-Oshkosh. She enjoys traveling, birding, baking, wineries and exploring the outdoors. In 2022, Joy and husband John traded the sticks-and-bricks life for a full-time RV gypsy one. If you see her in your town, please stop to chat. If you'd like your local bookstore to have Joy as its guest, email Joy at or connect on social media! See more at JoyRibar.com. Signup for her newsletter to get free recipes.

Customer reviews

4.3 out of 5 stars
4.3 out of 5
268 global ratings
Very exciting down to earth mystery novel.
5 Stars
Very exciting down to earth mystery novel.
Read this refreshing, exciting mystery novel in less than two says. Love that it takes one back to happy times in little towns in the USA. Action in small Town Wisconsin. Loved every page and anxiously awaiting the next book by Joy Ribar
Hide
Thank you for your feedback
Sorry, there was an error
Sorry we couldn't load the review

Top reviews from the United States

Darlene E. Lerum
5.0 out of 5 stars I enjoyed this book.
Reviewed in the United States on July 4, 2023
Verified Purchase
I enjoy books from local authors. Being from WI you can identify with the cold and ice as well as ice fishing. It is a true small town WI story I can identify with. It held my interest and made me really think about who could have done it. Well done!
One person found this helpful
Helpful
 Report
Anissa Annalise
4.0 out of 5 stars Perfect Wintry Cozy
Reviewed in the United States on January 30, 2021
Verified Purchase
This was an enjoyable cozy mystery. It's the time of year when I want my mysteries with a side of snow or Christmas.

Frankie, the baker/vintner/journalist was an engaging sleuth though to me, she read older than she's supposed to be. She's divorced, has two college-aged daughters and runs a business with her BFF Carmen. Her relationship with her mother and brothers features also and was nice to read. A possible romantic interest is teased with Garrett Iverson the local coroner/electrician and perhaps some romantic interest from Alonzo Goodman her long-time friend and sheriff. The part with Alonzo was difficult to get a read on and I found it difficult to understand if Alonzo had an interest in Frankie or she was misreading him. Ultimately it was just annoying. Also, Frankie has two fireflies who "speak" to her over her shoulders. One sounds like her mother and is the "good" one and the other sounds like Antonio Banderas and is the pirate-themed "bad" one. I have to admit, this feature irritated me and I wished there was a way to ignore it. That Banderas is the go-to hot, enticing bad boy of a forty-something, just didn't work for me. Nothing against the man but he's not who comes up in wider discussions with women in their 30s or 40s. Sorry. Maybe a generation above? It's one of the things that made Frankie read older to me than she's supposed to be. The whole good/bad firefly chats were just too cutesy for me to find endearing.

But the mystery of who killed the local pastor was the best thing here. From the time we find out that Pastor Bradford Rawlins is dead, we're only six pages in and that left plenty of time to work through clues with Frankie and figure out Whodunnit and why. There were lots of secrets to be uncovered and there's a lot of people who had reasons to keep them hidden. Still, it all comes out and the journey was well done. I was able to suss out pretty early what things were amiss but it was fun finding out just how far and wide that went. Frankie's journalist job was on the line and I liked that aspect of her story. It was also nice to have her finished piece at the end of the book. A poignant close.

There was also lots of good food and interesting wines along the way (there are even recipes at the end of the book & even if they're not the ones I'd try making, that ranks highly for me in a culinary leaning cozy). I'm a wine lover and really appreciated the descriptions and information on winemaking and even when a particular type didn't appeal, I found them interesting. I recently read a cozy with a beer brewer and enjoyed that even though I don't drink beer. This community has lots of activities and shops and all of them seem to have cute names. I loved that. Deep Lakes is described wonderfully and definitely, is one of the things that ensured I'd want to drop in on the town and its citizens again.

If you're in the mood for a snowy cozy mystery this is worth the read. Recommended.
2 people found this helpful
Helpful
 Report
MomA
5.0 out of 5 stars Good story
Reviewed in the United States on May 20, 2024
Verified Purchase
This was a very interesting and heart pounding story. It is a cozy mystery. I enjoyed it very much. I read it in one day and I enjoyed getting to know the characters. I would recommend it to anyone.
Helpful
 Report
Jill L. Ferguson
3.0 out of 5 stars loved the storyline but too many typos and mistakes
Reviewed in the United States on May 14, 2024
Verified Purchase
The story line was fun and intriguing but this book had so many weird line breaks, missing punctuation, and typos that there was no way I could give it more stars. It needed better book design and a good proofreader.
Helpful
 Report
Jackie Vick
5.0 out of 5 stars A Cozy Mystery That Will Reel You In
Reviewed in the United States on November 22, 2021
Verified Purchase
Joy Ann Ribar's Deep Lakes cozy mystery series debuts with DEEP DARK SECRETS, the first of four novels (so far) featuring vintner, baker, and wannabe reporter, Frankie Champagne. The author brings this small Wisconsin town to life. By the end of the book, I felt I had a new set of friends. She captures the winter environment to a T, making me long for my snowy childhood in neighboring Illinois. The humor, language, and violence might be light, but that doesn't mean the author skimped on the mystery. The solution comes with a twist I didn't see coming. I look forward to following Frankie's business aspirations and romantic possibilities. For those of you who enjoy Christmas mysteries as much as I do, Ribar has DEEP FLAKES CHRISTMAS: A NISSE VISIT, which is next on my list.
Helpful
 Report
PJWms
4.0 out of 5 stars Fun Mystery!
Reviewed in the United States on September 20, 2023
Verified Purchase
Deep Dark Secrets is a fun mystery with an amateur sleuth who is unabashedly curious and easy to relate to. The small Wisconsin town makes for a great setting. Am looking forward to reading more books in this series!
Helpful
 Report
Doreen
5.0 out of 5 stars If you love murder mysteries on Hallmark as much as I do, you will love this book!
Reviewed in the United States on July 17, 2019
Verified Purchase
Deep Dark Secrets by Joy Ribar gives great detail about small-town life in Wisconsin. Relatable characters and their intertwined drama make for a captivating read; suspense sprinkled with a little romance. Extra added benefits are included with the book which showcases her culinary and education talents. As a new author, Ribar beautifully sets us up for a Cozy Mystery series you are not going to want to miss. Who doesn't love food, wine, and mystery?
7 people found this helpful
Helpful
 Report
Holli
5.0 out of 5 stars Lovely debut. Can't wait for more!
Reviewed in the United States on October 8, 2019
Verified Purchase
Having lived primarily in small towns throughout Wisconsin my whole life, this book hits the nail on the head with the setting. Joy Ann Ribar paints a beautiful picture of a true Wisconsin winter. I would love to visit Bubble and Bake, the bakery/winery run by Frankie and Carmen, for a lovely baked treat while ignoring the bitter cold that taunts Wisconsin during the winter months.

Frankie is a real go-getter. Between running a bakery in the morning and a wine bar at night, she somehow finds the time to stick her nose right in the middle of a murder investigation to get the scoop on the story. Frankie doesn't have much experience as a journalist, but she certainly makes up for it in spunk.

I am very excited to read more about Frankie's future as a baker/vintner/journalist in the next book!
7 people found this helpful
Helpful
 Report

Top reviews from other countries

Claudine Delacour-Jarrett
5.0 out of 5 stars Great book
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on May 12, 2024
Verified Purchase
Keeps you guessing to the end
Report
K. Young
4.0 out of 5 stars An intriguing new series beginning
Reviewed in Canada on May 12, 2021
Verified Purchase
Joy Ann Ribar bursts onto the cozy mystery scene with a complex who-done-it set in small town Wisconsin.
Her main characters are multi faceted and relatable, and the mystery to be solved is intriguing, keeping the reader guessing to the very end.
If you are a fan of in depth descriptions, this book, with its extremely detailed backgrounds and descriptions of people, places and things will be right up your alley. I personally found such lengthy descriptions to be distracting from the story itself, prompting me to skim over many paragraphs at a time in order to stay focussed on the actual mystery. I realize that this is a personal preference, however, and point out that the descriptions are well written and speak to the author's dedication to her material and setting.
I enjoyed the quotes at the beginning of each chapter, and the recipes and book club discussion points at the end are added gifts from the author.
Congratulations on a strong debut novel!
One person found this helpful
 Report

Report an issue


Does this item contain inappropriate content?
Report
Do you believe that this item violates a copyright?
Report
Does this item contain quality or formatting issues?
Report