Derek Chapman

After a big-city burnout, ambitious journalist Tracy Maybeaman returns to her quaint hometown of Evergreen Falls, CA, desperate for a career-saving story by Christmas. But disaster strikes when Evergreen Falls’ beloved Cherry Pie 5K is threatened after hundreds of pies disappear into a sinkhole.

Davey, a talented young chess player, and Wil Bevan, his history teacher, are in Bournemouth for the British Chess Championships. When Davey meets up with Helen, a punk girl from London, Wil is faced with the problem of steering his charge through the championship and the trauma of first love.