SOLVED. 2000s YA Murder Mystery/ Ghost story set in Maine. [s]

[TJ]

I read this in junior high, sometime between 2007-2011. The protagonist is a teen/preteen girl who lives with her mom in Maine. Her mom is a candy maker or something like that. There are cherry cardinals on the cover, I believe, and she eats some in the story.

The girl explores a haunted house and learns about the girl who was killed there. I'm not positive but I think it turns out that the girl was killed by the man who's dating the protag's mom.

My most vivid memory of this book was that the cover is all pinks and reds and very cute but the story gets kind of dark.

[Sia]

OH MY GOD YOU JUST UNLOCKED A MEMORY. the girls biological father was dead but the mom always said he was lost at sea, right? I cant remember the name right now but as soon as I do I'll tell you.

[Sia]

the book I was thinking of was the dressmakers daughter but their is another book called the murder of the chocolate covered cherry. I'm sorry if its neither of these.

[TJ]

Sia wrote: "the book I was thinking of was the dressmakers daughter but their is another book called the murder of the chocolate covered cherry. I'm sorry if its neither of these."

thank you for the suggestions! unfortunately i don't recognize those books, but thank you for helping, i appreciate it.

[Rainbowheart]

The Wedding Planner's Daughter?

[Temple]

is the book one of these?
- Deep and Dark and Dangerous,
- The Rattled Bones,
- Dead River,
- Need (Carrie Jones)

Let me know :)

[TJ]

Rainbowheart wrote: "The Wedding Planner's Daughter?"

holy crap, that's it. i must have been mixing up two different books, my bad. i don't know how you found it, but thank you

[Rainbowheart]

Awesome, glad to help out!

It was the cherry cordial detail that made me think of it.