One of Peachtree Valley’s favorite persons, the town librarian, has been found murdered, but the victim’s grieving family doesn’t trust the new police chief to get to the bottom of this crime. The ink is barely dry on Helen's PI license or the new Rogers, Adams, and Brown Private Investigations sign on her door, and already she's had a high profile case land on her doorstep.

She and her associates are eager to dig into the details, but none of the clues are adding up to anything that makes a lick of sense. Even Dixie and Kirk, the newest additions to the team, find themselves hitting brick walls out in the field. That is, until they butt heads with members of a new church in town that turns out to be a cult in disguise.

Is this the missing piece to the puzzle they need to break open the case? The only way to find out is to beat the worshippers at their own game, a strategy that could bring Helen and her boyfriend Ted closer, or tear the entire firm apart.

Meddling and murder can both be deadly sins

When retired nun and teacher Sister Bernadette returns with her fellow residents to The Abbey: Senior Living, she is the first to discover the body sprawled in the hallway of the converted school where she once taught English and now lives.  Instead of freezing with horror, Sister Bernie has questions. Lots of them. Why does Toni Travi, the bedazzled and bejeweled resident from apartment 218, have so much chest hair? Did anyone at The Abbey know Toni was a man? Was Toni’s death related to allegations that she cheated at cards? Where’s the murder weapon? Who had motive? And did someone kill Toni, or the man hiding beneath the Revlon foundation and blonde wig?

Detective AJ Lewis is in charge of the investigation though Sister Bernie acts as if he is still her student. With unholy stubbornness, she dogs his every step, eavesdrops, sneaks beyond the police tape and offers unsolicited conjecture and clues. He wants to keep her safe, but she’s determined to lend a helping hand—it’s her habit, after all!

Paradise Springs is buzzing with its first-ever arts and music festival—but a shocking murder threatens to bury the fun.

Elmo Simpson, animal removal specialist, resort owner, and festival committee chair, expects a weekend of sandcastles and performances. Instead, he finds a body buried in the sand the morning of the contest. When his friend and business partner, Jordan Selassie, becomes the prime suspect, Elmo is forced into another high-stakes investigation.

The list of suspects reads like a who’s who of trouble: a hot-tempered wife, a secretive event promoter, and a local artist desperate for cash. Each hides secrets that could make or break the case. With the festival’s reputation and his friend’s freedom on the line, Elmo must uncover the truth before the killer slips away—or before Paradise Springs turns on him.

Full of small-town intrigue, suspenseful twists, and oddball humor, this latest installment delivers a clever murder mystery with quirky characters and a relentless pursuit of justice.