Beth Kennedy is a single mother of two children, a children's bookstore owner, and the secretary of the PTA. And she seems to have gained a reputation for solving murders in her spare time. The small town she lives in (just outside of Madison, Wisconsin) recently suffered the murder of one its citizens, and she and her best friend Marina solved the case just ahead of local law enforcement. So when PTA member Sam Helmstetter is found dead immediately after a PTA meeting, most of the locals expect Beth to jump into action once again.

Beth is reluctant to get involved initially since Thanksgiving is approaching and she is responsible for the family gathering. Plus, the holiday season normally means a busy season for the store. But gradually, she finds herself asking questions about possible motives and alibis. Everyone universally agrees that Sam was the kind of person that had no enemies. The last argument that anyone can remember him having was a bench-clearing brawl during a baseball game... when he was eight years old.

When Beth finds it necessary to fire an increasingly irresponsible employee, she hires Yvonne, who seems perfect. Yvonne discloses that she served time in prison for murder until DNA evidence proved her innocent. But the local rumor mill has already started, and people begin picketing the store, vowing not to patronize a children's bookstore that employs a convicted killer, especially one that may have killed the town's beloved Sam.

Beth kicks up her investigation, determined to find the real killer -- both to save her store and prove Yvonne innocent.

Beth is definitely a likable character. The author does a great job of showing how she juggles being a mother, having a career, and participating in the PTA. What's great about how Beth is portrayed is that she sometimes struggles with how to balance everything, which is a very real concern for the modern working mother -- she doesn't effortlessly (and unrealistically) slip from job to job. While her friendship with Marina is clearly necessary to her life in terms of grounding her, I found Marina to be grating and annoying.

Beth clearly has the problem-solving skills to solve the mystery; this is demonstrated by the way she handles her everyday life. However, the author committed the cardinal sin of mystery books. While the culprit was someone that Beth was able to figure out from some clues provided throughout the book, the motive was out of left field. There is no possible way the reader could figure out the correct suspect or motive before the big reveal, which is always part of the fun of reading a mystery.

A fun subplot throughout the book is Thanksgiving dinner, how it comes together, and how Beth handles it. The big payoff happens during the last scene of the book, and the book ends on an up-note, which left me wanting to read more from this author.

Book Summary

When PTA member Sam Helmstetter is found strangled to death following a heated meeting, and all evidence points to her employee Yvonne, Beth Kennedy, believing in Yvonne's innocence, places her reputation--and life--on the line to catch the real killer. Original. 20,000 first printing.

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