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Book 5 in the Spotted Pony Casino Mystery series. Dela Alvaro, head of security for the Spotted Pony Casino, is asked to do a security check of a casino on the Oregon Coast. She no sooner starts her rounds at the casino and a child of a dubious couple is kidnapped. Special Agent Quinn Pierce of the FBI has been out to get the father for some time. One of Dela's best friends from the Army is also at the casino and they catch up. The next morning, Dela finds her friend strangled. As Dela struggles with the violent death of yet another best friend, Tribal Officer Heath Seaver arrives and the two begin untangling the lies, kidnapping, and murder. As Heath carries the kidnapped child to safety, Dela must face a cunning killer alone.

Sassy's best friend and neighbor is nose-deep in plans for her daughter's wedding. But the fun of deciding on music, florists, and cake is shattered when Lottie's husband surprises her with divorce papers as well as his "new" fiancé. Brittni is a walking stereotype of the other woman, managing to make wedding plans and family dinners all about her. Everyone has had enough of Brittni, but things go from bad to worse when a body found along the shore of the lake implicates Lottie in murder.Was it a crime of passion, of revenge, or was a completely different motive involved in the killing?Sassy and her mother need to solve the crime before Lottie ends up in jail for a crime she didn't commit.

A social media collab turns deadly for influencer Coco Cline. ¿ Cordelia "Coco" Cline is over the moon when she learns mega-influencer LaTàge wants Center of Attention Consulting to handle her rebranding campaign. But things come crashing down when Coco arrives for a brainstorming meeting only to find LaTàge dead on the floor of her rented mansion. While the Central Shores police don't suspect Coco of the disturbing crime, the Internet has other ideas. Coco is horrified to see the hashtag #CocoClineistheProblem trending everywhere on socials, with anonymous accounts accusing her of having a hand in LaTàge's tragic death. ¿ Armed with her phone and her fabulous friends (dubbed the Sleuth Squad), Coco dives into LaTàge's glamorous, over-the-top world of influencer-turned-celebrity. Who in Central Shores would want the LA native dead? What skeletons had LaTàge been hiding? ¿ Join crime-solving influencer Coco Cline for her most outrageous case yet as she and her friends uncover long-buried scandals trending just below the surface.

When a corpse is discovered under a car at the local auto restoration garage, Sophie "Phee" Kimball gears up to investigate a crime that puts a whole new twist on the term "body shop" . . . The seniors of Sun City West are celebrating again, this time over the news that Wayne from the pinochle club finally has a chance to restore his classic car. Phee goes along for the ride, but her thoughts are on her agency's latest case-a priceless artifact that's missing from the local museum. It's an antique doll supposedly filled with treasure-but also carrying a curse for whoever possesses it. Then a dead body is found under Wayne's car, along with signs of foul play, and Phee is coaxed into helping get him off the hook. It's clear to Phee that the victim was killed by sabotaged machinery, but the garage attracts so much foot traffic that narrowing down a list of suspects will be nearly impossible. Harder still will be keeping her mother's gaggle of friends from meddling in the case, especially after they throw a wrench into the works by trying to locate the missing doll. Soon Phee and the whole group are careening toward a head-on collision with a thief, a killer, and a cursed doll, and she can only hope they don't drive her insane-or worse-make her the next victim . . . Praise for the Books of J. C. Eaton: "Fun characters, a touch of humor, and a great mystery, the perfect combination for a cozy." -Lena Gregory, author of the Bay Island Psychic Mysteries on Ditched 4 Murder "So cleverly written, you won't guess the perpetrators until the very end." -Mary Marks, award-winning author of the Quilting Mystery Series on Booked 4 Murder "A thoroughly entertaining series debut, with enjoyable yet realistic characters and enough plot twists-and dead ends-to appeal from beginning to end." -Booklist, starred review, on Booked 4 Murder "Enjoy this laugh-out-loud funny mystery that will make you scream for the authors to get busy on the next one." -Suspense Magazine on Molded 4 Murder

After being sold into service to the emperor, whose consorts and serving women live in a sprawling complex known as the hougong, Maomao, an unassuming girl raised by her apothecary father makes the most of life with her curiosity and extensive knowledge of medicine.

"When food critic Hayley Snow receives an intriguing email about a mysterious, decades-old disappearance, her curiosity is piqued. Writer Catherine Davitt has returned to the Keys to research a book about Hemingway's wives, but she's also on the hunt for the truth about her missing friend. Hayley quickly agrees to help investigate and they hit the road to see what clues they might find. Back in the late 1970s, Catherine and her friend Veronica were part of a group of lost souls camping in the mangroves of Big Pine Key, until Veronica vanished, and the sheriff's office cleared out the camp. Catherine and Hayley begin interviewing Big Pine Key residents who were around at the time of Veronica's disappearance, but uncover more questions than answers. Catherine and Hayley stop to speak with a motel owner who frequented the fringes of the commune, but they find him stabbed to death. Then Catherine also goes missing, and signs point to a connection between the old case and the new murder. It's up to Hayley to unravel the knot of secrets and lies before time runs out"--

"Marcelo Tetteh, a twenty-seven-year-old LGBTQ activist, is butchered to death one night after being lured on Grindr to a deserted building site. With high instances of homophobia in Ghana, Marcelo's wealthy father doesn't trust the Ghana Police Service to find the killer, so he goes to the Sowah Private Investigators Agency for help, partly because he still feels guilty for disowning his son when he came out. Emma is assigned the case, but quickly learns of a complication that prevents her from teaming up as usual with Jojo, her trusted colleague. Emma is the only one at work who knows Jojo is gay, and now he reveals something else: for some time, Jojo was dating Marcelo, the victim. Working with Manu, whom she's never gotten along with at work, Emma goes undercover in several organizations including International Congress of Families, a powerful organization seeking to criminalize homosexuality in African countries. As Emma infiltrates the ICF, she uncovers a web of deceit and hypocrisy and discovers that the mastermind behind the murders is someone much closer than she ever imagined. Emma must race against time to unmask the killer, protect the vulnerable LGBTQ community, and bring justice to the victims, all while navigating the dangerous waters of politics, power, and personal secrets"--

A young woman is invited to a mysterious relative’s estate and winds up entangled in a murder investigation in this witty historical mystery that pits the gothic eeriness of Crimson Peak against the comic absurdities of Knives Out.Miss Marigold Manners may be steeped in the etiquette of her old-money Boston family, but she is also an accomplished, modern woman and an avid student of archaeology who can handle any situation with poise. When the death of her parents leaves her too destitute to pursue her academic career and she receives a letter from a distant relative on Great Misery Island, Marigold decides she must do what any person of superior sense and greater-than-average curiosity would: she mounts her trusty bicycle and heads up the craggy, fog-shrouded coast of New England for a date with fate.Marigold arrives at Hatchet Farm, a moldering, gothic pile of a house inhabited by relatives so mired in the sins of the past, they have no future. She sets out to modernize the recluses with a brisk, ruthless efficiency, but her well-intentioned plans to manage their lives lead to malice—and murder. Marigold spies a body floating in the stormy waters surrounding the island, and her suspicions immediately turn to her hostile, weapon-wielding relatives when one of the local girls turns up missing. And she might not be the only one.When another dead body is found in the garden of the estate, Marigold finds herself accused. She must enlist the help of an eccentric, colorful cast of friends and found family to save herself—and everything she holds dear. As secrets are uncovered and lies exposed, the question of “who done it?” turns into “who didn’t do it?” and Marigold must face a truth that shatters her steely poise and shakes her very sense of self.

"Less than one year into her marriage to respected magistrate George Knightley, Emma has grown unusually content in her newfound partnership and refreshed sense of independence. The height of summer sees the former Miss Woodhouse gracefully balancing the meticulous management of her elegant family estate and a flurry of social engagements, with few worries apart from her beloved father's health ... But cheery circumstances change in an instant when Emma and Harriet Martin, now the wife of one of Mr. Knightley's tenant farmers, discover a hideous shock at the local church. The corpse of Mrs. Augusta Elton, the vicar's wife, has been discarded on the altar steps--the ornate necklace she often wore stripped from her neck ... As a chilling murder mystery blooms and chaos descends upon the tranquil village of Highbury, the question isn't simply who committed the crime, but who wasn't secretly wishing for the unpleasant woman's demise. When suspicions suddenly fall on a harmless local, Emma--armed with wit, unwavering determination, and extensive social connections--realizes she must discreetly navigate an investigation of her own to protect the innocent and expose the ruthless culprit hiding in plain sight"--

"When an elderly Miracle Springs resident, Lucille Wynter, arranges for Nora to deliver an order of books to her creepy, crumbling Southern Gothic mansion on the outskirts of town, Nora doesn't expect to be invited in. An agoraphobe, Lucille doesn't leave Wynter House. But when Lucille doesn't come to the door to collect her books, Nora begins to worry. Forcing her way into Lucille's dilapidated home, Nora is shocked to find rooms bursting with books and a lifeless Lucille at the foot of her stairs. After reading a note left behind by Lucille, Nora wonders if her death was an accident. Did she fall or was she pushed by someone seeking a valuable item hidden within Wynter House? Lucille's children are clearly confident the house contains something of value, because they hire Nora to sift through the piles of books. Nora's obsession with Lucille's collection becomes cause for concern among her friends in the Secret, Book, and Scone Society--she's even neglecting her bookshop! But Nora does find something valuable deep inside Wynter House--a revelation about Lucille's terrible past ... and a secret worth a small fortune. But there's someone who'd do anything to keep the truth buried amid the moldering tomes, and it's up to Nora and her friends to track down a murderer before Wynter House's lost library claims another victim ... "--

A woman is haunted—both literally and figuratively—by ghosts of the past in this second novel of the Royal Street series by New York Times bestselling author Karen White.Nola Trenholm may not be psychic herself, but she’s spent enough time around people who are to know when ghosts are present, and there are definitely a few lingering spirits in her recently purchased Creole cottage in New Orleans. Something, or someone, is keeping them tethered to this world. And not all of them are benign. But with the sudden return of Sunny Ryan, Beau Ryan’s long-lost sister, Nola has plenty to distract her from her ghostly housemates. Especially when the tempting—yet firmly unavailable—Beau, wanting to mete out justice to those he blames for Sunny’s kidnapping, asks Nola for a favor that threatens to derail her hard-won recovery and send her hurtling backward. He asks her to welcome Michael Hebert back into her life, even though Michael is the reason for Nola’s bruised heart. Beau is convinced that Michael’s powerful family was behind Sunny’s disappearance and that Michael is the key to getting information the police won’t be able to ignore—if Nola is willing to risk everything for which she’s worked so hard. Torn between helping Beau and protecting herself, Nola doesn’t realize until it’s almost too late why the ghosts are haunting her house—a startling revelation that will throw her and Beau together to fight a common enemy. Assuming Nola can get Beau to listen to what the spirits are trying to tell him, because ignoring them could prove to be a fatal mistake...

"New mother Lady Georgiana Rannoch finds herself trying to separate fact from fiction when a murder occurs during the filming of a splashy historical drama on the grounds of her estate. My darling little James Albert has finally arrived, and I am enjoying every moment of being a new mother. Well, there are certainly many dirty nappies to be changed, and I may be somewhat sleep deprived, but I am utterly content, especially now that my husband, Darcy, won't be traveling quite so much for his very secret government work. Everything is going swimmingly until Darcy is summoned to a private meeting with my cousin, who happens to be King Edward VIII. The king is in turmoil and wants desperately to marry the scandalously divorced and even more scandalously American Wallis Simpson. Darcy tries to convince Edward that his duty to his people must come first, but my besotted cousin is having none of it. Much to my shock and horror, he asks Darcy and I to hide Mrs. Simpson here at Eynsleigh while he figures out what to do. I will admit freely that I don't love the idea of the judgmental, aloof Mrs. Simpson coming to stay with us, but we can hardly refuse the king. Surely she won't stay very long, and then things can get back to normal. But I soon discover that Sir Hubert, the owner of Eynsleigh, has just given a film crew permission to shoot a motion picture about Henry the Eighth and Anne Boleyn on the grounds. Trying to keep Mrs. Simpson hidden while entertaining these Hollywood transplants is much more than I bargained for. And when the young star of the show goes missing and another is found dead, my once quiet home is in complete disarray. Of course, no crisis would be complete without my never pleasant sister-in-law, Fig, who decides now would be a perfect time to visit with Binky and their two children. I know I will need to keep my wits about me to rescue my household from the brink of madness, all while searching for a missing person, solving a murder, and stopping a scandal of royal proportions..."--Provided by publisher.

"There's been a sensational murder at historic Castle Kinloch, a gothic fantasy of grey granite on a remote island in the Highlands of Scotland. Literary superstar Brett Saffron Presley has been found dead--under bizarre circumstances--in the castle tower's book-lined study. Years ago, Presley purchased the castle as a showpiece for his brand and to lure paying guests with a taste for writerly glamour. Now it seems, the castle has done him in--or possibly, one of the castle's guests has. Detective Chief Inspector Euan McIntosh, a local with no love for literary Americans, finds himself with the unenviable task of extracting statements from three American lady novelists"--

When Detective Sergeant Tony Martin suspects his boss, Rob Dean, of tampering with evidence connected to a guard's murder at the Port of Auckland, he has no idea the homicide is linked to a trafficking ring smuggling migrants into New Zealand. Soon after the Port killing, a neighbour discovers Tony lying in a pool of blood in his backyard. Summer, Tony's wife, refuses to accept the police report that her husband's assailant was a passing opportunist and carries out her own investigations. She soon becomes suspicious of Rob Dean, believing he is involved in organised crime and had possibly arranged her husband's assassination. Summer's experience as a crime reporter and police media advisor, plus her determination to solve her husband's death, brings her in close union with Tony's friend and colleague, Detective Sergeant Mick Randall. But is Mick a friend or foe? The deepening relationship between them is about to make or break Summer.Can a Bed and Breakfast in St Heliers Bay save the day?

She watched traces of dust dance in the harsh traffic light. There was movement somewhere. This, she thought, would not end well.In the cold rain of Falls City, a man arrives at Marti's office, looking for his parents, Andreas and Isabella. They've only been missing two days, but in Falls City, that is a lifetime. Private Investigator Marti Starova finds the couple alive and well in a sex club. The easy case takes a sudden turn when a woman shows up looking for Andreas, but calling him William. When Andreas is murdered, Marti must unravel his mysterious life and death to find the killer. Now, if only someone wasn't hunting her...Join the very broken lesbian detective Marti Starova in this erotic murder mystery as she wends her way through the neon streets and back alleys of Falls City.

A Murder Mystery of Unlikely Bonds and Unrelenting PerilInner city architect Sarah Rohann takes on four street kids as apprentices creating an extraordinary makeshift family. But when Kevin, the newest apprentice, mysteriously disappears, Sarah's world is shaken.Fearing he's returned to the dangerous gang life he once led, she searches his old haunts. In a derelict house Sarah makes a chilling discovery. Her moment of horror turns to terror when she realizes she's trapped in a burning inferno.Abe Hallowell, a chaplain for the police and fire department, arrives on the scene and discovers Sarah dazed, suffering from smoke and burns. From this harrowing event, the destinies of two extraordinary families become irrevocably entwined.But vicious threats loom in the shadows, targeting both families through graffiti messages. As dangers close in, Sarah and Abe must summon their inner strength to protect the children.Rae Richen's gripping crime thriller weaves a tale that will keep you on the edge of your seat until the final twist.Get your copy of Those Who Curse You now and embark on a heart-pounding journey of mystery, danger, and the unyielding human spirit.

A make-or-break election. A food poisoning epidemic. A town in chaos.With a highly charged local election consuming the community, Police Chief Cassidy Chambers braces herself for a challenging day of breaking up petty conflicts and tamping down high emotions. But when widespread food poisoning spreads among potential voters across the island, Cassidy smells something rotten in the air.As Cassidy examines every possibility to uncover what's going on, local enigma Anthony Gilead again comes on her radar. The man is running for mayor and his cult-like following is growing at an alarming rate. Cassidy feels certain he has a spy embedded in her inner circle. The problem is that her pool of suspects gets deeper every day.Can Cassidy get to the bottom of what's eating away at her peaceful island home? Will voters turn out despite the outbreak of illness plaguing their tranquil town? And the even bigger question: Has darkness come to stay on Lantern Beach?***Dead on Arrival is the fourth book in the new Lantern Beach P.D. series. Each novel contains a standalone mystery, but several overarching mysteries stretch throughout the entire series.***Other Books in the Lantern Beach P.D. series:On the LookoutAttempt to LocateFirst Degree MurderDead on ArrivalPlan of Action

Camille Delaney returns with another investigation--and this time it's personal.Shackled to her bed against the pleas of the medical staff, Charli Zhao gives birth to a beautiful daughter she names Willow. Charli had been transported to the hospital from prison, where she is serving time for a crime she didn't commit. Within hours of the birth, the unthinkable happens: the newborn is abducted, leaving Charli devastated and wondering if she'll ever find her child, even after she gets free.Attorney Camille Delaney isn't used to the inside of women's prisons--she works in courtrooms. But when a local legal aid group recruits her to help with a case on the inside, she feels drawn to these women's stories. They are often so similar--a lifetime of trauma culminating in the heartbreaking and often permanent loss of custody of their children, even after they've served their time and gotten clean.When Camille meets Charli, it's been years since Willow was abducted, and the case has gone cold. But there's something about Charli's story--and Charli herself--that Camille can't refuse. With the help of her trusted friend and private investigator Trish Seaholm, Camille begins a dogged pursuit to find Charli's daughter and bring the man who framed Charli to justice. As Camille's quest for the truth takes her team from Seattle to the San Juan Islands to the mountains of Olympic National Park, she must reckon with a system that routinely dismisses the rights of convicted mothers--and has their children pay the price.

Welcome to Pembroke Cove, where witches and murders are multiplying...Bookstore owner and witch Lily Michaels has a never-ending list of to-do items as the maid of honor for her best friends'upcoming St. Patrick's Day wedding. The last thing she has time for is another mystery. But with a missing wedding dress, the discovery of a pair of leprechaun boots, and a body in a bathtub, she's ready to mesh her love of puzzles and a little magic to help solve the crime. Even if her fiancé -Gage Erikson of the Pembroke Cove police department- is determined to keep her out of trouble and safe.Good luck with that. Lily is going to need more than the luck of the Irish to solve the murder while a group of treasure hunters, friends of the deceased, are in town. Only they're not grieving. They're focused on finding a pirate captain's gold, which-according to legend-the rocky coast of Pembroke Cove keeps hidden...and is only accessible during three days in March.Will Lily's luck hold with a wedding in shambles and a murderer skulking in the shadows? She needs to follow the clues to solve the case but can her witchy skills save her when the final clue leads her to the murderer?Leprechauns and Larceny is the sixth novel in A Book Store Cozy Mystery Series, although each book can be read as a standalone-a sweet and clean cozy mystery with a guarantee that the culprit is caught. Happy reading!

Her blonde hair was carefully arranged, forming a halo around her head. The young woman's eyes were open, the blue of her pupils just about visible, fading in the wintry morning light.

A woman found dead on a witch's pillory. A sister distraught and claiming multiple murders. Can Siobhan expose the secrets of a female society to the light in order to bring a killer to justice?When a woman is found dead on an ancient witch's pillory in Carrickfergus, her sister petitions Siobhan to help bring the guilty to light. But when the dead woman is found to belong to an order long forgotten, she is forced to enlist to learn the secrets of the cult. Can Siobhan keep mind and soul together to bring home the first case of her fledgling detective enterprise?Hubble, bubble, toil and so much trouble!

More side-splitting amateur sleuthing in Oxford...Private eye Edie Fox wishes she could be half as glamorous and successful as her new client, Jessica Relish, who comes into her floundering detective agency in search of her missing husband Hugh.However, what starts off as a missing person case quickly takes a turn for the worse. When the handsome, charming, and much younger Hugh turns up dead in a wood, murdered, Edie is determined to discover who had it in for him.As the hunt to discover the truth begins and the list of suspects grows, Edie juggles work, chaotic home renovations, trying friendships, and a new relationship.Can Edie fight her self-destructive impulses and find the peace of mind to see the wood for the trees? Or will the killer benefit from all her distractions and get off scot-free?THE RUNAWAY HUSBAND is the second book in a series of hilarious cozy mysteries by bestselling author Julie Highmore. Look out for the first, THE MISSING AMERICAN, and the third, THE GHOSTWRITER'S STUDY, also FREE with Kindle Unlimited and available in paperback from Amazon.These standalone mysteries are perfect for fans of Richard Osman, Jesse Sutanto, Rachel Ward, and T E Kinsey!

Private investigator Edie Fox gets a very novel assignment...Concerned that the live-in carers are stealing from his eccentric older sister, Dylan McCrimmon asks Edie Fox to keep an eye on her affairs.Given that Suzie led a colourful and eventful life, the plan is for Edie to masquerade as a ghostwriter helping to write her memoirs.Edie enters the bohemian Oxford household, wins Suzie's confidence, and soon warms to her study.But calamity strikes when, during a garden party, one of the carers falls from a balcony to their death.Could they have been murdered? If so, given the layout of the house, only a few of the attendees could be responsible.Edie will have to really get into the role and establish the full truth of Suzie's past for the case to be wrapped up.THE GHOSTWRITER'S STUDY is the third book in a series of hilarious standalone cozy mysteries by bestselling author Julie Highmore. The full list of books is as follows:1. THE MISSING AMERICAN2. THE RUNAWAY HUSBAND3. THE GHOSTWRITER'S STUDYIf you enjoy fiction by Richard Osman, Jesse Sutanto, Rachel Ward, and T E Kinsey, you'll adore these books!

Die quirlige Kommissarin Mercédès Mayerhuber in ihrem 4.Fall! Mallorquinisches Lebensgefühl paart sich mit einer zarten Liebesgeschichte und trifft auf einen undurchsichtigen Kriminalfall.Auf Loch 9 des Golfplatzes Golf de Andratx wird eine Leiche gefunden. Mitten auf dem Grün liegt ein Mann, elegant gekleidet, als wäre er zum Dinner verabredet, mit dem Rücken am Boden. Mitten durch seinen Brustkorb steckt die Fahne, als würde sie den Toten markieren. Ein grausiger Anblick findet Kommissarin Mercédès Mayerhuber, die widerstrebend nach Mallorca zurückgekehrt ist, und nun wieder mit ihrem Assistenten Miquel Coll auf Mörderjagd geht. Wer hatte so einen Hass auf den Toten, dass man diesen so zur Schau stellte?Viele, wie die Ermittlungen bald ergeben. Clemens Richter, der Tote von Loch 9, kam aus der Baubranche und war anscheinend in krumme Geschäfte verwickelt. Einer der Geschäftspartner war Miquels Vater. Bald zählt dieser zu den Verdächtigen. Außerdem verbindet ihn mehr mit Mercédès, als Miquel verkraften kann. Stecken Immobilienspekulanten hinter dem Mord? Eine Fehde unter Bauunternehmern? Oder spielen die amourösen Abenteuer des Toten eine Rolle? Oder war alles ganz anders?

Welcome to Pembroke Cove, where witches and murders are multiplying...Bookstore owner and witch Lily Michaels has a never-ending list of to-do items as the maid of honor for her best friends'upcoming St. Patrick's Day wedding. The last thing she has time for is another mystery. But with a missing wedding dress, the discovery of a pair of leprechaun boots, and a body in a bathtub, she's ready to mesh her love of puzzles and a little magic to help solve the crime. Even if her fiancé -Gage Erikson of the Pembroke Cove police department- is determined to keep her out of trouble and safe.Good luck with that. Lily is going to need more than the luck of the Irish to solve the murder while a group of treasure hunters, friends of the deceased, are in town. Only they're not grieving. They're focused on finding a pirate captain's gold, which-according to legend-the rocky coast of Pembroke Cove keeps hidden...and is only accessible during three days in March.Will Lily's luck hold with a wedding in shambles and a murderer skulking in the shadows? She needs to follow the clues to solve the case but can her witchy skills save her when the final clue leads her to the murderer?Leprechauns and Larceny is the sixth novel in A Book Store Cozy Mystery Series, although each book can be read as a standalone-a sweet and clean cozy mystery with a guarantee that the culprit is caught. Happy reading!

Meet Georgina Drake: professional photographer, novice gardener, and... amateur sleuth?

Bookshop owner Rarity Cole is living her best life after surviving cancer--hosting book clubs, classes, and parties at her store, The Next Chapter, and giving back to her community in Sedona, Arizona. But an awkward outing to an art gallery is about to add a dark slant to the picture . . . Rarity is grateful for many things and people in her new life, including her friend Shirley, who is helping to provide backpacks and supplies for kids going back to school. But Shirley needs a big favor. With her husband in a memory-care home, she wants to attend an art opening with a male friend but fears local gossip. She asks Rarity, her friend Sam, and their boyfriends to come along as cover. It would be fun if not for the fact that the two couples are barely speaking... The evening proceeds without any social disasters. But the gallery owner--who struck Rarity as more of a spoiled playboy--is later found dead with an arrow in his back. Any lingering tensions must be set aside so the amateur sleuths can find an archer who may have taken the idea of pointed criticism a bit too literally . . .