What’s the couple next door really hiding? Vintage fashionista and amateur sleuth Charley Carpenter finds out in this engrossing cozy mystery from the USA Today bestselling author of The Book Club Murders.
In a small town like Oakwood, Ohio, everyone knows everyone else’s business—except for Charley Carpenter’s standoffish new neighbors, who tend to keep to themselves. But behind closed doors, Paxton Sharpe’s habit of screaming bloody murder at all hours of the day keeps Charley awake all night. Coupled with the stress of the increasingly delayed expansion of her shop, Old Hat Vintage Fashions, the insomnia is driving Charley crazy. Her only distraction? The local paper’s irreverent new advice column, “Ask Jackie.”
Jackie’s biting commentary usually leaves Charley and her employees rolling on the floor, but her latest column is no laughing matter. An oddly phrased query hinting at a child in peril immediately puts Charley on high alert. After arriving home to a bloodcurdling scream next door, she follows the noise into the basement and makes a grisly discovery: the body of Judith Sharpe’s adult daughter.
With Detective Marcus Trenault off in Chicago, Charley decides to take matters into her own hands. Convinced that the murder is connected to the desperate plea for help in “Ask Jackie,” she embarks on a twisted investigation that has her keeping up with the Sharpes—before a killer strikes again.
Phew! Leslie Nagel has done it again, a fast paced murder mystery that keeps you turning the pages (and turning and turning!) and then wanting to read it all again just in case you missed something!
Charley's business is expanding, the problem is this means the shop is shut whilst the re-model happens, Charley and her staff (Heddy and Vanessa) are keeping busy with plans – oh and reading the Ask Jackie advice column in the local newspaper, all of which seems like good humoured fun until one letter seems overly serious, but not as serious as finding a dead body which occurs not long afterwards. Charley knows that even though her sweetie is out of town on a course, his partner will works his hardest to find out who killed her neighbour's visiting adult daughter, only Paul isn't in charge, a total idiot appears to be and when Marcus gets back he and Paul are told in no uncertain terms to stay away from the investigation, luckily that isn't going to stop Charley, especially when the rest of the small force is passing her information! Then there is another death and a young man seems to be being framed for both deaths – framed in a very obvious way (unless of course you are Officer Idiot), now the people behind finding out the truth want to figure out what has happened, and to help two young kids come to terms with what has happened.
Crafts and Life 
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