Loss of Innocence: Loss of Innocence

Everything is going pretty well for Troy Burdette until she gets a call saying that her ex-husband's great aunt and only surviving relative, Julia Wingate, has turned herself in, insisting that she be arrested for a murder she committed in 1943. Her ex-husband, being bogged down with two premature twins, can't make the trip so, good-soul that she is, Troy finishes up her work teaching word processing programs, tricks her cat into ""getting his furry ass into his carrier"" and heads to Incense, S.C. Once there, she finds herself in the midst of a murder investigation in a small beach town. The eccentric and well-developed characters, snappy dialogue and Troy's engaging personality are the highpoints of what is a somewhat drawn out plot. This will appeal more to readers who enjoy portrayals of small-town life in the South, rather than to traditional mystery fans. (Mar.)