FIDDLE DEE DEATH

While the magnolias may not be in bloom at the end of December in South Carolina's Low Country, a mystery involving ghosts, old bones and a dead body blossoms on the island of Indigo in Cousins's witty cozy debut. The second day after Christmas, Margaret Ann Matthews (aka "Mam") and her cousin Lindsey Fox go to Pinckney Plantation, built in 1840 and the pride of the island, to watch Mam's 16-year-old daughter Cissy, dressed in a historic costume of Pinckney purple made by Mam from material purchased at Wal-Mart, give a tour to the state historical society. When Mam and Lindsey are locking up after everyone has left, they discover a body at the bottom of the stairs. Once Mam's sister, Bonnie, arrives for a visit, the three begin to investigate, even before they decide whether green is appropriate to wear to a funeral. As the year draws to a close, the sleuths unearth the plots and schemes of some of Indigo's prominent citizens, a few family secrets and Lindsey's old boyfriend. While some readers may find the murder plot overly familiar, the humorous banter among the three cousins, the quaint island locale and a surprise ending lift this light-hearted romp. (June)

Forecast:A trio of co-authors will add to the curiosity value of a mystery sure to draw plenty of local attention. Cousins is the pseudonym for Nancy Pate, book critic for the Orlando Sentinel, and her "one-and-a-half times" first cousins, sisters Meg Herndon and Gail Greer. (Their mothers are sisters, their fathers first cousins.)