Six Dogs ’Til Sunday: A Mae December Mystery

Set in Rosedale, Tenn., Farrell’s sixth and final Mae December mystery (after Five Dog Voodoo) offers an appealing cast of characters, if only so-so sleuthing. A Hollywood film crew relying on Mae’s recommendation is using an old farmhouse owned by Trey Cantrell, a corrupt former sheriff, for a shoot when they uncover a wall safe. Chief detective Wayne Nichols illegally opens it and finds $100,000 in cash. Who the money belongs to is a mystery. Meanwhile, Vince Harper, who has stalked Mae in the past and still has unresolved feelings for her, has returned to Rosedale. Harper, Cantrell, and the frequently-arrested Gary Hershel appear to be up to no good. Mae’s fiancé, Sheriff Ben Bradley, seeks to prove a connection between the money and Cantrell while also keeping Mae safe from Harper. As Farrell (the pen name for the mother-daughter writing team of Lyn Farquhar and Lisa Fitzsimmons) neatly wraps up the series, cozy readers will be sorry to see the last of Mae and friends. (Mar.)