Murder for Profit

Heley successfully conveys the vagaries of old age—both physical and societal—in her leisurely paced 21st Ellie Quicke mystery (after 2019’s Murder for Good), in which Ellie and Thomas, her semiretired clergyman husband, have just returned to their home in England after a long stay in Canada. In her absence, the charity providing low-income housing that Ellie founded has become involved in a sticky situation: a student renting one of its apartments took a fatal fall from a balcony during a boozy party. Though the death is deemed accidental, there’s still concern that the charity may be liable for damages. When Ellie digs a little deeper into the incident, she discovers a web of crimes, including real estate swindles, coercion, corruption, arson, and murder. Throughout, she remains firm in her belief that there’s nothing that a dash of prayer and a nice cup of milky, sugary tea cannot ameliorate. Readers will cheer as tiny but shrewd Ellie outwits the villains, despite the odds. This tidy cozy will appeal particularly to those who have the occasional twinge in their joints, or find themselves in need of frequent naps, or have been condescended to by an arrogant young whippersnapper. (Nov.)