Brush with Death: A Gray Whale Inn Mystery

Multiple problems plague innkeeper Natalie Barnes of Cranberry Island, Maine, in MacInerney’s engaging third Gray Whale Inn mystery (after 2010’s Berried to the Hilt). A lawyer disappears with the money slated for Natalie’s mortgage, mutilated dolls turn up on her property, and an allergic reaction to her heirloom engagement ring bodes ill for her dealings with her fiancé and her future mother-in-law. Fernand LaChaise, the gay mentor of her artist niece Gwen, is found with his wrists slit; but it seems unlikely that he committed suicide, given the happy, albeit secret, relationship with his partner and the more turbulent conflict with his sister. The arrival of a strangely reclusive New York artist and an attack on Gwen complicate matters. While the author struggles at times to balance serious issues with cozy concerns such as cooking, Natalie’s loyalty to her family and friends will resonate with the reader. Agent: Jessica Faust, BookEnds. (May)