CONCH SHELL MURDER

In the wake of a traumatic classroom shooting, teacher Katie Hassworth turns private detective in Francis's stylish, fast-moving adult mystery debut, set in Key West. When an intruder bludgeons prominent entrepreneur Alexa Chitting to death with a conch shell in what appears to be a drug-related robbery at Alexa's marina office, the victim's daughter gets her close friend Katie to investigate. With her partner, Mac McCartel, away on another assignment, the less-than-secure Katie must do her best to crack her first case on her own. Conflicts over an endangered salt pond, an affordable housing project and a sudden change of will beneficiaries provide a murder motive for everyone from the panhandler selling information to the stunningly efficient manager of the Department of Community Affairs. An attractive and intelligent sleuth, Katie thoroughly explores all leads, albeit considerably distracted by the attentions of the town's tanned and handsome mayor, Rex Layton. Local lore, history, food, and fauna and flora add interest without overburdening a smoothly written and suspenseful tale. (Apr.)

FYI:Francis is the author of Blink of the Mind and many other YA mysteries.