Secrets, Lies, & Crawfish Pies: A Romaine Wilder Mystery

At the start of this snappy series launch from Vandiver (A Tiny Collierville Murder), 40-ish medical examiner Romaine Wilder is hosting a farewell party for herself at her Chicago apartment. Romaine has lost her job due to downsizing, and her Auntie Zanne, who raised Romaine, has come to drag her errant ward back to the tiny East Texas town of Roble. As soon as they pull into the driveway of the Ball Funeral Home & Crematorium, the family business and Romaine’s childhood home, they are confronted with a murder: the body of a man has been left in a casket in the crematorium. Romaine’s cousin Pogue Folsom, Roble’s inexperienced sheriff, is going to need some help in the investigation, and Auntie Zanne decides that she and Romaine are just the ones to lend a hand. The amusing narrative zips along, providing a multilayered plot with loads of plausible suspects and possible motives. Cozy fans will look forward to Romaine’s future exploits. (June)