A Whiff of Murder

This endearing spin-off of Sanders’s Witch Way Librarian series centers on Lise Bloom, who possesses the ability to detect the aromas of emotions. Lise has recently moved from Seattle to the coastal town of Astoria, Ore., and found work at the Lucky Lotus, an emporium dispensing lotions, potions, and herbal remedies. One evening, the shop’s wealthy owner, Dyann King, asks Lise to sign a codicil to her will, sight unseen. The next morning, Lise arrives at work to find the door unlatched and Dyann dead, introducing Lise to the earthy-yet-frantic aroma of death for the first time. Signe Rasmussen, the police detective in charge of the case, is intent on pegging Lise for the murder based on her involvement in the sudden changes to Dyann’s will, but Lise is convinced the real culprit is Dyann’s sleazy ex-husband. With support from Lise’s fellow residents at a ramshackle Victorian boarding house and assistance from the canny denizens of the Blavatsky Manor for Retired Psychic Mediums, Lise sets out to clear her name. Sanders’s flair for eccentric characters and cozy atmosphere are on full display. The author’s fans will feel right at home. Agent: John Talbot, Talbot Fortune. (Feb.)