A Poisonous Page: A Sweet Fiction Bookshop Mystery

In Crowe’s sprightly follow-up to 2021’s Digging Up Trouble, bookshop manager Lexi Jones of tourist town Confection, Ore., is suspicious of the sudden death of real estate agent and chamber of commerce chair Marilyn Freeman. Though imperious Det. Chad Berg is more inclined to regard it as the result of a sudden heart attack, Lexi wonders if it might relate to shady property deals in the area. When Marilyn’s rival, Rachel Nevis, also turns up dead, Lexi is convinced that the two cases are connected and is impelled to investigate when Dash Hagen, the brother of a friend of hers and a former lover of Marilyn and Rachel, becomes the police’s prime suspect in Rachel’s killing. Members of the Macaroons book club are more than willing to assist Lexi, despite Berg’s hostility toward amateurs meddling in official investigations. Winning characters, slapstick interactions between Lexi and Berg, and an offbeat climax will keep readers riveted. Both fans and new readers will look forward to the inquisitive Lexi’s next appearance. Agent: Nicole Resciniti, Seymour Agency. (July)