Part of Goldy Bear Culinary Mystery, book 16
First published 2011
Goldy Schulz watches flames consume her friend Yolanda Garcia's rental house. Someone set the fire deliberately. Goldy offers shelter to Yolanda and her spirited aunt Ferdinanda, who move in temporarily with Ernest McLeod, a former police officer now working as a private investigator. Then a gunman kills Ernest and torches his house too. Goldy barely escapes the blaze with Yolanda, Ferdinanda, and nine beagle puppies Ernest had saved from a breeding operation. She brings everyone to her own home while deputies investigate the crimes. Safety proves elusive when an intruder tries to break in. The sheriff assigns protection, but another murder follows. Goldy abandons her kitchen duties to hunt for answers herself. The killer strikes twice and shows no signs of stopping. Time runs short as Goldy races to identify the murderer before becoming the next victim.
Genres: suspense, mystery, crime, thriller
Vibes: emotional, fast-paced, suspenseful
Tropes: amateur-sleuth, found-family
Setting: Rental House, Ernest McLeod's House
471 pages · Hardcover · William Morrow
Content warnings: murder, violence