Part of Bookstore Cafe Mystery, book 13
First published 2024
Krissy Hancock expects a weekend of playful detective work when Pine Hills, Ohio launches its inter-town murder mystery competition. The bookstore-café owner joins fellow residents in a elaborate live-action game that spreads clues and performances throughout their community. Neighboring towns send their own teams to compete in the theatrical production. The fun stops when Krissy's team discovers an actual dead body at their assigned location. Police shut down the competition immediately and begin a genuine murder investigation. Other participants ignore the official cancellation and continue playing their roles. Krissy realizes someone used the game as cover for real violence. She teams up with her friends to identify the killer among the confused mix of actors, competitors, and townspeople. The murderer remains hidden in plain sight while the investigation unfolds. Krissy must separate genuine clues from planted game elements before the killer strikes again.
Genres: fiction, mystery, crime, contemporary, adult-fiction
Vibes: clever, engaging, fast-paced, playful, suspenseful
Tropes: amateur-detective, found-family, killer-in-plain-sight, whodunit
Setting: Pine Hills, Ohio
304 pages · Mass Market Paperback · Kensington Cozies
Content warnings: death, murder