Part of Death on Demand, book 25
First published 2015
Annie Darling runs the Death on Demand mystery bookstore on Broward's Rock. She throws a celebration party for Alex Griffith, a successful Southern writer who once lived in town and has just published his bestselling novel "Don't Go Home." The local newspaper reports that Griffith plans to reveal which real people inspired his fictional characters. This announcement makes several townspeople nervous about what secrets might come to light. Annie tries to smooth over the growing tensions, but her friend Marian Kenyon gets into a fierce argument with Griffith at the party. The confrontation turns ugly and stays with Annie afterward. When Griffith is found dead, the police focus on Marian as their prime suspect. Annie promised her husband Max she would avoid amateur detective work, but she cannot stand by while her friend faces murder charges. With multiple suspects who mirror the characters in Griffith's books, Annie must identify the real killer before Marian takes the fall for someone else's crime.
Genres: mystery, contemporary, mystery-thriller, amateur-sleuth
Vibes: emotional, fast-paced, suspenseful
Tropes: enemies-to-lovers, found-family
Setting: Broward's Rock
272 pages · Hardcover · Berkley