First published 2008
Callahan Garrity has built her career around cleaning up messes. She scrubbed crime scenes as an Atlanta cop and now runs House Mouse, a cleaning service that tackles the grime others leave behind. Her two worlds have always stayed separate until she gets word that her cousin Patti is dead. The police call it an accident, but Callahan knows better. Patti lived a quiet suburban life that should not have ended this way. Callahan trades her cleaning uniform for an investigation that pulls her deep into her cousin's hidden world. She questions Patti's priest, who may have crossed professional boundaries. She follows leads through Atlanta's rougher neighborhoods. She digs into the suspicious business dealings of Patti's husband, whose recent wealth raises questions. Each clue Callahan uncovers reveals how little she knew about her cousin's real life. The deeper she goes, the more dangerous her search becomes. Someone killed Patti to keep secrets buried, and they will kill again to stop Callahan from exposing the truth.
Genres: suspense, mystery, crime, thriller
Vibes: atmospheric, emotional, suspenseful
Tropes: amateur-sleuth, family-drama
Setting: Atlanta
320 pages · Paperback · HarperCollins Publishers