Thirty-Six and a Half Motives

by Denise Grover Swank

First published 2016

Rose Gardner thought running a landscaping business in Henryetta, Arkansas would keep her busy enough. Then a body turns up, and suddenly everyone in town seems to have a reason for murder. Rose finds herself counting motives instead of mulch orders as she digs into the victim's complicated past. The dead man made enemies easily, from jilted lovers to cheated business partners. Each conversation reveals another secret, another grudge, another person who wanted him gone. Rose's unofficial investigation puts her at odds with the local sheriff's department and draws unwanted attention from the real killer. As the suspect list grows longer, Rose realizes the murderer might be someone she trusts. She must separate truth from small town gossip before she becomes the next victim.

Genres: mystery, contemporary, thriller, cozy-mystery

Vibes: fast-paced, suspenseful, thought-provoking

Tropes: amateur-sleuth, unreliable-narrator

Setting: Henryetta, Arkansas

408 pages · Paperback · CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform

More by Denise Grover Swank

• Thirty-Three and a Half Shenanigans
• The Substitute
• The Gambler
• The Player
• Call Back
• Center Stage
• Rose and Helena Save Christmas
• Hell in a Handbasket

Readers who liked Thirty-Six and a Half Motives also liked

• Dead by Midnight
• Swan for the Money
• Hiss and Hers
• Banana Cream Pie Murder
• Dirty Laundry
• Deadly Valentine