A TROUBLING TAIL

The assistant library director in Chilson, Michigan, just can’t help meddling in murder.

Minnie Hamilton is out with her tuxedo cat, Eddie, on her favorite part of the job—the bookmobile run—when she hears about the death of candy store owner William “Whippy” Henika. At first Minnie resists snooping, but when her fiance Rafe Niswander’s former student Toby Guinn becomes the prime suspect, she’s so sure the police have it wrong that her concern overwhelms her biggest problem—figuring out what to do with the enormous book bike just donated by the board president, who’s eager to hear how it will be used. Unable to forget the murder, Minnie wonders why recently divorced schoolteacher Leah Wasson fainted when she heard about Whippy’s death. At length Leah admits that she was adopted and that Whippy was her birth father; her mother’s identity is still unknown. Although Rafe’s best friend is a deputy, Minnie has little luck extracting information from the police even after she explains her alternative theories of the crime. Leah’s ex-husband, who didn’t take the divorce well, is a suspect. So is the owner of the store next door, who’d pressed Whippy to sell. Unsatisfied, Minnie searches for the identity of Leah’s mother. After narrowing down her suspect list to four likely candidates, Minnie has long talks with Eddie, who listens but offers no advice. Luckily, her diverse group of friends is willing to pitch in to solve the thorny case.

The characters are the stars of this down-to-earth mystery.