DIED IN THE WOOL

What do historian/genealogists love most? An 80-year-old murder.

When she learns that the historic Kendall house is for sale, Torie O’Shea (Dead Man Running, 2006, etc.) decides it will make an excellent addition to the holdings of the New Kassel Historical Society. The current owner has retreated to the guesthouse ever since his experiences in the main residence convinced him that it’s haunted by the three Kendall siblings, all apparent suicides. During a walk-through, Torie discovers stunning quilts made by Glory Anne Kendall, who died of a laudanum overdose after her shell-shocked brother Rupert hanged himself in the garden. The mural Rupert made documenting his war experiences is splattered with the blood of the oldest brother, Whelan, who shot himself after his wife took off with their daughter. Only their father, Sandy Kendall, outlived his children. Crime makes more recent headlines when the usual infighting over the gardening society’s rose show pays very unusual dividends: Organizer Maddie Fulton almost dies from strychnine poisoning. In hopes of turning the house into a textile museum, Torie makes an offer on both the real estate and the quilts. Refusing to accept the Kendall suicide story, she starts digging into past and present mysteries and finds the clues that reveal a shocking secret.

Torie’s compelling tenacity will make her latest case especially enjoyable to history buffs.