MURDER AT THE LAKESIDE LIBRARY

A woman returning to her family's summer home learns that her mother may be harboring secrets she’ll have to investigate to clear her mom of murder.

Giving up her career and her high-rise condo overlooking the Milwaukee River, Rain Wilmot heads back to her childhood retreat in Lofty Pines, Wisconsin, to clear her head after the death of her husband, Max. Processing her complicated feelings while staying in the serene family cabin on Pine Lake seems perfect until Rain finds out that in the absence of her mother, Willow, she’s unofficially in charge of the informal town library that Willow usually runs. Rain and Willow aren’t on the best of terms right now, and the more Rain hears about Willow from folks in the small town, the more her mother seems like a stranger. This feeling becomes all the more prescient in light of two shocking developments: Rain finds the body of Thornton Hughes, and she learns from town gossip that Thornton and Willow may have had an intimate relationship. As she settles into the cabin, she gradually realizes that her parents may have been leading separate lives for longer than she’d imagined, though she’s certain this sort of secret isn’t related to Thornton’s death. The problem is that Willow’s absence, combined with her connection to Thornton, makes her a primary suspect in his death. As distant as she feels from her mother, Rain, certain that Willow isn’t a murderer, resolves to do what it takes to clear her mother’s name, even if it means plunging into the investigation herself.

The lake setting is one of the few distinguishing features in a cozy that’s too mild for much else.