THE FAIR WEATHER FRIEND

A TV meteorologist is murdered and her fans and colleagues struggle in the aftermath.

Faith Richards is beloved in Detroit—a hometown hero who offers nightly weather reports on Channel 9. She has a dedicated fan club, including genial, middle-aged Carol and her thoughtful husband, Jim, as well as their feisty-yet-well-meaning niece, Olivia, who has recently been hired as a summer intern at Channel 9. Faith’s co-workers—Laura, the overworked, tired, and frustrated executive producer, a one-time friend; Tom, the peacocking main anchor; and Matthew, the smarmy, complaining, and boring weekend meteorologist—might not think she’s as fabulous as her legions of followers do, but that seems to leave Faith unbothered. But then one night Faith appears on the 6 p.m. news and never returns from her dinner break. Matthew is called in to cover for her on the 11 p.m. show, disturbing a dinner with his fiancée, Tara. And then, much to everyone’s utter shock, Faith is found murdered—strangled—in her car. Chaos ensues: Olivia was the last person to see Faith alive and begins a quiet investigation with her Aunt Carol that parallels that of the police. At a vigil the next day, an unkempt man, Steve, insists he was Faith’s boyfriend, when really he was her stalker. The story twists and turns, jumping in time and point of view among the masterfully rendered characters before depositing the reader at a conclusion so unexpected it shocks, while at the same time the reader can see the hidden-in-plain-sight breadcrumbs that have been left along the way.

Characterization and motivations sing in this absorbing, suspenseful whodunit.