MURDER BITES

A transplant from Washington, D.C., disrupts a small Southern town in so many ways.

When her husband, Richard, wanted to move to Glenville, South Carolina, to run the bank he inherited from his family, Margot Cartwright reluctantly agreed. Since their relocation four years ago, her relationships with her neighbors have ranged from fraught to poisonous—which isn’t surprising, considering she trumpets her liberal views on her T-shirts and sabotages her political opponents’ lawn signs. So when Boomer Draughn, beloved dog walker to Glenville’s canine-obsessed Mommy Mafia, is found crushed to death by a massive Halloween lawn decoration, it’s not surprising that his clients take their revenge by pointing their gel-manicured fingers directly at Margot. With two unlikely allies, 70-something fashionista Anne Gordon and arts-and-crafts aficionado Sally-Claire Foster, Margot seeks to clear her name and shield her family from a barrage of abuse, both in person and online. But her investigation bogs down in a series of false solutions, as Margot confronts suspect after suspect with accusations that turn out to be demonstrably wrong. Readers may well become frustrated with author Montgomery’s stop-and-go approach and constant teasing of vital plot points, like the incident that caused Margot’s daughter, Sadie, to break off relations with her family and flee to California. But an even greater challenge lies in the fact that although Margot admits she’s a flawed creature, she’s just too self-righteous to be likable. Her virtue signaling is needlessly hurtful, and her snark isn’t funny enough to counterbalance its mean spirit.

Here’s hoping any further outings for this newcomer have less edge and more heart.