OVERDUE FOR MURDER

High school media specialist Anna Kilner discovers secret histories and hidden agendas in her small town of Parker, Georgia, when she’s drawn into the investigation of a local murder.

Early one morning, Anna finds that 17-year-old football player Bucky Lanterman has discovered a dead body on her school’s football field; the corpse is later identified as local resident Tom Spangler, and the town’s rumor mill begins working overtime. Anna’s husband, Mike, who was running against the victim for a spot on the school board, is also a local criminal defense attorney. As tensions rise within the community and the criminal and judicial processes unfold, Anna feels driven to investigate. Before long, a popular Black student is charged with the crime, which aggravates racial tensions in the school. Over the course of the narrative, Anna uncovers decades-old scandals and hidden seats of power and works alongside some unexpected allies. Lay addresses issues of race and class privilege in the context of a rural Southern environment; the significant differences between longtime residents and newcomers are effectively illustrated by Anna’s interactions with Principal Farquar, whose guarded approach is informed by town history and her own familiarity with local figures. An intriguing set of Southern women—referred to as the “Iron Azaleas,” à la Steel Magnolias—play a part in opening Anna’s eyes to the realities of the town’s country club set. Readers may find some intricacies to be hard to follow at times, but Lay’s chatty tone and her apparent affection for many of her characters result in a fine cozy mystery. The high school setting and sympathetic teenage characters may attract young adult readers.

An often engaging whodunit that offers sweet tea and menace in a single serving.