Travellin' shoes

Early one morning, St. Joseph, Ind., police detective RJ Franklin, the narrator of this promising series debut from Burns (The Plot Is Murder), is out for a jog when he hears sirens and smells smoke. When he sees flames, he runs toward the source, which turns out to be the house of Thomas Warrendale, the choir director of First Baptist Church, which RJ sometimes attends. Inside, Warrendale is found dead; evidence at the scene suggests arson. The First Baptist pastor, Hilton Hamilton, informs RJ that Warrendale, who was a CPA, was looking into the possible embezzlement of church funds. Ella "Mama B" Bethany, a fellow parishioner, tells RJ that Warrendale was involved with several women from the church, but the real shocker comes when RJ learns that his real name was Tyrone Warren and he was married to a woman in Cleveland. RJ finds plenty of suspects, including the church financial secretary and Ty's attractive widow, along the way to the satisfying ending. Burns nicely portrays the close-knit ties among the members of the vibrant church community. Agent: Dawn Dowdle, Blue Ridge Literary Agency. (July) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.

A car accident places Det. RJ Franklin on administrative leave from the St. Joseph, IN, Police Department, but he is called back to duty when the choir director of the First Baptist Church, where RJ is a parishioner, dies in a house fire that appears to be arson. No one knows the town's African American community as well as RJ, and his godmother, Mama B, is tuned into the local gossip. RJ and his partner soon discover the victim, hiding under a false name, had been a highly paid accountant in Cleveland. The investigation involving the church and missing money and the owner of two beauty salons becomes a complicated mess, and someone is breaking into places associated with the dead man. It's Mama B's neighborhood knowledge that will bring this case home. VERDICT In this series launch, the author of the Agatha Award-nominated "Mystery Bookshop" series (The Plot Is Murder) combines the best qualities of a cozy with a police procedural and imbues spirited protagonists with old-fashioned values, adding appeal, wisdom, and humor to this engaging mystery with a strong sense of place. Soul food recipes included.-Lesa Holstine, Evansville Vanderburgh P.L., IN © Copyright 2018. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

"So, what do you think of that?" I asked Mama B. Mama B rocked in silence for a few seconds. "I thought I was going to have to call 911 to get that fat tub of lard out of my chair." "I meant, what did you think of what he had to say?" "Moe Chapman's a liar. He was a liar as a child. Once a liar, always a liar." "He's popular with the ladies." Mama B scrunched up her nose as though she'd smelled sour milk. "You would be too if you paid them." I spat out my lemonade. "How do you know that?" "That Mercedes Jackson was bragging to Nettie Fay how Moe sends flowers to her job every week and pays for her to get her nails and hair done. He buys her clothes, pays her rent, and springs for expensive vacations and jewelry. They went on a cruise to the Bahamas over Christmas. Can you imagine all that fat lying on the beach? Lucky they didn't mistake him for a beached whale and try to harpoon him. If that ain't paying for a woman, then I don't know what is." Whew. That wasn't exactly what I was expecting when she said he "paid" for women, but it didn't restore my faith in this supposed man of God. Where had all that money come from? I spent a few minutes trying to get her reaction to his comments about Sister Williams, but she remained uncharacteristically quiet on the subject. No matter how much I asked or what I said, she couldn't or wouldn't say more. Eventually, I decided to change the subject and had her fill me in on the dirt she'd gotten since yesterday. There wasn't anything new, so I filled her in on my latest bombshell. She snorted. "I don't believe that boy was married." I knew that boy referred to Thomas Warrendale. Mama B's likes and dislikes ran deep. Once she made her mind up about someone, there was no turning back. "I assure you he was." "He certainly didn't act like it. Just because you have a marriage certificate doesn't mean anything." Mama B rocked slowly. "A lot of people have diplomas, but that don't mean they know the front end of a mule from the back." "Any truth to the rumors you all were talkin' about yesterday?" Mama B pursed her lips. "I don't lie." "I know you don't lie. I mean are you sure? Was Thomas Warrendale fooling around?" "Mm-hmm ... that's what I heard. Where there's smoke, there's fire." "Was there anyone in particular?" Mama B rocked on. "I don't know how par-tic-u-lar he was." Mama B enunciated each syllable to make her point. Excerpted from Travellin' Shoes by V. M. Burns All rights reserved by the original copyright owners. Excerpts are provided for display purposes only and may not be reproduced, reprinted or distributed without the written permission of the publisher.