Clause & effect

After her retirement, Mikki Lincoln, now a freelance editor, has moved back to her hometown of Lenape Hollow, New York, into the house where she grew up. Roped into updating the script for the town's upcoming quasquibicentennial (225 years) celebration, Mikki is present at the local historical society when a well-wrapped body is discovered in the chimney during a renovation project. After Mikki helps the police identify the corpse, curiosity and a desire to find justice for the victim compel her to investigate the crime, questioning possible suspects in the long-ago murder. As Mikki untangles motives and opportunity, the murderer strikes again. During her investigation, Mikki also heals a rift between two sisters and meets an unknown relative. Framed by daily life in a rural Catskills village and the details of running a pageant, along with plenty of intriguing local history, this cozy is distinguished by its smart sixtysomething protagonist and an engaging supporting cast of her longtime friends and acquaintances.--Sue O'Brien Copyright 2019 Booklist

Retiree Mikki Lincoln is doing well back in her hometown of Lenape Hollow, N.Y., in Dunnett's enjoyable sequel to 2018's Crime & Punctuation. In particular, her reputation as a freelance book editor has prompted the historical society to ask her to rewrite the script of the town's bicentennial play to be performed at this year's 225th celebration. When a wall collapses during construction inside the historical society's building and a mummified corpse tumbles out, Mikki believes it to be Grace Yarrow, the original playwright who supposedly left town just before the play was performed. When her hunch is confirmed, Mikki digs deeper, despite the warnings of Det. Jonathan Hazlett, and stirs up a hornet's nest that results in another murder and puts Mikki's own life in danger. Grace turns out to have had a promiscuous history involving any number of local males, and one feisty lady is determined to bring a killer to justice and right a couple of others wrongs while she's at it. Cozy fans are in for a treat. Agent: Christina Hogrebe, Jane Rotrosen Agency. (July) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.