The Devil's In the Details

Darleen R. Golke is a high-school teacher-librarian in Abbotsford, B.C.

The fourth mystery featuring Ottawa victims’-rights lawyer Camilla
MacPhee takes place over a Labour Day weekend. For Camilla, it is a
weekend from hell that begins with a visit from two police officers who
inform her that she was named sole beneficiary of the estate of the late
Laura Brown, a former university classmate and casual acquaintance.
Resolving to get to the bottom of the mystery of Laura’s bequest,
Camilla embarks on an investigation with her usual impulsiveness and
determination. She encounters many obstacles along the way. After an
assailant shoves her down the stairs at her “new” house, she awakens
in hospital with a severe concussion. Her investigation continues when
she learns that two other women from Laura’s weekly lunch group have
also died under questionable circumstances. As the body count mounts,
Camilla becomes the number one suspect and goes into hiding. Continuing
her sleuthing, she ultimately stumbles on the surprising solution,
almost losing her life in the process.

This entertaining, lighthearted mystery features snappy dialogue, an
unconventional heroine, amusing secondary characters, an inventive plot,
and a nicely executed conclusion.