Dead bodies turning up in the Old Juniper Bookshop is nothing new, in fact it’s something of a local joke. Maddy opens the door of the shop after hours to an elderly man, who claims to have come to see Rose, Maddy’s aunt who willed the shop to her. He knew the house before it was a shop, and as it is late and cold, he is offered a bed for the night. His corpse is found in the morning. The cause of death is of course highly unusual, Maddy is accused, old nemeses reappear, current romantic interest is unreachable somewhere in California, and wintry gloomy weather inflicts southern Georgia. With Rev. Gloria and Professor Philomena as her sidekicks, Maddy explores the history of the house and her family. There is an enormous amount of charm and warmth in the descriptions of the individuals that she finds, except of course for the awful ones. As modern research and old-time story telling combine, a full picture emerges, unearthing the suspect. With wonderful local color and strong, appealing characters, this a series worth continuing.—Danise Hoover
