High Strung — Janice Peacock

When Jax's Great-Aunt Rita dies and leaves her an old Craftsman-style house in Seattle, it has this provision: You must to live here, and find your creative passion. Jax, along with her cat Gumdrop, leaves her unfulfilling life in Miami and discovers that the house, with its huge sunny studio, quirky neighbor Val, and a newly realized love of glass beadmaking are just what she needed. Aztec Beads, in one of Seattle's funkiest neighborhoods, is hosting a weekend of workshops, demonstrations, and exhibits. The opportunities for Jax to exhibit her work in a gallery, expand her jewelry-making knowledge, and be interviewed by a handsome reporter are just too great to miss. The weekend's plans get tangled when a young woman is found dead near the bead shop. Everyone participating in the workshops is a suspect, including Jax's best friend Tessa. Jax must string together the clues to clear Tessa's name, and do it before the killer strikes again.