Murder at Toll House — Jeanne Irelan

Retired from her judicial duties, Judge Godbold has signed on for a three-week writers conference at a small college in Kentucky. An avid amateur poet, she hopes to gain valuable tips from Diane Marvel, a well known New York poet, who has published a number of books. She finds at the conference to her surprise a family friend and her doctor, the diminutive Moss Cunningham, who is trying to write short stories and is therefore to be mentored by Harold Hillman, a last minute substitute for another writer. The two friends are to be in rooms at the old Toll House, an early 19th century structure owned by the college and used for conferences. Also on the property are several cottages for those who wish for privacy. This includes a rough fellow and owner of a gym, Rafe Barlow, lately of New York, who is there because of Diane Marvel, with whom he is having an affair. Baby, rising early the first morning, stumbles upon the body of a social worker from Nashville, who has been inexplicably murdered. She seems to have had connections to some of the people at the conference, but all seem to be red herrings. Then another murder takes place and Baby wonders how were these two connected? It takes all of Judge Godbold's talents to pierce the secret that drove a conference attendee to murder.