Trussed to Kill — J.D. Shaw

With a very busy summer behind her, Vivienne Finch is looking forward to her first year hosting a small, yet tastefully elegant, Thanksgiving dinner. With the guest list topping out at four, she is confident she can pull off a beautiful occasion that would look worthy in any home entertaining magazine article. Before she has even purchased her first bag of stuffing, her plans are turned upside down with the news that the Arkins family, a dozen strong, will be visiting Cayuga Cove for an unexpected family reunion. To make matters worse, the Brass Cricket Inn has no rooms to spare for the holiday, leaving Vivienne with a house full of guests to entertain for the long weekend. As pots simmer on the stovetops, tempers flare when dueling mothers each try to ensure that their familiar family traditions are carried out. Yet, that is only the start to Vivienne's troubles when the owner of Slate's Pub & Grill is found dead in the establishment's kitchen. Ghoulishly bound with cooking twine and stuffed head first into the gas oven, news of the murder spreads faster than butter on a hot dinner roll. An investigation soon reveals a cornucopia of illegal football gambling pools, personal grudges, and the inclusion of several of Joshua's family members as possible suspects in the gruesome crime. With the timer counting down to disaster, it will take all of Vivienne's magical and sleuthing skills to stop a cunning killer who has placed murder on her exquisitely prepared holiday menu!