Skeleton in a Dead Space — Judy Alter

An endearing sleuth, a skeleton behind the spice cupboard, and a fistful of subplots that will keep you guessing. A nicely done debut by an author to watch. -- Susan Wittig Albert, author of the China Bayles mysteries Award-winning historical novelist makes a fine debut in the mystery field with SKELETON IN A DEAD SPACE. Alter gives readers a twisty plot, excellent use of setting, and a very likable protagonist. I hope this is just the first of many novels about realtor/detective Kelly O'Connell! -- Livia J. Washburn, author of the Fresh Baked Mystery series and the Literary Tour Mystery series Skeleton in a Dead Space is a must-read for cozy fans. Kelly O'Connell is an engaging realtor with adorable daughters and a talent for trouble. Alter's mystery debut stands on a lasting foundation of sinister clients and suspect houses. Location, location, location -- for murder! -- Charlotte Hinger, author of Deadly Descent and Lethal Lineage. Kelly O'Connell never thought real estate was a dangerous profession, until she stumbled over a skeleton in a dead space in an early-twentieth-century Craftsman house she was transforming into coveted modern home in an older urban neighborhood. From that moment, she runs into teen-age gang members, a manipulative ex-husband, a needy and single pregnant friend, a cold-blooded murderer, and a policeman who wants to be more than her protector. As free-spirited as the chocolate-peanut-jalapeño candy she craves, Kelly barges through life trying to keep from angering her policeman-boyfriend, protect her two young daughters, pacify her worried mother a thousand miles away, and keep her real estate business afloat. Too often she puts herself in danger, and sometimes its the girls, not Mike, who come to Kelly's rescue.