Fire When Ready — Kate Kingsbury

MEET ELIZABETH HARTLEIGH COMPTON. SHE'S THE HOUSE-RICH, MONEY-POOR KEEPER OF THE MANOR--AND KEEPER OF THE PEACE...

In World War II England, the quiet village of Sitting Marsh is faced with food rations and fear for loved ones. But Elizabeth Hartleigh Compton, lady of the Manor House, stubbornly insists that life must go on. Sitting Marsh residents depend on Elizabeth to make sure things go smoothly which means everything from sorting out gossip to solving the occasional murder...

For the citizens of Sitting Marsh, a munitions factory is not merely a blemish on their country village, but a target for the Luftwaffe. Elizabeth manages to quell the fears of the locals-- and inflame their patriotism about contributing to the war effort. Unfortunately, patriotism isn't the only thing to get ignited--as the factory explodes, killing owner Douglas McNally. The fire warden rules it an accident, but Elizabeth knows McNally received threatening letters demanding he close the factory--and where there's smoke, there's fire...