Death Too Soon — Audrey Peterson

DARK MURDER ON THE MOORS
House-sitting for her ex-mother-in-law seems a pleasant way for Claire Camden to get through the winter doldrums. On sabbatical from her California university post, Claire has been in London working on a book about M. L. Talbot, one of Victorian England's most free-spirited female novelists. The tranquil countryside will be a nice respite from the city, to say nothing of being able to see more of her daughter, Sally, a student at Exeter, as well as handsome Detective Superintendent Neil Padgett, the new man in Claire's life.

But death is taking no holiday this chilly season. Shortly after Claire arrives in Morbridge, the body of Cheryl Bailey, one of Sally's housemates, is found on the lonely moor. The young woman has been brutally strangled, and even more terrible, a mystifying "signature" mark has been carved into her flesh. Finding no motive for the crime, the local constabulary is sure the madman will strike again, and the quiet village is gripped by the fear of a serial killer.

With Neil busy investigating the case, Claire immerses herself in her literary research. When she uncovers the strange story of an unsolved murder and a mysterious missing painting, she realizes the past may hold the answers to the present. But time is drawing short, and the stalker is ready to claim a new victim. If Claire cannot fit the pieces of the puzzle soon, she risks finding her own daughter's body in the dank bogs of Dartmoor....