Measure Twice, Murder Once — Barbara Barrett

It's bad enough when your business partner buys a property without consulting you, but when she accidentally acquires a brothel, it's enough to make Rowena Summerfield want to throw away her hammer. Still, the house is a bargain, and maybe it's just what Ro and her daughter need to turn around their home renovation business. As Ro, a former homicide detective, comes to terms with the deal, she gets a shock when the former owner—and madam—turns up dead. Soon someone from Ro's past shows up at the work site: her ex-partner, who needs a temporary sidekick to help him solve the case. Reviving their investigative team isn't easy, especially when Herc gets jealous of the hunky deli owner who takes an interest in widow Rowena. Until now, she was fine with one man in her life—her cuddly cat, Jason.Ro and Herc discover the previous residents of the house, including the victim's daughter, have less than fond memories of their former boss. The bordello's old customers have a lot to lose if their secrets surface, and the unhappy neighbors still bear a grudge. As the sleuths dig deeper, they unearth a flimsy foundation of anger, greed and fear framing the walls the suspects have built around themselves. Can Ro and Herc find the culprit before someone plays another deadly trick?All Rowena Summerfield is seeking is a sense of accomplishment as she and her thirty-five-year old daughter, Valerie, build their fledgling home reno business. However, circumstances and her former partner keep pulling her back to investigating homicides. But as she approaches her sixth decade, she discovers she's no longer the physically fit young woman she once was, especially after a near fatal auto accident injured her back, prompting her to seek early retirement. Chasing murderers proves not only challenging mentally, but it also takes its toll on her relationship with Val and the new love in her life. Can she continue to juggle the new with the old and maintain her balance? Join Ro in this new cozy series as she struggles to nail down the challenges of both worlds.