Measured Murder — Eugenie D. West

Join everyone's favorite sleuthing journalist and her boyfriend, Detective Jack Draper as they caper their way smack into a murder mystery while visiting Binghamton, NY for a Holiday Ball. Some members of Gracie's English Country Dance group have made the trek from Western Massachusetts for the gala event, held at the gracious Victorian Phelps Mansion. Gracie has even convinced Jack -- who's going as an observer, not a dancer, thank you very much! -- to come along. Several enjoyable events are taking place in the area during the weekend of the Ball, so Jack won't be bored, and in between practice sessions, Gracie won't be either: a Frozen Pond Festival with moonlit skating and 'smores, the Ice Extravaganza downtown with area ice carvers, and a chili cook off are just some of the things Gracie's enticed Jack with. He's looking at it as a mini-break for them, a romantic getaway…and maybe this long weekend will be the time he finally proposes??? But before that can happen, they find themselves embroiled in a murder. Who did it? The victim appears to be a vivacious and popular dancer, whom everyone liked -- or that's what everyone thought. Apparently, someone disliked her enough to kill her. Everyone at the Ball, from the dancers to the musicians to the Phelps Mansion staff, is a suspect. Complicating matters is the fractious and hostile Detective assigned to the case: Pete Rozelli. Not only does he appear to dislike his job, he resents just about everyone he sees, including Gracie and Jack. The police have a lengthy investigation ahead of them. Luckily for them, Gracie and Jack take Rozelli's insults in stride, and, teaming up with the clever and tech savvy M.E., Padma Singh, they figure out how the murder took place -- and then, as Gracie always says, that leads them to the killer.