Verna Mae's — Geoffrey A. Feller

Natalie Dvorak #11: Sergeant Natalie Dvorak of the Vermont State Police starts the first day of the New Year with a crime. Someone has opened and robbed the safe inside Verna Mae’s diner, a popular eatery along the highway. There was no break-in and Natalie assumes this was an inside job. Every employee is a suspect but none have an obvious motive. Tensions and secrets emerge among the people Natalie investigates, generating false leads and prompting additional crimes. Meanwhile, Natalie’s faith in her husband is tested when he helps a new female colleague settle in at town hall. Over and over, when Natalie thinks she is in control, new developments cause the ground to shift under her feet both figuratively and literally, to the point of threatening Natalie’s life.