The murder of nonagenarian Lucinda Faraday, a former screen siren whose hoarder mansion in San Carmelita, Calif., has literally become a deathtrap, drives McKevett's exceptional 25th Savannah Reid mystery (after 2019's Bitter Brew). Hollywood heart throb Ethan Malloy, who discovered the body, hires his friend PI Savannah to find the killer just as Savannah's policeman husband, Det. Sgt. Dirk Coulter, gets the call to investigate Lucinda's death. Lucinda's only living relative is her dirtball great-grandson, but her longtime housekeeper says she's the sole beneficiary in Lucinda's most recent will. Meanwhile, Dirk's arrest of a druggie mom leads to the woman's six-year-old son being temporarily placed with Dirk and Savannah until a place in foster care becomes available. Savannah and the rest of her transplanted Georgia family assist, including her feisty Granny, as well as everyone considered part of Savannah's Moonlight Magnolia Detective Agency. McKevett tempers coldhearted murder with heartwarming relationships as she highlights serious social issues. Cozy fans will rejoice. Agent: Richard Curtis, Richard Curtis Assoc. (May)

When actress Lucinda Faraday is found murdered, arranged in a suggestive pose, San Carmelita, California, Detective Sergeant Dirk Coulter catches the case. He is assisted by his private-investigator wife, Savannah Reid, who has been hired by heartthrob Ethan Malloy, a friend of the elderly actress. Complicating the investigation, hoarder Lucinda's mansion is awash in junk, making forensics difficult. An estranged great-grandson, a bitter housekeeper, and a tell-all manuscript provide a mix of suspects and clues. Aided by employees of Savannah's Moonlight Magnolia Detective Agency, Savannah and Dirk identify the motive and uncover a killer. Meanwhile, the couple is fostering a precocious six-year-old boy, Brody, whose mother Dirk recently arrested. As Brody worms his way into their hearts, Savannah must balance the conflict between the demands of work and those of a child for the first time. Humor, quirky characters, southern hospitality, food, and the importance of close family and friends frame this satisfying entry in the long-running cozy series. A final plot twist, though expected, will please fans.