Mad About Murder (Paperback) (ISBN-13: 9781932169935)

Love is in the air . . . at least in the cul-de-sac of culinary mystery author, Maddie Montgomery. Or so it would seem when Maddie takes her famous bacon-wrapped shrimp over to welcome newlyweds, Dex and Olivia Degill, to the neighborhood. But it isn't long before Maddie realizes her generous gesture is nothing but a recipe for disaster, and for that matter, the lovely, newly wed couple aren't all that loving. And later, when Dex is found dead--skewered with the jewel-covered, haircutting shears that belonged to one of his ex-wives--Maddie realizes there is more to the scene that is simmering just below the surface. In the meantime, Maddie's own love life goes down the drain when her new beau--handsome, homicide cop, Remington "Remy" Reagan--suddenly puts their budding romance on the back burner. In fact, it appears he's now more interested in the wealthy, recently widowed woman across the street--Olivia--despite a clear-cut conflict of interest. And since Maddie no longer trusts Remy to uncover the killer, she decides to use her noodle and crack the case herself.

Her quest quickly leads her to uncover Dex's exes, including two ex-wives and a very harried, overworked stalker. But the trail also takes her to an over-the-top jewelry store and a local speed dating event. That's when Maddie learns that dating can be dicey, especially when she ends up with more men after her than she ever imagined. Or wanted. With plenty of clues in the mix and lots of suspects on the side, she also has to deal with her teenage son, Parker, and his determination to get a date of his own--to Prom. Meaning, Maddie has a full plate while she's trying to catch a killer and make her neighborhood safe again. Yet as she wonders if she and Parker will survive the danger that practically lands on her doorstep, she can't help but notice the surprising number of giant, glittering gemstones at nearly every twist and turn of the way . . .