Beatrice Thornton has spent twenty-five years running The Vintage Rose antique shop in the historic town of Whisper Hollow, where she's learned that every object tells a story and every person carries secrets. When the town's beloved Ghost Walk festival arrives to celebrate its 75th anniversary, Bea expects a weekend of lantern parades, cemetery tours, and autumn magic. Instead, she finds herself drawn into a mystery when Gregory Mansfield, the arrogant owner of Mansfield Manor Inn, is found dead in the old cemetery after threatening to expose dark secrets about one of the town's founding families. With her loyal beagle Watson by her side and a sharp eye for details that others miss, Bea begins to notice that the official story doesn't quite add up.
As Bea investigates, she discovers that Gregory had been making enemies left and right through embezzlement, blackmail, and manipulating historical documents for personal gain. The suspect list includes a desperate ex-wife facing eviction, a bitter brother cheated out of his inheritance, a historian whose research was plagiarized, and several prominent townspeople whose reputations hung in the balance. When someone confesses to the murder, Bea's instincts tell her something is wrong with the confession, and she realizes the real killer might still be hiding among Whisper Hollow's respectable citizens. The key to solving the case lies in understanding why someone would search a grave site in the dark and what secrets are worth killing to protect.
In this cozy mystery filled with small-town charm, autumn atmosphere, and the timeless question of how far people will go to protect their families, Bea must unravel a web of guilt, desperation, and long-buried truths before justice slips away. Perfect for fans of classic mysteries where the detective's keen observation and understanding of human nature matter more than high-tech gadgets, Ghosts and Guilt delivers a satisfying puzzle wrapped in the warm embrace of a close-knit community learning that facing uncomfortable truths is the only path to real healing.
Genre: Cozy Mystery
As Bea investigates, she discovers that Gregory had been making enemies left and right through embezzlement, blackmail, and manipulating historical documents for personal gain. The suspect list includes a desperate ex-wife facing eviction, a bitter brother cheated out of his inheritance, a historian whose research was plagiarized, and several prominent townspeople whose reputations hung in the balance. When someone confesses to the murder, Bea's instincts tell her something is wrong with the confession, and she realizes the real killer might still be hiding among Whisper Hollow's respectable citizens. The key to solving the case lies in understanding why someone would search a grave site in the dark and what secrets are worth killing to protect.
In this cozy mystery filled with small-town charm, autumn atmosphere, and the timeless question of how far people will go to protect their families, Bea must unravel a web of guilt, desperation, and long-buried truths before justice slips away. Perfect for fans of classic mysteries where the detective's keen observation and understanding of human nature matter more than high-tech gadgets, Ghosts and Guilt delivers a satisfying puzzle wrapped in the warm embrace of a close-knit community learning that facing uncomfortable truths is the only path to real healing.
Genre: Cozy Mystery
Used availability for Maisy Marple's Ghosts and Guilt