Nickeled-and-Dimed to Death

January 14, 2013
In Swanson’s delightful second cozy featuring Devereaux Sinclair (after 2012’s Little Shop of Homicide), the 29-year-old Shadow Bend, Mo., dime-store owner is dismayed to learn that her current beau, Deputy U.S. Marshal Jake Del Vecchio, has begun undercover work with his boss/ex-wife, Meg, posing as boyfriend and girlfriend. To add to Dev’s woes, a childhood friend, Boone St. Onge, is arrested by the father of their mutual friend, the brash lawyer Poppy Kincaid, for the murder of Poppy’s client, Elise Whitmore. Dev’s ex-high school love, Dr. Noah Underwood, who’s hoping to regain her trust, puts himself at Dev’s disposal to help prove the insolent Boone’s innocence. As the list of suspects grows, so do their individual alibis, leaving Dev at a miserable dead end. Readers will look forward to seeing more of the quick witted Dev. Agent: Laura Blake Peterson, Curtis Brown Associates.