Death Rides a Pony

At the start of Miller’s enjoyable sequel to The Fool Dies Last, sisters Hope and Summer Bailey, the owners of Bailey’s Boutique, a mystic shop in Asheville, N.C., reluctantly agree, at their grandmother’s urging, to support an upcoming charity festival by setting up a booth for crystal ball readings. These readings, their grandmother reassures them, would be purely for entertainment purposes, not “genuine or serious as they are here at the boutique.” Meanwhile, Summer is dismayed by an ominous tarot card reading, given her problems with her controlling soon-to-be ex-husband, “Shifty Gary” Fletcher, who refuses to leave their marital home. Summer just needs boorish realtor Davis Scott to sell the house so she can put the sordid relationship behind her. When Davis turns up strangled at the festival, Summer’s hopes of a quick real estate resolution are dashed. The stakes rise after the sisters are accused of the murder; Hope and Summer prove perceptive amateur sleuths as they set out to prove their innocence. Well-rounded characters and sparkling dialogue keep the plot moving. Fans of paranormal cozies will have fun. Agent: Agent: Kari Stuart, ICM Partners. (Dec.)