Plum Deadly

A well-constructed plot and lively dialogue that’s not excessively cute lift this promising debut from the pseudonymous Grant (husband-and-wife authors). After being accused of stealing funds from a client, banker Maggie Grady heads home to Durham, N.C., where she finds work at Pie in the Sky, her aunt’s pie shop near the Duke University campus. Maggie has two goals—to prove her innocence and get back to the kind of high-powered career she once had. Her former boss, Lou Goldberg, shows up, promising to clear her name at a press conference the next day, but before the day is done, Lou is dead and Maggie is a suspect in his murder. Maggie has enough charm and wit to aid the police in the search for the real criminal. Fans of Joanne Fluke’s Hannah Swenson series and other culinary cozies will be satisfied. Recipes at the back include Lotsa Lemon Meringue Pie and Clara’s Coconut Custard Pie. (Sept.)