Dead Men Don’t Decorate: An Old Town Antique Mystery

Abbott debuts with a charming series launch set in Marthasville, Va., a stand-in for Alexandria, Va. At 55, Camille Benson wants a life change when she hears Waited4You, the antique store her parents used to own in Marthasville, is for sale. Camille jumps at the opportunity to buy the store from Roberto Fratelli, known as the meanest man in town. After a night of celebrating her first day of ownership, she and her best friend, Opal Wells, go back to the store only to find Roberto lying in a pool of blood and a valuable piece of inventory missing, a leather case that had been taped under a chair, in which Opal had earlier found a letter dating to the mid–18th century. Could it be a clue to the murder? More crimes ensue, including the kidnapping of a police detective, as well as revelations of a messy political entanglement involving the local newspaper and the town’s police chief. Abbott lovingly depicts Marthasville and its appealing residents while keeping the reader guessing whodunit. Cozy fans are in for a treat. Agent: Dawn Dowdle, Blue Ridge Agency. (Nov.)