Mimosas, Mischief, and Murder

Rosett's winning sixth Ellie Avery mystery (after 2010's Mint Juleps, Mayhem, and Murder) takes amateur sleuth Ellie, husband Mitch, and their two kids to Smarr, Ala., Mitch's hometown, where they're first slammed with the news of the sudden death of Mitch's elderly grandfather, Grandpa Franklin. When someone breaks into the late gentleman's home, the police are reluctant to confirm a burglary. Even after Grandpa and casket go missing, the authorities insist there's nothing further to investigate. Complications arise after the stranger who attended Grandpa's funeral turns out to be the corpse Ellie finds in Grandpa's guest room. The strange behavior of Uncle Bud and Felicity, the wife of Mitch's favorite cousin, has Ellie considering adding relatives to her list of suspicious characters. A rumor of hidden money, secret letters from a famous recluse, a fire, a threatening message, and a crazed gunman add to the cozy mischief. (Apr.)