Never Laugh as a Hearse Goes By: A Penny Brannigan Mystery

Penny Brannigan, owner of the Llanelen Spa, finds that some members of the clergy aren't as saintly as they appear in Duncan's sweet fifth mystery set in North Wales (after 2012's A Small Hill to Die On). Penny joins her boyfriend, Det. Chief Insp. Gareth Davis, at a clerical conference at Gladstone's Library, a real-life residential library in Hawarden, Flintshire, where things soon take a fatal turn. Araminta "Minty" Russell, the bishop's secretary, suffers a fatal allergic reaction, evidently the victim of poison. Not long after, another conference attendee is found dead in the library. Gossip and her own instincts lead Penny to several clues involving blackmail, affairs, and all-around dishonesty. While the investigative methods may be more hearsay than Hercule, cozy fans will enjoy following how the "networking" plays out. Agent: Dominick Abel, Dominick Abel Literary Agency. (Nov.)