Evil Turns: A Madeline Maclin Mystery

Have witches returned to Celosia, N.C.? The symbols on the body of an unidentified man found in a local vineyard suggest so in Tesh’s entertaining fifth Madeline Maclin mystery (after 2014’s A Bad Reputation). Warm-hearted PI Madeline, a former beauty pageant queen, investigates, aided by her free-spirited husband, Jerry Fairchild, a reformed con artist. They soon have another murder to deal with after Harold Stover, a Celosia city council member, suffers a fatal blow to the head. A purse near the body belonging to headstrong Amanda Price, with whom Harold quarreled over the town’s centennial celebration, points to her guilt. Amanda hires Madeline to exonerate her. Madeline and Jerry realize that the deaths might be connected to a long-ago coven, a missing baby, and a hippie commune. Despite a few glaring plot gaps, Tesh spins a pleasurable tale about a quirky couple and a small town filled with memorable characters. Series fans and newcomers alike will have fun. [em](May) [/em]