Baby, Take a Bow: A Grace Street Mystery

In Tesh’s gratifying fifth Grace Street mystery (after 2015’s Just You Wait), PI David Randall looks for a missing baby on behalf of Rufus Jackson, a fellow boarder at friend John Camden’s rooming house in Parkland, N.C. Rufus’s ex-wife, Bobbi, recently contacted him and revealed she gave birth to his child, but now she has been killed, and the baby has disappeared. Suspecting an illegal adoption ring, David enlists the help of Kary Ingram, another boarder, with whom he’s in love but whose desire for motherhood threatens her objectivity. Meanwhile, Camden’s psychic powers draw David into a case of a ghost trapped in a historic mansion and a haunted hot dog stand. Though the plot can be convoluted, readers seeking a cozy, feel-good mystery will enjoy this outing to Grace Street. The delightful characters navigate their worldly and otherworldly challenges with affection and humor, and Tesh maintains a whimsical tone that doesn’t detract from the serious subject matter. (Apr.)