Claret and Present Danger

Shady Creek, Vt., is the latest stop for the Trueheart Renaissance Faire and Circus in Fox's charming fourth Literary Pub mystery (after 2020's The Malt in Our Stars). Pretending to step back in time is only part of the attraction, and pub owner Sadie Coleman is eager to see the circus. Initially, Sadie can't get admission for the main attraction, illusionist Ozzie Stone, until one evening he walks into her pub and they discover they both grew up in Knoxville, Tenn., and he offers her a pair of tickets. Later, at the performance, Ozzie drops dead on stage, and the results of a toxicology test show he was poisoned. Sadie soon realizes Ozzie was not well-liked by his fellow performers, including a juggler and a soothsayer, among a plethora of potential suspects. When the detective investigating the case focuses on Sadie's employee Damien Keys, who made a mysterious visit to the faire, she and her boyfriend, craft brewery owner Grayson Blake, set out to exonerate Damien. The tension rises with a second death. Cozy fans will find plenty to like. Agent: Jessica Faust, BookEnds Literary. (Dec.)