Stolen Hearts: A Grace Street Mystery

Set in picturesque Parkland, N.C., this droll first in a new psychic series from Tesh (A Case of Imagination) introduces good-natured PI David Randall. When Melanie Gentry hires Randall to prove that her great-grandmother, Laura, was the sole composer of Patchwork Melodies, "the definitive collection" of Appalachian folksongs, she wants not only to show that reputed collaborator John Ashford stole them from Laura but also to profit from a documentary PBS is about to film on early American folk music. Randall soon finds himself following a grim trail of leads: the holder of an arcane musical notebook is murdered; a director at the Smithsonian is found dead, his collection of valuable music destroyed. What is Melanie not telling him? Can Randall's best friend, Camden, who has enormous psychic powers that work in unpredictable ways, help? The finale is a gratifying blend of the surprising and the spirited. (Oct.)