Murder and Madness

Five years ago, an ax-wielding killer hacked a cruise ship captain to death. The case has gone cold.

After getting no response to her request that the case be reopened, a dead man's terminally ill sister hires Houston P. I. Mavis Davis to go down to Galveston Island to see if she can find the murderer.

After learning all she can from her client, who had been estranged from her brother for quite a spell, Mavis wades right in, even though the cops have said, "Hands off the investigation. It's an open case."

She tracks down the widow who agrees to see her. While at the widow's new home, Mavis meets an unpleasant man with whom it appears the widow has a relationship. The three adult children are a little more elusive, but Mavis finds them. Although she interviews them, everyone seems to be hiding something.

With information learned from her contacts in Galveston, both old and new-one of whom is the wife of the widow's friend-Mavis learns not only of complications in the familial relationships, but of questionable interactions between the captain and unsavory characters in the community.

Knowing time is of the essence, Mavis pushes on. She's threatened and warned away, but never gives up. She intuits there's possible nefarious activity on the part of several people, including, but not limited to, the widow and children. As she formulates a theory as to what happened with the captain, Mavis suspects some of her contacts may be in danger from the original perpetrator(s).

Will Mavis be able unravel the mystery of the captain's murder before her client dies, or will the captain's terminally ill sister go to her grave heartbroken that her brother's death remains unsolved?