The Sweet Cheat

Internationally bestselling author Martha Grimes returns with a beguiling mystery starring the brilliant, idiosyncratic young sleuth Emma Graham as she attempts to solve a murder, free a wrongfully convicted man—and write her own novel along the way

Twelve-year-old Emma Graham is as tenacious and charming as ever as she attempts to solve a murder—and the kidnapping the spurred it—in her small town of La Porte. Two men are taking the blame for the murder, but Emma is on the hunt for a third suspect: She knows the police haven’t done their due diligence, so she takes the case upon herself.

The colorful cast of local waitresses, lawyers, drifters, and kooky customers in her mother’s inn tower over young Emma, questioning her detective skills but never inhibiting her search for the truth—or her presumptuous tips on how to better do their jobs. And as a former young cub reporter at the local paper, Emma has just discovered the literary wonders of Marcel Proust, so she begins to write fiction: A story inspired by the very case that’s unfolding in front of her.

In this original and lively novel, Martha Grimes weaves a propulsive mystery against the backdrop of a vibrant town. Strikingly intuitive, quirky and always curious, Emma Graham is the perfect young sleuth who always sees the best in people, while still uncovering their secrets along the way.