Malice Aforecourt

He was an irritating man, but just because she'd argued with him didn't mean she wanted him dead.

Hettie Parke is having a bad day. She was looking forward to hitting a few croquet balls this sunny Saturday morning until she found her damaged mallet beside the body of the Bowls Club president on her croquet court. She fears someone must be targeting her or why involve her mallet?

Now under the intense scrutiny of a detective she once knew Hettie is worried that unless she can find some other suspects he won't go looking elsewhere for the killer. And while sister-in-law Gwen is overly keen to help, associating the Parke name with murder is doing nothing for her fractured relationship with her mother. But as she investigates, Hettie is pleased to uncover a number of people with motives including the dead man's trophy wife, his business partner, the Bowls Club vice-president and even an angry ex-girlfriend. Unfortunately, they also have alibis.

And despite her newly acquired cat seeming to know more about what is going on than anyone Hettie suspects he's just angling to have a certain blue-eyed Persian join their household. Everyone, it seems, has an agenda, but who set her up for murder?

Can she negotiate club politics, family interference, and a persistent detective before her hoop running days are over?

Malice Aforecourt is the lightly paranormal first book in the Woody Lake Mystery series. If you like cozy mysteries with a strong female character, family dynamics, and an interesting feline companion then you'll love Rennae Todd's cozy cat mystery.