Murder in the Hearse Degree
A Novel
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3.0 • 1 Rating
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- $2.99
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- $2.99
Publisher Description
A full-time undertaker and part-time sleuth investigates a suspicious death in this darkly humorous mystery by the author of The Hearse You Came In On.
Libby, a former flame of Baltimore's most eligible mortician Hitchcock Sewell, has returned to town with her two children, but minus one husband and one nanny. Libby's husband has been accounted for—she left him back in Annapolis. However, the nanny, Sophie, is truly missing. As soon as Hitch starts to nose around, Sophie turns up—literally—in the Severn River. She's quite dead, and just a little bit pregnant.
The police suspect suicide, but Sophie's mom is adamant it's murder. Hitch's intuition says to believe the mother. But as he races around Baltimore for answers, he only digs up more questions—and more suspects.
"Those who enjoy lighthearted mysteries with screwball characters will relish Cockey's fourth outing to feature Baltimore undertaker Hitchcock Sewell." —Publishers Weekly
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Those who enjoy lighthearted mysteries with screwball characters will relish Cockey's fourth outing to feature Baltimore undertaker Hitchcock Sewell. A former lover, Libby Gellman, who's left her abusive husband, Mike, asks Hitch to find Sophie Potts, her missing nanny. When Sophie turns up dead and pregnant, a supposed suicide, Hitch agrees to investigate. Hitch and his pal Pete Munger, a sometime PI, learn that Sophie was interested in ARK the Alliance for Reason and Kindness an amorphous religious organization. The case heats up when Hitch uncovers some puzzling connections: a friend of Sophie's, who'd accompanied her to visit ARK's shady director, Crawford Larue, is murdered; Larue's wife is having an affair with Mike; and Mike's uncle Owen, a high-powered attorney, is connected with ARK. Then Mike commits suicide. As usual, the writing is smooth and amusing: a man has muttonchop sideburns "thick enough you could hide toothpicks in them"; another has a moustache "the size of a small propeller." Fans will be glad to see such series regulars as Hitch's ex-wife, Julia; his mortuary partner, Aunt Billie; and 12-year-old mortician wannabe Darryl Sandusky. A passing parade of clients completes the offbeat cast. Author tour.
