The Cantaloupe Thief

'Deb brings the authenticity of her own work with the homeless and extensive background in newspapers to this terrific debut with a twist ending you’ll never see coming. I can’t wait to see what Branigan Powers takes on next.' Susan Simmons, Executive Editor, Greenville Journal

Too many people are staying silent about a ten-year-old murder case-it's time for reporter Branigan Powers to investigate.

Branigan Powers knows a good story when she sees one-and the ten-year-old cold case of wealthy Alberta Grambling Resnick's murder definitely makes the cut. Resnick was stabbed in her home after she let it slip that she was planning to change her will. There are plenty of suspects in the death of the matriarch of the town's founding family, but the killer has never been caught.

Now Branigan must do some serious digging to get her story. She knows the town's homeless community might have seen something; she also knows that the local cops wouldn't have thought of questioning these often--invisible people. There's a big problem, though; as Branigan starts digging, the homeless start dying. When her twin brother, a long-time addict, gets involved, the consequences of her investigation may hit a little too close to home.

Set in the fictional small town of Grambling, Georgia, The Cantaloupe Thief is the first in a new mystery series by Deb Richardson-Moore. The author is herself a former journalist and works extensively with the homeless, lending weight to the portrayal of a believable and engaging whodunit.

'Fantastically entertaining, this beautifully written, intelligent pageturner gets at both the prejudice and promise of the New South. Our curious heroine, Branigan Powers, has guts and heart. Deb has concocted a winner in this first installment of a great mystery series.' Matt Matthews, author of Mercy Creek