Pretty is as Pretty Dies

No one in Bradley, North Carolina, is exactly crying into their sweet tea over the murder of Parke Stockard. Certainly not retired schoolteacher Myrtle Clover.

Upon discovering the corpse, Myrtle is struck - not with grief, but a brilliant idea! Solving the murder would prove to everyone - especially her son Red, the police chief - that this 80-something-year-old is still as sharp as a tack. Heck, going from crosswords to crime investigations isn't such a stretch.

The old biddies of Bradley can waste away in blissful stagnation, but Myrtle's not ready to be put out to pasture just yet. The victim, a pretty but pushy town developer, had deep pockets and few friends. Myrtle can't throw one of her gaudy garden gnomes without hitting a potential suspect. Even when another murder takes place, proud Myrtle forges on - armed only with a heavy cane, a venomous tongue, and a widower sidekick.