A Bat in the Belfry

An author who "transcends the boundaries of the conventional mystery" (Library Journal), Sarah Graves, nails together a stellar mystery, complete with home improvement tips and the quirky locals her readers adore, including one new character soon to be the star of her own series. As an epic nor'easter bears down on the idyllic island town of Eastport, Maine, Jacobia Tiptree hurries to prepare her antique house for the big blow, while the town battles to evacuate tourists and save the beloved 200-year-old Seaman's Church steeple, threatened by the storm. But when a local teen beauty-pageant winner from a troubled family is found murdered in the steeple's bell tower and Jake's son Sam's visiting childhood friend comes under scrutiny as a suspect, the resulting storm of gossip and suspicion rivals anything the Atlantic could brew up.