[Harley Henrickson 03] • Loving and Dying in Notchey Creek

It's Valentine's Day in Notchey Creek, Tennessee, and whiskey distiller Harley Henrickson is volunteering at the Reading is Love Festival. Books line the streets, snowflakes dapple the air, and paper hearts adorn storefront windows. Even Harley's pet pig, Matilda, feels festive, gracing the sidewalks in her Cupid costume. But no sooner have the festivities begun, when Harley finds the charred remains of a car and a body outside Briarwood Park.

While Sheriff Jeff Turner is initially convinced the fire was an accident, Harley suspects something more sinister. When a much-disliked editor of the town's newspaper is murdered, and Harley's best friend, Tina Rizchek, is framed for the crime, Harley decides to investigate. A trail of poison-pen letters, car fires, lethal cupcakes, secret affairs, and blackmail leads Harley to the town's new bookstore and a handsome graduate student who has come to Notchey Creek under mysterious circumstances.

In the meantime, Harley has her hands full in other areas: She's pet sitting Beau Arson's rescue dog, Ozzy, while Beau is in L.A.. Aunt Wilma and Opha Mae are determined to get her a date for Valentine's Day. Uncle Tater and Floyd have entered the bachelor auction. Jed is in an especially foul mood. Grandma Ziegler and Petie are philosophising about the finer points of Pride and Prejudice. And Harley feels the pull of her heartstrings when she learns Eric Winston is single again.

Includes recipes.