A Grave Issue is the debut in the A Funeral Parlor Mystery series set in Verbena, California featuring Desiree Turner. Desiree has had to leave her job as a TV journalist after an on air comment, and is back home running the family funeral parlor along with her sister Donna and Uncle Joey.
"Death Ray" as her high school nemesis Luke Butler, now Verbena's police detective, nicknamed her, has her hands full with funeral services that most often end in disaster. The three front row regulars, Olive, Henrietta and Grace keep her caught up on the grieving families gossip, referee the fist fights that seem to break out regularly and do their best to keep people from crawling into the coffins with the deceased.
Rosemarie and Alan Brewer live next door to Lola and Kyle Hansen. Rosemarie is devastated when her pet emu Vincent drops dead and she immediately puts the blame on the Hansen's dogs. After a nasty altercation at the funeral home between Rosemarie and Lola, Alan is found shot to death. The police immediately suspect Kyle. Desiree and Donna's father disappeared while surfing a number of years ago and Kyle stepped in and became like a second father. Knowing deep in her heart that Kyle is not a killer, Desiree begins her own investigation and quickly discovers that Alan has been taken his role as the manager of the local bank a little too far.
A quirky cast of characters, a fast paced storyline with plenty of suspects that will keep you turning the pages. Just the right touch of cozy, three men vying for the attention of the heroine, and a mystery within a mystery that will leave you waiting for the next in the series.
"Death Ray" as her high school nemesis Luke Butler, now Verbena's police detective, nicknamed her, has her hands full with funeral services that most often end in disaster. The three front row regulars, Olive, Henrietta and Grace keep her caught up on the grieving families gossip, referee the fist fights that seem to break out regularly and do their best to keep people from crawling into the coffins with the deceased.
Rosemarie and Alan Brewer live next door to Lola and Kyle Hansen. Rosemarie is devastated when her pet emu Vincent drops dead and she immediately puts the blame on the Hansen's dogs. After a nasty altercation at the funeral home between Rosemarie and Lola, Alan is found shot to death. The police immediately suspect Kyle. Desiree and Donna's father disappeared while surfing a number of years ago and Kyle stepped in and became like a second father. Knowing deep in her heart that Kyle is not a killer, Desiree begins her own investigation and quickly discovers that Alan has been taken his role as the manager of the local bank a little too far.
A quirky cast of characters, a fast paced storyline with plenty of suspects that will keep you turning the pages. Just the right touch of cozy, three men vying for the attention of the heroine, and a mystery within a mystery that will leave you waiting for the next in the series.
