Dru’s Short Musing:
When two different people reach out to Jim and Sally for two different reasons, Jim and Sally find themselves in the middle of a criminal act that has implicated an innocent woman.

Once again, I marveled at the excellent stories coming from Liz Milliron. This story consumed my waking hours with a well-written drama that I could not put down until all was said and done. The mystery was executed with details that kept me in suspense and intrigued throughout from the first contact that both Jim had with the man overhearing a troubling conversation and Sally with a client concerned for herself. The author did a great job in presenting this solidly wicked plot where the storyline blended beautifully between the two main protagonists, never missing a step in how well this tale was being told. Once the two situations became entangled it was a rush to see who was doing what to whom with a few strategically placed twists that enhanced my reading pleasure. Great job! And how the story ended was all that I hoped for. Overall, a terrific read by a great storyteller and one of the best books in the series and I cannot wait to read the next book.

Series: A Laurel Highlands Mystery, Book 9
Genre: Traditional Mystery
Release: September 15, 2026
Format: Digital, Print (to come)
Purchase Link

Book Synopsis:
The wedding countdown is ticking down, but defense attorney Sally Castle is focused on work, not dresses—much to the dismay of her mother. Castle & Parson’s latest client is afraid of illegal activities at the pharmacy where she works, although she admits her fears may be paranoia. As Sally digs into the facts, it seems certain the young woman is being set up to take the fall for the real culprit.

State Police Trooper Jim Duncan is used to responding to murders after the fact. When a man reports overhearing a threatening phone call from an unknown number, Duncan is intrigued but without a dead body there’s nothing to be done. That is until two days later when he responds to a suspected suicide that has all the earmarks of a staged scene.

When drugs found at the dead man’s house are connected to the pharmacy in Sally’s case the questions become even more complicated. Now the two must unravel the tangled web to find a murderer and keep a young woman from being convicted of a crime she didn’t commit. All before the killer interrupts their trip to the altar – permanently.

FTC Full Disclosure – I received a digital ARC of this book from the author.