Murder by Sunlight by Barbara Graham is the fifth book in the “Quilted” mystery series. Publisher: Five Star, November 2013
Tennessee Sheriff Tony Abernathy and his small staff are hoping the upcoming celebration of the nation’s birthday will be a quiet one. The quilters are hanging a show and antique cars promise to liven up the parade. Life is good. And then it’s not. A man’s body is found in a tree and suddenly the county’s whole population seems embroiled in mischief, mayhem or murder. Sweet little ladies are fighting at funerals. An intruder attacks with a hammer and wrench. A woman is murdered, left in a greenhouse and plants are stolen. Blackmail, midnight memorials and a spy game complicate Tony’s job. Theo, his wife, is designing a mystery quilt (pattern included) and gathering clues at her shop, “gossip central.”
I like it. It was a laid-back type of mystery that was evenly-paced. The author did a good job in presenting a variety of suspects and I enjoyed watching Tony and his team whittle down the clues. It was nicely done and I look forward to the next book in this charming series.