The circumstances of Aunt Bitty’s accidental death don’t make a lot of sense to Ivy and soon after her arrival in Winter Break, she receives a mysterious, anonymous note suggesting that Bitty’s death was not an accident.

As a youngster Ivy had spent a lot of time with Aunt Bitty, helping her run her beloved book store in Winter Break. One of Ivy’s childhood friends is now the Sheriff in Winter Break and he is sympathetic to Ivy’s concerns and agrees to investigate the situation.

A stranger shows up in town prepared to make a generous cash offer for the inventory of Bitty’s book store, adding another element to the growing puzzle.

Ivy has a lot of decisions to make. It was her aunt’s hope that Ivy would carry on the business of running the bookstore and growing the collection of treasured old masterpieces but Ivy’s view of her future doesn’t include the little town of Winter Break. And then there’s the matter of old relationships being rekindled.

But first she must find out the truth about Aunt Bitty’s death and the list of suspects seems to include almost everyone in Winter Break.

This book is listed as a Christian Mystery and although it has a healthy dose of Scripture and ethics, it’s not overly preachy. It’s more like a story that deals with a group of folks with Christian values.  Author Nancy Mehl makes sure that the reader understands that a brutal murder has been committed and that the killer is very likely still close to other vulnerable citizens. She does a great job of concealing the identity of the murderer, guaranteed to stump even the most serious whodunit fans.

Rumor has it that Ivy Curtis will be back for future adventures. I can hardly wait.