Publishers Weekly
07/03/2017
In Agatha-finalist Harris’s engrossing 10th Aurora Teagarden novel (after 2016’s All the Little Liars), the Lawrenceton, Ga., librarian and first-time mother comes down with the flu just as her mystery writer husband, Robin Crusoe, is about to leave town for an important writers’ conference. Aurora is relieved when home aide Virginia Mitchell agrees to help with the baby, Sophie, while Robin is away. When Aurora is awakened in the middle of the night by Sophie’s wails, she discovers that Virginia has disappeared—and there’s a body in the back yard. The dead woman turns out to be Tracy Beal, who once stalked Robin and tried to murder Aurora. Did Virginia kill her, or did a neighbor really see Robin lurking about the back yard around the time that Tracy died? Harris smoothly weaves together several seemingly unrelated threads to create a richly layered tale of how the bad choices people make in life can come back to haunt them. 100,000-copy announced first printing; author tour. Agent: Joshua Bilmes, JABberwocky Literary. (Sept.)
From the Publisher
Don’t be lulled. This is Charlaine Harris, who is the equal of the legendary Shirley Jackson in conveying the sinister lurking beneath the everyday.”
— Booklist
"Harris smoothly weaves together several seemingly unrelated threads to create a richly layered tale of how the bad choices people make in life can come back to haunt them."
— Publishers Weekly
Library Journal
08/01/2017
In her tenth outing (after All the Little Liars), Aurora Teagarden is tending her newborn but is laid low by the flu while her husband is at a conference. At the same time, her nurse disappears and a body is found in her backyard. There may be too many details of family life for some, but this entry is certain to be a hit with fans of the series and the Hallmark TV show featuring the protagonist. [See Prepub Alert, 3/23/17.]—LH
Kirkus Reviews
2017-07-04
Librarian Aurora Teagarden copes with motherhood and murder.It's all hands on deck as Roe comes down with the flu while caring for her new arrival, Sophie Abigail Crusoe. Her husband, Robin, is in Nashville at Bouchercon, where his latest mystery, Panel of Experts, is up for the prestigious Anthony Award. Her mom is away at a family reunion, and her teenage half brother, Phillip, although willing to pitch in, is still recovering from being kidnapped (All the Little Liars, 2016). So Roe hires Virginia Mitchell, who helped out right after Sophie's birth, to stay overnight and shower mom and baby with a little extra TLC. At first, the baby minder is wonderful with Sophie, leaving Roe free to cope with her increasingly severe illness. But on the third morning, Roe awakens to the sound of her firstborn's piteous wails and sees that Virginia is nowhere to be found. Instead, there's an unknown corpse in the backyard with a terrible head wound. Robin rushes home; the police cordon off the crime scene, but as the investigation drags on, they make no progress in solving the murder or finding Virginia. Meanwhile, neighbors carp about the commotion, and friends begin to speculate that Roe and Robin may have had a hand in the grisly affair. Harris writes cozies to reckon with. But her world is surprisingly insular. Kids are often bullies or delinquents, Jewish neighbors whiny and demanding, African-Americans irresponsible or criminal. Can't Harris, who endowed Sookie Stackhouse with a fantastic array of vampires, werewolves, shape-shifters, and fairies, spare some diversity for Lawrenceton?
