Sleuth Sisters

We love our sisters, right? It's just that sometimes we love them because of, and sometimes we love them in spite of. But when murder's the crime and solving's your line, sisters count on sisters. It's a family thing.

When Retta's "gentleman friend" is accused of murder, the Sleuth Sisters take on the case. Winston Darrow is a charmer, but his secrets create trouble that spills onto Retta, Barb, Faye, and even police chief Rory Neuencamp. Someone is out to get Win, someone he claims is the real killer. While Retta admits Win is less trustworthy than her daffy Newfoundland dog, she insists he's not a murderer. Dogs become an issue when Faye rescues a mutt she finds hurt on the road.

The abrupt disappearance of the renters at the Sleuth Sisters' family farm presents Faye with the chance to do something she's always dreamed of: start a draft horse rescue. The circumstances surrounding the move are strange, though, and Faye, Barb, and Retta begin to suspect that at least some of the family members didn't leave voluntarily.

Faye meets a woman at a local nursing home who claims she doesn't belong there. Investigation leads to some intriguing questions: Why did someone force Clara out of her home? How did one neighbor die and another lose his home to fire? And can a dog and a dozen chickens be part of a daring rescue?

When the FBI asks the Sleuth Sisters to attend a retreat for "Love-Able Ladies", Barb opts out, unwilling to spend a weekend celebrating the joys of being some man's "little wife". Retta is eager to go since the venue is a swanky vineyard/inn on the Leelanau Peninsula, north of Traverse City, Michigan. Never a fan of large groups of strangers, Faye would rather stay home, but since Retta needs a "wing-woman", she doesn't get a choice.

A midnight murder comes to Allport. The victim was a newcomer to Allport who was engaged to marry a local businessman’s attractive but spoiled daughter. Retta finds Frannie Habedank particularly irritating, since the younger woman commands the attention of just about any man who comes near her. Perhaps rightly and perhaps not, Retta is convinced Frannie killed her fiancé. As the Sleuth Sisters probe the mystery, they learn Frannie’s father wasn’t completely happy with his prospective son-in-law. 

Retta and her FBI-agent boyfriend stop in Green Bay, Wisconsin, for the night. Lars goes out on a mysterious errand and disappears, leaving a text message that says he's dumping Retta for an old flame. The police take the message at face value, but Retta, sure it's a lie, calls in sisters Faye and Barb. As they begin following leads, they meet three sisters who might be future versions of them: Betty, a sweetheart who loves the Green Bay Packers; DeeAnne, a dramatic type who is always in acting mode; and Lydia, a business-like grump.