The current case Lonnie wants her to investigate is one concerning a murder that occurred over 6 years ago, that of Isabella Barney who was shot through the peephole in her front door. Rather unfortunately Lonnie regular private investigator, Morely Shine has just dropped dead from a heart attack which is why the work has landed on Kinsey’s desk.

This is a real traditional detective story with Kinsey having to trail back and forth across various locations in Santa Teresa, interviewing all manner of people and asking them for their recollections of what happens all those years ago. Only Kinsey could possibly piece together the various bits of the puzzle although as she delves deeper she finds that Morely was also on the same track and perhaps his death wasn’t the death by natural causes it at first appeared.

There’s a delightful start of a sub-plot concerning Kinsey’s landlord Henry Pitts’ brother William who has come to convalesce for a while. William who is well into his eighties strikes up a relationship with none other than Kinsey’s favourite restaurant owner, the indomitable Rosie. The book also sees a brief appearance of Kinsey’s one time lover, policeman Jonah Robb.

An excellent addition to the superb alphabet series.