The Passed Prop by Anne Hagan

Chloe Rossi wants to retire with her husband and move away from suburban sprawl to bucolic Morelville; the only trouble is, Morelville is experiencing its worst crime wave ever and Marco Rossi wants no part of a move there. What to do?Faye Crane would like nothing more than to have her good friend Chloe move closer to her and to Chloe’s own daughter. She’s got Chloe convinced it’s a smart move but Marco is a tougher nut to crack. A string of brutal, ritualistic style murders around Halloween with no witnesses and little evidence to work with has Fayes’ Sheriff daughter and her entire department stymied. Marco is second guessing even taking his retirement since Sheriff Mel can’t get a handle on the killings and bring peace and wellbeing back to the tiny village.Someone has to root out a killer. Can Faye and Chloe nose around and figure out what the police can’t to solve the crimes? If they do, will Marco still waver or will he consent to move? This is the first book in a new spin-off series from the Morelville Mysteries series by Anne Hagan. The book stands alone but, if you’re interested in getting all of the Crane and Rossi families back story, you should check out the fifth book in the first series, Viva Mama Rossi!If Faye and Chloe were 35 years younger, they could give Stephanie Plum and Lula, from the Janet Evanovich series that features them, a run for their money. They arent quite to the Miss Marple stage from the Agatha Christie novels yet but they do have to work crime solving in, in between caring for their demanding spouses - something the spinster Jane Marple never had to worry about - and around the needs of their overactive bladders. Too much coffee during the day is never a good thing during late evening stakeouts.