The Sweet Scent of Murder
Susan P. Baker
Five Star, Feb 2007, $25.95
ISBN: 1594144699

In Houston, private investigator Mavis Davis obtains a strange client through her part-time Lamar High School receptionist Candy Finkelstein. A wealthy classmate of Candy, eighteen-year-old Tommy Lawson wants to hire Mavis to find his missing younger sister Jeanine whom he thinks might be in trouble. Though she agrees to take the case gratis, he leaves her with a sizable fee anyway.

She begins her inquiries at Lamar, but finds out nothing. Mavis next visits the parents of the two teens at their affluent exclusive River Oaks estate, but neither Hilary nor Harrison seem concerned that their daughter vanished; in fact they invite Mavis to join the party they are hosting. She was going to refuse until she learns her client has also disappeared. At the party, while Harrison seems to mock her, he suddenly collapses and dies. As Mavis continues her inquiries over the chagrin of her police sergeant boyfriend, she is charged with being an accessory to the kidnapping of a minor; now the case is personal.

Readers will appreciate the efforts of Mavis and Candy as they investigate the disappearance of two teen siblings whose parents seem indifferent to the vanishings. The case spins out of control when the father of her client dies. Fans of female sleuthing stories will enjoy this delightfully baked tale as the courageous protagonist tries to do what she believes is the right thing though that disturbs her boyfriend the cop.

Harriet Klausner