Who Invited the Dead Man? (Thoroughly Southern Mysteries, No. 3) by Patricia Houck Sprinkle

Sixty-something-year-old MacLaren Yarbrough has celebrated enough birthdays in her lifetime to think she's seen it all. But this year, at a birthday gala hosted in honor of her husband Joe Riddley, a mysterious murder is about to shake up the party.

With a man lying dead in her house with a bullet in his head, MacLaren must track down the killer and clear her family name before the authorities wrap up their own investigation—all the while managing Yarbrough's Feed, Seed, and Nursery, tackling her newfound duties as the town magistrate, and caring for a spouse suffering from severe brain trauma.

In a race against the clock, MacLaren must use her sweet-talk sleuthing to unravel the secrets of Hopemore, Georgia, because in a town with no strangers, a homicide is the strangest it gets.

“Sprinkle has a gift for developing a full, rich world.” —Publisher’s Weekly

“Sprinkle entertains and enchants her readers. Her characters are so real you’ll find yourself believing you grew up with them.” —Christian Retailing

"Sprinkle has a real eye for regional culture and traditions. . . . She tackles weighty subject matter with a steady hand and a reassuring touch.” —Atlanta Journal Constitution

"Sprinkle’s characters are fantastic, her Southern settings shine, and her stories always mesmerize.” —Roundtable Reviews