In Nashville, carpenter Whitney Whitaker is ecstatic when the owner of an antebellum livery stable approaches her about rehabbing the barn and offers Whitney free rein with the design. While unproven, it’s rumored that the building once served as part of the Underground Railroad. The project presents a unique opportunity to work on a site of significance and help preserve history, and she convinces her cousin to take a chance on the old property.
When a local journalist reporting on the renovation is found dead on the property, investigators suspect he might have been murdered for any one of several exposés he’d published about local politicians, movers, and shakers. Whitney wonders if there’s more to the story and whether the journalist’s fate might be tied directly to the stable renovation. Can she solve the murder and bring a killer to justice? Or might this goal be too lofty?
Two of my favorite cozy mystery authors are at the point in their series that the protagonist is pregnant, and I am so happy. Mainly it shows a character progression in the characters that I think quite a few authors don’t acknowledge: Life goes on. I can think of some authors that also don’t know when it is time to say good-bye to a character, but I digress. Whitney and Colin are experiencing a lifetime moment, and Whitney shows that she is fully aware now of the dangers, but also how important what she is doing is. It was very well written.
I also enjoyed the historical aspect but wish it had been more integrated into the novel. Instead, I feel that the vegetarian diner was more of an integral part, and while healthy living is something everyone should consider, it just felt more like a soap box than a mystery.
Overall, I rate this novel 4 out of 5 stars.
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