It's spring 1942. Caroline Graham is six months pregnant, overweight, irritable, and most decidedly bored with her "delicate" condition. She hates being tied down and resents her husband Cyril and her cousin Edward for being off on assignment and having fun while she's confined to the village. She grows more restless each day, and her good friend and confidant Leslie Atwater does his best to boost her spirits but fails miserably. What Caroline needs is a problem to solve, "something juicy" to challenge her mind. And, of course, that's exactly what she gets.<br><br>Be careful what you wish for.<br><br>First there's a rash of poison pen letters circulating in the village. Librarian Elspeth Hunter receives a letter, and is the first to die, presumably by her own hand. Other deaths follow. Are the sudden deaths connected to the letters? As weeks pass and the bodies mount, Caroline and Leslie discover a pattern that suggests something more sinister is at work. With Leslie's help, Caroline must use all her cunning and put her life at risk to uncover a cold-blooded murderer -- a remorseless killer who continues to raise the stakes in a deadly game of malice.

A Deadly Game of Malice

“Whatever do you mean?” She flashed him a beguiling smile, and looked impishly over the top of her glasses; the thick lenses hid what he thought was one of her best qualities—her dark brown eyes.


Chocolate. Yes, I’ll have the cake. “You’re always saving me. First from that ass Clive Langdon.” He turned around, hoping Clive hadn’t overheard him, but the idiot was involved in an animated conversation with the postmistress. He breathed more easily. “You did it again just now. Saved me from going insane listening to the biggest gossip in the village.”


She laughed and jabbed his elbow in a playful manner. “Flora spoke about some anonymous letters making the rounds. Rather rotten things, I imagine, full of spiteful accusations.”


“Yes. We know Elspeth and Holly received them, too.”


Chapter 15