Her date stood her up. Turns out, he had a good excuse.

Librarian Ann Beckett didn't expect much from her blind date. She just didn't expect to find him dead.

When a well-meaning patron sets Ann up with her great-nephew Roger Walton, Ann reluctantly agrees—figuring the worst that could happen is an awkward evening. But when she arrives at Roger's house and finds him beside a smoking grill with no pulse, the date gets a lot more complicated.

Since Ann is the one who discovered the body, the police are asking questions, and the small town of Whitby is buzzing with rumors. Roger had enemies—a bitter former coworker with a grudge, family tensions no one will talk about, and a past that keeps surfacing in unexpected places.

Between managing the library, fielding nosy questions from her patrons, and looking after a stray cat who's taken up residence in her life, Ann can't help but dig a little deeper. Because if she doesn't find out who killed Roger, someone else in Whitby might be next.