While attending a funeral in Badin, mourners receive word
of a drowning at a nearby dam. The victim was diving alone,
a careless mistake the experienced diver should not have
made. When aconite is found in his system, his death is
considered suspicious. Peggy returns home to Charlotte to
find herself investigating yet another drowning as the
newly contracted forensic biologist with the police
department. The second victim, found floating in her
swimming pool, is considered an open-and-shut case of
accidental drowning, until Peggy discovers similarities
between this case and the drowning in Badin. Things turn
personal when her friend is arrested and charged with
murder.
In addition to trying to prove her friend innocent, Peggy
has to deal with competition against her business, The
Potting Shed, and the intriguing Nightflyer, who wants to
meet in person. Added to these stressors, Peggy's boyfriend
Steve wants to take their relationship to the next step of
cohabitation. As Peggy struggles to put all the pieces
together and deal with the day-to-day adventure that's her
life, the evidence is taking her in some unexpected
directions.
PERFECT POISON by Jim and Joyce Lavene is a fabulous
whodunit that will keep readers guessing and happily
turning pages to the unexpected end. Peggy Lee is a most
entertaining sleuth and her Southern gentility is like a
breath of fresh air. The Lavenes have a strong grasp of
Southern flavor and share it beautifully with their
readers. I loved the story, I loved the sense of the South,
and I was pleasantly surprised with the resolution of this
creatively crafted story. This one's a keeper!
When drowned bodies start surfacing with an unusual plant
caught in one of the victims’ hair, forensic botanist and
detective’s widow Peggy Lee is on the case.