When Avery Baker's friend, bed and breakfast owner Kate McGillicutty finally agrees to say "I Do" with her beau, Waterfield police chief Wayne Rasmussen, Avery and her boyfriend and partner Derek Ellis decide to renovate the carriage house behind the B&B as a wedding present for their friends.

It's a big project but things are moving along nicely -- that is until Avery discovers the lifeless body of Kate's former husband among the renovation mess and all work and wedding plans grind to a halt. Despite being the police chief's girlfriend, Kate is a prime suspect in the mysterious death, and Avery is determined to help clear her friend's name.

And if trying to solve a mystery wasn't stressful enough, Avery's mom decides to pop in for a visit to "meet" i.e. examine Derek. But Avery tries to stay focused, and as the clues begin to come together, the folks of the small Maine town are bound to be in for a shock as to who the killer really is.

PLASTER AND POISON, author Jennie Bentley's third installment of her popular Do-It-Yourself Mystery series, continues the story of former New York designer Avery and the usually contented life she leads in her new surroundings. In addition to a thrilling story that keeps the readers guessing and turning pages, Bentley includes tips for wallpapering, creating a romantic headboard and a bouquet of darling paper flowers.