Benjamin Perkins is devoted to his family and their soapmaking business, Where There's Soap, so he doesn't think his behavior of protecting his sister, Louisa, is that unusual. When he finds the shop's main supplier, Jerry Sanger, who's also Louisa's boyfriend, dead at their shop from a broken neck and lye splashed on his face, Louisa becomes the prime suspect. And Benjamin will stop at nothing to clear her name.

Benjamin's good friend, Molly, who he's dated on and off, is the police officer assigned the case. Things become strained between them when he starts seeing Kelly, Louisa's attorney. So in between teaching his soapmaking classes, helping his brothers with a remodeling project and taking care of the paperwork, he does his own private investigative work. Delving into Jerry's sordid life, Benjamin discovers that the other soapmakers and suppliers in the area are shocked by the crime, but not surprised. After Louisa's apartment and Benjamin's car are vandalized, he fears for his family. But that doesn't stop him from trying to bring the vandal/killer to the surface. Will he succeed?

DEAD MEN DON'T LYE is the first installment in Myers' new Soapmaking Mysteries. Author of the Lighthouse Inn Mysteries and the Candlemaking Mysteries, this new series should prove to have the same charm and suspense. This story is a family drama filled with normal sibling rivalry and devotion. There are also soapmaking tips that round out the flavor and aroma of the mystery. I anxiously await the next installments.