DEATH WAITS IN THE DARK is the fourth book in Julia Buckley's "Writer's Apprentice" mystery series. In DEATH WAITS IN THE DARK, a mystery from the past takes center stage -- bedeviling Lena London and her friends and prompting someone to murder. I love stories that provide more than one mystery for readers to solve and require characters to find part of the puzzle in events from years before. For Lena and her crime-solving crew, in order to figure out who killed Jane Wyland, they must first unravel the puzzle of why her sister Carrie Wyland left town years ago under mysterious circumstances.

Normally, in this "Writer's Apprentice" series, the villain has been some shadowy criminal figure -- whether big shot or smaller fish. In DEATH WAITS IN THE DARK, it becomes increasingly apparent that the murderer is likely someone who is a local and possibly hiding behind a facade of respectability and small-town friendliness. While Julia Buckley includes a few favorite elements of cozy mysteries, like fun supporting characters and close friendships, she also weaves a riveting tale of secrets, suspense, and paranoia. This mystery hits Lena on a very personal level. The reputation of Lena's friend Camilla Graham's late husband is in question. Lena is attacked physically over the course of her investigation. Both of these circumstances make for a very tense situation, but Lena is determined to get to the bottom of things and find out the truth -- whether it's a painful truth or not. Julia Buckley does a wonderful job of balancing juxtapositions and keeping Lena and readers off balance while still being an entertaining mystery.

DEATH WAITS IN THE DARK is an intriguing tale of old sins haunting the present and leading to murder. The past and present are represented well in this story and all of the suspects are convincing as likely murderers. The friendship between Lena and Camilla seems stronger as Lena gets insight into Camilla's past and helps her restore her husband's good name. I like how Lena and Sam's relationship continues to evolve in this book. I eagerly await the next "Writer's Apprentice" book.