Quirky Sleuths. Big Murders. Very Bad Alibis.
Marnie Cobb became an HOA compliance officer because she missed one meeting, which is how democracy punishes people in Laurel Trace. She knows every fence dispute, camera angle, unauthorized paint color, pool rule, anonymous complaint, and neighbor who says "just visiting" while parking overnight for six consecutive weeks.
Then HOA president Brent Wexler is found dead in the locked pool-equipment office after Residents First Wine Night, with a violation notice pinned to his shirt. Marnie's ex-husband had argued with him. Nearly every homeowner wanted him gone. And the neighborhood reacts to homicide exactly as expected: with security footage, unsolicited theories, emergency meetings, and urgent questions about whether the pool will reopen.
But the notice on Brent's body is wrong. It is an obsolete form from an earlier version of Laurel Trace, with a layout and copier flaw Marnie recognizes. Someone weaponized neighborhood paperwork to stage a murder, and nobody in Bellwether County understands weaponized paperwork better than Marnie.
