Cruel as the Grave (A Deep South Mystery)

Graduate student Maggie McLendon is at home in Houston, studying for exams, when a letter from her great aunt arrives, bearing bad news. Maggie's grandfather, Henry McLendon is seriously ill in Jackson, Mississippi. Maggie's never met her relations: her father, English professor Gerard McLendon, has been estranged from his family since Maggie was an infant; perhaps now there is one last chance for the McLendons to be reunited. The family welcomes Maggie and her father with open arms to Jackson, but almost immediately, a murderer strikes—and Gerard McLendon is the chief suspect. But when the killer strikes a second time, it looks like Maggie’s father could be the next victim... Racing against time, Maggie delves deep into the mystery surrounding her grandmother’s suspicious death 25 years ago and discovers long-held family secrets that could lead her straight to the killer. If only she can get there in time to save her father...