Death of a Dream Maker

THE SECRET LOVES OF SENIOR SLEUTHS--AND A MOST UNTIMELY MURDER! Skeletons clatter merrily out of closets, in the third witty murder mystery of the delightfully cozy Hubbert and Lil mystery series-not the least of which is the disclosure of 84-year-old Lil's twenty-year secret love affair."Gray has the rare talent of being able to combine humor with sensitivity, and high comedy with realisticportrayals of genuine people."-The Virginian-PilotIn this one, everybody's favorite elderly amateur sleuth and her doting nephew-an unlikely but veritable dynamic duo-take on New York City's fashionistas and, quite unfortunately, the mob. At the tender age of 84, Aunt Lil has no shortage of gentlemen callers. So it's not exactly a surprise when she interrupts her favorite nephew and sleuthing partner-in-crime T.S. (at yet another failed attempt at making Crème Brulee) to beg for help. This time she needs a hand tidying up her Flushing apartment-which was once likened to Times Square just moments after midnight on New Year's Eve-in anticipation of a male visitor. What is surprising is the fact that T.S. has never heard of the guy-a man named Max Rosenbloom, fabled multimillionaire owner of Max Rose Fashions. And it's a downright shock that Max and Lil been secretly seeing each other-for over twenty years. But when Max is an hour late, Aunt Lil falls into an uncharacteristic daze. And after she asks T.S. to "leave her alone"-a phrase thus far absent from her vocabulary, a radio bulletin breaks the news of the quarter-century: Max has been killed in a car bomb explosion in Manhattan. Lil is overtaken with a private grief-which worries T.S., because, quite frankly, she's never been private about much of anything-until she snaps out of it with the realization that her planned meeting with Max and his untimely death must be connected.Convinced the love of her life has been murdered in cold blood, she resolves to solve the puzzling crime-with trusty T.S. by her side. Together, Aunt Lil and T.S. investigate the sophisticated trappings of the world of Manhattan fashion-including the lethal underbelly of the mob-controlled rag trade, white collar corporate embezzlement, and family secrets so chilling they leave even Aunt Lil speechless. Because Max was filthy rich and in proverbial bed with the mob, there's no end to the list of suspects. But the list becomes one less when Max's own favorite nephew turns up dead. Could it be murder has become fashionable in the garment district? A delectable treat for cozy fans, especially if you love Miss Marple, Miss Silver, Miss Seeton, Mrs. Pollifax, Jessica Fletcher, Agatha Raisin, Henrie O, and Hercule Poirot. If you just read The Thursday Murder Club, read this next!