Mystery 101: Words Can Kill

People are descending on Elmstead College in Garrison, Washington for the Mystery Book Festival, organized in part by English Professor Amy Winslow, who specializes in crime fiction, and which has as the keynote speaker Professor Emeritus and author of the successful Atticus Keller series of mystery books, Amy's father Graham Winslow. In addition to the legion of fans including Hannah Steinhousen, President of the Graham Winslow fan club Frankfurt chapter, Graham will find people at the event with who he has long burned bridges, including author Rick Fitch, formerly a friend who stole the idea of what was to be Graham's first book - Rick never having achieved the success enjoyed by Graham - and Betsy Crane, Graham's former and Rick's current editor, she who it is rumored leaked that manuscript of Graham's to Rick. The event also marks the first time Graham meets his current New York based editor, Celia Bunton, with who he has only communicated electronically up to this point. Graham's animosity toward Celia in her push to have his books be made into a series of movies changes upon meeting her, she the first woman since the death of his wife/Amy's mother who he would like to get to know in a personal sense. Someone unexpected at the festival is Reno Police Detective Phil Jenk, who Graham had once hired as a consultant on one of his books. Phil had received a mysterious invitation to the event, with some coded message concerning Graham. In the process of the event, a few crimes occur, including a break in at Amy's office where nothing seemed to be stolen. But of a more serious nature is a series of murders. Detective Travis Burke and his partner, Amy's former student Claire Tate, lead the investigations. While Travis has now expected and welcomes Amy's involvement in most investigations, he has to limit her direct involvement on these cases, which may douse the flames of what has been the sexual tension between them.—Huggo