Footnotes of a Murder (Maggie Rose, #1)

She came for rest and relaxation. She got crime scene tape, suspicious stares, and a basset with a flair for drama.

Third-grade teacher Maggie Rose was ready for tropical breezes, not body bags. But one wrong turn in the Hawaiian jungle lands her face-down beside a dead professor—with half the island’s secrets suddenly stacked against her.

The local cops are ready to close the case, the villagers are keeping their lips zipped tighter than Aunt Winnie’s purse at a yard sale, and Maggie’s only ally lives a continent away. Her only help comes from a basset hound puppy named Columbo—equal parts charm, drool, and an unshakable belief that barking counts as detective work.

With a cryptic flash drive, a suspiciously sentimental scrapbook, and a suspect list that reads like a who's-who of bad intentions, Maggie’s tropical vacation is turning into a crash course in survival.

If she can’t crack the case before the real killer vanishes, she might be trading in her leis for orange jumpsuits. Paradise has never looked so dangerous—or so delightfully devious.

Perfect for fans of laugh-out-loud cozy mysteries, very determined sleuths, and page-turners with more twists than a plumeria lei.