Two sleuths. One scandal. And a murder that could ruin everything.
When Maddie Brooke welcomes guests to the Magnolia Blossom Inn, she expects sweet tea, southern charm... and maybe a little gossip.
She does not expect murder.
A summer visit brings Meredith and Sheriff Doug Gardner of Meadowood, Ohio to Charlottesville with their son Johnny, a top contender for a prestigious UVA baseball scholarship. But when an elite admissions advisor is found dead after a private luncheon with university insiders, Johnny becomes the prime suspect?caught on camera near the scene and tied to damning evidence. Yankee detective, Allen Crawford, butts heads with Doug Gardner as both lawmen survey the evidence and come to different conclusions. Allen sees Johnny as a person of interest, especially with blood on his sleeve. Doug sees a son, innocent, and caught up in a crime he didn't commit.
With tensions rising between local authorities and Doug?far outside his jurisdiction?Meredith turns to Maddie for help. Together, the two women must untangle a web of whispered accusations, rival ambitions, and dangerous secrets lurking beneath the surface of UVA's admissions process. There is more than a university's reputation at stake.
As Maddie follows the money and Meredith fights to clear her son's name, they uncover a scandal far more sinister than anyone imagined?one worth killing to protect. The women risk their own lives twice as they seek the killer.
Now, with reputations, futures, and families on the line, Merry and Maddie must expose the truth ... before the wrong person pays the ultimate price.