The Grim Steeper

Amateur witch Phoebe Winchester inherited the Earl’s Study (a combination tea parlor and book shop in Raven Creek) from her aunt, and she and her staff are excited to host their first major event, at which renowned birder Sebastian Marlow will sign his new book, then lead a hiking excursion the next day. When Sebastian shows up with an obnoxious, demanding entourage, Phoebe is worried. But the book signing goes well, and Sebastian announces that he hopes to put Raven Creek on the map. He thinks that the nearby woods are home to a bird thought to be extinct. But before the birding excursion, someone stabs Sebastian in the back. Phoebe teams up with a childhood friend, now a private eye, to investigate suspects, which include Sebastian’s entourage—particularly when a sleazy lawyer is killed at the same spot. Although the Raven Creek grocer had an argument with the lawyer, Phoebe’s convinced someone else killed both men.