The Plot and the Pendulum

McKinlay’s follow-up to Killer Research is filled with chilling tricks and moments of humor to alleviate the suspense. When William Dorchester offers the family collection of 12,000 books to the Briar Creek Public Library, several friends tell library director Lindsey Norris the story of the runaway bride. Thirty years earlier, William loved Grace Hartwell, but William’s mother wouldn’t let them marry. Instead, Grace married Timothy Little, and six weeks later, she disappeared. While gossip in town said Tim killed Grace, he outlived the stories with his second marriage, children, and community involvement. William left town, but he’s back to sell the Dorchester mansion and put his mother in assisted living. When Lindsey and her friends box up the books, she finds a hidden door, a hidden room, and a skeleton that might have been there for about 30 years. Once again, gossip tears the town apart as the police investigate the cold case, and Lindsey seeks answers in the Dorchester mansion.