Mile High Murder

Book excerpt: A trip to Denver to research legalized marijuana turns into a murder case: “Very entertaining…[the] solution is both surprising and memorable.”—Booklist It’s a well-known fact that some members of the cancer-survivor support group Hannah Ives works with take marijuana. Recreational use of the drug may be illegal, but a few, like Maryland State Senator Claire Thompson, are prescribed it on medical grounds. Now Claire has co-sponsored a Cannabis Legalization Bill—and wants Hannah to be part of a fact-finding task force that testifies before the Maryland State Senate. Before long, Hannah is in Denver, Colorado, the Mile High City, staying at a B&B with a group of pot pilgrims and medical refugees—some of whom, like her, are on a mission for information. But when one of the group is found dead, and a closer inspection of the body reveals they may not be who they seem, Hannah is plunged into a dangerous cocktail of drugs and death. From the Agatha and Anthony Award-winning author, this is an involving mystery starring a “heroine who must not be missed” (Sujata Massey, author of The Salaryman’s Wife). “Witty, well-constructed…Talley takes the reader on a timely and illuminating trip into the often befuddling world of marijuana legislation.”—Publishers Weekly “Hannah Ives tackles life’s up and downs with humor, intelligence, and courage.”—Deborah Crombie, Macavity Award-winning author “In this American version of a manor-house mystery, Hannah has to figure out who among the guests—a young academic couple, a naval cadet, senior citizens on their way to a wedding—is hiding what…[an] amusingly colorful setting.”—Kirkus Reviews