Extra Credit (A Murder 101 Mystery, 7)

Extra Credit (A Murder 101 Mystery, 7)

Alison Bergeron has her doubts about hosting a birthday party for her twin stepdaughters, seeing as it'll include all of her new husband's ex-in-laws. Still, she's a good sport, and everyone has a great time, especially the girls, who receive $10,000 from their estranged uncle, Chick. The girls' father, NYPD Detective Bobby Crawford, and Christine, his ex, think the gift is too much. When Crawford swings by Chick's apartment to return it, he finds Chick dead, with roughly $250,000 stuffed in his mattress. The death is ruled a suicide, but Christine isn't convinced, and even Alison can't help but admit that there must be a lot more to Chick's death than meets the eye. Extra Credit , the latest in Maggie Barbieri's stellar Murder 101 series, finds Alison and Bobby delving into family secrets they'd both rather leave untouched. Nothing good comes from being involved with a spouse’s ex-inlaws, college professor and amateur sleuth Alison Bergeron discovers. The birthday party she hosts for husband NYPD Detective Bobby Crawford’s twin 19-year-old daughters turns bizarre when the girls’ long-lost uncle, Chick Stepkowski, presents an unseemly monetary gift. When Crawford returns it, he finds Chick dying, an apparent suicide, in a decrepit apartment with $250,000 in cash in his mattress. Convinced that her brother’s death is murder, Crawford’s ex, Christine, turns to Alison, who’s neglecting her best friend, Max, and suspecting a stepdaughter of cheating on an exam. Meanwhile Alison’s beloved dog is poisoned, followed by home and car break-ins, and the only bright spot in Alison’s life seems to be her new creative-writing student, a stylish woman who offers pastries and sympathy. Crawford and Max repeatedly urge Alison to give up sleuthing but to no avail. Barbieri continues her characters’ development in the sixth of her series of entertaining chick-lit cozies. --Michele Leber "Diverting." - Publishers Weekly "A must-read for fans." - RT Book Reviews MAGGIE BARBIERI is a freelance editor as well as a mystery novelist. Her father was a member of the NYPD, and his stories provide much of the background for her novels.