The Body in the Casket: A Faith Fairchild Mystery by Katherine Hall Page

Faith is asked to cater a birthday party for an older man at his home.  He wants her to live in over the weekend for the party.  She's open to that and agrees.  Then he tells her the real reason he wants her there.  Someone sent him a casket and he thinks it's a death threat.  She can't argue about that...

William Morrow and Edelweiss shared a copy of this book with me for review (thank you).  It will be published December 5th.

Faith works with his butler getting everything set up and learning her duties.  She finds that the owner has invited everyone from his failed production.  It's an odd choice for a birthday but it's his choice.

Some of those invited die before they can get there.  One from natural causes, the other might have been an accident or suicide.  Faith is wondering how many others will die.

The birthday boy invites his cousin to fill in the blank spot and he drinks too much.  He's the next to die.  He was playing around in the desk drawer in the library and got bit by a poisonous snake someone had placed there.  It should have been the owner, not the cousin.  So now the murderer has to get more creative.

When the murderer is unmasked, I was surprised.  Everybody had reason to wish the owner dead, but the author adds a neat twist to the end.  It's a good thing that Faith followed her instincts.  It's what keeps her alive.