Two Bites Too Many

All their lives, it has been their mother guiding them through to adulthood. Now Sarah and Emily Blair have become "the Parent" as they try to clear their mother of murder.  In Two Bites Too Many by Debra H. Goldstein, Maybelle is found with blood on her hands leaning over the body of the bank president. (Two Bites Too Many was published by Kensington Books on September 24.)

That's bad enough, but Lance Knowlton had just rejected  Emily's plans for a bridge loan to remodel her burned out restaurant and also open an upscale one in Sarah's vintage house. Lance claims his loan officer Bailey turned them down, even though Maybelle had guaranteed the loan. 

As they are leaving Lance's office another angry bank client tries to force his way into the office. It seems Lance and Bailey had called Cliff's loan for no apparent reason, angering him as well as Maybelle. 

When Lance is found dead in his office, there are plenty of suspects but none as apparent as Maybelle. While trying to clear her mother, Sarah discovers some interesting facts about Cliff, Thomas and her neighbor George Rogers that might make them all suspects. While Emily waits for her loan to be approved for the restaurant repairs, she unwisely decides to work as a chef for Thomas Howell at his Birmingham Howellian luxury hotel. Sarah warns her not to do it because she believes the hotel's restaurant might be competition for Southwinds and Emily's association with both might be confusing. 

Debra H. Goldstein has written another witty, charming mystery featuring her intrepid amateur sleuth Sarah Blair. 

Disclosure: I received this book from the publisher via NetGalley.