MURDER IN THE MASTER

A Chesapeake village rocked by murder

A family empire resented

A friend accused

Real estate rule #1: A dead body creates buzz. A dead body in a house for sale is never the buzz you want.

It isn’t the first-time real estate agent Helen Morrisey has found someone naked in bed while showing a house. But this one is different. One glance at the bluish cast around his lips and the vacant, staring eyes, and Helen knows developer Al Capelli is never going to sign another sales agreement.

His death is big news for a small Chesapeake water town where a family empire is built around secrets and their brash money style is resented by locals. Within days, his lover, her old friend, begs Helen to find the killer before she’s arrested for murder. Helen quickly realizes that solving a murder mystery in real life is a lot more dangerous than reading one. She decides to create her own Detection Club of expert sleuths—Miss Marple, Jessica Fletcher, Nora Charles, Agatha Raisin, and, yes, Nancy Drew to help unearth the truth.

Detective Joe McAlister recognizes Helen’s insight into back office real estate deals and local players. And for the first time since her husband’s death, Helen meets a man who might return zingers as quick as she tosses them out. Mystery lovers hungry for a smart gutsy woman, a fast-moving plot, and an insider’s look into a business everyone talks about, but few understand, will devour this first in a series.

. . .

"We should all have a friend like Helen Morrisey--smart, loyal, with a penchant for channeling a Detectives Club's worth of famous sleuths. Judy L. Murray offers a well-crafted debut whodunit that will keep you guessing until the very end." 

~ Annette Dashofy, USA Today bestselling author of the Zoe Chambers Mysteries

"Murder in the Master opens with a bang, when the engaging protagonist, realtor Helen Morrisey, finds the dead body of much-loathed builder. After her best friend is charged with murder, Helen draws inspiration from fictional sleuths, from Nancy Drew to Nora Charles, in her quirky, but believable, quest for the truth. Filled with clever plot twists, well-placed red herrings, and a very satisfying conclusion."

~ Lori Robbins, Indy Award-winner of the On Pointe Mysteries

"Meet Helen Morrisey, full-time realtor, part-time amateur sleuth who takes her inspiration from famous literary female detectives. Fans of traditional mysteries will cheer as she steadfastly gathers the clues to solve a double murder. The twist at the end was both surprising and satisfying. 

~ Colleen Shogan, Washington Whodunit Mysteries