Lineville, Iowa, is your typical small town: box-lunch auctions, doors left unlocked, and plenty of gossip. So the last thing Lineville's inhabitants expect the summer of 1920 is murder. When snooty Sophia Vander Veen, part owner of the Mineral Springs Resort, is found murdered after the disastrous Fourth of July ball, not many people are upset. But Maude Lovett, a self-styled detective who prides herself in her shrewd observation abilities, vows to get to the bottom of the murder and the malicious pranks that led up to Sophia's death. Maude makes it her duty to determine if the pranks—a snake in Sophia's closet, a headless statue in her bed, and noxious gas in her suite of rooms—and the murder were committed by the same person. With suspects from bootleggers to close acquaintances to waiters at the Mineral Springs Resort, Maude has her work cut out for her and must quickly eliminate suspects in order to squelch rising fear. With help from her niece, Lilly, and her friends; her sister, Nell; and everyone in between, Maude labors to bring justice to her once-safe town. Upon questioning her final batch of suspects, Maude learns the killer's identity and then uses herself as bait in a dangerous trap to snare the murderous perpetrator. Surprising twists, a bit of romance, and humor laced throughout are sure to keep you turning the pages until you too discover the target of Maude's iron-willed persistence.
Joann was raised in Old Forge, a small coal mining town in northeastern Pennsylvania. Her parents were poor, hardworking people of Italian descent. Growing up she faced many painful hardships. Only a teenager when she married, she suffered much abuse, causing a breakdown. Joann was barely seventeen when she bore her first child. Despite her sufferings, she was determined to raise her children with love and faith in God. She had an unusual experience as a child, causing her to believe that God had bestowed her with so many gifts and talents because He had something special for her to do with her life. This book not only answers the never-ending question: "Whatever possessed you to become a clown?" It gives hope and inspiration to others who may be suffering abuse and trials, that through faith in God and themselves, they too can overcome adversity, and live a happy, fulfilling life.
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