J B Hawker

A Body in the Belfry J B Hawker

A low moan penetrated Merrill's illness-and-antihistamine-befogged dreams, pulling her from a deep sleep. Squinting through sleep-glazed eyes at the unfamiliar room, she recalled where she was. The bedroom walls of her new home seemed to be vibrating with the deep bellow of a fog-horn. When high-pitched whines and squeals followed the low rumble, she blinked and sat up in alarm. Small town secrets can lead to big trouble. When Reverend Merrillanne Bishop accepts leadership of the First Baptist church in the picturesque seaside community of Bannoch, Oregon, she doesn't know what to expect. Not everybody is pleased with the idea of a female pastor, but Merrill is determined to prove to everybody-including herself-that she belongs in the pulpit. Merrill has a talent for seeing the good in even the worst situations and soon finds friends. When she meets Peter, a Seattle reporter offering her more than friendship, life seems sweet. But the bliss of romantic moonlit walks and seaside bonfires withers one stormy night when Merrill discovers a body in her church's bell tower. As the frightening discoveries continue, Merrill struggles to comfort her flock, knowing full-well one of them could be a killer.