Jessa Archer

A Murder at the Devil's Ball Jessa Archer

Retired kindergarten teacher and Lady Captain Beatrice "Bee" Yates is in charge of the Canterbury Golf Club's annual Halloween masquerade party, the Devil's Ball. A storm blows up and wipes out the clubhouse's road, stranding the partygoers at the club for the night, and one of the guests winds up dead at the bottom of a staircase. Everyone assumes a terrible accident occurred in the fatal fall of the vivacious and flirtatious Vanessa, but Bee suspects foul play. The strategically placed golf tees at the top of the staircase seem to have been scattered after her terrible fall. Club members and guests alike are suspects as Bee tries to investigate who could have killed the belle of the Devil's Ball, but she has to keep her suspicions as quiet as a golf professional's tee shot because the social club has money problems. The club needs new members, but no one would join a golf club right after yet another murder. With all the prospective new members and club members huddled in the clubhouse during the howling New England nor'easter, finding out who killed Vanessa becomes imperative before the murderer kills again.