No Nest for the Wicket — Donna Andrews

LINE YOUR DUCKS UP IN A ROW...
The hilly terrain next to the old Sprocket house that Meg Langslow and her fiance, Michael, are refurbishing is the perfect location for an "extreme" croquet field--even the legs of cows and sheep are convenient extra wickets. A sport traditionally reserved for genteel society, croquet has become all the rage in Caerphilly...until it appears someone in town has taken the "rage" a bit too literally.

AND KNOCK 'EM DEAD.
While stumbling down a steep bank after her ball, Meg encounters the body of a fresh female corpse with a mallet-sized dent in her head. If that isn't reason enough to call a time-out, it turns out that Michael knew the woman from years before. Ever curious, Meg decides that playing arm-chair sleuth is far more important than working on her game...and soon she finds herself in the perfect position to solve the murder mystery--or become the next victim.