A Little Learning — Jane Tesh

Retired beauty queen Madeline Maclin, now married to her longtime best friend, Jerry, is finally being taken seriously as a private investigator. Almost before she's settled into her new office, she's offered a job to solve a riddle left in the will of a wealthy old coot. It could be worth millions to his nephew. But before Madeline can make sense of the cryptic message, she has a suspicious death to solve.

A cigarette break turns deadly for a local elementary school teacher. Since the woman was universally loathed, the strange circumstances of her death pique Madeline's interest. She's surprised to discover both cases may be connected to hot new collectible cards that have hooked even her husband. Unfortunately for Madeline, a killer has stacked the deck.