A Malicious Midwinter — Dee Ernst

Ellie Rocca knows that inviting best-selling author Beth Graves Riley to speak at the Mt. Abrams library will score major brownie points in her small community. What she doesn't know was that a fast moving blizzard will keep Beth, and her assistant, in Mt. Abrams -- specifically, at Ellie's house. A minor inconvenience turns into a major headache as one secret after another reveals itself, including an alcoholic author, an unexpected ex-husband, and stolen stories. Ellie manages to keep her cool until Beth's body is found behind a snow bank, and she realizes that the killer sat at her dinner table the night before. Sam thinks he's knows whodunnit, but it's Ellie who realizes the key to the killer is as simple as black and white.

This novella is the fifth in the Mt. Abrams Mystery series