An Imperfect Gift — Kate Wilhelm

Charlie Meiklejohn is a former arson detective turned private investigator. His wife Constance Leidl, is a professional psychologist. Together, they're an unbeatable team, ready to take on the most convoluted cases. The Hamlet Trap--Roman Cavanaugh runs a small theater company in Ashland, Oregon. When a new director comes to town, bringing with him and eccentric playwright, jealousies arise and tempers flare; suddenly, a man is found murdered. Ro's niece, Ginnie, is accused, but as Constance and Charlie work to unravel the mystery, they uncover a trail of secrets that threatens to tear the company apart. Smart House--Gary Elringer, computer genius, has sunk most of his company's funds into the construction of Smart House--much to the stockholders' dismay, most of whom were family and friends. But when Gary invited them all to a game of Assassin, he never dreamed he'd wind up dead for real. Constance and Charlie's investigations show that the guests all had reasons for wanting him dead--but everyone's alibis are as solid as the house itself. Which leads to the next question: Could the house be the killer? Just how smart is Smart House? Seven Kinds of Death--That was the title of Marion Olsen's most famous sculpture, but the name took on a new meaning when bodies starting turning up at her Maryland artists' colony. The case piques Constance and Charlie's sixth sense, especially since they have more suspects than they could count on five fingers. And with no more than three clues, the two detectives trap one very deadly killer.