Bad Reputation — Jane Tesh

KILLER TALENT

Private detective Madeline Maclin thought she'd seen scorched-earth take-no-prisoners catfighting back during her beauty queen days. But even she's stunned at the battle wealthy Wendall Clarke ignites upon his return to Celosia, North Carolina. Bad enough he's flinging his new trophy wife, Flora, in his ex-wife's and his ex-mistress's faces. But when he uses his new art gallery to pit them and Celosia's amateur artists against each other, things get ugly fast -- and Wendall pays the ultimate price.

Madeline already has her hands full helping her husband, Jerry, a former con man, figure out who's trying to set him up. But when a desperate Flora hires her to clear her name, Madeline discovers that most of those who hated Wendall aren't what they seem. And the only way she can see gh their genteel lies and malicious maneuvers is to beat one clever killer to a lethal photo finish…