Beads of Doubt — Barbara Burnett Smith

When Senator Kitzi Camden retired, she dreamed of doing what she loved best -- beading. She certainly didn't plan to try her hand at amateur sleuthing. But trouble seems to find her wherever she goes even in her own backyard...

The Old Camden Family Manse in Austin, home to Kitzi and her mother, is eight thousand square feet of magnificently restored Southern splendor. And Kitzi and her best friend have the place sparkling like a jewel for the upcoming Bead Tea charity event. But the mood abruptly changes when a crafty cousin threatens to take over the manse, leaving Kitzi and her mother on the street.

Then her cousin's beady-eyed partner is found dead in a Dumpster nearby. There are plenty of suspects at the Tea -- and Kitzi's one of them. Now, with the help of her beau, Nate, she has to save her home and reputation -- and tie up the loose ends before the murderer draws a bead on her...