Dead Center — Mary Collins

DEAD CENTERJanet Keith is just one of the artists who occupy the old building at 706 Montgomery St. She comes from money, but she wants to be a writer. Her fellow residents-all artists, Bohemians one and all-put up with her, but most of them feel like she doesn't belong. Then, after a party where Bob Ehman's wife Anne antagonizes just about everyone, Keith finds her brutally murdered body in the workroom the next day, and immediately starts playing detective, trying to find out which one of them did it.Suspicion first falls on Rosman, the labor organizer. He'd been at the party. But outside of being a thorn in the side of the police, he had no motive. Still, the artists are relieved when Rosman is pulled in for questioning, because there is a real fear that all their past secrets will come out. And with Keith making everyone's business her own, it is only a matter of time before the murderer strikes again.