Murder in Aruba — Penelope Sotheby

Anna waited in silence and heard shuffling around. She was hoping her friend would be able to push open the door and they would be able to leave the stairwell. With everything going on, Anna couldn't help but feel a little spooked about standing in the darkness."Pauline, what's taking so long?" Anna called out. She waited a few moments and could feel her heart beat faster as she grew concerned for her friend. The sound of footsteps echoed in the stairwell."Pauline?" She asked nervously. The footsteps grew louder. She could hear additional movement at the base of the stairs. She knew that whoever was on the stairs, it wasn't Pauline."Nobody is looking forward to the end of the nuptial season more than Anna Winters. She is the Grand Palatial hotel's event planner and nothing has gone right this year. That's putting it mildly. Wedding guests are checking out left and right, but they're leaving in body bags and it's clear to Anna the murderers are receiving inside help. When a wealthy Greek family with ties to the mafia plans an extravagant event for their daughter, Anna holds her breath and hopes for the best. She tosses her optimism in the ocean when the groom and three others are poisoned. This time Anna's boss is on the premises and the pressure to find the killer is nearly unbearable. Though she usually relies on her best friend and co-worker, Pauline, to help solve cases, Pauline is a bit preoccupied trying to evade the advances of the family's persistent patriarch. Anna is determined to figure out who on her staff is masterminding the killings, but she hits a snag when her boss finally makes good on his threats to fire her. On the outside looking in, desperately closing in on a suspect, Anna finds help from an unlikely ally and must find a way to put a stop to a serial killer before she ends up the final victim. Murder in Aruba is a cozy, tropical mystery with a persistent and lovable heroine who gives a whole new meaning to "putting it all on the line" for her job.