Poisoned — Elaine Macko

Alex winds up in the middle of another murder investigation. With Halloween fast approaching, Alex Harris, owner of the Always Prepared temporary agency, has her hands full keeping her assistant from turning the office into a house of horrors. But trying to keep the decorating to a minimum is nothing compared to having the grandson of a prominent figure in Indian Cove society murdered. With Bradley Brissart dead, the victim of a poisoned macaroon, all eyes turn to his grandmother. But how was Roberta Brissart to know the batch of cookies she made especially for him would kill the young man? She used only the finest of ingredients. And why was he the only one to die when the plate was full of contaminated cookies and the room was full of hungry relatives helping themselves to free food? The police think Granny is the killer, but Alex doesn't believe it for a minute. The rest of the family has other ideas. They think Roberta was the intended victim and Alex, fearing that another attempt will be made, needs to find which one of Roberta's batty relatives is the real killer before they strike again. There's something sinister going on in Indian Cove and it's not just Halloween hi-jinks. The mystery comes to a frightening finale amid the jack-o-lanterns and ghosts on Halloween night when Alex discovers that there are more than just witches and goblins trick-or-treating in her normally peaceful New England village.