Sticky Fingers — Morgan Hunt

Shortly after amateur sleuth Tess Camillo discovers a rattlesnake under the bed of her San Diego home, another lesbian is killed with a snake. Police worry that they have a herpetophile serial killer on their hands. Neither Tess nor the police make much progress until a psychic contacts Tess, offering clues. With curiosity, humor and chutzpah, Tess confronts a rapist who raises rattlers, a nurse who fishes with strange bait, and a well-endowed scarecrow before she solves the case. Along the way she must face a breast cancer diagnosis and subsequent mastectomy. Breezily written, but with a rare, emotional undercurrent, this is the debut of a true new mystery star.