The Tower — Helen Haught Fanick

Lara Benedict, a mystery writer whose career is blossoming, finds herself in the middle of a real-life mystery when her cousin, Sam Hamilton, is accused of murder. Sam insists that Jim Scott, a local handyman, died as the result of an accidental fall, but the prosecuting attorney is moving forward with the case against Sam. Lara has returned to the village of Pine Summit in order to help figure out what actually happened to Jim Scott, and she's disturbed to discover that her ex-fiancé, Daniel Riley, is the assistant prosecutor who's handling the case against Sam. It's been nearly a year since the handyman died -- why the unexpected murder charge against her cousin now? Does it have anything to do with the fact that Sam is married to the dead man's widow? Or are there other, more devious, circumstances involved? Jim Scott died when he fell from the tower at the corner of Lara's family home. While trying to solve this mystery, Lara discovers that the tower holds an even greater secret, one that's putting her life in danger. She'll have to uncover the truth about both of the tower's secrets in order to save Sam -- and herself.