With Friends Like These... — Gillian Roberts

Well-known Broadway playwright and TV producer Lyle Zacharias is throwing himself a lavish birthday party in his hometown of Philadelphia, complete with current wife, ex-wives, friends, former partners--not to mention Amanda Pepper and her own irrepressible mother, Bea. Yet when Lyle drops dead in the middle of a speech, it appears the likely perpetrator is Bea Pepper, whose gift was fifty delicious, but apparently poisoned, tarts!

It's up to Amanda to disprove the obvious to the police. In the meantime, there's a jealous wife who thinks Amanda's up to no good, a student placing threatening notes in her mailbox, and a black pickup truck chasing her around the streets of Philadelphia. Who says teaching isn't exciting? With any more excitement, Amanda will have to retire before she hits thirty-one....