Table of Contents
Praise for Patricia Sprinkle
Did You Declare the Corpse?
“Patricia Sprinkle gives her Thoroughly Southern Mystery a charming Scottish accent this time, but everything else is delightfully the same . . . the warm, gentle sense of humor, the impeccable classic plotting, and the smart, nice woman at the heart of it who loves her husband and can, apparently, solve anything!”
—Nancy Pickard
“An intricate web of suspense and intrigue leads to an enthralling mystery.”
—
Romantic Times
(4½ stars)
“[A] primer in how to write a compelling story. Additionally, Jan Karon fans who like mysteries will love Mac!”
—Meritorious Mysteries
Who Killed the Queen of Clubs?
“Time to sit on the veranda with a nice glass of lemonade and enjoy this down-home mystery full of charming characters and sparkling Southern witticisms.”
—Fresh Fiction
When Will the Dead Lady Sing?
“Patricia Sprinkle takes the reader on a trip to the ‘real’
South, the South of family traditions, community customs,
church-going, and crafty, down-home politics. Reading it is
like spending an afternoon in the porch swing on Aunt
Dixie’s veranda. . . . A delightful book.”
—JoAnna Carl, author of the Chocoholic mysteries
Who Let That Killer in the House?
“Sprinkle’s third Thoroughly Southern Mystery is thoroughly absorbing.”
—
The Orlando Sentinel
Who Left That Body in the Rain?
“Forming a triumvirate with Anne George and Margaret Maron, Sprinkle adds her powerful voice to the literature of mysteries featuring Southern women. . . . Highly recommended.”
—
Mystery Time
“
Who Left That Body in the Rain?
charms, mystifies, and delights.
As Southern as Sunday fried chicken and sweet tea.
Patricia Sprinkle’s Hopemore is as captivating—and as
filled with big hearts and big heartaches — as Jan Karon’s
Mitford. Come for one visit and you’ll always return.”
—Carolyn Hart, author of the Henrie O and Death on Demand mysteries
“Authentic and convincing.”
—Tamar Myers, author of
Hell Hath No Curry
“An heirloom quilt. Each piece of patchwork is unique and with its own history, yet they are deftly stitched together with threads of family love and loyalty, simmering passion, deception and wickedness, but always with optimism imbued with down-home Southern traditions. A novel to be savored while sitting on a creaky swing on the front porch, a pitcher of lemonade nearby, a dog slumbering in the sunlight.”
—Joan Hess, author of
The Goodbye Body
Who Invited the Dead Man?
“A wonderfully portrayed Southern setting . . . MacLaren seems right at home in her tiny town.”
—
Library Journal
“Touches of poignancy mixed with Southern charm and old secrets make
Who Invited the Dead Man?
a diverting read.”
—
Romantic Times
And her other novels . . .
“Light touches of humor and the charming interplay between MacLaren and her magistrate husband make this a fun read for mystery fans.”
—
Library Journal
“Sparkles with verve, charm, wit, and insight. I loved it.”
—Carolyn Hart
“Engaging . . . compelling . . . a delightful thriller.”
—
Peachtree Magazine
“The sort of light entertainment we could use more of in the hot summer days to come.”
—
The Denver Post
“[Sprinkle] just keeps getting better.”
—
The Post and Courier
(Charleston, SC)
Thoroughly Southern Mysteries
WHO INVITED THE DEAD MAN?
WHO LEFT THAT BODY IN THE RAIN?
WHO LET THAT KILLER IN THE HOUSE?
WHEN WILL THE DEAD LADY SING?
WHO KILLED THE QUEEN OF CLUBS?
DID YOU DECLARE THE CORPSE?
SIGNET
Published by New American Library, a division of
Penguin Group (USA) Inc., 375 Hudson Street,
New York, New York 10014, USA
Penguin Group (Canada), 90 Eglinton Avenue East, Suite 700, Toronto,
Ontario M4P 2Y3, Canada (a division of Pearson Penguin Canada Inc.)
Penguin Books Ltd., 80 Strand, London WC2R 0RL, England
Penguin Ireland, 25 St. Stephen’s Green, Dublin 2,
Ireland (a division of Penguin Books Ltd.)
Penguin Group (Australia), 250 Camberwell Road, Camberwell, Victoria 3124, Australia (a division of Pearson Australia Group Pty. Ltd.)
Penguin Books India Pvt. Ltd., 11 Community Centre, Panchsheel Park,
New Delhi - 110 017, India
Penguin Group (NZ), 67 Apollo Drive, Mairangi Bay, Albany,
Auckland 1310, New Zealand (a division of Pearson New Zealand Ltd.)
Penguin Books (South Africa) (Pty.) Ltd., 24 Sturdee Avenue,
Rosebank, Johannesburg 2196, South Africa
Penguin Books Ltd., Registered Offices:
80 Strand, London WC2R 0RL, England
First published by Signet, an imprint of New American Library,
a division of Penguin Group (USA) Inc.
First Printing, February 2007
Copyright © Patricia Sprinkle, 2007
All rights reserved
REGISTERED TRADEMARK—MARCA REGISTRADA
Without limiting the rights under copyright reserved above, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form, or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise), without the prior written permission of both the copyright owner and the above publisher of this book.
PUBLISHER’S NOTE
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.
The publisher does not have any control over and does not assume any responsibility for author or third-party Web sites or their content.
The scanning, uploading, and distribution of this book via the Internet or via any other means without the permission of the publisher is illegal and punishable by law. Please purchase only authorized electronic editions, and do not participate in or encourage electronic piracy of copyrighted materials. Your support of the author’s rights is appreciated.
eISBN : 978-1-429-55496-1
http://us.penguingroup.com
CAST OF CHARACTERS
MacLaren Yarbrough
—Georgia magistrate and co-owner of Yarbrough Feed, Seed, and Nursery
Joe Riddley Yarbrough
—her husband, co-owner of Yarbrough Feed, Seed, and Nursery
Walker Yarbrough
—their younger son, insurance salesman
Cindy Yarbrough
—wife of Walker Yarbrough and recent heiress to Weinkoff hotel fortune
Members of Magnolia Ladies’ Investment Club
MayBelle Brandison
—real estate developer
Meriwether Wainwright DuBose
—owner of Pots of Luck catalog company, wife of Jed DuBose
Rachel Ford
—international lawyer from New York, now runs a poverty law clinic in town
Sadie Lowe Harnett
—ex-wife of New York magnate
Nancy Jensen
—financial partner of the club and wife of the CEO of Middle Georgia Kaolin
Willena Kenan
—
outgoing senior partner, one of two primary stockholders in Kenan Cotton Factors
Wilma Kenan
—her cousin, incoming senior partner, also primary stockholder in Kenan Cotton Factors