Stain-Busting Mystery

Need something troublesome and unsightly eliminated permanently? Call Josie Toadfern! There is no stain on Earth that laundromat owner Josie Toadfern can't conquer, and she's offered to share her expertise on world famous domestic doyenne Tyra Grimes's TV show. No one is more shocked than Josie herself when the Great Grimes shows up in Paradise, Ohio, to tape a segment in Josie's teeny-weeny hometown. But rapidly spreading rumors of the insufferable icon's immoral-and quite possibly illegal-carryings-on have sparked Josie's curiosity, and her uninvited sorting through Grimes's dirty laundry is exposing all manner of dastardly doings-from mischief all the way to murder. And the irrepressible Toadfern soon realizes it will take more than lemon juice to make this lethal stain come out in the wash.

Like nearly everyone else in Paradise, Ohio, local laundromat owner and stain-removal expert Josie Toadfern eagerly awaits the upcoming July 4th Founders Day celebration with its highlight, the annual Breitenstrater Pie Company pie-eating contest, sponsored by the owners of the town's upper curst enterprise. But things may not be so sweet this year, what with juicy rumors flying that a black sheep Breitenstrater wants to spill the beans about some deep, dark family secret. And when a pie-making bigwig suspiciously drops dead after sampling the company's latest wares, Josie leaps into action. She loves her teeny-weeny community, despite its blemishes-and any stain on its reputation must be eradicated! But if she sticks her thumb-or her nose-into this particular pastry, she's going to pull out more than a plum...and she may end up getting her own lethal just desserts.

Laundromat owner and stain removal expert Josie Toadfern knows her tiny twon's dirty clothes and most of its dirty little secrets. But an upcoming "Psychic Fair" is bringing a brand-new mess to Paradises, Ohio. The arrival of all manner of mystics and soothsayers has raised the dangerous ire of a local evangelist and his minions, as well as the more conservative citizens of Paradise-so it doesn't take a crystal ball to predict that murder will ultimately foul the fair. But Josie couldn't foresee that she'd be the one to stumble upon the body, or that her impeccable stain-sense would embroil her in the nasty homicidal happenings. And suddenly her attempt to psych out a killer has Josie's own future looking very grim indeed.

There's no fun in dysfunctional Small-town laundress Josie Toadfern has her own fair share of dirty laundry-namely the Toadfern clan! Ostracized from the family unit ever since her parents dumped eight-year-old Josie in a local orphanage, the stain-busting dynamo's stunned to find herself invited to crabby old family matriarch "Mamaw" Toadfern's Thanksgiving celebration-and too curious to refuse. But an even bigger shock is waiting for her there: Josie's long lost mom and pop, blandly unapologetic and full of new-probably illegal-get-rich-quick schemes. And when a dead body is tossed into the already explosive chaos of bitter feelings, intra-family feuding, and incinerated turkey meat, Josie finds herself in the most uncomfortable position of having to prove her disreputable dad innocent of murder. But cleaning up messes is Josie's business. And sometimes blood is thicker than cranberry sauce-and a much more difficult stain to eliminate.

As her big 3-0 approaches, Josie Toadfern's life seems more or less wrinkle-free. Since the laundromat owner, stain removal expert, and confirmed snoop's local stain-busting column went regional, she's become a true small-town celeb. And now she's been asked to give a speech in honor of her deceased junior high school teacher, Mrs. Oglevee-even though Josie remembers finding herself in hot water with the dour disciplinarian on numerous occasions. But then the late educator's alleged long-lost daughter hands her a note claiming that Mrs. O was murdered. Suddenly more than unpleasant middle school memories keep Josie up nights, as her unauthorized investigation begins turning up some very interesting dirt. Mrs. O, apparently, was more than just a tight-lipped prude who ruled detention with an iron fist. And when an Oglevee relative ends up dead, Josie realizes she'll have to air all of the family's dirty laundry . . . or she'll be spending her thirtieth birthday removing bloodstains.

As if running a successful laundromat and writing a perennially popular (and soon to be national!) household tips column weren't enough to keep Josie Toadfern busy, she's taken a gig on the side. The Mayfair Sisters, a local singing group from way back when, are reuniting for a benefit, and they need Josie to perform her stain-busting magic on their old tie-dyed costumes. But the dresses go missing, only to reappear in a fashion more deadly than retro. Although Josie's the prime suspect in the murder and mayhem that ensue, she's not about to allow her squeaky-clean reputation to be soiled by some false accusations. But this time, her snooping will land her in some very hot water . . .