Murder on the Ol' Bunions

I don't usually read mystery novels (though I have a few in by TBR stack, so who knows, I may develop a new taste) but I won this one in a blog contest so I read it. While classified as a Christian novel, the amount of Christianity in it was pretty perfunctory. The characters went to church but we didn't get to hear the sermon. There was a funeral, and it was mentioned that the main character, LaTisha, sang Amazing Grace. One of the characters may have uttered a prayer at some point, but if the book didn't say it was a Christian novel, I would never have so classified it.

I'd classify this as your basic old lady mystery novel. A shop owner, who recently employed LaTisha, was found dead by her. They live in a small Colorado town and the police don't really have the budget to investigate--and besides, townfolk aren't likely to talk to outsiders. LaTisha is an African-American woman whose youngest kids are in college and who is expecting to be a grandmother soon. She is studying police science in an on-line program and uses what she learned in her classes, plus her common sense and people skills to discover who killed her former employer. While there is a scene at the end that could be considered dangerous, this isn't really a suspense thriller. It is a lot like Murder She Wrote or Mrs. Polifax.
Click here to read the first chapter.