Beaded to Death

You'd think the life of a bead artist would be fairly uneventful. But that's not the case for Lilias Ruiz. Especially when she returns from an art fair tour and is greeted by a dead body.

The police are convinced she's the killer and suddenly Lilias finds herself hanging on to a thread of innocence. But after her home is vandalized and her van broken into, Lilias begins to realize that she has something someone wants.

Determined to return to the craft circuit, Lilias is relieved to be accompanied by her 7'3" nephew who's on the run from an unwanted basketball scholarship. Along with the help of her colorful neighbor, Annie, a cutthroat attorney who means well and an overzealous FBI agent, they string together the clues and wonder if there really could be a gem in Lilias's collection of dusty old beads. Or is the killer after something more?

80,000 words