Sweet and Deadly: *Signed*

Sweet and Deadly is the first novel by popular American author, Charlaine Harris. After the unsolved murder of her parents some six months previous, journalist Catherine Linton is working at the Lowfield Gazette and otherwise keeping a low profile, living in her parents home. Her father’s medical practice has been taken over by a young doctor and her life seems somewhat on hold. Then she stumbles across the brutally beaten body of Leona Gaites, her father’s long-time employee, and Catherine is convinced the murder is linked to that of her parents. But it soon emerges that Leona was not all she seemed, and quite a few people in Lowfield might have a good reason to want her dead. With a decidedly Southern feel, this little murder mystery is a taste of early Harris that presages her later work. The characters are interesting, there are clues and red herrings, the plot has enough twists to keep the reader intrigued, the dialogue is credible and, all in all, this is a very enjoyable read.