Dying for a Change

Change can be exciting, invigorating, fun, but murder is more than Ellen McKenzie bargains for when she returns to her small hometown of Santa Louisa to start a new career and a new life. From Publishers Weekly Ellie McKenzie is newly certified as a real estate agent and newly settled back into her old hometown but selling houses proves a messy business when she discovers a dead body in the first one she tries to show. Hank Sawyer was a big-time contractor and a proposed discount store's biggest champion, and Ellie must determine whether his death relates to the land deal or if there were more personal reasons for his murder in Kathleen Delaney's Dying for a Change. Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc. From Library Journal New to the real estate profession, Ellen McKenzie discovers a dead body in the first house she plans to show. Not only does the corpse spoil her sale, it also throws the people she works for under suspicion. The victim, Hank Sawyer, had partnered with Ellen's boss and others in a controversial and potentially lucrative land deal; Sawyer also had been involved in several recent ruckuses and had been known for his wandering hands. Taking the murder personally, Ellen begins sleuthing in her small California hometown, making good use of gossiping acquaintances. Ellen is an appealing heroine, and her first adventure is a good choice for popular mystery collections. Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.