Eat, Drink, and Be Wary

What do a kayak, a wine barrel, and a tractor have in common? They’re all weapons in the hands of women with Sister Power! When the FBI asks the Sleuth Sisters to attend a retreat for “Love-Able Ladies,” Barb opts out, unwilling to spend a weekend celebrating the joys of being some man’s “little wife.” Retta is eager to go, since the venue is a swanky vineyard/inn on the Leelanau Peninsula, north of Traverse City, Michigan. Never a fan of large groups of strangers, Faye would just as soon stay home, but since Retta needs a “wing-woman,” she doesn’t get a choice. Their assignment is to assess the possibility a retreat attendee might cooperate in an FBI investigation. Dina Engel is launching a line of high-fashion clothing, and the feds hope that means she’s separating herself from her drug king-pin father. The sisters are supposed to get to know Dina, hint the Bureau is interested in a meeting, and provide her with a safe way to contact them. Though the setting is lovely and the inn is all that Retta imagined, things quickly go bad. Murder, kidnapping, and a mysterious plot involving Dina’s fashion show plunge Faye and Retta into danger. The sisters are separated from each other and threatened with death if they don’t cooperate. Retta finds it hard being isolated and alone. Faye has to decide which people around her are enemies and which are innocent retreat attendees. Sensing trouble, Barb shows up, but she soon faces a choice between being shot and drowning in Grand Traverse Bay. It seems impossible all three sisters can survive the dream weekend-turned-nightmare. Still, this is the fifth Sleuth Sisters adventure, so readers know these women don’t give up easily. Sit back, have a glass of wine, and learn a little more about Sister Power!