A Novel
by Katie Tietjen
Inspired by the real-life mother of forensic science, Frances Glessner Lee, and featuring a whip-smart, intrepid sleuth in post-WWII Vermont, this debut historical mystery will appeal to fans of Victoria Thompson and Rhys Bowen.
Maple Bishop is ready to put WWII and the grief of losing her husband, Bill, behind her. But when she discovers that Bill left her penniless, Maple realizes she could lose her Vermont home next and sets out to make money the only way she knows how: by selling her intricately crafted dollhouses. Business is off to a good start—until Maple discovers her first customer dead, his body hanging precariously in his own barn.
Something about the supposed suicide rubs Maple the wrong way, but local authorities brush off her concerns. Determined to help them see "what's big in what's small," Maple turns to what she knows best, painstakingly recreating the gruesome scene in miniature: death in a nutshell.
With the help of a rookie officer named Kenny, Maple uses her macabre miniature to dig into the dark undercurrents of her sleepy town, where everyone seems to have a secret—and a grudge. But when her nosy neighbor goes missing and she herself becomes a suspect, it'll be up to Maple to find the devil in the details—and put him behind bars.
Drawing inspiration from true crime and offering readers a smartly plotted puzzle of a mystery, Death in the Details is a stunning series debut.
"Aesthetically and morally complex ... A compelling account of how the toll of war extends far beyond the battlefield." —Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
"This fascinating, solid debut will appeal to historical mystery readers who enjoy novels based on actual people ... For fans of Michael Oren's Swann's War." —Library Journal (starred review)
"[A] smart debut." —Booklist
"Death in the Details by Katie Tietjen is part true crime, part historical fiction, and, in a nutshell, a propulsive page-turner filled with twists and turns. In Tieiten's debut, she created Maple, a woman who can't be trifled with based on the innovative woman who changed the face of forensics science. Set time aside for this one. You won't be able to figure it out and you don't want to be interrupted." —Ann Garvin, USA Today bestselling author of There's No Coming Back From This
"Katie Tietjen has given us a prickly, headstrong and brilliant new heroine to cheer for in Death In The Details! I couldn't put it down!" —Iona Whishaw, Globe and Mail bestselling author of the Lane Winslow Mysteries
This information about Death in the Details was first featured
in "The BookBrowse Review" - BookBrowse's membership magazine, and in our weekly "Publishing This Week" newsletter. Publication information is for the USA, and (unless stated otherwise) represents the first print edition. The reviews are necessarily limited to those that were available to us ahead of publication. If you are the publisher or author and feel that they do not properly reflect the range of media opinion now available, send us a message with the mainstream reviews that you would like to see added.
Any "Author Information" displayed below reflects the author's biography at the time this particular book was published.
Katie Tietjen is an award-winning writer, teacher, and school librarian. A Frances Glessner Lee enthusiast, she's traveled thousands of miles to visit her homes, see her nutshells, and even attend her birthday party. Katie lives in New England with her husband and two sons. This is her first novel.
All my major works have been written in prison...
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