Even though school is in session, Amanda accepts an assignment from Main Line matriarch Claire Fairchild to look into her son Leo’s fiancée, Emmie Cade. Emmie has appeared from nowhere; though from what Amanda can learn, she has been everywhere. A casual acquaintance of Amanda’s, Vicky Baer, seems to know quite a lot about Emmie’s past and is more than willing to share it with Amanda. Before Amanda can get too far in the investigation, Mrs. Fairchild dies, apparently from natural causes, though an autopsy suggests murder. Did Emmie have enough to hide to want the older woman dead? Amanda feels compelled to continue the investigation hoping to find a link.

Amanda barely has time to consider the possibilities; she needs to prepare for her future in-laws’ first visit, when she will meet C.K.’s mother, a real witch - literally.

Claire and Present Danger, the eleventh mystery to feature Amanda Pepper, has several engrossing, very well connected subplots, but the original murder often gets lost. Amanda is reading Lord of the Flies with her freshman class and watching a like scenario unfold with some of her students. In another parallel, the story of Vicky and Emmie seems to take a similar path, making for interesting connections. Emmie’s past is very suspect, but as she breezily explains away each questionable behavior, she becomes more and more likable.

Amanda and C.K. have settled in to the routine of a comfortable couple with a few changes as C.K. has gone back to pursue his Ph.D. full time, leaving Amanda as the main bread winner. C.K.’s parents are very colorful and welcome Amanda warmly into the family. They are a contrast to Amanda’s perfect hostess sister, but the group gets along well, and C.K.’s mother even gets caught up with Amanda in the investigation. Longtime fans of the series will be pleased that C.K. and Amanda are finally getting ready to marry, though they can bet the road to the altar will be anything but easy.

--Jennifer Monahan Winberry