Cat's Claw
by Susan Wittig Albert

As the first female police chief in Pecan Springs, Texas, Sheila Dawson has cracked many a mystery in collaboration with local sleuth China Bayles. Now Sheila puts her smarts to work, sifting through secrets to find a killer on the prowl...

Larry Kirk, Pecan Springs’ computer guru, has been shot dead in his kitchen. At first Sheila believes it to be suicide, but further investigation reveals that Kirk’s death wasn’t self-inflicted. And the truth is reinforced by her friend China Bayles’ news—Larry recently asked her for legal advice in regards to a stalker.

As a police chief in a male-dominated force, Sheila meets many challenges, especially when her theories rock the boat in high-profile cases like that of George Timms, who was caught breaking into Larry’s shop. Now that Larry is dead, Sheila is sure the burglary is connected to the murder. But when Timms disappears instead of turning himself in, Sheila must prove she’s got what it takes to hunt down a predator who’s loose on the streets of Pecan Springs...

Other Books by Susan Wittig Albert

A Plain Vanilla Murder
China Bayles Mystery Book 27

Bittersweet
A China Bayles Mystery #23

Blood Orange
A China Bayles Mystery #24

The Darling Dahlias and the Silver Dollar Bush
The Darling Dahlias #5

The Darling Dahlias and the Eleven O'Clock Lady
The Darling Dahlias #6

Bittersweet
A China Bayles Mystery #23

Death Come Quickly
A China Bayles Mystery #22

The Darling Dahlias and the Texas Star
The Darling Dahlias #4

The Darling Dahlias and the Silver Dollar Bush
The Darling Dahlias #5

Widow's Tears
A China Bayles Mystery #21

Death Come Quickly
A China Bayles Mystery #22

The Darling Dahlias and the Confederate Rose
The Darling Dahlias #3

The Darling Dahlias and the Texas Star
The Darling Dahlias #4

Widow's Tears
A China Bayles Mystery #20

Susan Wittig Albert's Bio

As a writer, I work in three genres, mystery, historical fiction, and memoir. My mysteries include the China Bayles Herbal Mysteries and The Darling Dahlias, about a Southern garden club in the 1930s, as well as an eight-book series, the Cottage Tales of Beatrix Potter, and the 12-book series that my husband Bill Albert and I coauthored under the pseudonym of Robin Paige. My historical fiction includes LOVING ELEANOR, about the intimate friendship of Eleanor Roosevelt and Lorena Hickok and A WILDER ROSE, about the mother-daughter team that produced the Little House books. A WILDER ROSE is currently under film option with ThinkFactory Media.

Bill and I live in the Hill Country of Central Texas, where I write, garden, raise chickens, and practice the fiber arts. You can find out more in my two memoirs: TOGETHER, ALONE: A MEMOIR OF MARRIAGE AND PLACE; and AN EXTRAORDINARY YEAR OF ORDINARY DAYS.