"Sex, drugs, and murder - thank heavens we don't have to worry about that in Riverport." But Aunt Henrietta's claim would prove to be premature. Jessie Schroeder, fleeing from St. Louis after a devastating divorce, has returned to live in her hometown of Riverport, a small community on the bluffs of the Mississippi River. Her struggles to adjust to small-town life and re-ignite her career as a successful author of children's books becomes secondary as she is thrust into the middle of a gruesome murder case. Her involvement intensifies when her gardener and handyman, Willy Bachmann, is accused of the crime, and Jessie finds herself alone in defending him. Even Sheriff Gil Keller is convinced Willy is guilty. This is particularly galling to Jessie, because she and Gil are two-stepping their way around a fledgling relationship. When Willy is found dead, presumably the victim of a flash flood, the Sheriff announces "case closed." Jessie still refuses to believe Willy was a murderer and begins her own investigation. She soon irritates many townspeople, especially the Mayor and members of the powerful Industrial Development Authority (IDA), with her efforts to uncover evidence about the real killer. Starting with a single critical piece of evidence, Jessie uncovers a maze of political malfeasance and greed that places her life in jeopardy.< P>Janet Majerus is the former mayor of University City, Missouri. She also served as chair and member of the Planning and Zoning Commission. Her novel Grandpa and Frank was made into a television movie, < I>Home to Stay< /I>, starring Henry Fonda. She and her husband, Robert Burke, live near Taos, New Mexico.
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