An Unexpected Distraction

Syndicated gardening columnist and amateur sleuth, Delia Hagar-Duval is absorbed in the plans for the new home she and her husband Jean Paul Duval, hope to build. She didn't expect adventure when she attends a party at the home of her new friend, Leticia Rudge. But when Leticia's difficult husband, Colonel Daniel Rudge, disappears under mysterious circumstances, Delia's old friend Detective Scott asks Delia to help find him.Meanwhile, Delia's home and way of life come under threat because of a proposed freeway bypass that will cross her beloved farm, and she rallies the community to oppose the Highway Department's plans. Delia is determined to stop the bypass and works with her neighbor, Farmer Junkle to organize the opposition. When Leticia invites Delia to visit her family home called The Chine, located deep in the West Virginia woods, the police hope she will discover information that will help them to find Colonel Rudge. While at The Chine, Delia meets an eccentric household including Great Aunt Minna, who claims to have contact with her dead ancestors, and issues mysterious warnings. There is a private airport on the property and Delia is suspicious of the unexpected air traffic flying in the dead of night. While out riding, Delia makes an alarming discovery. Soon Delia is caught up in a web of intrigue and danger. She has to unravel the tangled web of Daniel Rudge's disappearance before there is another death.