Murder at Hassle High

MURDER AT HASSLE HIGH (a cozy mystery)Constance Meccarello-GersonSynopsisMaria Bruno arrives at the office of Principal Booth for a meeting and all is quiet. Slumped over a table Mrs. Booth, a letter opener sticking out of her back. Maria calls the police, and in walks Detective Viola, tall, dark, and handsome. Viola cautions Maria to not investigate the case, they will, of course, wind up working together. Viola will need all the help he can get: A student is stabbed during a rehearsal of Hamlet, and Maria becomes a target of the mysterious killer. Things heat up when we learn that Mrs. Booth was planning to retire-with a substantial financial cushion. The quirky plot is entertaining, well-paced, and filled with a large cast of malcontents, nearly all of whom are viable suspects. Especially charming is Maria's 10th-grade English class-the Nut Squad. A fun, twisty mystery.