The BODY IN THE BIRCHES

Title: THE BODY IN THE BIRCHES
Author: KATHERINE HALL PAGE
A Faith Fairchild Mystery
Hardcover: Large type
Spending Fourth of July has always been a family tradition on Sanpere Island for Faith and her family.

Everything falls apart right from the start. Beginning with the hottest summer on record. Then Tom's mother has a heart attack and Tom has to rush to his father and mother's side at the hospital, but then Ben the eldest of the Fairchild's children decides to get  job washing dishes.
Not only this but a body is found in the woods near The Birches, which is an early twentieth century cottage. The current owner whose wife has passed on left him with the responsibility of picking someone to leave the cottage to and all of the family has gathered as not to be left out of being the favored one.
The body in the woods is the longtime housekeeper. Not a great way to try to pick a replacement. Anyway there ends up being another murder, more family fireworks and a lot of cooking.
Ben has befriended a girl while working at the lodge but is she more trouble or troubled teen? Amy makes friends with Daisy Procter who is related to one of the family that might just inherit the Birches. Daisy, is convinced that someone is trying to kill her mother.
Soon family secrets surface, old boyfriends surprise family, mysterious guests appear, someone wants to have a wedding at The Birches and so the long hot summer turns to being cooled off by a hurricane.
Worse yet Ben has disappeared and is out in the hurricane.
All of this doesn't count that Faith's closest friend Pix is going thru her own family drama. Her brother has shown up with a huge life changing surprise for everyone.
THE BODY IN THE BIRCHES is definitely one of the most intriguing books in the series. Everyone who is anyone is suspect. Faith is feeling the fringes of angst of being the mother of a teenage son, a mother of  preteen daughter and feeling the beginning of what it will be like when the Fairchild children no longer will live at home.
Where has the time gone and who is the killer?
I loved this book and once again KATHERINE HALL PAGE, has succeeded in putting the mystery back in the cozy series genre. I give this one *********

Keep it cozy,
Pamela