Stella Reid has barely corralled the seven young ones who call her “Granny” when disaster threatens their beloved fall tradition. Murder in the Corn Maze, G.A. McKevett’s second Granny Reid mystery, brings small-town heart to an especially tough case.
Granny has barely sorted the kids into who is and is not going through the annual corn maze in McGill, Georgia, when granddaughter Savannah (who, as an adult, stars in McKevett’s other cozy series) finds a skull in the mud. There are signs that this body may be the mother of Stella’s dear friend and that the killer may have been behind the murder of her own mother. No wonder Stella protects her grandkids with such ferocity.
Stella struggles with the ghosts of her past while dealing with the challenge of keeping food on the table for seven kids, to say nothing of refereeing their squabbles. She’s stern but sets a good example that they try their best to follow. It’s a special treat to see young Savannah deal with her early childhood trauma by channeling all her energy into the study of law enforcement, digging in to help solve the case while compartmentalizing the traumatic nature of her discovery.
The story incorporates heavy topics like the legacy of slavery and mistreatment of Native Americans without overwhelming what is ultimately a small-town page turner. The conclusion is chilling, but readers will be hungry for the next installment of this warm-hearted, 1980s-set series.
