Karol Birchfield

June: the Jostled Jaywalker: a Tree Mcdowell Mystery Karol Birchfield

North Louisiana private investigator Tree McDowel1 thinks her assignment to follow and record the behavior of a wandering husband is over when she catches him on tape entering the apartment of attractive Monica Gandy during his lunch break. But the philanderers are not the only ones she has on tape. Freddie Avila, a friend of Tree's latest love, Aaron B. Abraham, and fianc¿ of Monica, is shown going into the woman's apartment after Tree's quarry leaves. Later Monica is found stabbed to death, and Freddie's prints are allover the knife. Freddie is arrested for murder, and Monica is blamed for embezzling clients' funds from the brokerage house where she and Freddie work. Aaron B. asks Tree to investigate others who might want the woman dead. But Aaron B. isn't the only one who wants to hire Tree to aid Freddie. Tree's attorney friend, Gabriella Toshio, is Freddie's cousin. Both she and Aaron B. insist that Freddie is innocent, and now it's up to Tree to prove them right. When Tree is attacked while investigating the case, she joins them in their belief in Freddie Avila's innocence. Tree thinks it through and follows a convoluted trail to the surprising conclusion.