IN THE 6th NOVEL OF THE MURDER IN MARIN MYSTERIES:

After a quarter-century at the heart of Sausalito's daily life, Mary Anderson had long been thought of as a permanent fixture in the life of a town famous for beautiful vistas and nasty politics. Admired by a narrow majority and despised by a vocal minority, Anderson's grip on power was guided by her oft-stated advice: "Keep your friends close and your enemies closer!"

Thought to have died tragically in a landslide, her secret world begins to unravel with the discovery that her death was anything but accidental. Local newspaper publisher Ron Timmons and his Gal Friday, Holly Cross, gather clues while Sheriff's detective Eddie Austin investigates a few not-the-usual suspects capable of "Queen Mary's" murder.