Bittersweet

For Thanksgiving, China is planning to visit her mother, Leatha, and her mother's husband, Sam. She's also looking forward to catching up with a friend, game warden Mackenzie "Mack" Chambers. But Leatha calls with bad news: Sam has had a heart attack.

While Sam recuperates, Leatha does have a helper--Sue Ellen Krause. But Sue Ellen--who's leaving her husband, the assistant foreman at a trophy game ranch--has troubles of her own. Before she can tell China the full story, Sue Ellen is killed in a car crash.

When a local veterinarian is shot, Mack believes his murder could be related to fawns stolen from a nearby ranch. And China wonders if Sue Ellen's death may not have been an accident, and if there's a connection to the stolen animals...

*Booklist