Life at The Maples is never truly quiet--not with a lively five-year-old daughter and seventeen cats underfoot. But after the sudden death of Gerry Coneybear's partner, Doug, the rambling old house feels emptier than it ever has before.
Doug had worked hard to rebuild his life after years of alcoholism, so when rumours begin to circulate that he had relapsed shortly before his death, Gerry struggles to reconcile the gossip with the man she knew. And then some troubling details surface about the day Doug died, and Gerry can't help but be drawn into the investigation.
Grief turns to suspicion as Gerry follows a trail of secrets, addiction, and unanswered questions. But in the close-knit village of Lovering, where everyone thinks they know each other, the truth about Doug's death may be far more complicated than anyone is ready to face. In the final Maples Mystery, Gerry must uncover what really happened on the day Doug died--and whether the man she loved was a victim of a tragic workplace accident, relapse, or something far more sinister.
