quirky cast of characters sets Alex Erickson's Bookstore Cafe Mystery series apart from the cozy pack-and this time, bookstore owner Krissy Hancock is stepping out from behind the counter and lacing up her sneakers to participate in her hometown's first-ever marathon, only to find herself racing to solve a murder instead.

Bookstore-café owner Krissy Hancock is stepping out from behind the counter to take part in the first annual Pine Hills, Ohio, marathon. But with a killer close by, she may soon be running for her life . . .

It's a brutally hot day in Pine Hills, and Krissy Hancock would love to be sitting in a shady spot and sipping her favorite iced coffee. Instead, she's lacing up her sneakers for a marathon--and swiftly regretting it. Especially when she finds one of the other runners lying motionless. At first Krissy suspects heatstroke, but the red marks around the man's throat tell a more sinister story.

The victim, it turns out, had brewed up all kinds of enemies thanks to his cheating ways--both romantic and financial. Krissy's not keen to get involved, but her friend Rita's boyfriend, Johan, seems to be mixed up in the mayhem. For Rita's sake, Krissy wants to help filter out the real killer. But can she do it before another Pine Hills resident gets permanently iced?