When Faith arrives on campus, she realizes that there are not only several viable student suspects, but also some strong possibilities among faculty members. What strikes Faith most about the people she meets is that they all seem to be caricatures, from the grumpy, possessive cook to the headmaster's exotic flirtatious wife. Just as Faith is concerned that nothing more than a mean-spirited prank may be occurring, the body of a student is found in a winter bonfire. Now Faith finds herself in a new investigation, one that has some very serious consequences.

As always, Faith Fairchild is a very enjoyable heroine as she tries very hard to fit into a small town that is suspicious of outsiders. She does remain a true friend to newcomer Patsy and longtime Aleford resident Pix Miller who needs Faith's support this time as she battles with her surly freshman son, Danny turned Dan. Also on Faith's plate is her in-law's all of a sudden rocky relationship that, at the pleadings of her husband, she tries to smooth over, all the while making sure young Ben and Amy are raised in a happy, loving household, without ever having to eat American chopped suey.

The mystery is well laid out and while the prominent players emerge early on, there are some character surprises and unexpected changes of personality. This mystery has a slightly darker edge than Faith's earlier mysteries, yet the coziness of the community will counteract this. Because of the comfortable feel, the mystery will be solved before readers are ready, and they will find themselves more than eager to return to Aleford and the delightful Fairchild family.

--Jennifer Monahan Winberry