When a rival book club sweeps into Franklin's Crossing with matching blazers and ambitious plans, retired schoolteacher Maryanne Silva isn't worried about competition. But when the newcomers set their sights on a prestigious literacy grant that Maryanne has spent months pursuing, the battle for the town's literary soul takes a deadly turn. A grant coordinator who knows too much winds up dead in the library, and suddenly the Bound & Determined Book Club finds themselves investigating their sixth murder—one that hits closer to home than any case before.

As Maryanne and her best friend Gretchen dig deeper into the glamorous façade of the Literati League, they uncover a web of fraud, manipulation, and secrets that stretch far beyond Franklin's Crossing. With suspects who all have something to hide and alibis that don't quite add up, the amateur sleuths must untangle a mystery where nothing is as it appears. The killer has planned every detail, but they didn't count on the determination of two women who've spent fifteen years showing up for their community—and five previous investigations proving that the truth always comes out.

In this satisfying conclusion to the Franklin's Crossing Book Club Mysteries series, Maryanne and Gretchen face their most personal case yet.