Digging Up Murder

Julie Miller left her career working with spreadsheets behind for a quieter life running a small-town bookshop. But when a renovation project at her neighbor Ryan’s property uncovers human remains, she finds herself drawn into a murder investigation.

The remains appear to belong to Jacob Hartley, a former homeowner who disappeared two years earlier. Until the discovery, everyone had assumed he had simply moved away. Now Julie wants to understand what happened to him—and why nobody realized he had been murdered.

Several people connected to Jacob raise troubling questions. His nephew seems more concerned about the inheritance he believes he deserves than finding justice for his uncle. A real estate agent arranged the suspiciously inexpensive sale of Jacob’s house after his disappearance. And Ryan, whose renovation uncovered the remains, had worked on the property around the time Jacob vanished.

As Julie begins looking into the circumstances surrounding Jacob’s death, the situation becomes increasingly dangerous. Someone breaks into the house, and Julie receives a threat during a public meeting.

It becomes clear that someone is determined to keep a secret buried, even if protecting it means committing another crime.

*Digging Up Murder* by Tara Benton is part of the *Books and Brews Cozy Mystery* series, featuring a small-town bookshop owner, an observant cat, and a murder mystery with dangerous secrets waiting to be uncovered.

Tara Benton is a cozy mystery author and lifelong reader whose love of books began in childhood with illustrated stories. She values the ability of fiction to transport readers to different places and times, introduce them to characters’ experiences, and provide an escape from everyday life.

With a degree in English and years of reading across multiple genres, Benton eventually found her preferred genre in cozy mysteries. Her interest in storytelling is reflected in her approach to creating characters who seem to come alive and whose stories continue to unfold.

Originally from the northern United States, Benton now lives in South Carolina with her husband and their beloved family pets.