By Karen Hudgins

Diane Phipps, P.I., takes on her first case to find out what happened to wealthy adventurer Thurman Cole, who had gone missing eight years ago. Her client is Stone Insurance, which wants proof whether he is dead or alive--part of the process for paying his beneficiaries. Diane’s first attempt had failed last year, but she can’t let the case go unsolved. She revisits Briarbush Manor on the lavish Fitch estate west of St. Louis. Meeting with those closest to Cole, she encounters more eccentricities and strained relationships. Edward doesn’t miss his brother Thurman one bit. Mae, housekeeper, Gerald, charity director, and Patrick, family friend, reveal more trouble. Burning questions taunt Diane. Why was Olivia, matriarch of Briarbush, so obsessed with blue? Why did the butler, the gardener, and the stable guy keep their distance from Thurman? Also, how come the Blue Prince hydrangeas had turned pink when the gazebo was built? Finally, who had the scoundrel stood up at the altar? Diane grows convinced that foul play claimed Thurman Cole’s life. However, without proof, the case will go colder. Not an option, she declares. So, now if only she could find the body!