Peril in Paperback: A Bibliophile Mystery

all hooted and applauded and Grace laughed. “All right, enough about old age. Let’s talk about some rumors that have been flying around. I’m about to quash one of them right now.”
    I turned in time to catch Sybil giving Peter a sharp look. Merrilee’s face was serene, but Marko’s frown lines practically obliterated his forehead. Stephen Fowler’s face became even more pinched than usual. Bella slurped her wine, blissfully ignorant of the tension growing around the table. Suzie and Vinnie exchanged anxious but knowing glances, certain that Grace was about to announce that she was making changes to her will.
    Instead Grace jumped up and grabbed what looked like a full ream of paper bound together by some sort of wide tape binding. “It’s done!” she cried, waving the heavy document in the air. “Finished! My first novel! And you’re all in it!”

Chapter 4
     
    There was a moment of silence; then the entire group burst into noisy applause again.
    “Congratulations!” Nathan said.
    “Mazel tov!” Bella cried, and slugged down the rest of her wine.
    “Wonderful, Auntie!” Kiki shouted.
    Almost everyone at the table added their good wishes and cheery congratulations. I was glad the mood had lifted, because up until a few seconds ago I was afraid I would be dodging a number of steak knives aimed at Grace.
    As the cheering died down, Grace placed the heavy manuscript on the table. She had tears in her eyes. “Thank you all so much. You make me feel like a superstar.”
    “That’s exactly what you are,” Ruth said, loyal as ever.
    “Oh, Ruth. You’re prejudiced,” Grace said, patting her friend’s hand. “But thank you. Now let me tell you all about this book. As you might imagine, the story is very near and dear to my heart. It’s a roman à clef of sorts, about a smart, spunky woman who starts out with nothing and ends up creating a multimillion-dollar corporation that makes all kinds of games.”
    “Genius,” Bella shouted.
    For some reason her comment made me laugh, and a few others joined me. Next to me, Peter appeared contemplative. Sybil was practically scowling. Marko still didn’t look too comfortable, but Bella was howling with laughter and pounding the table. She didn’t seem at all concerned about the contents of the book, but maybe she was too tanked to care.
    As Grace spoke, Sybil pretended to enjoy the repartee, but I could feel her vibe from two chairs away. She wasn’t pleased. But then she hadn’t looked very happy all evening. That went double for Madge. She looked positively furious. What was that all about? Had she already read the book? Did she know what was in it?
    “Now, don’t worry,” Grace said. “The names have been changed to protect the guilty. You know who you are!”
    More furtive glances were exchanged around the table. Some of the guests appeared intrigued, some looked suspicious, and some—Madge, of course, plus Stephen Fowler, and, surprisingly, Marko—looked downright annoyed. I leaned over, pretending to fiddle with a flower that had fallen from the vase, and caught a glimpse of Sybil. She looked like she’d been slapped hard. Interesting.
    Personally, I couldn’t wait to get my hands on a copy of Grace’s book, but then I am a naturally curious person. Or just plain nosy.
    “I’ve sent the manuscript off to a New York publisher,” Grace continued, patting her chest as her emotions caught up with her. “But…I have copies! So everyone here will get a first look at it.”
    “Lucky us,” Madge muttered.
    Grace waved toward the antique sideboard along the wall. “The copies are stacked over there, so be sure to pick one up after dinner. And I mean this: I want you all to give me your honest opinions.”
    I wasn’t an expert on these things, but I could pretty much guarantee she wouldn’t want to hear too many honest opinions from this group.
    “I’ve read it already and it’s brilliant,” Merrilee said, her tone earnest.
    “Oh, there’s an objective opinion,” Peter muttered beside me.
    Grace paid no attention to the grumbling. “Now, enough about me. I want everyone to have fun this week! My niece Kiki is a certified masseuse and she’s agreed to provide a selection of spa delights each and every day for anyone who’s interested.”
    Kiki raised her hand, then stood so the guests would know who Grace was referring to.
    “Catch me anytime,” Kiki said, “and I’ll schedule a massage for you. I do manicures and