A Fugitive in Fuzzy Slippers

A quiet island life sounds like the perfect escape—until a murder investigation makes staying unnoticed nearly impossible. In A Fugitive in Fuzzy Slippers, Stephanie Rowe introduces readers to Evie Montgomery, a woman whose attempt to leave her dangerous past behind quickly turns into an unexpected mystery. Evie has discovered that the law firm where she worked is connected to the mob, while the person she thought was her friend has ties to the FBI. With both sides creating danger, she heads for a coastal Maine island and adopts a new identity: Rainbow Sprinkles, the unusual new owner of an ice cream shop. Her fresh start lasts only a short time. A corpse appears in her truck, and her fingerprints are on the murder weapon. With the possibility of arrest threatening to expose her identity, Evie has to find the real killer before the authorities—or her former enemies—catch up with her. She joins forces with two spirited older women, and their investigation leads into the island's unusual history. Pirate stories, hidden passageways, local legends, and a mysterious boat add complications as more questions and dangers emerge. Along the way, Evie begins to discover something she did not expect to find while running for her life: friendship and a sense of belonging. The novel combines amateur sleuthing, small-town characters, comic situations, suspense, and a murder mystery. It is suited to readers who enjoy cozy mysteries, witty dialogue, eccentric supporting characters, and female-led investigations with a lighthearted tone alongside genuine danger. Fantastic Fiction+2