In this fifth book in the Victoria Trumbull series, the ninety-two-year-old sleuth finds herself embroiled in a series of murders after she is fired from her job as West Tisbury correspondent for The Island Enquirer (the editor claims the newspaper needs a younger look). Victoria, determined to show that age is no barrier to news papering, immediately throws her weight behind The Grackle , intent on turning the two-page West Tisbury newsletter into a formidable competitor of the Enquirer . And it looks as though she will. In the meantime, the Enquirer's narcissistic editor has been receiving a series of obituaries, each naming him as the deceased. He would dismiss them as a sick joke, but the obituaries follow the actual deaths of people close to him. Rather than going to the police, he grudgingly rehires Victoria to uncover the identity of the obituary writer. Victoria knows almost everybody on the Island, and she may be the only person who can solve the mystery before the editor needs a genuine obituary of his own. In The Paperwhite Narcissu s, as in the four previous books in the series, Cynthia Riggs explores the rich and varied setting of Martha's Vineyard in a way that only a native Islander can. The story glides from Wasque, the desolate southeast corner of Chappaquiddick, to the Coast Guard boat ramp in Menemsha; from the elegantly maintained Captains' houses in Edgartown to the wild Atlantic Ocean beach at Quansoo. A delightfully cozy read, steeped in rich characters and a sense of place, this latest Victoria Trumbull mystery is sure to charm long-time fans and first-time readers. Fans of Riggs' Martha's Vineyard mysteries already love the series' ninetysomething protagonist, Victoria Trumbull. This fifth adventure will only strengthen that bond. The delightful Victoria is at her best here, confronting Colley Jameson, the obnoxious editor of the Island Enquirer , who has threatened to replace her West Tisbury news column with a younger person's outlook. Then, when Colley begins receiving odd obituaries about himself that coincide with murders occurring in the area, he reluctantly hires Victoria to investigate. As Victoria tries to figure out who is responsible for three murders and the threats against Colley, numerous suspects appear, including bitter ex-wives and one greedy ex-husband. In addition to the usual colorful supporting cast of West Tisbury eccentrics, Riggs introduces an utterly charming new character, the grumbly William Botts. Founder and editor of the one-page Island Grackle , Botts leads a simple life--until Victoria begins writing for him and causes his subscriber numbers to skyrocket. As usual, Riggs paints a thoroughly compelling picture of island life. Like Victoria, this series gets more charming with age. Jenny McLarin Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved Cynthia Riggs, a thirteenth-generation Islander, lives on Martha's Vineyard in her family homestead, which she runs as a bed-and-breakfast catering to poets and writers. She has a degree in geology from Antioch College and an MFA in creative writing from Vermont College, and she holds a U.S. Coast Guard Masters License (100-ton). Paperwhite Narcissus CHAPTER 1The breeze blew off Nantucket Sound, past the lighthouse that guarded the entrance to the harbor, past the freshly painted captains' houses lining North Water Street, past white picket fences laden with yellow, pink, and white roses. The breeze whispered through the screened front windows of the Island Enquirer, carrying the scent of honeysuckle, roses, and the sea.Ordinarily, Victoria Trumbull wallowed in the newness, richness, and sensuousness of a June day like this.But not today.She didn't hear the tidy sounds of hedge clippers and lawn mowers. A boy painting the trim around the newspaper's windows called out, "Hey, Mrs. Trumbull," and she paid no attention. The boy shrugged, and dipped his paintbrush into his pail again.Victoria opened the gate in the picket fence, strode up the walk, heedless of the way her lilac-wood stick jabbed the bright green moss that bordered the uneven bricks, marched through the open front door, and stopped at the reception desk.Faith Norton, the receptionist, greeted her with a broad smile. "Good morning, Mrs. Trumbull. Nice day.""Where is he?" said Victoria."Mr. Jameson? I think he's back by the press. Want me to call him?""That won't be necessary." Victoria pushed her way through the inside door that opened into a room with a dozen desks. She ignored the greetings of several people who looked up from their computer screens as she passed and continued through a second inner door that led to the far back room. There, the hugeold press was churning out a steady stream of this week's edition of the Island Enquirer. A short man with too-dark hair spun around as Victoria pushed the door shut behind her."What are you doing here, Victoria?" he shouted over the noise of the press. He was wearing a