Next Great Discovery

Enlarged Print EditionSmall-town reporter Leni Spencer is shocked to learn the victim found in a cornfield with his throat slashed is her cousin, a popular college student. Tension mounts when a second body is found after a raging arson fire destroys an historic gristmill. Baffled by the two senseless deaths, Leni seeks answers. Detective Doug Joseph repeatedly warns her of the dangers of sleuthing, but Leni contends that a reporter must investigate. Despite their amicable professional relationship, this tension stands in the way of the more personal, romantic relationship that Leni desires. Events take Leni and Doug to New Orleans, the hometown of the burn victim. There, in a macabre setting of sorrow, jubilation, and great personal danger, the mystery deepens while their relationship grows. A local college dreading an accreditation review, a missing Native American weapon, an archeological dig that may not be all it seems, some academic skullduggery, and a vibrant cast of multigenerational characters complicate the investigation.