A young widow’s efforts to rebuild her life become a struggle for survival when she crosses a killer… Claire Marshall’s world crumbled when her husband died in a fire. Emotionally fragile but determined to move forward, Claire buys into a small company that restores historic houses in New Orleans. When a wealthy widower named Frank Palmer, is found dead in a burned building, he police suspect her of arson or murder, maybe both. Frank spent his last days telling the world they were in love and planning to marry, now he’s dead, and she can’t prove their relationship was purely business. Claire’s quest to prove her innocence before the police prove her guilt becomes an investigation into Frank’s life. Why did he lie about their relationship? Why would someone want to kill him? Finding the answers brings her face to face with the real killer – and with her own worst fears. A Perfect Victim is the first book in a trilogy set in pre-Katrina New Orleans. Each book stands alone as a mystery story; together they trace Claire’s journey through grief to happiness.