The First Murder

"An engrossing, thorny whodunit set in a small town with big secrets. The narrative is judiciously paced and shows Kaufman’s ear for realistic dialogue, and it will keep readers guessing until the final reveal."— Kirkus

The ME ruled her death an accident. He was dead wrong.

When Mary Jane Bennett is found dead in her bed— alone, strangled by her own scarf, and with every door in the house locked — the medical examiner rules her death accidental, the result of a sex game gone horribly awry. State police decline to investigate further, but Queensbridge Police Chief Caleb Crane doesn't buy for a minute that his good friend died this way, so he undertakes his own investigation. Facing town councilors afraid of bad publicity, an angry medical examiner, and his own personal demons, he labors to solve what he believes is the first-ever murder in his pastoral Berkshire Hills village. Complicating things: the list of suspects includes some of the people to whom he is closest — including his own wife.

“. . . [a] smartly-paced debut novel . . .”
—Gerald Elias, author of the Daniel Jacobus mystery series

“. . . one of my favorite mystery reads this year . . . With a talent reminiscent of Louise Penny, Kaufman creates a small town ambience of alliances and hidden resentments among characters whose humanity draws you in while raising your suspicions. The First Murder is an engaging and intriguing journey to an exciting conclusion.”
—Sharon Healy-Yang, author of the Jessica Minton Mystery Series

“. . . [a] deftly constructed debut novel [that] kept me guessing until the very end.”
—Leslie Wheeler, award-winning author of the Berkshire Hilltown Mysteries