A National Competition and a Deadly Detour
High school teacher Katie Wilk is thrilled when her students qualify for Mock Trial America, a prestigious courtroom competition in Atlanta. Alongside her best friend and fellow teacher Jane Mackey, a team of eager teens, and a crew of devoted chaperones, Katie boards a flight from Minnesota—ready for a week of intellectual showdowns and Southern hospitality. But things go sideways before the plane is even off the ground.
With canceled flights, endless delays, and one particularly obnoxious passenger stirring up trouble, the trip turns into a logistical, almost deadly, nightmare. When that same rude traveler turns up later in Atlanta, the chaos takes a deadly turn—and suspicion lands squarely on the Mackey family.
As Katie digs deeper, she uncovers a web of secrets: stolen documents, corporate espionage, dangerous toxins, and enough motive to make her question everything. Can she untangle the truth before the killer strikes again?
Luckily, she’s got help—from Maverick, her sharp-nosed, loyal Labrador retriever and trained search-and-rescue dog, who’s always ready to sniff out danger.
Smart, suspenseful, and full of heart, this latest installment in Mary Seifert’s charming cozy mystery series delivers Southern intrigue, tricky puzzles, and the kind of dogged determination only a Lab (and a resolute teacher) can provide.
“Good morning, folks. Sorry for the delay, but due to mechanical issues, we’ve had to cancel our non-stop flight to Atlanta.” As the air around me took on a rumble, he smiled uneasily and took a big breath. “We apologize for any inconvenience, and we’ll do our best to accommodate you and get you to your final destination as quickly as possible. Please gather your belongings and check the seat pocket before disembarking. See the gate attendant for more details.”
We exited the aircraft. Our students crowded around me, and I said decisively, “We’ll catch another plane soon and still arrive in plenty of time to take advantage of everything we’ve planned before your competition begins in three days. Don’t worry.”
Famous last words. I hoped I wasn’t constructing a false narrative for our future.
I massaged my temples as we waited our turn and inched our way to the desk for information. The smile glued to the young man’s face never wavered as he checked our tickets. “It’s a very busy Memorial weekend.” His fingers flew over the keys. “It’ll take a bit of maneuvering to get your entire group in the sky, but we’ll get you on the next available flight, however ...” He looked up at me, and one corner of his mouth turned down in a bit of alarm. “The operative word is available.”
My heart leaped to my throat, and I gritted my teeth in frustration.
“And a nonstop will be impossible.” His eyebrows, cheeks, and lips morphed into one big apology. “You’ll be rerouted first through Detroit.”
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