Winds of Deceit

When survival becomes a crime scene, a refugee artist must prove that the past never really lets you go.

Bea Tran thought she'd escaped her trauma forty-five years ago-the boat from Vietnam, the drowning of her parents in the South China Sea, the desperation of refugee camps. She built a quiet life in Franklin, North Carolina, painting watercolors of memory and healing. She found community in the most unlikely place: a Tuesday night mahjong group of retired investigators, forensic accountants, librarians, and one very judgmental poodle.

Then a body appears in her art studio.

Conrad Fischer, a prominent Atlanta art dealer, lies dead on her floor. Four of her most personal paintings-her "Between Waters" series depicting her refugee journey-have vanished. And the evidence points directly at Bea: plant-based poison (she's an herbalist's best friend), motive (Fischer had been aggressively pursuing her work), and opportunity (she was alone with him).

But Bea didn't kill anyone. She's being framed.

As the Tuesday night mahjong group races to prove her innocence, they uncover something far more sinister than a single murder: an international art trafficking conspiracy that's been exploiting refugee artists for decades. At its center is Minh Nguyen-someone from Bea's past at Camp Galang, someone who knows exactly which scars to reopen, someone who's built an empire on weaponizing survival stories for profit.

Donnie Carlisle, retired Miami insurance fraud investigator and owner of the Smoky Mountain Dog Bakery, leads the investigation with her signature blend of Cuban coffee and relentless determination. Maya Lin, herbalist and healer, must trace a poison that implicates her own expertise. Evelyn Cho, forensic accountant still grieving her prosecutor husband's mysterious death, discovers financial patterns that connect this case to the murder she's never stopped investigating. Together with their found family, they have 72 hours before the detective must make an arrest.

The deeper they dig, the more dangerous it becomes. This isn't just about stolen paintings-it's about North Korean sanctions evasion, money laundering, and a systematic exploitation of the world's most vulnerable artists. And when Bea's testimony becomes crucial to bringing down the entire network, federal authorities make a devastating choice: witness protection means losing Franklin, losing her community, losing everything she's built.

Then ICE comes for her citizenship.

"Winds of Deceit" is a powerful mystery that tackles urgent contemporary issues-refugee rights, immigration enforcement, the exploitation of trauma for profit-while delivering the warmth, wit, and found-family dynamics that made Book One a reader favorite. Set against the backdrop of the real-life devastation of Hurricane Helene (honored in the dedication), this story celebrates the resilience of small-town America and the revolutionary power of showing up for each other.

Perfect for fans of Richard Osman's "Thursday Murder Club" and Alexander McCall Smith's "No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency," this is a mystery with both a sharp mind and a generous heart-where justice requires not just solving crimes, but protecting the survivors who dare to speak truth.

The Tuesday night mahjong group doesn't just solve murders. They build the community that makes justice possible.