The Elf Beside Himself

Nothing can prepare you for the phone call from your best friend telling you his dad was murdered. Not even if you’re a former homicide cop. But here I am, getting on a plane to fly halfway across the country to hold his hand and hope to hell that I’m not walking into a complete disaster. Who am I kidding? The police think Gregory Crane killed himself, or at least that’s what they’re telling us, but Elliot is sure they’re wrong. And the dead man can’t tell us what happened, either, so I’m going to have to use good old-fashioned...

Nothing can prepare you for the phone call from your best friend telling you his dad was murdered. Not even if you’re a former homicide cop. But here I am, getting on a plane to fly halfway across the country to hold his hand and hope to hell that I’m not walking into a complete disaster. Who am I kidding? The police think Gregory Crane killed himself, or at least that’s what they’re telling us, but Elliot is sure they’re wrong. And the dead man can’t tell us what happened, either, so I’m going to have to use good old-fashioned detective work to figure this one out. Except I’m not a cop anymore and all my contacts are half a country away. Add to that the fact that the state I’m in is in the middle of a huge anti-magic movement, and everywhere I turn I have people spitting in my face and calling me a freak. My mother is going ballistic, my father is threatening to sue the police department, and I’m trying to juggle a brand-new relationship and my falling-apart oldest friend from childhood. Yeah, you could say I’m beside myself. Now if only I can hold it together long enough to put together the pieces, maybe, just maybe I can manage to get through this without losing my best friend, my boyfriend, or my life. Whether or not I lose my mind is pretty low on the list of priorities—I’m willing to give that up if only I can keep the rest.