Ms. Araminta Cozy Mysteries

Miss Araminta pushes her shopping cart to the neighborhood market, but stops when she sees a well-dressed woman stealing from a blind man's cup. The beggar is well known in the neighborhood; Bill and his seeing-eye dog sleep in a derelict shed behind the grocery store. He just turned up one day from nowhere, and is fed and clothed by the community.

Miss Araminta enjoys taking a week's holiday every fall. She always goes to the Pioneer House Bed and Breakfast near Triune, Tennessee, which is owned by her good friends Mark and Felicia Rollins. This time, Miss Araminta finds a scene of consternation and turmoil when she starts to check in. Police Detective Davis is talking to her hostess, and both seem upset. They quickly tell her that a guest died in one of the upper rooms during the night.

Araminta Elmore is a 67-year-old retired insurance adjustor. She is helpful and always finds herself in the middle of a police investigation. She has been invited to a piano recital at the Belle Meade home of Arthur and Beatrice Lyons. As she makes her way to the French doors of the drawing room, Araminta suddenly notices a glint in the grass. When she picks this up, it turns out to be a red stone - a real ruby. She shoves it into her bag until after the recital.

Araminta had gone shopping at the exclusive Green Hills Mall, a fairly long drive from Melrose, because she wanted to see what colors would be popular in knit goods and kitchen cloths this spring. Araminta was just leaving the upscale dress shop for the main mall area when someone cannoned into her in the crowd.This young woman helped Araminta right herself after the collision and started to apologize profusely. Looking up, Araminta spotted what she thought was a familiar young face.

Miss Araminta gets a call from her goddaughter, Francia Carter. The girl wants to come to Nashville for the weekend with her boyfriend, Roger Dumont. Miss Araminta is especially interested to hear news of Amina Carter, Francia's mother, whose maid of honor she was. Everything Miss Araminta hears makes her more concerned about her best friend. She decides to ride back down to Sewanee with the two young people and see Amina herself.

Miss Araminta and the other ladies who do church work for the Diocese actively encourage the young people of their various churches to take part in the work, collecting and storing supplies for needy children. One of Miss Araminta's most frequent helpers is a nine-year-old orphan named Janie. Janie confides that she and her playmates have recently spent their free time exploring an old house near the school campus.

Miss Araminta has to run an errand for Bishop Hand: pick up a young pastor at the Nashville Greyhound Terminal. When Miss Araminta gets to the crowded terminal, the bus from Ft. Lauderdale has just come in. She begins anxiously looking for a young man in a clerical collar. Seeing him only in the distance, she follows him to the small cafeteria area, where he appears to be looking for someone. Just then a young girl leaves one of the tables and runs to him. She starts to speak, but instead falls at his feet.