The Hanging

When her TV series is abruptly canceled, investigative filmmaker Maggie MacGowen accepts a short-term contract to teach film production at a local community college and finds herself in the middle of an explosive power struggle. In an era of budget cuts, the community college President arouses faculty and student animosity with his expensive building program. When Maggie finds the college president hanging in the building’s stairwell, suspicion falls on her young friend Sly Miller. A world-class artist, his sculpture was supposed to be hanging in place of the body. That’s only the beginning of a twisty plot dealing with the aesthetics and business of art, a billion-dollar art-for-arms deal; political corruption and cronyism; and issues of art forgery and journalistic ethics, all capped off by a stunning denouement. "Hornsby’s well-constructed eighth Maggie MacGowen mystery. . . offers a nuanced glimpse of campus life in the budget-crisis era, a plot with a nicely topical twist, and a cast of smart, appealing characters. Readers will cheer Maggie on as both new romance and fresh career opportunities beckon." -Publishers Weekly (6/20/12)