Who murdered a beloved law professor on a northern Michigan campus?

Retired judge Rosaline Maxwell is living her dream—lakefront home, quiet days in Harbor Springs, and the occasional guest lecture. Then the phone rings. Her closest friend, college president Tyler Guthrie, is in trouble: a popular law professor has been found dead at the bottom of the town’s iconic outdoor staircase—the “final steps.” Police call it murder. The evidence points to Tyler.

Shaken but resolute, Rosaline trusts her instincts and dives in. Trading robes for gumshoe, she clashes with local police, fields anonymous threats to “back off,” and navigates a maze of small-town secrets, campus politics, and motives galore.

As rumors spread and alibis crumble, Rosaline must untangle truth from gossip before the killer strikes again—or before another victim takes their final steps.

The Final Steps is a cozy legal mystery with small-town charm, a sharp, seasoned heroine, and a classic whodunit puzzle—perfect for readers who like their mysteries clever, clean, and justice-minded.