A secretive philanthropist books Betty Snickerdoodle's brand new inn for her elite, ultra-private holiday poker tournament. With the hefty fee she's offering, it seems like Christmas has come a few days early--especially since the inn's not even open yet!

But Bea Sickles--the savvy, 70-something ex-poker pro turned author behind Betty Snickerdoodle--smells trouble.

"Might be a special gift from Santa," Bea says. "Or we might be getting a scam in our stocking."

The set-up is undeniably odd. And as the tycoons settle in for their high-stakes vacation, the shindig starts to look even stranger--especially when the organizer unveils the tournament's bizarre rules. Bea's so certain there's something fishy about the fat cats and their game, she buys in for $50,000, just to keep an eye on them.

But a poker scam is hardly the only suspicious thing about these whales. Before long, shocking accidents start happening--and Bea and Angela, her clever young business partner, start to wonder if what looks like an "accident" might instead be murder....

A Sleuth Is Born is book two of the Betty Snickerdoodle cozy mystery series, which blends mystery, humor, and adventure. It can be read as a stand-alone or as a sequel to book one, The Return of Betty Snickerdoodle.