When the artist Carlo Valenti is murdered in Rockport, a small New England fishing village and art colony, Annie Quitnot, the local reference librarian, becomes the chief suspect. Annie and Carlo were lovers until five years ago, when Carlo went to Rome to join what he called "the real art world." Carlo returned recently with the nubile young Margo on his arm. Now Carlo lies dead in the morgue. Naturally, the police and the townspeople are convinced that Annie did it. Jealousy is a strong motive, and Annie has no alibi. With the support of the library's sympathetic director, Duncan Langmuir,...