Mayberry Street Mystery Book Club — Susan Hart

It was the dawn of a new year in a quaint small town, and the ladies of the Mayberry Street Mystery Book Club were abuzz with anticipation. Every Thursday without fail, these amateur sleuths—young and old alike—would gather at Cynthia's Coffee Nook to pore over the latest whodunit and swap theories over steaming mugs of brew. But little did they know that their new year was about to take a thrilling turn toward the extraordinary.As the ladies settled into their usual overstuffed, flower-patterned armchairs by the bay window, a peculiar sight caught their eyes. A tall, ruggedly handsome stranger was limping down Main Street, a pained expression etched onto his chiseled features. His dark blonde hair was tousled, his clothes disheveled, and he had blood on his neck—clear signs of some recent misadventure.Jane, the group's sharp-eyed leader and the youngest member of their group, was the first to raise the alarm.Girls, look! That poor man seems to be in distress, she exclaimed, already rising from her seat. The others turned to study the scene unfolding outside, and a chorus of gasps escaped their lips.In a flurry of action, the ladies sprang from their seats and hurried outside, coats and scarves flapping behind them. The stranger looked up just as they approached, his hazel eyes widening in surprise and perhaps even a hint of fear.