Past Malice: An Emma Fielding Mystery

Archaeology professor Thomas Webster was hired to investigate the heritage of an 18th-century castle that owner Bray Chandler plans to sell to Emma's study buddy Adelle Fisher's semi-commercial foundation. Webster does secretive about witch-related finds, and just before he would explain to incredulous Emma, whom Adelle asked to drop by, he's murdered in the relevant cellar, where various clues to the 'castle curse' are found, later followed by projectiles fitting the 'stoning demon' part directed at grad students Joe and Cary after Emma is hired to continue the search. Sheriff Goode being eager to get rid of Essex county's first murder case in years, FBI heritage crimes agent Jim Connor makes Emma consultant again, mainly to look into the wave of artifact thefts from the castle, turning up with notorious ex-con fence Sherman Arlington and the dodgy legal collector whom Emma saw around arguing with Webster. Bray's fifth-generation butler claims his boss is unreliable and possibly killed his father three years ago, but he is murdered just before the meeting where he would give details.