In the late 1990s, Atlanta, Georgia booms with development and an influx of population. Ann Audrey Pickering has withdrawn from her law practice, hiding from the media glare caused when she helped the FBI prosecute her (now) ex-husband. Ann Audrey is pulled from her secluded life when her best friend, sexy Theo Humphries, becomes the prime suspect in the murder of Theo’s lover, a wealthy real estate developer married to an Atlanta socialite. To save Theo, Ann Audrey travels from tony neighborhoods in Atlanta to the coast of Georgia, investigating golf courses and luxury homes to unravel a secret the dead man’s buddies have hidden since they served with him in Vietnam. Distrustful of police and emotionally closed off after her disastrous marriage, Ann Audrey is reluctantly attracted to arrogant and handsome police lieutenant Mike Bristol. Her investigation leads to a dangerous confrontation with the killer and a decision that challenges Ann Audrey’s principles. Near the end of the novel, when Ann Audrey professes her desire to go back to her ‘quiet life in [her] nice, cool air-conditioned condo,’ readers will be eager for her peace and quiet to be broken with a new case. An inviting beginning to a new Atlanta-based mystery series. —Kirkus Reviews With the eye of a painter and the ear of a poet, Winnie Simpson transports us back to the ‘90s and the world of Atlanta’s privileged classes. The story’s cast of characters is smartly conceived and richly developed. Through beautifully crafted descriptions and pitch-perfect dialogue, the reader is propelled forward in a complex, page-turning storyline. Whipped Cream and Piano Wire is a stunning debut mystery from a gifted writer. —Aaron Stander, Author of the Sheriff Ray Elkins series