Michelle L. Cullen’s A Field Guide to Death and Deceit: what the new Harry & Emma cozy delivers

# Quick summary

A Field Guide to Death and Deceit is the second entry in Michelle L. Cullen's Harry & Emma mystery series. The story begins when widowed anthropologist Harry Lancaster accepts a meeting at a rural farm that turns into a crime scene. His younger colleague Emma insists on joining him. Instead of an expected reunion with Harry's former sweetheart Willow, they discover the farm owner dead, impaled with a corn rake.

# What drives the story

The murder ties into a larger fraud: Willow has lost her life savings in a real estate scam connected to the farm. Worried she could become a suspect, Harry decides to help her. He recruits his brother, who has financial know-how and questionable trustworthiness, and a neighborhood teenage hacker. Together, this informal team chases leads while dodging police scrutiny, stalking threats, and rising danger as other people connected to the case disappear or become involved.

# Who the main characters are

• Harry Lancaster: a widower and trained anthropologist whose curiosity and sense of obligation pull him into investigation.

• Teenage hacker: a neighborhood teen recruited to provide technical help and access to digital leads.

# Tone and pacing

The review excerpt included in the source describes the story as engaging and brisk, with an "incredible cast of core characters" leading readers through an intricate quest for the truth. Expect a cozy-mystery rhythm: an amateur-sleuth team balancing ordinary life details with small-stakes danger and puzzle-solving.

# Setting and publication details

The novel is set in Ohio and published by Crooked Lane Books. Release date: September 15, 2026. Print length is listed as 336 pages. The listing includes ISBNs for hardcover, paperback, and digital editions and retail presence across major outlets including Amazon, PenguinRandomHouse, Barnes & Noble, Books-A-Million, Bookshop.org, Hudson Booksellers, Target, and Walmart.

# Narrative elements to watch for

• Amateur sleuth mechanics: Cullen deploys non-police resources—a family member with financial skills and a teenage hacker—to gather evidence and pursue suspects.
• Escalating stakes: what begins as a potential financial scam evolves into threats, missing persons, and additional danger that forces the protagonists into risky moves.

# Who might like this book

Readers who prefer cozy mysteries with an amateur-sleuth ensemble, small-town or rural settings, procedural puzzle work without graphic violence, and character-driven banter across generations should find this entry consistent with the genre. It's also relevant for readers who enjoyed the first Harry & Emma novel and want the next installment's mix of investigation and personal ties.

# Buying and links