A.J. Alexander is the proud and flexible owner of Sacred Balance, a yoga studio in the quaint little town of Stillbrook, where yogis and yoginis gather in search of balance in both body and mind. As the face of Sacred Balance, A. J. takes the calm and civilized approach when the Reverend David Goode declares that yoga is a tool of Satan: she tries to explain to him that yoga is neither a religion nor a cult.
But maybe the devil really is afoot–the Jersey Devil, that is. Sightings of the legendary monster are cropping up everywhere, amid more tangible signs of evil such as cattle mutilation. While her chat with Goode may have been the right approach, not every yoga teacher takes his slander so calmly, including A.J.’s former employee and friend, Lily Martin, who becomes the prime suspect when Goode becomes the victim of murder.
The police would certainly appreciate it if A.J. would stay out of their way, but she’s determined to save Lily’s skin. As if her meddling weren’t trouble enough, the entire cast of Golden Gumshoes, a television series about a group of senior sleuths which just happens to star A.J.’s mother, descends upon the mystery with eccentric shenanigans, convinced that their ‘experience’ as onscreen detectives qualifies them to solve the murder of Goode.
Yoga enthusiasts should be warned that Death in a Difficult Position has little to do with yoga but everything to do with solid plot and healthy characterization. Killian uses her characters in a sensible and straightforward way to push the story along smoothly, never straying from the path with nonessential gimmicks. Sub-plots are neatly worked into the main thread without overshadowing it; the Jersey Devil and Golden Gumshoes fit so well, in fact, that they enhance rather than detract from the core plot.
As a bonus, Death in a Difficult Position includes instructions for a few simple yoga poses and recipes for organic dishes, all of which are good for the reader’s body and soul. Trying to unravel the mystery, of course, is good for the mind, making Death in a Difficult Position an all-around workout.