Murder in Miniature by Katie Tietjen

It's 1947 and Maple Bishop is on firm financial footing. Her dollhouse business is booming and she is a consultant to the local police department in the small Vermont town where she lives. The authorities ask for Maple's help after Daniel, a local firefighter, is found dead following a fire in his home. Daniel was a childhood friend of Kenny, a police deputy who is devastated by Daniel's death. With Daniel having run with a rough crowd when he lived in Boston, Maple and Kenny wonder if his death is connected to his time in the city, especially when a witness saw a man fleeing the scene. In this second book in the mystery series, Tietjen expands on Maple's personal life, writing a mystery that's hard to put down. Maple is based on Frances Glessner Lee, who is known "as the mother of forensic science." Readalikes includes the Maisie Dobbs series, Sarah Stewart Taylor, Julia Spencer-Fleming, and Linda Castillo.