Judith Woodley

Judith Woodley is the main villain of the first Hannah Swensen Mysteries novel Chocolate Chip Cookie Murder. She's the socialite mother of Benton Woodley, whose spending habits left the family in heavy debt. She took out a loan from local loan shark Max Turner, but the interest rate increased in Turner's demands the longer it took for her to pay the lone back. She shot Turner dead in his office to end the payments in hopes of having a chance at recovering the family's money.

Turner's subordinate at his more legitimate business, Ron LaSalle, saw Judith at the office the day of Turner's murder. Following him to his delivery truck right behind Hannah Swensen's bakery, she shot and killed LaSalle as well out of fearing he was a witness. She hosted a party Swensen was commissioned to cater at with her baked goods, but Swensen saw signs of the family losing wealth and suspected Benton.

With Swensen days later trying to discuss the finances with Judith in private, when Judith thought she was getting too close, she pulled the gun she used from her shawl and threatened to kill Swensen, sinking her and her car into the sea. She voiced no regret in killing Turner but lamented LaSalle's murder and feeling in too much of a bind to kill Swensen. Swense decided to trick her with her tea set, since her mother's an antique specialist, and say that the set was fake. She then splashed hot tea in Judith's face, wrestled her to the ground, and tied her with her scarf before holding her own gun on her. Swensen's brother-in-law, Officer Bill Todd, arrested her on the spot.