This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. M K Scott will be awarding a $50 Amazon or B/N GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.
I looked forward to sipping tea and exploring Mark’s ancestral roots in Ireland, but oh, what a twist of fate!
My life as owner of The Painted Lady Inn hardly prepared me for this. With my detective husband by my side, we embark on a journey filled with mayhem, murder, and mischief.
As I savor every bite of Irish stew and soak in the breathtaking scenery, little do I know that our vacation will turn into a whirlwind of sleuthing.
Who could have imagined the secrets hidden behind Mark’s family tree? And what dark secrets lurk in this picturesque village, threatening to shatter the tranquility?
The jig is up, and it’s up to us to untangle the web of intrigue.
Enjoy an Excerpt
The rain-slicked windows made it hard to see the fast-approaching landscape—but not impossible. The blue splash of the Atlantic hugged the coastline while roadways and houses grew visible as Monopoly-sized squares when the plane eased into its final approach. The acrid scent of burned coffee filled the coach cabin resulting in Donna Tollhouse Taber, a compact blonde on the other side of fifty with eyes that missed little, wrinkling her nose. “Someone needs to tend to that coffee pot. It might as well be me.”
Her husband, Mark, a small-town detective whose crow’s feet could morph from charming to threatening depending if you were a citizen or a lawbreaker, grasped her arm. “Leave it. We’re landing. Didn’t you hear the announcement?”
“Yes,” Donna grudgingly admitted, twisting in her seat as if to find the offending coffee pot. “It’s just having a sensitive nose makes me notice burned coffee more than most. It could be the flight attendants are too busy making sure everyone is ready for landing rather than attending to the coffee pot.”
Knowing his wife’s antics, Mark shook his head, resulting in a lock of his salt-and-pepper hair catching on his bushy, graying eyebrows. “You’d be the one they’d be urging to stay seated and belted. We’re on vacation. Relax. You’re not back at the Painted Lady Inn serving guests. Before that, you slaved away in a post-operation ward for almost three decades. Have you ever truly relaxed?”
The question rendered her speechless for a few seconds—a rare state, indeed. While Type A personalities were known to be driven and focused, Donna considered herself an A-, goal-oriented, but open to side adventures, especially mysteries. “There was that cruise. Remember? It was going to be so romantic. You missed the boat,” she teased, then grimaced as she continued. “Then that rich guy died under mysterious circumstances.” Her shoulders went up in a shrug. “I guess I can’t count that one as relaxing.”
Her eyes rolled upward and to the right as the plane tires kissed the tarmac, jostling the passengers. “Wait! There was our honeymoon. We went to Arkansas to get away from the stress of your job. Some place quiet we’d both agreed, then we stumbled over that murdered crystal mine owner.”
“Well,” Mark exhaled audibly. “This trip will be different. No murder. No dead bodies. I read up on Ireland, it’s an incredibly safe place. No bears, wolves, coyotes, or even snakes. The website listed feral cats as their worst predator.”
About the Author
M. K. Scott is the Morgan and Scott cozy mystery writing team of The Painted Lady Inn Mysteries, The Talking Dog Detective Agency, The Way Over the Hill Gang, Cupid’s Catering Company, and The Tenacious Librarian series. Morgan pens the tales, while Scott serves as first editor and webmaster. Daughter Sarah handles the social media and Jane the Lab supervises digging in the garden.
The book is on sale for only $0.99 at Amazon.
Thank you so much for hosting today!
Thanks for hosting The Jig Is Up. MK Scott