Truffles and Tragedy: A Down South Cafe Mystery Book by Gayle Leeson

About Truffles and Tragedy

 

Truffles and Tragedy: A Down South Cafe Mystery 

Cozy Mystery 6th in Series Publisher: Grace Abraham Publishing (March 16, 2021) Number of Pages: 295 (approximately) Digital ASIN: B08VMM8F27

Down South Cafe owner Amy Flowers learns her chocolate truffles might not be the only things her patrons find "out of this world."

When her cousin, Jackie, asks her to give a presentation to her online class, Amy thinks all she has to worry about is speaking before a group. But then the nitpicky professor collapses. He has been murdered, and hot-tempered Jackie is the prime suspect. Some online forums are even speculating that the professor was an extra-terrestrial, so Amy must sort out fact from fiction to get to the truth.

Certain the real killer is setting Jackie up, will Amy be able to outwit the killer and save her cousin?

What I Thought:

 This was another great installment in the Down South Cafe series. I have a read a few in the series, not all and I always enjoy what I read, this one was no exception. In this one, Jackie is going back to school and has a hard to deal-with professor. When she asks Amy to be presenter for her online class for this professor, Amy agrees. On the evening Amy is to present and while she is presenting, the professor collapses. It is learned that he had been poisoned and Jackie is the main suspect. Of course Amy has to investigate to prove her cousin is not a killer.  I like the setting of this book, it reminds me of where I live in a very small close-knit community. The characters who work at Amy's Down Home Cafe are very close, like family. I find that to be endearing. There were some new characters in this book that were not so likable and he author did a great job of portraying them in a way for the reader not to like them. There were not a whole lot of suspects in this book, and not a lot of twists like in some other stories, but it was still very good, very well written, and the plot was believable. When the reveal of the killer took place, I was surprised as it was not what I expected. I will definitely be reading more in this series and hope to get caught up on the ones that I have missed. 

I received a complimentary copy of this book. 

About Gayle Leeson

Gayle Leeson is a pseudonym for Gayle Trent. Gayle has also written as Amanda Lee and Gayle Trent. Going forward, Gayle intends to keep her writing under the Gayle Leeson name. She lives with her beautiful family in the hills of Southwest Virginia.

Author Links Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GayleLeeson/ Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/Gayle-Leeson/e/B01NBSTBDU/ BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/gayle-leeson Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/426208.Gayle_Trent Twitter: https://twitter.com/GayleTrent Newsletter sign-up form: https://forms.aweber.com/form/14/1780369214.htm Purchase Link - Amazon a Rafflecopter giveaway

Murder By Page One

 

Murder by Page One: A Peach Coast Library Mystery by Olivia Matthews

About Murder Page One

 

Murder by Page One: A Peach Coast Library Mystery 

Cozy Mystery 1st in Series Publisher: Hallmark Publishing (March 23, 2021) Print length: 328 pages Digital ASIN: B08KHPBDBS

If you love Hallmark mystery movies, you’ll love this cozy mystery with humor, intrigue, and a librarian amateur sleuth.

 

Marvey, a librarian, has moved from Brooklyn to a quirky small town in Georgia. When she’s not at the library organizing events for readers, she’s handcrafting book-themed jewelry and looking after her cranky cat. At times, her new life in the South still feels strange...and that’s before the discovery of the dead body in the bookstore.

 

After one of her friends becomes a suspect, Marvey sets out to solve the murder mystery. She even convinces Spence, the wealthy and charming newspaper owner, to help. With his ties to the community, her talents for research, and her fellow librarians’ knowledge, Marvey pursues the truth. But as she gets closer to it, could she be facing a deadly plot twist?

 

This first in series cozy mystery includes a free Hallmark original recipe for Classic Peach Cobbler.

What I Thought:

This is the first installment in the Peach Coast Library Mystery series, and features, Marvey, a librarian from New York who  has moved to the small town of Peach Coast Ga. Things are a lot different for Marvey in this small southern town that what she is used to. When her friend, Jolene has a book signing at her new book store To Be Read for a local author, Fiona Lyle-Hayes, and Fiona is found murdered in the back room of the book store, Jo becomes the prime suspect. Marvey, Jo, and their friend, Spence, investigate to find out who the real killer is. This was a fast paced cozy that kept me turning the pages. This one kept my attention from the very beginning and kept it throughout he book. I liked the characters in the book, the were realistic and likeable. The plot was well thought out and the story was well written and flowed really well. There were many suspects in this story and the author threw in just enough curveballs to throw me off as to who the killer really was. I was completely surprised by the reveal of the killer. I look forward more to in this series.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. 

About Olivia Matthews

Olivia Matthews is the cozy mystery pseudonym for Patricia Sargeant, a national best-selling, award-winning author. Her work has been featured in national publications such as Publishers Weekly, USA Today, Kirkus Reviews, Suspense Magazine, Mystery Scene Magazine, Library Journal and RT Book Reviews. For more information about Patricia and her work, visit PatriciaSargeant.com.

Author Links Website: https://PatriciaSargeant.com. Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorPatriciaSargeant. Twitter: https://twitter.com/BooksbyPatricia BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/olivia-matthews Purchase Links - Amazon - Hallmark Publishing - Apple - Barnes & Noble - Bookshop - Fantastic Fiction - Kobo -

A Side of Murder

A Side of Murder (A Cape Cod Foodie Mystery) by Amy Pershing

About A Side of Murder

A Side of Murder (A Cape Cod Foodie Mystery) Cozy Mystery 1st in Series Publisher: Berkley (February 23, 2021) Mass Market Paperback: 320 pages ISBN-10: 0593199146 ISBN-13: 978-0593199145 Digital ASIN: B087PL9HHF

Beautiful Cape Cod, Massachusetts, is known for seafood, sand, surf and now … murder.

 

Samantha Barnes was always a foodie. And when the CIA (that’s the Culinary Institute of America) came calling, she happily traded in Cape Cod for the Big Apple. But then the rising young chef’s clash with another chef (her ex!) boils over and goes viral. So when Sam inherits a house on the Cape and lands a job writing restaurant reviews, it seems like the perfect pairing. What could go wrong? Well, as it turns out, a lot.

 

The dilapidated house comes with an enormous puppy. Her new boss is, well, bossy. And the town’s harbor master is none other than her first love. Nonetheless, Sam’s looking forward to reviewing the Bayview Grill—and indeed the seafood chowder is divine. But the body in the pond outside the eatery was not on the menu. Sam is certain this is murder. But as she begins to stir the pot, is she creating a recipe for her own untimely demise?

 

“Cape Cod provides a stunning background for a debut that offers the ideal combination of mystery, romance, and recipes.” Kirkus Reviews

“An exquisite Cape Cod setting, a shamed but resilient chef, murderous secrets, and a long-buried but still steaming romance… Amy Pershing’s debut mystery will leave you longing for a seaside vacation, complete with fried clams and the next book in her charming series.” Lucy Burdette, national bestselling author of THE KEY LIME CRIME

 

“This is one of the freshest, funniest murder mysteries I’ve ever read. I fell absolutely in love with Samantha Barnes — the brave, sarcastic, crime-solving, relatable heroine we’ve all been waiting for. A Side of Murder is a rich, satisfying meal that delights from beginning to end, and Amy Pershing is a wonderful and clever author.” Elizabeth Gilbert, #1 New York Times bestselling author of EAT PRAY LOVE and CITY OF GIRLS

 

“A delicious mystery lovingly set in Cape Cod featuring a cast of charming characters. Amy Pershing writes with a fresh fun voice that will delight cozy fans. Chef turned restaurant critic Samantha Barnes proves a clever sleuth whose helpful cooking tips will be a big hit with culinary readers.” Krista Davis, New York Times bestselling author of the DOMESTIC DIVA mysteries

What I Thought:

A Side of Murder is the first in a new Series, the Cape Cod Foodie Mystery Series. In this book, Samantha has moved back to the Cape from New York after an embarrassing altercation with her ex. She is hired by her friend, Krista, who is the editor of the local paper that Samantha's parents used to work for, to write a new column about local restaurants. One her first assignment, Samantha finds the body of local woman who used to be a waitress and caused some problems for Samantha and a crush she used to have named Jason. The police want to assume the death is an accident but Samantha is not so sure, so she sets out to find the truth with the help of her friends, Jenny, Miles, Helene, Krista, and Jason, who is now the Harbor Master. Samantha gets herself into a tight situation and her friends have to come to her resuce.

This was an interesting read from the very beginning. Cape Cod is a place I would like to visit, so I found the setting very interesting. I found the plot to the well thought out and well written. I liked Samantha and all of her quirky friends. I was surprised by the ending of this one and that there was more than one mystery in this one, and one mystery was not even suspected at all. This book kept my attention and kept me flipping the pages till the very end.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. 

   

About Amy Pershing

Amy Pershing is a lifelong mystery lover and wordsmith who spent every summer of her childhood on Cape Cod. In her previous incarnations she was an assistant editor at Viking Penguin, a restaurant reviewer for Playbill magazine’s Restaurant Reporter, and a journalist at the Rome (Italy) Daily American before eventually going on to lead employee communications at a global bank. A few years ago (with the final college tuition bill paid), she waved goodbye to Wall Street in order to write full time (and spend more time sailing on Cape Cod!). A Side of Murder is the first book in the Cape Cod Foodie mystery series featuring Samantha Barnes, a disgraced but resilient ex-chef and the world’s most reluctant YouTube star. While Sam tries to balance her new job as the local paper’s “Cape Cod Foodie” with her complicated love life, a posse of just-slightly-odd friends, a falling-down house and a ginormous puppy, she also discovers a new talent – a propensity for falling over dead bodies … and for solving crime.

Website: https://amypershingauthor.com/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/amypershingauthor Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/amypershingauthor/?hl=en Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/20632873.Amy_Pershing Purchase Links: Amazon - Barnes & Noble - Bookshop.org - Books A Million - Indiebound - Target - Hudson Booksellers - Powells a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

Wedding Days and Foul Play Blast

 

Wedding Day and Foul Play (A Consignment Shop Mystery) by Duffy Brown

Wedding Day and Foul Play (A Consignment Shop Mystery)

Cozy Mystery 6th in Series Independently Published ASIN: B08WYCY16X

Wedding cake on top of the table, a dead body underneath and a favorite auntie accused of putting it there is no way to start a marriage.

It’s been one-hundred-and-eighty-three days and fourteen hours since Reagan Summerside tripped across yet another dead body but hopes of her Savannah wedding to Walker Boone going off without a hitch are dashed, when a corpse is found under the cake table and Auntie KiKi is accused of putting it there. Can Reagan and Walker find the killer without him finding them first, or will their new address be Bonaventure Cemetery?

About Duffy Brown

Duffy Brown loves anything with a mystery. While others girls dreamed of dating Brad Pitt, Duffy longed to take Sherlock Holmes to the prom. She is a National Bestselling author and now conjures up who-done-it stories of her very own. She has two series the Consignment Shop Mysteries set in Savannah along with rescue pup Bruce Willis and the Cycle Path Mysteries set on Mackinac Island with judgmental cats Cleveland and Bambino. Author Links: Website – http://www.duffybrown.com Facebook – https://www.facebook.com Purchase Link – Amazon Wedding Day and Foul Play Book Blast FEBRUARY 22 Lisa Ks Book Reviews I Read What You Write The Avid Reader Reading, Writing & Stitch-Metic Literary Gold Laura's Interests Socrates Book Reviews Reading Is My SuperPower Cozy Up With Kathy Books a Plenty Book Reviews Christy's Cozy Corners Brooke Blogs Melina's Book Blog Mystery Thrillers and Romantic Suspense Reviews StoreyBook Reviews Baroness' Book Trove Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book Sapphyria's Book Reviews   Have you signed up to be a Tour Host? Click Here to Find Details and Sign Up Today! Additional Banners

One Poison Pie

 

One Poison Pie (Kitchen Witch Mysteries) by Lynn Cahoon

About One Poison Pie

One Poison Pie (Kitchen Witch Mysteries) by Lynn Cahoon 

Cozy Mystery 1st in Series Publisher: Kensington (January 26, 2021) Mass Market Paperback: 272 pages ISBN-10: 1496730313 ISBN-13: 978-1496730312 Digital ASIN: B087YNC1B6

In the first in New York Times bestselling author Lynn Cahoon’s Kitchen Witch series, Mia Malone is starting over in Magic Springs, Idaho—where murder is on the menu . . .

 

What’s a kitchen witch to do when her almost-fiancé leaves her suddenly single and unemployed? For Mia Malone, the answer’s simple: move to her grandmother’s quirky Idaho hometown, where magic is an open secret and witches and warlocks are (mostly) welcome. With a new gourmet dinner delivery business—and a touch of magic in her recipes—Mia’s hopes are high. Even when her ex’s little sister, Christina, arrives looking for a place to stay, Mia takes it in stride.

 

But her first catering job takes a distasteful turn when her client’s body is found, stabbed and stuffed under the head table. Mia’s shocked to learn that she’s a suspect—and even more so when she realizes she’s next on a killer’s list. With Christina, along with Mia’s meddling grandma, in the mix, she’ll have to find out which of the town’s eccentric residents has an appetite for murder…before this fresh start comes to a sticky end. . . .

 

Includes Recipes!

What I Thought:

This is the first in a new series by Lynn Cahoon, Kitchen Witch Mystery Series. We are introduced to Mia who has moved to Magic Springs, her grandmother's hometown, to open a catering business. Magic Springs has some secrets and so does Mia and her grandmother. Mia's first job is to cater her grandmother's best friend Adele's birthday party. When Adele is found murdered on the day of the party, Mia has to clear her name. Mia has some help from her ex's sister, her grandmother, and two brothers, Trent and Levi, who have some secrets of their own. 

I will be honest, this one started out a little slow for me but soon picked up. There were some many different aspects and mysteries to this story that it became a hard to put down book. There is also a very good romantic element to this story and lovely sense of family and friends that gave me a warm feeling. As I said, there were a couple different mysteries to this story and not one but four bad guys. The twits and turns kept me turning the pages and on the edge of my seat. I was a little surprised by some of the bad guys but not all. The book also ended with cliff hanger, so of course I will be anxiously awaiting the next in this series.

 

About Lynn Cahoon

Lynn Cahoon is the author of the NYT and USA Today best-selling Tourist Trap cozy mystery series. She also pens the Cat Latimer series, the Farm to Fork series, and the Kitchen Witch series. Small town setting, big time fun with a bit of murder to keep it interesting. Romance novels are published under the pen name, Lynn Collins. She lives in a small river town like Mark Twain with her husband and three fur kids..

Author Links

• Goodreads –http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5857424.Lynn_Cahoon
• Twitter – https://twitter.com/LynnCahoon
• Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/LynnCahoonAuthor
• Amazon author page – http://www.amazon.com/Lynn-Cahoon/e/B0082PWOAO/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_pop_1
• Website – http://lynncahoon.com/

Purchase Links – Amazon – B&N – Kobo – Google Play a Rafflecopter giveaway

Egg Shooters

 

Egg Shooters (A Cackleberry Club Mystery) by Laura Childs

About Egg Shooters

 

Egg Shooters (A Cackleberry Club Mystery) 

Cozy Mystery 9th in Series Publisher: Berkley (January 26, 2021) Hardcover: 304 pages ISBN-10: 0425281744 ISBN-13: 978-0425281741 Kindle ASIN: B085BVYLKY

A murder in the local hospital is raising everyone's temperature in the latest book in the New York Times bestselling Cackleberry Club series.

 

Suzanne Dietz co-owner of the Cackleberry Club Café is visiting her fiancée, Dr. Sam Hazelet when a masked gunman bursts into the emergency room. He shoots two people and would probably have done more damage had Suzanne not brained him with a thermos full of chili. Still, the gunman manages to escape.

 

Now the ladies of the Cackleberry Club are determined to find the killer before he finds them.

What I Thought:

This is the ninth installment in the Cackleberry Club Mystery Series. This cozy was a little different than most cozies I read. In this one, Susan has gone to the hospital to drop off dinner for her fiance, Sam. While there, there is a loud crash and person in a black jump suit comes crashing into the ER. The perpetrator is armed and shoots the security guard and the receptionist. Susan stuns the gunman and he runs off. While this is a little different concept, I enjoyed this cozy as I have enjoyed the other in the Cackleberry Club mysteries. I like Susan, she is a very likable character and I enjoy her co-workers at the Cackleberry Club. This was well written and flowed well, as do most of Laura Childs books. I was kept entertained and curious as to who is behind the murder and the other break-ins. There were just enough twists and turns to keep me guessing, and I did not figure it out till the reveal. I look forward to more in the Cackleberry Club Mysteries.

I received a complimentary copy of this book.

 

Laura Childs is the New York Times bestselling author of the Tea Shop Mysteries, Scrapbook Mysteries, and Cackleberry Club Mysteries. In her previous life she was CEO/Creative Director of her own marketing firm and authored several screenplays. She is married to a professor of Chinese art history, loves to travel, rides horses, enjoys fundraising for various non-profits, and has two Chinese Shar-Pei dogs.

Laura specializes in cozy mysteries that have the pace of a thriller (a thrillzy!) Her three series are:

The Cackleberry Club Mysteries – set in Kindred, a fictional town in the Midwest. In a rehabbed Spur station, Suzanne, Toni, and Petra, three semi-desperate, forty-plus women have launched the Cackleberry Club. Eggs are the morning specialty here and this cozy cafe even offers a book nook and yarn shop. Business is good but murder could lead to the cafe’s undoing! This series offers recipes, knitting, cake decorating, and a dash of spirituality.

The Tea Shop Mysteries – set in the historic district of Charleston and featuring Theodosia Browning, owner of the Indigo Tea Shop. Theodosia is a savvy entrepreneur, and pet mom to service dog Earl Grey. She’s also an intelligent, focused amateur sleuth who doesn’t rely on coincidences or inept police work to solve crimes. This charming series is highly atmospheric and rife with the history and mystery that is Charleston.

The Scrapbooking Mysteries – a slightly edgier series that take place in New Orleans. The main character, Carmela, owns Memory Mine scrapbooking shop in the French Quarter and is forever getting into trouble with her friend, Ava, who owns the Juju Voodoo shop. New Orleans’ spooky above-ground cemeteries, jazz clubs, bayous, and Mardi Gras madness make their presence known here!

Laura’s Links: Website – http://www.laurachilds.com/ Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/laura.childs.31 Purchase Links Amazon B&N Kobo Google Play IndieBound a Rafflecopter giveaway

The Broken Spine

 

The Broken Spine (A Beloved Bookroom Mystery) by Dorothy St. James

About The Broken Spine

 

The Broken Spine (A Beloved Bookroom Mystery) 

Cozy Mystery 1st in Series Publisher: Berkley (January 19, 2021) Hardcover: 320 pages ISBN-10: 0593098579 ISBN-13: 978-0593098578 Kindle ASIN: B086SCQ639

The first in an exciting new series featuring Trudell Becket, a spunky librarian who will stop at nothing to save her beloved books and catch a killer!

 

Trudell Becket, book-loving librarian, finds herself in a bind when the library where she works is turned into a state-of-the-art bookless library. In a rare move of rebellion, Trudell rescues hundreds of her library's beloved books slated for the recycle center. She sets up a secret book room in the library's basement and opens it to anyone who shares her love of the printed book.

 

When the town councilman, who was the vocal proponent of the library's transformation into a "futuristic technological center," is crushed under an overturned shelf of DVDs, Trudell becomes the police's prime suspect for his murder. She was the only person in the library at the time of his death, or so the police believe. But that's not true. For the past month, Trudell had been letting a few dozen residents into the building through the basement entrance so they could read and check out the printed books.

 

But if she tells the police about the backdoor patrons who were in the library at the time of the murder, she'd have to explain about the secret book room and risk losing the books. In order to protect herself from being arrested for a murder she didn't commit, Trudell--with the help of a group of dedicated readers--decides to investigate. She quickly discovers you can't always judge a book by its cover.

What I Thought:

This is a great first start to a new series. I always enjoy reading books by this author and this was no exception. In this one, Trudell, Tru, works at the local library. The new town manager, Duggar, has decided to make the library totally virtual and get rid of all of the print library books. This breaks Tru's heart and she goes to great lengths to save some of the books. When Duggar is found in the media room with a heavy shelf on him, Tru becomes one of the main suspects so she has to work to clear her name. 

This story is filled with great characters, especially Tru, and I really love the plot. There is also a budding romance between Tru and Jace on of the detectives. This story flowed very well and the plot kept me turning the pages. I enjoyed the setting as I like books set in a library and this library has a secret which makes it more interesting. I enjoy a cozy that keeps me guessing till the end and this one did, I figures out the killer around the time Tru did. I look forward to more in this series.

I received a complimentary copy of this book.

 

 

About Dorothy St. James

Mystery author Dorothy St. James was born in New York but raised in South Carolina. She makes her home on an artsy island community in South Carolina with her husband, a crazy dog, and fluffy cat. Though writing has always been a passion for her, she pursued an undergraduate degree in Wildlife Biology and a graduate degree in Public Administration and Urban Planning. She put her educational experience to use, having worked in all branches and all levels of government including local, regional, state, and federal. She even spent time during college working for a non-profit environmental watchdog organization.

Switching from government service and community planning to fiction writing wasn't as big of a change as some might think. Her government work was all about the stories of the people and the places where they live. As an urban planner, Dorothy loved telling the stories of the people she met. And from that, her desire to tell the tales that were so alive in her heart grew until she could not ignore it any longer. In 2001, she took a leap of faith and pursued her dream of writing fiction full-time.

* Dorothy St. James is the alter-ego of award-winning multi-published author, Dorothy McFalls. She enjoys writing in several different genres. Her works have been nominated for many awards including: Romantic Times Reviewers' Choice Award, Reviewers International Organization Award, National Reader's Choice Award, CataRomance Reviewers' Choice Award, and The Romance Reviews Today Perfect 10! Award. Reviewers have called her work: "amazing", "perfect", "filled with emotion", and "lined with danger."

Author Links Website: http://www.dorothystjames.com Twitter: www.twitter.com/dorothywrites Facebook: www.facebook.com/dorothy.stjames Bookbub: www.bookbub.com/profile/dorothy-st-james Purchase Links - Amazon - IndieBound - Bookshop - B&N - a Rafflecopter giveaway

THE BROKEN SPINE EXCERPT

No one in the moderately sized rural southern town of Cypress would ever suspect their stalwart assistant librarian of breaking into the library where she worked. Why would they? A bronze plaque hangs on my kitchen wall. It was personally presented to me by Mayor Goodvale. He declared me an asset to the town. I’d received the award because I always performed my job with the highest level of pride and professionalism. For the past thirteen years I put the town and library first, often to the detriment of my personal life.

An even bigger honor occurred a few years ago when Mrs. Lida Farnsworth, the town’s head librarian, whispered (she always whispered) while we busily returned books to their shelves: “Trudell Becket, I couldn’t be more pleased to be wrong about my first impression of you. I would have hired any other candidate for the position. But, alas, the only other person who’d applied was that drunkard Cooper Berry. I honestly didn’t think you had it in you, honey. But, bless your heart, you’ve become the model of a perfect librarian.”

And she was right. I was perfect. Until . . .

Well, let’s just say someone needed to do this.

As a general rule, librarians don’t speak in loud voices. Librarians don’t exceed the speed limit when driving to work. And librarians certainly don’t dress head-to-toe in black ninja-wear while attempting to pick the library’s backdoor lock.

Yet, librarians can always be counted on to get things done.

“Don’t look at me like that,” I muttered to a lanky brown cat with black tiger stripes. It had emerged from the darkened back alleyway to stand next to library’s cool pearly-pink granite wall and watch me. “Someone needs to protect those books before they all end up destroyed. They’re sending them to the landfill.” The small metal flashlight clenched between my teeth caused the words to come out garbled. Both of my hands were busy working the lock.

A textbook for locksmiths that I’d borrowed from the library’s reference section sat open to the page featuring a diagram of a lock. Since I didn’t own a lockpick kit—why would I?—I’d improvised with a few sturdy paperclips bent to resemble the tools depicted on the book’s previous page. Every little sound, every scrape and rumble in Cypress’s quaint downtown, boomed in my ears. I jumped at the soft cough of a car engine. And with that cat watching me, I felt an itchy need to scurry into the nearest mousehole to hide.

But I couldn’t run. I had to finish what I’d set my mind to finishing.

After what felt like a million thundering heartbeats while I fumbled with the paperclips, the lock clicked. The door opened. I rose on shaky legs, gathering up the reference book and the stack of flattened moving boxes I’d brought with me. My gaze darted to the darkest corners of the alleyway before I slipped inside.

Just as the door started to close, the cat that had been watching with such a judgmental glare shimmied between my legs and into the library before the heavy metal back door clanked closed.

“Hey!” I called in a harsh whisper because shouting in a library simply wasn’t done. Whispering seemed even more important in the middle of the night as I sneaked inside on my clandestine mission.

The brown cat ignored me. With a yeow loud enough to have me instinctively hissing, “Shhhh!” the little beast darted upstairs and disappeared into the shadows of the stacks.

“Tru, you’re in for it now,” I muttered before dropping the stack of boxes. I sprinted after that darn cat.

Mrs. Farnsworth would have a heart attack if she discovered a flea-bitten kitty wandering among her books in the morning. I needed to get him out. The head librarian was already on edge with having to deal with the changes coming to the library. If I didn’t know the tough older woman better, I would have suspected she was busy plotting a murder.