by T.C.
Lotempio
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
GENRE: Cozy Mystery
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BLURB:
Sydney
McCall left behind an ex-fiancé and a New York advertising job to return home
to Deer Park, North Carolina and help her sister, Kat, run the local animal
shelter, Friendly Paws. Determined to save the shelter from financial trouble,
Sydney and Kat organize a cat café fundraising event at a local coffee shop.
Things are looking up until their landlord, Trowbridge Littleton, threatens to
shut down the event. When Sydney drops by his art gallery to make peace, she
finds Kat--along with Littleton's dead body.
Local
homicide detective Will Worthington--who just happens to be Sydney's old high
school crush--is highly suspicious of the sisters' involvement. Desperate to
clear their names from the suspect list, Sydney pounces on the investigation.
With the help of one of the shelter cats, a savvy orange tabby named Toby,
Sydney begins poking her nose into other local businesses whose owners may have
benefited from Littleton's death--until the killer notices she's pawing a
little too closely at the truth.
REVIEW:
Sydney and her sister Kat love animals and are working to keep their no kill shelter open. However Trowbridge Littleton wants to shut it down. Nice set up for a murder and for Kat to look guilty. I liked how the shelter and no-kill were made a big part of the plot. There are several cats (my favorites) that are part of the story line. Toby, a big orange cat, often steels the show. There is the hint of a new romance for Sydney when Detective Will Worthington takes a job back in town. Just a hint but enough to add interest to the plot. A nice set up for a new cozy mystery series.
EXCERPT
We
were in the doorway now. A large
desk was at the far end of what appeared to be an office. The light was coming from a small lamp
perched on the edge of the desk, and as we crossed the threshold, it flickered
and then went out. Kat shone the
pencil thin beam of the flashlight around the room, letting out a sharp cry as
it hit the wall nearest us.
“Lightswitch,” she squealed, and a minute later the room was filled with
a harsh fluorescent light.
I
glanced around. Yes, this was
definitely an office, and not a very tidy one at that. There were several file cabinets pushed
up against the far wall, and two of the drawers in the one on the left were
half open. Papers were strewn across the desk, and some file folders had
dropped onto the floor and were scattered across the Oriental rug.
“Good
Lord,” my sister exclaimed. “For
someone always so fastidious about his appearance, he certainly likes to work
in a mess.”
I
frowned. “It looks more to me like
it’s been ransacked. Someone was searching for something. What do you think,
Kat? Kat?”
My
sister had moved over to the far corner of the room and was standing before a
large wardrobe. “Wow, this is
beautiful,” she said, lifting a hand to run it over the smooth exterior. She
balled her hand into a fist and rapped it against the wood. “Solid oak. I saw a picture of one like this in a
catalog. French, dates back to the
late 1800’s. I wonder what it’s
doing in his office?”
“Who
knows? Maybe he keeps his suit jackets in it,” I said. “Why do you care, anyway?”
“It’s
such a beautiful piece,” my sister murmured. “Too good for that rotter. It
seems out of place in this office.”
“Maybe
it just came in and he’s got it here for pricing,” I ventured.
“Maybe. I wouldn’t mind having something like
this,” Kat said, running her hand once again across the smooth wood. “It looks deep enough – I wonder if the
doors swing out all the way? It would be great to put a TV in.”
I
eyed the piece. “That thing looks hand-carved. He probably wants an arm and a
leg for it.”
“Probably.”
She gave the handle a tug. “Hm.
The doors seem to be stuck.”
I
waved my hand impatiently. “Oh for goodness sakes, leave it alone.
Must you examine it now?”
Her
lower lip thrust forward. “Yes.
Who knows, I might not get another chance.”
I
shot her a sharp look. “You’re not
thinking of buying this, are you?”
She
sighed deeply. “I suppose not.
Littleton will probably want some astronomical figure for it. But I might never get another
opportunity to see such a finely made one up close.” She shot me an appealing
look. “Give me a hand, won’t you?
You’re strong. Maybe if we both pull on the handle at the same time it’ll
open.”
I
knew my sister. Once Kat made up her mind about something she was like a
pitbull with a bone. I knew when it was futile to argue with her. “Okay, fine.
But if we get this open, one quick look and then we’re out of here.”
She
nodded and I placed my hand on top of hers. “On the count of three, give it all
you’ve got. One, two—three.”
We
both tugged at the same time and suddenly the door flew open. We went staggering backwards at the same
time the body of Trowbridge Littleton, his eyes bulging almost out of their
sockets, tongue lolling to the side, hit the floor at our feet.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
AUTHOR Bio and
Links:
While
Toni Lotempio does not commit – or solve – murders in real life, she has no
trouble doing it on paper. Her lifelong love of mysteries began early on when
she was introduced to her first Nancy Drew mystery at age 10 – The Secret in
the Old Attic. She (and ROCCO,
albeit he’s uncredited) pen the Nick and Nora mystery series from Berkley Prime
Crime – the first volume, MEOW IF ITS MURDER, debuted Dec. 2, 2014. Followed by
#2, CLAWS FOR ALARM. #3,
CRIME AND CATNIP, is out this December. She, Rocco and Maxx make their home in
Clifton, New Jersey, just twenty minutes from the Big Apple – New York. Catch
up with them at www.tclotempio.com and www.catsbooksmorecats.blogspot.com
Where
to find them:
ROCCO’s
blog:
Website:
Amazon-
Purr M for Murder
Amazon:
All Books Page
facebook:
@RoccoBlogger
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
GIVEAWAY INFORMATION
The author will be
awarding autographed copy of <i>PURR M FOR MURDER</i> (hardcover -
US ONLY) to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
The Beginning:
