PUSHES UP DAISIES Book 3 Sedona West Mystery Series
Author: Susanne
Marie Knight
Genre: Murder
Mystery Romance
Available electronically at Amazon.com and Smashwords.com
Price: $2.99
Buy link:
In Print: $6.99 Available at amazon.com
Blurb:
Sedona finds
herself in the thick of things with more murder and mayhem. And, oh yes, a
decision on which candy store flavor to call her own!
A LONG, HOT,
SUMMER!
Cozy Haven’s summer
is heating up. A bar fight concerning a past date rape; a missing tourist
found; villagers complaining about extortion; several people bashed on the head;
a daylight abduction... it’s no wonder that tempers are exploding. Folks are at
each other’s throats, and that leads to yet another murder to investigate.
Sedona West can’t catch a break. Playing host to her sister and baby niece, she
has to change her plans and help solve these crimes. The temperature is rising
with her would-be suitors as well. These two hunky men are getting impatient
for her decision. Should she choose Harrison Oakdale, the celebrity
psychologist? Or does she prefer Doug Marino, Cozy Haven’s sheriff? What to do?
What to do? Or maybe, when her own head is bashed by the killer, she’ll no
longer have a choice...
Scene Set-Up:
Sedona
finally gets her dinner date with sheriff Doug Marino. At an Italian
restaurant, they catch up on the latest news.
Excerpt:
“This
is a lovely place, Doug. I haven’t had Italian food in such a long time. The
last ethnic meal I had was Thai.”
Sedona
took a sip of wine and glanced around the busy room. Round and square tables
covered in white tablecloths were interspersed over the parquet wood flooring,
giving diners a sense of confidentiality. But everyone was still out in the
open, so if conversations became too animated, there’d be no privacy
whatsoever.
Fortunately
their table was situated in a corner, in between two long windows. If they kept
their voices low, the table next to them probably wouldn’t be able to make out
the words.
Doug
buttered a slice of Italian bread. “Yeah, I remember. That was with the other
guy, wasn’t it? You’d said you couldn’t resist Thai food. Obviously the way to
your heart is a good meal, so eat up, Sedona.”
The
other guy. Harrison. She smiled. Harrison and Doug. How strange to have two
hunks interested in her. But then what Doug said hit her hard. “Hey, I’m not that
easy!”
His
slow smile sizzled her insides. “I agree, Sedona. You’re not.”
“I’m
glad we’re on the same page about that,” she huffed. After making her point,
she took another drink, but then set her wine glass down.
With
Doug looking devastatingly dreamy in his form-fitting blazer jacket and slacks,
she didn’t need the heat from alcohol to course through her veins. She was
plenty warm already.
While
they waited for their main entrée--ravioli for her and prime rib for him--she
nibbled on her Caesar salad. She thought about seeing Doug in his office and
the middle initial on his nameplate.
“So,
tell me, what does the T. stand for in Dugan T. Marino?”
When
he grinned, her stomach did flip-flops. “I wish I could say T. stands for
Tiberius, but I can’t. It’s Thomas.”
“I
like Thomas. But it’s too bad you can’t be an emperor of Rome. Or even Admiral
James T. Kirk.” She shrugged. My middle name is Iris.”
Doug
nodded. “I know. That’s why I got you those flowers, Sedona.”
Her
mouth dropped open. “What? You’re kidding. How did you find that out?”
“I
have connections.” He waited until their plates were placed on the table, and
then refilled their glasses. “First, a toast. To many more dinners together.”
She
agreed so they clinked glasses, and then took a sip. Fruity merlot wine made
her feel so very fine.
Ha!
That thought rhymed.
Noticing
her spaghetti strap had slipped down her arm, she righted it. “What’s the
second then? And by-the-way, I’m not all about food, you know.”
His
chocolate brown eyes were riveted on her shoulder. “Hmmn. No, you’re not.” With
a sigh, he raised his gaze. “Second, to finding the happiness you deserve.”
Another
clink.
“That’s
so sweet, Doug. Thank you. And the same for you, too.” Spearing a piece of
cheese ravioli, she then tasted it. “Mmm, omigosh, this is so delicious.” She
washed the pasta down with more wine.
He
raised an eyebrow. “You’re not all about food?”
She
wrinkled her nose at him. “You think you’re so smart, don’t you?”
“Well,
I am the sheriff.”
“A
tough job, for sure. I sure hope Cozy Haven is done with dead bodies...
murdered ones at any rate.”
“Hmmn.”
He chewed on that thought and his prime rib. “I have to say, frankly, I won’t
be sorry to see the seasonal folks leave Cozy Haven and go back to wherever
they live the rest of the time. They’ve been particularly troublesome this
year--the Cozy Cottage renters and the motel mob, for example. After Labor Day,
they’re gone and life can get back to normal.”
Sedona
finished her wine. Once Labor Day came, Harrison would be packing his things
and heading back to Los Angeles. Somehow, though, that thought didn’t bother
her as much as she thought it would.
Doug
picked up the wine bottle. “More?”
“No
thanks. I had enough.” She giggled. “If I drink too much, the sheriff might
decide to arrest me.”
Her
sundress strap decided to fall off her shoulder again.
“If
you keep looking like that, the sheriff might decide to ravish you all night,”
he muttered.
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