Driving into town you take a right off Highway 1 on the central California coast. Turn left, and you’re in the parking lot of the public beach where Jill and Emma, her golden retriever, run most days.
The first house on the right is Jill’s. Miss Emily, willed it to her along with the block wall in the back. The California Historical Society is still debating if the wall is from the original Spanish mission site where South Cove’s first residents lived.
Across the street, in a house that is actually more run down than Jill’s, is where Esmeralda lives and runs her fortune telling shop. Typically, she’s only open on weekends since she also handles the police dispatch center part time. Watch out for Maggie, her black cat has a tendency to cross the road to visit Jill from time to time.
Walk farther in town and you’ll pass by Diamond Lille’s, the only full service diner in town. The food is great, especially the fish and chips. Just don’t get into an argument with the owner, she’ll ban you from the place for life. And Lille has a long memory.
City Hall is just down the road. In front of the building, there’s a cute little park with a fountain and a shed with a patio that Santa uses during the holidays to hold court. Mayor Baylor has his office just off the foyer, where Amy, Jill’s bestie, answers phones and handles any city planning issues. On the side of the building, the police station has its main entrance along with a couple of spaces to park the cruiser, when Toby’s not trolling for DUI’s.
Toby also works for Jill as her noon to five barista. Coffee, Books and more is on the other sides of the street, down from City Hall. It’s right next to Antiques by Thomas. Josh Thomas, the owner, is courting Jill’s Aunt Jackie.
Directly across the street, next to the cigar shop is The Glass Slipper. The owner, Marie Jones, sells her work there and holds stain glass classes in the evenings. And of course, there’s Austin’s bike rental shop, South Cove Winery, and a slew of bed and breakfast places.
And I haven’t even mentioned the new shop that just opened, in January. Vintage Duds is Sherry King’s new venture, selling gently used designer clothes. The perfect place for someone who likes name brand labels without the designer prices. Jill’s Aunt Jackie loves the plate. Jill’s trying to stay clear, not because she doesn’t like designer clothes, but mostly because Sherry is Jill’s boyfriend’s ex-wife. And past relationships should stay in the past.
Of course, they don’t. Which leads us to Dressed to Kill, Book 4 of The Tourist Trap mystery series. Jill’s going to have to get used to having Sherry around, at least she will if Jill can prove Sherry didn’t kill her new boyfriend. A sleuthing task that Jill doesn’t know if she wants to take on.
So what’s your favorite vacation spot? Comment below to win.
Lynn
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| Annapolis Book Shop |
Dressed to Kill
Jill Gardner—owner of Coffee, Books, and More in the tucked-away town of South Cove, California—is not particularly thrilled to be portraying a twenties flapper for the dinner theater murder mystery. Though it is for charity…
Of course everyone is expecting a “dead” body at the dress rehearsal…but this one isn’t acting! It turns out the main suspect is the late actor’s conniving girlfriend Sherry…who also happens to be the ex-wife of Jill’s main squeeze. Sherry is definitely a master manipulator…but is she a killer? Jill may discover the truth only when the curtain comes up on the final act…and by then, it may be far too late.
"Murder, dirty politics, pirate lore, and a hot police detective: Guidebook to Murder has it all! A cozy lover’s dream come true." --Susan McBride, author of The Debutante Dropout Mysteries
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New York Times and USA Today best-selling author, Lynn Cahoon is an Idaho native. If you’d visit the town where she grew up, you’d understand why her mysteries and romance novels focus around the depth and experience of small town life. Currently, she’s living in a small historic town on the banks of the Mississippi river where her imagination tends to wander. She lives with her husband and two fur babies.
lynncahoon.wordpress.com
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| Annapolis Book Shop |
Mahalo, Lynn, for sharing DRESSED TO KILL with us! Lynn is giving away a digital copy of DRESSED TO KILL to one randomly selected commenter. To enter the giveaway,
1. Answer Lynn's question - what's your favorite vacation spot?
2. Comments are open through Saturday, June 27, 10 pm in Baltimore.
3. I'll post the winner on Sunday, June 28.
Mahalo,
Kim in Baltimore
Aloha Spirit in Charm City
