INTRODUCTION

Hi everyone My name is Victoria Zumbrum, 40 years old, married 14 years with 1 son. This is my very first blog. So bear with me. I have always wanted to have my own blog. I have always loved to read. I enjoy getting lost in a good book.
I love becoming part of the story and characters. I am hoping to bring my love of books to my readers.

I love reading different genres such as paranormal, young adult, romance, romantic suspense, mystery, Christian fiction, some horror, etc. The list goes on. I started reviewing books a couple of years ago and have done reviews for different blogs and even some authors. I really have enjoyed reviewing books and I will continue to do so. If anyone is interested in me reviewing a book for them, please contact me. I still have a lot to learn regarding my own blog so bear with me. I welcome and appreciate all followers.

Monday, July 13, 2026

Libby Kay Flash Point Book Tour and Giveaway

 



A flash of attraction, the potential for more.


Flash Point

Pinegrove FD Book 4

by Libby Kay

Genre: Small-Town Firefighter Sweet Romance


A flash of attraction, the potential for more.

Best-selling author Libby Kay’s sweet fireman romance Flash Point is a bad boy redemption story perfect for fans of B.K. Borison’s Lovelight series.

Javier “Javi” Ortiz never has trouble finding a date. The confident fireman enjoys the perks of no-strings hook-ups and his bachelor lifestyle. Yet when a certain blonde moves to Pinegrove, the idea of casual dating fizzles out. Javi is finally ready to settle down, but will he be able to charm his way into her life? Or will his reputation ruin his chance at real love?

Lola Peabody has given up on love. She doesn’t have time for men and their empty promises, especially with her hands full being a single mom and running her own photography business. Her plans do not include finding a man, even a charismatic fireman who treats her and her daughter like queens.

But Pinegrove is a small town, and the pair can’t stay away from each other. From photoshoots and romance book club to quiet walks in the woods, Lola and Javi spend more and more time together.

Could this be happily ever after? Or will their romance burn out faster than a five-alarm fire?

 

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Never before had Javi held a woman in such regard, kept a woman at arm’s length as they got to know each other. While the notion would have chafed before, now it made perfect sense. He’d do whatever it took to make Lola comfortable, happy. 

Javi wasn’t certain, but the stars shone brighter as he looked up at the night sky. He liked to pretend his mamá was looking out for him, that the twinkling stars were her way of keeping in touch. 

“I love you, Mamá,” he said up into the ether as he leaned back against his deck railing. “And I think I’m falling for someone—you’d love her.”

Well, Javi really didn’t want to lie to his mamá. He wasn’t falling for Lola, he’d already fallen—hard. 





Check out the rest of the series for more smoldering sweet romance!

Find them on Amazon


Libby Kay lives in the city in the heart of the Midwest with her husband. When she’s not writing, Libby loves reading romance novels of any kind. Stories of people falling in love nourish her soul. Contemporary or Regency, sweet or hot, as long as there is a happily ever after—she’s in love!

When not surrounded by books, Libby can be found baking in her kitchen, binging true crime shows, or on the road with her husband, traveling as far as their bank account will allow.

Libby cohosts the Romance Roundup podcast with Liz Donatelli where they recommend romance books and interview authors, influencers, and publishers. Check it out for your weekly dose of romance!

 

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Enter the Flash Point Giveaway Here


Friday, July 10, 2026

Fran Zuid Where Dragons Are Captured Release Tour and Giveaway

 


How much would you wager to save a dragon?

Your safety, your friends, your people?

How about your life?


Where Dragons Are Captured

Where Dragons Are Book 1

by Fran Zuid

Genre: Epic Grimdark Dragon Fantasy Adventure



How much would you wager to save a dragon? Your safety, your friends, your people? How about your life?

Skye, an alitur—elf as the small-minded humans would degrade her—is a gambler hiding in the skin of her enemy to escape capture, her past and her true identity.

However, her fragile safety shatters when she's caught cheating. Thrown into the corrupt world of gambling, where animals and creatures are pitted against one another for sport, Skye witnesses something she thought long extinct: dragons.

Determined to save and connect with the dragons, Skye is drawn into a web of deceit, loyalty, and love, impelling her to face her past and reclaim her heritage.

With unlikely allies, Skye must confront the soul-devouring priestesses and their ruthless general, One-Eye-Nic, before the last dragons—and her own soul—are lost forever.

This is an enthralling tale of lies, rebellion, and the price of freedom…


**NEW RELEASE!**

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The girl showed up with their tankards and a jug of homebrew. The man’s attention went straight to her cleavage. The hairy man pinched her behind for good measure before tipping her. Skye used the distraction to nick a card from the pack, a prince, hiding it in her coat sleeve. She waited for the girl to leave before dealing. The cards were soft, faded, and stained from nights of gambling.

Skye watched the three players as they scrutinized their cards. ‘Stupid’ smiled, Sid’s left eye twitched. The hairy man downed his tankard of homebrew.

Skye looked at her cards, she had two of pawns and a prince. On the table were a five and a seven of shields, a castle, and a three of pawns. Skye wasn’t sure what ‘Stupid’ thought he had, but Skye was pretty sure Sid had a castle, giving him the highest pair from the table.

Skye’s attention turned to the hairy man. The more she watched him, the more he seemed a ‘Stupid’ and in that case, no threat to Skye. He was only lucky with the previous hand.

Skye had the winning hand if she switched her two of pawns for the prince in her sleeve. ‘Stupid’ started the bets, throwing half his coin in, four silvers. Sid saw the bet and the hairy man added a silver.

She didn’t want to chase away Sid, so she also raised with only a silver coin. Keep it modest, keep it moving.

As the bets evened out around the table, Skye shifted her weight slightly and slid one hand under the edge of her sleeve. A quiet motion, a simple flick. She switched her cards—replacing a dud with a prince. Now she had two.

But just as her fingertips closed over the edge of the second card, a hand clamped down on her shoulder.

Steel. Not touch. Not pressure. Just steel.

“That is enough. We know what you are,” a male voice said. “Good call, Jim, you will get your reward. And you,” the man’s grip tightened slightly, “Finn Skylar, just won yourself a meeting with the gambler’s guild.”

Her heart jumped. Breath caught halfway up her throat. The hairy man had a smug cat-smile. He’d caught his mouse.

Her gut twisted. A setup. She shouldve seen it. Shouldve felt it. No wonder he was unreadable—he wasnt here to play. He was here for her. Cold flooded her limbs.

What did they know? That she was a cheater? A woman? An alitur?

Or all three?

She relaxed her face into neutrality, but her mind raced. Could she run? No. Not yet. Too many eyes, too close to the table. No one had drawn steel, which meant they still wanted her alive—questioned, not killed. Yet.

“What? You have nothing to say?” the hairy man–Jim–said. He leaned over and took Skye’s tankard of homebrew and downed it. “Cheers.”

Skye didn’t answer. She reached down, slow and measured, and picked her tricorne up off the floor. Her hat was just fabric—but it made her feel armed. Steady. Like herself.

She rose to her feet.

“I don’t know what this guy told you,” Skye gestured towards Jim, “but I didn’t cheat. I haven’t seen him before in my life.” She truly hoped that was the only reason they were confronting her.

The house-muscle behind Skye chuckled, or that was what she assumed the rumbling noise was.

“We have been watching, and you have an appointment with the gambling guild.”

“No one told me,” Skye said with a shrug.

“I did. Just now.”

Skye looked over her shoulder at the house-muscle looming over her. Tall. Broad shoulders. A scar cut down his right temple, hugging the cheekbone like a crack in old stone. His stance was heavy, but not rooted. A bit off balance. Good.

The short one would be slower, maybe better in a brawl, but easy to outmaneuver. The tall one could be clumsy. The real problem was her coat—it would get in the way if she had to move fast. If she had to fight.

But—

She ran through options. Surrender. Fight. Flee. None was good. She shifted her weight, breath held shallow in her chest.

“Where is this meeting?” Skye asked.

“At the boss’s office, at the pits,” the tall one answered.

Skye scanned the room. No escape. Everyone watched. Waited. Sid had crushed his cards in his hands. Only Jim kept drinking, he found his entertainment for the night.

“I don’t go to the pits,” Skye said.

The tall one rumbled again from behind, “I don’t care, you are going.”

The room inhaled.

Jim smirked at Skye and lifted his tankard off the table. With a flick and a flash of her hand, a knife plunged into Jim’s eye.

Gasps.

The cup fell, and Jim followed. 





Fran Zuid lives in a village on the outskirts of Cape Town, South Africa, with two dogs and four parrots (her personal dragons, without the fire-breathing part—which is a bonus). If she is not submerged in a creative fantasy world, or playing old games, she is fiddling in her garden, sipping wine at a vineyard or conquering a hiking trail somewhere—that is, if her “dragons” allow it.

Where Dragons Are Captured is her debut novel.

 

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G.K. Brady Slapshot Summer Book Tour and Giveaway


A jilted bride.

A wrecked goalie.

An unexpected kiss that changes everything.


Slapshot Summer

A The Playmakers Series Novella

by G.K. Brady

Genre: Steamy Fake Dating Hockey Romance

A jilted bride. A wrecked goalie. An unexpected kiss that changes everything.

I came here to reset.

After a season that pushed me to my limits, I needed sun, quiet, and space—somewhere I could shut out the noise and get my head back under control.

Then Lexi Campbell sat beside me at the bar and asked for my help flirting with another guy.

I said yes because it was supposed to be fake. A distraction. Something with clear lines and no consequences. I’m good with pressure. I know how to stay focused, how to hold my ground when everything’s coming at me fast.

What I didn’t expect was how easy it felt to want her.

One kiss blows past every boundary I set. Suddenly, I’m not playing defense anymore—I’m all in, and I don’t know how to pull back. Lexi’s on a honeymoon she’s taking alone, guarding a broken heart she pretends doesn’t still hurt. I’m standing at my own crossroads, unsure where my future leads or if I’m ready to risk wanting something real again.

It was supposed to be a fling. But wanting her is the one thing I can’t seem to control.

For fans of fake dating, opposites attract, and swoony NHL players who actually like to dance, Slapshot Summer is a heartwarming romance with plenty of spice … and, of course, a guaranteed HEA.

**PLEASE NOTE: This story was originally published as Sunsets, Stick Saves, and a Honeymoon in the Love in Destiny Series. The content has not changed. If you’ve read that version, then you've read this one as well.**

 

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Since childhood, all sorts of stories and characters have lived in G.K. Brady’s imagination, elbowing one another for attention, so she’s finally giving them their voice on the written page.

 An award-winning writer of contemporary romance, she loves telling tales of the less-than-perfect hero or heroine who transforms with each turn of a page. She also writes historical fiction under the pen name Griffin Brady.

 G.K. is a wife and the proud mom of three grown sons. When she’s not writing, she might be reading, traveling, drinking wine, listening to music, or gardening—sometimes all at once! She currently resides in Colorado with her very patient husband.

  

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Monday, July 6, 2026

Reviewing of Corrupting His Wife by Amber Daulton



Kidnapping a reluctant bride is easy. Staying off her jilted fiancé’s radar is tough.
As the second-in-command of the Lozano Cartel, Enrique Briceño always gets what he wants. So when Lourdes’s father demands she marry another man, Enrique makes his move—abduction. Vowing to corrupt his sweet little captive in every wicked way imaginable, he doesn’t expect her to fight him with fire.
Cartel princess Lourdes Villegas longs for peace. Freedom. A chance to let her artist soul breathe. Yet once again, a man is pulling her strings. In Enrique’s arms, she trades one ruthless capo for another. His touch sets her ablaze, but she’s already plotting her escape.
As political alliances crumble and the streets run red, Enrique must prove he’s more than just another monster in Lourdes’s life. Because this time, love might be the most dangerous thing of all.

Book three in the dark romance series, the Lozano Cartel. All the books can be read as a standalone, but are part of an interconnected series.
Scenes featuring kidnapping, violence, and miscarriage (discussed) may be uncomfortable for some readers.
No cheating. HEA guaranteed!

MY REVIEW:

CORRUPTING HIS WIFE IS BOOK 3 IN THE LOZANO CARTEL SERIES. HAVING READ THE PREVIOUS 2 BOOKS, I WAS LOOKING FORWARD TO READING BOOK 3.  AMBER DAULTON, AUTHOR DID NOT DISPPOINT. SHE HAS DONE AN EXCELLENT JOB IN DEPICITING BEING A PART OF A CARTEL FAMILY. THERE IS CONSTANT ACTION, DANGER, MURDER AND VIOLENCE AND SOMEHOW THE CARTEL MEN ARE ABLE TO FIND LOVE AS WELL. I LOVED THE CHEMISTRY BETWEEEN ENRIQUE AND LOURDES. ENRIQUE HAS LOVED LOURDES FROM A FAR AND WHEN LOURDES'S FATHER PROMISES HER TO ANOTHER MAN, HE MAKES HIS MOVE AND KIDNAPS LOURDES. 

LOURDES IS A VERY STRONG CHARACTER DESPITE HER YEARS BEING IN AN ABUSIVE MARRIAGE. SHE KNOWS WHAT SHE WANTS BUT ALSO FEELS THERE IS NO WAY OUT FOR HER FOR THE ARRANGED MARRIAGE BY HER FATHER UNTIL ENRIQUE KIDNAPS HER. AT FIRST, LOURDES WANTS TO BE TAKEN BACK BUT THEN CHANGES HER MIND WHEN ENRIQUE PROMISES HER SO MUCH MORE IF SHE WILL MARRY HIM. SHE FINDS HERSELF FALLING FOR HIM BUT WILL HE GIVE HER THE COMPLETE HONESTY SHE NEEDS IN ORDER TO STAY IN THEIR MARRIAGE? I HIGHLY RECOMMEND THIS SERIES. ALL THE CHARACTERS ARE VERY BELIEVABLE AND THE AUTHOR DOES A GREAT JOB IN BETRAYING THE DANGEROUS LIFE OF A CARTEL FAMILY.  5 STARS




Amber Daulton is the author of the romantic-suspense series Arresting Onyx and several standalone novellas. Her books are published through Daulton Publishing, The Wild Rose Press, and Books to Go Now, and are available in ebook, print on demand, audio, and foreign language formats.

She lives in North Carolina with her husband and demanding cats. Feel free to visit her at https://amberdaulton.com/ or sign up for her newsletter at https://amberdaulton.com/newsletter-signup/.

ZSA ZSA Tudos The Hera-Zeta Chronicles Book Tour & Giveaway

 


The only freedom of man is the freedom of thought. 

That is how human evolution is possible. 

Evolution of a man is the development of power and possibilities 

which never develop by themselves.


The Hera-Zeta Chronicles:

As Above So Below

by Zsa Zsa Tudos

Genre: SciFi Fantasy, Extraterrestrial Time Travel



Somewhere between galaxies, soul contracts, and the quiet chaos of human emotion, the book casually decided to rearrange your entire understanding of reality. Rude. Brilliant. Slightly illegal.


The Hera-Zeta Chronicles: As Above So Below doesn’t just tell a story, it initiates the reader. There’s something deeply precise about the way Zeta’s earthly path intertwines with Hera’s galactic mission, like it is not just a fiction, but it is decoding something ancient and quietly slipping it into the reader’s consciousness. The dynamic between dimensions, the Alpha & Omega Council, the 12 Magi… it all feels expansive without losing emotional gravity. And then it is anchored in something so human: behaviour, struggle, longing, connection.

The story embraces millions of Earthly years in cosmic interrelations emphasising the roles of earthlings in the Great Matrix and the cycle of nature. It is not only a book but an initiation of the readers, that can truly highjack their mind and clear misconceptions chiselled in by hundreds of years of conscious brainwashing.


The 87 chapters introduce events of the multidimensional life of the heroes, like the 1st generation Hera, a member of the Alpha&Omega Council, Hades's wife, and her earthly counterpart Zeta, whose mission is to push the knowledge and help the Haya Sophia, the Magnum Opus, the Sefer Jezeera. Their steamy love affair with Hades serves as a good example of passion and deep emotional attachment.


There are no sharp divisions in the book. The story unfolds naturally, through which a clear vision of the origin and the true nature of mankind is drawn, providing allowance for the supernatural capabilities they all possess and the responsibilities they all bear.
Touching upon the creation and the arrival of people on the planet, the book introduces the effects of prominent astronomical events, migration, purpose, the knowledge and the lack of it, through the picture that unfolds after removing the man-made gap fillers, the stories and false events invented by the groups in power.


With the help of astral travelling, souls go through star gateways, visit far-away planets, learn and experience to support the one objective of life: to raise their own vibration. With the interrelations of energies, it creates a healthier environment below and adds to the frequency required by the above to fit into the cycle.


However, as it was clearly stated by Antoine Saint-Exupery in his most prominent book, The Little Prince, WHAT IS IMPORTANT IS HIDDEN. This concealed treasure is always Knowledge. Nevertheless, there is a catch. One needs to have enough to understand the lack of it.
Life is a jigsaw puzzle. However, the board is empty and there is no image to help you with the design. The only certainty is the interrelations between the pieces.

My strong desire is to help people understand their lives, events and become knowledgeable enough to take responsibility for their words, thoughts and deeds. It is a necessary step towards the Nirvana, called Happiness.
All the wonders!

 

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     With the chip in her hand, Zeta walked to the round table on the terrace. It was already cleaned and the black ritual cover was laid out. There were few candles to choose from and some frankincense was lit on the burner. There was a small, washed and ironed white cotton cloth for the chip that Zoltan brought back from his trip.

     Zeta decided upon 3 candles. One small white for the altar, one thick red for energy and fire and the help of Hades and one thick blue for Uranus. She lit them and invited the brothers to contribute to the ceremony.

     The small, turquoise, pebble-like recording device was lying there, waiting for the expert touch.

     “Wow, I have no idea how to handle this one,” pondered Zeta. “Let’s be logical. Looking at the aura it is organic. If organic, it behaves like one, therefore cracking it open is not an option. The full moon would help,” entered Zeta’s mind. “But it is still a week away. There is no time to wait. I will try the frequencies.”

     As she said that few musical instruments were fetched and placed on the table.

     “Logic dictates that I should use the opposite frequency to irritate the mass to open up. It is a high frequency energy. I will use deep sounds. The starting point should be the A sound. For lower vibration, I need to go down by either 5 or 7 pitches to follow the structure of the universe. I go down an octave. This name is confusing. There are 7 sounds between the two pitches, why is it called octave then?

     They represent the 7 colours of the rainbow as the 7 natural colours, the 28 days moon cycle, 7 days of the week and so on. On musical terms they count the frame. Starts with A and finishes with A. So, the finishing A is the beginning of another octave. It shows infinity just like the number 8. It could be. But it is still confusing,” ran a train of thought Zeta. “This African drum would do the trick,” she said and hit the leather.

     The pebble moved and its colour started changing however, stopped a minute later.

     “All right. I might need to hit it 7 times in a certain rhythm, like the heartbeat of the universe.”

     After the last beat the recording device started to show significant changes in its energy field. A rainbow emerged slowly growing until it covered the table. “I have to get ready to take notes,” ran Zeta for a notepad and pen.

     When the energy covered the whole terrace, it began to concentrate at a point few steps away from her, until it formed an almost human-like being, who started to talk in a warm and deep voice.

     “Greetings Hera. I am the messenger. My function is to deliver the message from the Pleiadeans. Listen very carefully. You cannot rewind me, I am not capable of answering questions that form in your mind while listening, and I cannot argue.

     I exist until I speak. After, I become the organic part of the device yet again. The message is quite lengthy therefore you should make yourself comfortable,” it announced and paused for a minute.

     Although Keta is an old planet, human life here is relatively young. In all of our 5 planets we count humanoid times in the millions, while you are in the early thousands. That is why souls coming down here still store memories of our existence, our schools, some of them might have even lived among us.

     The structures of the planet and our physical appearance are almost identical. However, there is a big difference in our ways of living, and consequently our way of thinking. From now on, when I say: us, I mean the 3 planets living in unity. These are: Mekhranat, Muskhat and Mughat. The other 2, Quilwan and Nowtey walk different paths.

     Following that thought, our planets are not visible from Keta. The stars’ cluster you call Pleiades received its name from people who cherished the Knowledge and noted everything within the interrelations of energies. These people you refer to as the Greeks. Unfortunately, they succumbed to the blind force of ignorance, similarly to the great majority of the planet, at one stage. I will talk about it later.

     Coming back to the stars, as far as you are concerned, they are named after the daughters of Atlas and Pleione. The 9 of them together show a close unity. However, like other stars, these are not equipped to support humanoid life on their surface. Here, you live in a solar system with a sun at the core, from where you gain your energy, knowledge and fire. In our case it all comes from the sisters, notably from Maia and Marope.

     The Haudi solar system, where Keta lives, is an old and wise organic energy mass. The planets ooze wisdom, especially that of Keta. Knowledge was the main objective when the decision for establishing a human life form here, was made. Knowledge shouldn’t be wasted. Without Knowledge the Great Matrix falls apart. The more the Knowledge the higher the resonance and stronger the Matrix. This should be an important clue for Keteans. To understand the Matrix of the Universe and their place within it.

 




Life is an extraordinary journey. It is full of challenges and unsolved tasks that are put in front of us on the constantly moving and changing road towards Nirvana, the place that today we refer to as Happiness.

In my journey, I visited 103 countries, lived in 7, on 4 continents. I learned about the interrelated micro- and macrocosm. I became a REIKI Master-Healer, an Initiated Witch, an Orixa Shamanic Master, and a Phoenix Initiated Educator to teach the ancient wisdom of Khem, the Royal Art of Al Khemi.

Today, I have an established philosophy - I call AKIA - that explores the interrelations between earthlings and nature, and Earth and the universe. I have 12 books published and many faithful students. I am an Intimacy & Family coach and help people to find their purpose. The joy of seeing them succeed gives me the strength to find new adventures and learn from new experiences.

I believe that learning is the only way to understand life and the self within. This unique knowledge makes us or breaks us in the end.

I am British and living in London.

 

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Friday, July 3, 2026

The Nightingale Detective Agency Book Tour and Giveaway

 


In 1926 St. Paul, a determined female private investigator uncovers deadly secrets behind a debutante’s suspicious death in this twisty Prohibition-era cozy mystery.


The Nightingale Detective Agency

A Charlotte Van Elsberg Mystery Book 1

by Denise Devine

Genre: 1920’s Historical Cozy Mystery



St. Paul, 1926—where ambition comes at a cost, especially for a woman.

Charlotte Van Elsberg is determined to become the city’s first female private investigator and help women in need. She’s already landed her first case: a grieving mother who wants answers about her daughter, Eleanor Kimball, a debutante killed in a suspicious car crash. Was it truly an accident or something more sinister? Char intends to find out. There’s just one hitch—Char’s husband.

Will Van Elsberg, a seasoned investigator, knows the job too well. It’s no profession for a petite young lady, and he’s not about to let his wife charge headfirst into danger. Char has other ideas. She agrees to hire bodyguards to satisfy his objections.

However, despite the addition of her “new team,” she soon learns that this job is a lot harder than it appears. Doors slam in her face, alibis don’t add up, and everyone appears to be hiding something. Does she have the grit and determination it takes to solve this case?

The more she digs into Eleanor’s carefully polished life, the more she uncovers the young woman’s secrets. Hidden truths that someone is desperate to keep buried. Evidence worth killing for. Now that Char is asking questions, who is determined to stop her from revealing the missing pieces?

If you love Prohibition-era intrigue and twisty whodunits, dive into this 1920s cozy mystery filled with clever clues, hidden secrets, and a bold female sleuth. Grab your copy today and start sleuthing!

 

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“Last night went well,” Will said, commenting on my new bodyguards the next morning as we lingered over strong black coffee in the breakfast room. Golden sunlight filtered through the tall windows from the sun streaming between the mature oaks on the edge of our property. “Sean and Alice seemed to get along fine. What do you think?”

Sean’s manners had come across as overly polite compared to his outburst in the den and I suspected that he was playing to an audience of one. The real test would come when Alice was alone with him. Would he be respectful or try to boss her around? I had my doubts about the former.

“I think I need to let them two sort it out and get going on my investigation,” I replied staring into my glass of fresh-squeezed orange juice. “The truth is, I don’t know where to start.”

“Get to know your victim,” Will offered. “Learn everything you can about her—where she lived, her friends and relatives, the places she liked to frequent. The information will provide valuable clues about her life and possibly reveal why she was killed.”

Will set down his cup and leaned back as Gerard approached the table and placed a plate of scrambled eggs, bacon and toast in front of him. Will looked at me curiously. “You said she was engaged?” He paused to grab a bottle of Heinz Tomato Ketchup.

From the corner of my eye, I caught Gerard wincing at the idea of smothering one’s eggs with that vile concoction. I agreed but kept my opinion to myself. Will loved ketchup, especially this brand, and poured it on his breakfast nearly every morning.

“Take a good look at her fiancé,” Will said seriously. He shook the bottle, poring ketchup all over his eggs and filling the air with a pungent tomato aroma. “In my experience, when you’re investigating the murder of a woman, the guilty party is quite often someone close to the victim. That doesn’t make the fiancé automatically guilty, but it does make him a primary suspect until your investigation proves otherwise.”

“Okay,” I said, jotting down his instructions in my journal as Gerard set a plate of poached eggs and toast in front of me. Interviewing everyone who knew the deceased would be a huge undertaking. Was I up to the task? More importantly, would I gain anything useful from it? The thought exhausted me, and I hadn’t started yet.

“Go back to the scene of the crime,” Will continued and scooped up a forkful of eggs. “Study it, leaving no stone unturned. No detail is too small. Sometimes I find evidence that the police missed.”

I picked up a slice of toast and concentrated on smothering it with Welch’s Grape Jelly to avoid watching Will eat his red eggs. “Is there anything else I should know?”

“Read the autopsy report,” he added as he picked up a crisp piece of bacon with his fingers. “The family might have requested their private physician to look it over and interpret it for them but unless they knew medical terms they wouldn’t have a copy of it themselves. You need to grease a palm or two at the coroner’s office to obtain a look at it.”

Oh sure, I’ll just drive to downtown Minneapolis and find someone in the coroner’s office to give me a look-see at that report.

I let out a sigh and took a bite of my toast, pondering how I would actually go about getting someone in the coroner’s office to give me access to the report, much less interpret it for me. I had no idea. “Do I need to read the autopsy report? Is it imperative to my case?”

“It’s another piece of the puzzle, darling,” Will said, his voice softening at my frustration. “If the police ruled her death an accident, the family would want to know if she’d suffered a medical issue at the time, causing her to lose control of the car. If there is a report, you should find out what’s in it.”

Folding my arms, I sat back and stared at him as discouragement began to seep into my mood. Had I made a mistake wanting to become an investigator? The job was clearly more than I’d bargained for.




Denise Devine is a USA Today bestselling author who has had a passion for books since the second grade when she discovered Little House on the Prairie by Laura Ingalls Wilder. She wrote her first book, a mystery, at age thirteen and has been writing ever since. She loves all animals, especially dogs, cats, and horses, and they often find their way into her books.

She has written twenty-two books, including books in the Beach Brides series, Moonshine Madness series, and West Loon Bay series. Her books have hit the Top 100 Bestseller list on Amazon and she has been listed on Amazon’s Top 100 Authors.

 

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