Finders, Not Keepers (The Not So Reluctant Detectives) by D.E. Haggerty

About the Book

Finders, Not Keepers (The Not So Reluctant Detectives)

Cozy Mystery/Romantic Suspense 1st in Series

Self Published (August 20, 2018)

Print Length: 244 pages

Digital ASIN: B07DSWRXMM

What do you do with a diamond no one wants? You can’t keep it. Or can you?

While cleaning her ex-husband’s effects out of the attic, Terri finds an exquisite diamond pendant necklace. She’s determined to return the necklace to its proper owner, but the owner was brutally killed, a murder which remains unsolved, and her heirs want nothing to do with the diamond. Terri embarks upon a journey researching charities to which she can donate the diamond. When her research becomes dangerous, Terri contemplates solving the murder herself. Her best friend, Melanie, jumps feet first into investigating the murder, but her neighbor, Ryder, doesn’t want Terri exposed to any danger. Ryder, to Terri’s surprise, also wants to be more than neighbors with Terri. Luckily, he’s prepared to take any measure necessary to keep her safe because someone is determined to stop her inquiries.

Join Terri on her quest to find a home for the diamond, which may result in the unveiling of a murderer – if she survives long enough.

Read an Excerpt!

Finders, Not Keepers

Excerpt #1

“Now,” Mrs. Collins said as she sat back with her own cup of coffee. “I’m sure you’re curious about Jessica.” Terri nodded but didn’t dare speak for fear her curiosity would come across as excitement, which was morbid considering the poor woman was dead. “Phil?”

Mr. Collins cleared his throat. “Our niece Jessica was only twenty-five when she was killed.”

Terri gasped. “Killed? Oh no! What happened?” She leaned forward, her coffee and pie forgotten.

“That’s what we’d like to know,” Mrs. Collins snapped. Her husband reached over and grasped her hand.

“She was murdered three years ago,” he explained.

Terri set her coffee and pie on the coffee table, no longer interested in Mrs. Collins’ culinary skills. “Oh no. Who would do such a thing?”

Mr. Collins shook his head. “We don’t know. The police have labeled it an unsolved mystery.”

“I don’t think they’re even looking for the killer anymore. They say it was a random act of violence.” Mrs. Collins snorted in a very unladylike manner at that idea. “As if violence is something random. This entire country has gotten too used to violent acts, if you want my opinion.”

Terri had no response to that. What did you say when someone told you a loved one had been murdered and the police had no clue what happened? Instead, she reached down for her purse and took out the necklace. “I have no words of comfort, but perhaps you’ll at least find some comfort in the return of her necklace.” She held it out to Mrs. Collins who just shook her head.

“Actually,” Mr. Collins cleared his throat. “We don’t want it.”

Excerpt #2

“How are we going to solve the murder if we don’t even know where it happened?”

“We are not solving the murder! How many times do I have to explain myself? I’m only trying to honor Jessica’s last wishes by finding somewhere to donate the necklace in her memory.”

“We are totally solving this murder.”

“Did you not read the part where she was shot to death! And the police have no fricking idea what happened?”

Melanie shrugged as if she knew people who were shot to death all the time. “We’ll be fine.”

“We? We are not doing anything. I’m the one who is doing this. We are not doing anything.”

“Fine. Fine. So, Ms. Patterson, what are you going to do next, hmm?” She raised an eyebrow, crossed her arms over her chest, and leaned back in her chair.

“I’m not sure.” Terri tapped her fingers on the table. There was a long pause before she suddenly sat up straight. “Where did the obit say donations were to be sent?”

Melissa pulled the obit up on her tablet. “Westside Soup Kitchen.”

“That’s it!” She snapped her fingers. “I’ve volunteered at that soup kitchen several times. I’ll just go check it out. See if they are a good candidate for receiving the necklace.”

“You volunteered at the same soup kitchen as Jessica? Maybe you met her and don’t remember?”

“No.” Terri shook her head. “I saw a picture of her at the Collins’ house. There’s no way I would have forgotten meeting her.”

“Maybe some of the other volunteers or even the homeless people will remember Jessica. You could ask them about her.”

“Stop trying to solve the murder!”

Melanie readily agreed she wouldn’t get involved in investigating the murder, but Terri knew better than to believe her.

Excerpt #3

“We’re totally on to something.” Terri barely had a chance to close her door before Melanie made her proclamation.

Terri’s mouth dropped open, and her bag fell to the floor at Melanie’s words. “Are you out of your mind? We are done playing detective,” she shouted at her friend’s retreating back. When Melanie didn’t respond, she rushed to follow her through the hallway to the kitchen.

“Oh, please.” Melanie grabbed a beer out of the refrigerator and took a deep drink before continuing, “Your man candy got a bit bent out of shape. Big whoop.”

She could not believe her ears. They had been followed by some thugs and then interrogated by the police as if they were the thugs, and her best friend thought it was all some big adventure. “Don’t you get it? We’re actually in danger. Someone was murdered.”

“I figured it all out.” Terri rolled her eyes and couldn’t wait to hear what exactly Melanie had figured out. “They won’t kill us because we don’t know anything.”

“Mel,” Terri gritted her teeth and waited for her friend to look at her before explaining, “those men who followed us don’t know we have no clue what’s going on. In fact, they probably think we do know something since they were following us and all.”

“Huh. I hadn’t thought of that.”

Terri fisted her hands before she throttled her friend, although any jury would let her off if they heard the rubbish Melanie was spouting. “Perhaps it’s time to leave the detecting to the professionals?” Terri held her breath as she waited for Melanie to acquiesce.

Melanie shrugged. “Let’s order pizza.” Terri sighed. Her friend hadn’t agreed to stop sticking her nose into police business, but if she was cheating on her diet to eat pizza, then she was more shook up than she let on. Surely, she wouldn’t want to continue nosing around now? Terri could only hope.

About the Author

I grew up reading everything I could get my grubby hands on, from my mom's Harlequin romances to Nancy Drew, to Little Women. When I wasn't flipping pages in a library book, I was penning horrendous poems, writing songs no one should ever sing, or drafting stories which have thankfully been destroyed. College and a stint in the U.S. Army came along, robbing me of free time to write and read, although on the odd occasion I did manage to sneak a book into my rucksack between rolled up socks, MRIs, t-shirts, and cold weather gear. After surviving the army experience, I went back to school and got my law degree. I jumped ship and joined the hubby in the Netherlands before the graduation ceremony could even begin. A few years into my legal career, I was exhausted, fed up, and just plain done. I quit my job and sat down to write a manuscript, which I promptly hid in the attic after returning to the law. But practicing law really wasn’t my thing, so I quit (again!) and went off to Germany to start a B&B. Turns out running a B&B wasn’t my thing either. I polished off that manuscript languishing in the attic before following the husband to Istanbul where I decided to give the whole writer-thing a go. But ten years was too many to stay away from my adopted home. I packed up again and moved to The Hague where I’m currently working on my next book. I hope I’ll always be working on my next book.

Finders, Not Keepers is my thirteenth novel.
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