Love on the Rocks (Cobble Cove Mystery) by Debbie De Louise
About the Book
Cozy Mystery 4th in Series
Solstice Publishing (October 17, 2018)
Paperback: 241 pages
ISBN-10: 1625268505
ISBN-13: 978-1625268501
Digital ASIN: B07JHV9FJC
It’s February in the small town of Cobble Cove. Love is in the air . . . but so is murder!When Alicia helps plan a Valentine’s Day Party at the Cobble Cove library that also includes a surprise for her newlywed friend, Gilly, things go wrong when a mysterious box of chocolates addressed to the director turns out laced with poison.Clues Lead to A Dead SuspectAlthough Alicia promised John she’ll no longer meddle in crime investigations, she and Gilly set out to find the person threatening Sheila who murdered the courier of the deadly candy. The three people they suspect include the professor from California who’s been romancing Sheila while she assists him with research for his book; the obnoxious patron Rhonda Kleisman who threw coffee at the director after refusing to pay for a damaged book; and a visiting widow staying at Gilly’s inn who’s unnaturally curious about Sheila and earns the nickname of Madame Defarge for her interest in knitting.New Cat in TownWhile Alicia and Gilly are trying to solve this new Cobble Cove mystery, Sneaky is introduced to Gilly’s new kitten, Kittykai, a calico she brought home from her honeymoon in Hawaii. It’s not like at first sight, but the two cats eventually become friends. They also both play a part in foiling the killer’s murder attempts, but will Alicia and Sheila survive unscathed?
Read an Excerpt
LOVE ON THE ROCKS
When they arrived at the inn, Sneaky’s plaintive meows had mellowed down to short cries. Alicia hefted his carrier up the porch steps. She was about to knock on the door when Gilly opened it and came out to greet her. Her friend from Long Island who had relocated to Cobble Cove last year was dressed unseasonly in a sleeveless multi-colored flowered Hawaiian dress, a red lei around her neck. She had a golden tan that radiated from her normally pale skin.
“Good morning, Alicia,” she chirped. “You just missed Ron. He took the boys to school and then insisted on getting back to work. He kept checking in with his officers while we were away, but I had my means of getting his attention back to his new wife.” She grinned. “Come on in and bring Sneaky. I can’t wait to see what he thinks of his surprise.”
As Alicia entered, she saw John and the twins seated in the breakfast nook. The three of them each had a lei of a different color around their necks. “Mommy’s here,” John told Carol and Johnny, “and she’s brought Sneaky.”
“Sneaky,” Carol yelled. Johnny put out his hand and petted the air.
Now that the cat was safely inside, he had stopped crying completely. Alicia was hesitant to open his carrier. She placed it down by the entrance to the room.
“You can release him,” Gilly said. “All the doors are closed.”
“Not yet. Let me have a quick bite to eat and when you’re ready to bring out his surprise, I’ll let him out of the carrier.”
“I think that’s a good idea.”
She sat next to John where a place was set with a glass of orange juice and a plate of muffins and Gilly’s famous chocolate chip cookies. A yellow lei was draped on the back of the chair, obviously meant for her, so she put it on.
“Would you like some tea or coffee?” Gilly offered. “I know you have to get back to the library soon, but it’s really good to see you. I can’t wait to hear about everything that happened here while I was away.”
“You haven’t missed much, Gilly. How was the honeymoon? You look wonderful.”
Gilly blushed under her tan. “I feel great. We had a wonderful time in Maui. You two really must go one day.” She glanced at John. “I have more souvenirs for you both and a few things for the kids, too. You can open them at home later, but I really would like to bring out Sneaky’s surprise now.” Before Alicia could comment, Gilly rushed away from the table.
“Did you want coffee, Ali?” John asked.
“No, the orange juice is fine. I’ll have coffee at work later.” She bit into a cookie. “Where’s Edith and Rose?”
“Gilly said she told them to go home. Rose was staying here while she and Ramsay were on their honeymoon. There weren’t many guests at this time of year after the Christmas fair people went home.”
Alicia recalled how pleasant their annual event had gone this year compared to lasts. John had again acted as Santa Claus for the towns and visiting children. Carol and Johnny had now recognized it was their father, but they still believed the “real” Santa would deliver gifts to them on December 25th.
“Take Sneaky out of his carrier, please,” Gilly called from down the hall.
“I’ll do it,” John said rising from his chair. “You finish eating, Ali. This sounds like it’s going to be some surprise.” He winked.
“Suhpize,” Carol cried. Johnny nearly toppled his travel highchair as he edged closer to the cat carrier anticipating Sneaky’s escape.
With a deft motion, John clicked open the tabs on the top and bottom of the carrier. As he did at the vets, Sneaky refused to move but edged himself even further back in the box.
“Sneaky’s free, Gilly, but he’s not coming out,” John called.
“Let’s see if he does now,” Gilly said, entering the room. In her arms, bundled in the folds of her Hawaiian dress, was a tiny calico kitten.
“Oh, my gosh, Gilly!” Alicia said, almost choking on her cookie. “I don’t believe it. You brought a cat back from Hawaii. How did you manage that?” She was thinking about the quarantines and airline procedures.
“I have my ways,” she said rolling her eyes provocatively. “The check-in clerks and the captain found me quite alluring. Ron was jealous, but I got us a kitty. I found her on the beach, poor thing. I think she’ll make a great inn cat.” She brought the kitten over to the table. The twins went wild. “Kitty, Kitty,” they both called, reaching out. She handed the cat to Alicia who let Carol and Johnny pet her.
“It’s a little girl,” Alicia said, examining the backside of the kitten.
“Yep. Her name is KittyKai. ‘Kai’ means ‘sea’ in Hawaiian.”
“Pretty, the name and the cat. I never had a calico.”
“You should get a cat. The twins will be old enough soon to have a pet.”
“I think Sneaky’s enough for us,” John said, “and Fido when Dad brings him by.”
“Speaking of Sneaky,” Gilly said, “Look!” She pointed at the carrier where a beige head was peeking out. Slowly, the Siamese ambled out.
Gilly picked up KittyKai and placed her on the ground.
“Gilly, I don’t think…” Alicia was alarmed that Sneaky might harm the kitten. Instead, he sniffed her. KittyKai, however, drew her small body back, black, orange, and white fur standing on end, her tail erect – the signs of confrontation. She hissed in Sneaky’s face.
Gilly went to grab her, but Alicia stopped her. “No. Leave them alone. You don’t get in the middle of a cat fight.”
“They’re not fighting, Alicia. They’re getting to know one another.”
Sneaky backed away into his carrier. He was obviously not charmed by his “gift.” KittyKai, having won the small battle, skittered to Gilly.
“It’s going to take some time. You should bring Sneaky over more often. I was hoping they could be friends.”
“Gilly, Sneaky’s neutered.”
“Not those type of friends, Alicia. Is that all you think is on my mind?”
Alicia chose not to answer that question. “What does Ruby think of the new kitten?” Ruby was Gilly’s old beagle.
As if in answer to Alicia’s question, the dog strolled into the room and lay down. Kittykai joined her, and the two snuggled together by the back door.
“How cute. I wonder how Fido will react to Kittykai.”
“I’m going to invite Mac over later and see.”
About the Author
Author Links Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/debbie.delouise.author/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Deblibrarian
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/2750133.Debbie_De_Louise
Amazon Author Page: http://amzn.to/2bIHdaQ
Website/Blog/Newsletter Sign-Up: https://debbiedelouise.com
Sneaky the Library Cat's blog: https://sneakylibrarycat.wordpress.com
Debbie's Character's Chat Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/748912598599469/
Purchase Links:
eBook & Kindle Unlimited: mybook.to/cc4
Paperback: mybook.to/cc4pap ___________________________________
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