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Cocktail To Die For
Cocktails, chaos, and an unexpected twist. Can Perry and his hens unveil the truth before time runs out?
Death at Prestigious Hotel and Spa, Chasingham House
We are hearing reports that a young woman has been found dead at Chasingham House, the exclusive venue in the Cotswolds. She has not been named, and the cause of death is unknown at this time. This will no doubt cast a cloud over the bachelor weekend being hosted there by Lady Beatrice (36), the Countess of Rossex, for her business partner Perry Juke (34) ahead of his wedding to bestselling author and celebrity chef Simon Lattimore (40). Also staying at Chasingham House are top models Camile Redmaine (35) and Mel Parks (35), who are celebrating newly-single Cammy’s birthday with a group of friends.
When one of the birthday girls is found dead in her room, it’s clear Bea plans for her, Perry, and their friends to chill around the pool, have a few treatments, and generally relax, seem to have gone down the drain. When the local police are quick to dismiss the death as an accident, Bea is determined to help investigate anyway, along with the rest of Perry’s party.
Can Perry and his hens catch the killer before the weekend is over and the trail goes cold?
A Cocktail to Die For by Helen Golden
Intro
Lady Beatrice and her business partner Perry Juke are at Chasingham House, an exclusive hotel and spa in the peaceful Cotswolds, for his bachelor weekend. Among Perry’s hens is DCI Emma McKeer Adler and they are all looking forward to a relaxing weekend. But when the dead body of a guest is discovered, the hotel manager asks Emma if she will step in and secure the crime scene until the local CID arrive…
Em stepped into the dimly lit bedroom, her eyes immediately scanning the surroundings for any signs of a disturbance. The room was tastefully decorated with a mix of vintage and modern furniture — a testament to Chasingham House’s unique charm, with soft rose walls adorned with watercolour paintings of idyllic English countryside scenes. Along the wall, dominating the room, was a luxurious four-poster bed draped in pale lavender linens. Not slept in, Em noted, as her eyes were drawn to the lifeless body of a curvy woman in a short gold evening dress lying on the floor by the side of the bed nearest to her. Mercy Bright. Em’s heart clenched at the sight.
Mercy had one hand on the floor just out of reach of a mobile phone lying in front of her, the other raised to her throat as if desperately trying to claw out some unseen assailant. Her eyes were wide with shock and fear. There was dried vomit around her mouth. Em took a deep breath, pushing away the wave of emotion threatening to overwhelm her. It never got any easier to see someone whose life had been cut short.
“Focus, Em,” she whispered to herself as she opened the PaIRS app she used to record all investigations, then began snapping pictures of the scene with her phone. After taking photos of the body from various angles, she started on the room. There was a small pile of jewellery on the bedside table — two diamond rings, a chunky gold necklace, and a bracelet. They were expensive-looking pieces. Clearly this hadn’t been a robbery gone wrong.
Em moved around the bed. There was a large designer handbag on the other side by the bedside table. It was open. She peered inside but saw nothing of interest. She took a picture anyway, then walked over to the table by the window. There was a tall empty glass on its top, its contents long gone. Em recognised the glass as one of the ones from the cocktail bar. Had Mercy brought a drink up with her? She took a photo of the glass. She’d have to ask the bartender if he recognised it. What was his name? Jeff? No, not Jeff. Maybe—
“DCI McKeer-Adler?”
Em spun around as a tall dark-skinned man sporting a well-trimmed goatee walked into the room, followed by a short slightly chubby woman carrying a bag. “I’m DS Victor Meed.” He held out his hand, smiling. “Please call me Vic.”
“Hi, Vic,” Em said, returning the sergeant’s smile and handshake.
“And this is Doctor Romaine.”
The woman gave a quick nod and headed straight for the body on the floor by the bed.
Em and the sergeant followed her.
“Sorry we’re so late getting here, ma’am,” the younger man said apologetically. “We have the whole of CID tied up with this raid, and—”
Em held up her hand. “There’s no need to apologise, sergeant. I know how much manpower is required to pull off something of that size,” she said, giving him a brief smile. “So, I haven’t touched anything,” she told him. “But—” She suppressed a smile when she recalled Perry’s earlier request. “I’ve taken a few photos just so we have a record if we need it before your forensic team gets here. I thought—”
The shrill ring of a phone pierced the somber atmosphere. DS Meed mouthed, “Sorry,” as he fished his mobile from his pocket and answered it, nodding seriously as he listened.
Simultaneously, Em’s own phone buzzed with an incoming text. Glancing down, she read the message from her boss.
Superintendent Blake (PaIRS): Local CID should be there soon. A DCI Alan Rivers will take over. Handover what you have and enjoy the rest of your weekend.
Em took a deep breath. A mixture of irritation and relief washed over her. Someone else would deal with this now. She could continue celebrating Perry’s last weekend as a free man. Would this DCI Alan Rivers get to the bottom of Mercy’s death? She glanced down at the body. Could she really walk away from this now?
Hello. I’m Helen Golden. I write British contemporary cozy whodunnits with a hint of humour. I live in small village in Lincolnshire in the UK with my husband, my step-daughter, her two cats, our two dogs, sometimes my step-son, and our tortoise.
I used to work in senior management, but after my recent job came to a natural end I had the opportunity to follow my dreams and start writing. It's very early in my life as an author, but so far I'm loving it.
It’s crazy busy at our house, so when I’m writing I retreat to our caravan (an impulsive lockdown purchase) which is mostly parked on our drive. When I really need total peace and quiet, I take it to a lovely site about 15 minutes away and hide there until my family runs out of food or clean clothes
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