Book Title: SKIING IS MURDER
Author: Carolyn Arnold
Series: McKinley Mysteries, Book 10
Published by: Hibbert & Stiles
Publishing Inc.
ISBN (e-book): 978-1-988064-63-5
ISBN
(paperback 4 x 6): 978-1-988064-68-0
ISBN (paperback 5 x 8): 978-1-988064-67-3
ASIN: B017UIZQAS
140 pages
They’re ready to hit the slopes when
things go downhill…
Sean
and Sara are supposed to have a relaxing vacation in Vail, but it all goes up
in a puff of powder when there’s a suspicious death on the mountain. And the
deceased is not just anyone; it’s Adrian Blackwell, a two-time Olympic skiing
gold medalist.
Rumor
has it Adrian died in a skiing accident, but he was too skilled for Sara to
accept that as fact. But she doesn’t want to disappoint Sean by ruining his ski
trip, even though she’s convinced Adrian was murdered and she’s itching to find
the killer.
Sean
has never been able to say no to Sara, but this time he plans to. However, all
it takes is a call from their PI firm back in Albany to change his mind. A
job’s come in to investigate Adrian’s death, and his agent is the one footing
the bill, leaving Sean with more questions than answers.
Yet
one major problem remains: their New York State PI licenses hold no legal
authority in Colorado. They still can’t help but look into Adrian’s death on
the sly, though. This case will definitely involve some underhanded tactics,
all while trying to dodge the local police over the course of the
investigation.
Links & Goodreads:
What to expect from the McKinley Mysteries:
Romance. Humor. Murder. Are you looking for a murder
mystery without all the graphic violence and foul language? Something that you
can enjoy in an afternoon and walk away feeling good about afterward? How about
a dash of humor and romance? If so, meet former detectives Sean and Sara
McKinley. When a billionaire leaves them all his money, they no longer have to
work, but they find themselves sticking to what they’re good at—solving
murders. Undercover, off the books, and around the world, they’ll get to the
bottom of things…and romance it up along the way.
This is
the perfect book series for fans of Hart to Hart, Castle, Colombo, Monk, Rockford
Files, Psych, and Magnum PI.
Read in
any order or follow the series from the beginning.
Excerpt from chapter 2 of Skiing
is Murder (McKinley Mysteries)
HARMLESS CURIOSITY?
SHE SAW THE LOOK IN Sean’s eyes, the one that
pleaded for her to leave the matter of the dead man alone. But she wasn’t
getting involved with the investigation; she was simply curious as to what had
happened. From the sound of it, the deceased was Adrian Blackwell. He’d won two
Olympic gold medals in skiing—one in 2010 and another in 2014. Adrian’s death
would warrant a full-blown police investigation, even if it appeared that an
accident had killed him.
She
always tuned in to watch both the winter and summer Olympics. There was
something about the world coming together, united in the name of athletics.
Political agendas seemed to fade. Nations became equals. Maybe that was why she
always felt despondent when it came time for the closing ceremony. Maybe she
was the only one who viewed the Games this way, but if she were looking at the
world through rose-colored glasses, she’d keep them.
The friends were huddled together in a
corner of the lobby, now surrounded by strangers hoping to get in on the news.
After all,
the average person rarely came across a death, let alone a potential murder,
and the word dead seemed to spark
attention and curiosity from most people.
Sara glanced over her shoulder at Sean. He
followed her now, but it saddened her to see his solemn face. She stopped in
her tracks and turned to face him.
“Do
you want me to leave this alone?” she asked.
“You
know I do.”
Normally she would do anything he asked of
her, but there was a burning curiosity within her that just needed to know what
had happened. At this point, she had no inclination to get involved with the
investigation.
She placed a hand on Sean’s forearm, and he
responded by tucking a strand of hair behind her ear.
“I
just want to know what happened. That’s all.” She hated that there was a part
of her—even if it was very minute—that doubted her resolve to leave it at that’s all. Based on the tilt of
Sean’s
head, he was questioning her intentions, as well.
“Are
you sure? Because there’s something in your eyes that tells me otherwise.”
She
was torn between getting more information and walking away. But Sean was the
most important person in her life, and his happiness was her happiness. “We’re
here on vacation, Sean, and I know you’ve been looking forward to this trip
since you first brought it up six weeks ago.”
“I
know you, Sara. I know us. For some reason, death is all around us.”
“It’s
a good thing it’s only around us,”
Sara said with a small chuckle.
He consented with a smile. “True enough. It
could be worse.”
She nodded. “If I promise just to find
out what happened and leave it alone, can I talk to them?”
A few seconds of silence followed. She
sensed he was almost offended—or ashamed—that she was looking to him for
permission.
“I
can’t stop you, but please, let’s stick to our plan of a relaxing vacation,” he
beseeched.
“You
got it.” She slipped her hand into his, and the two of them joined the growing
cluster of people.
As
they approached, a blonde of about twenty-five was talking animatedly about
where Adrian was found. She was one of the women from the original group. Her
statement seemed to be in response to something a brunette in her late thirties
had said as the latter bobbed her head.
The blonde caught Sara’s eye. A man had
an arm around her waist. His hair was blond like the girl’s, but spiky. His
bangs stood up as though he had done a face-plant in the snow, and his flushed
cheeks supported that theory. “He probably OD’d,” he said.
“Why
would you go there?” The blonde turned to him. “He was a respected athlete.”
“There’s
a lot of pressure on athletes.” He added a shoulder shrug. “Maybe it got to be
too much for him.”
“I
overheard the police say that it looks like an accident.” This came from a young
redhead. She wore her hair in two braids, and freckles dusted the bridge of her
nose.
“Not
buying it.” A second man, a brunette who was also with the original group,
adjusted his skis and poles under his arms.
“What
do you mean you’re not buying it?” The blonde leaned forward to look directly
at him. “If that’s what the police are—”
“The police aren’t always
right.” The words came from Sara’s lips without a thought, strictly on impulse.
She cringed and didn’t want to look at Sean. She could only imagine the scowl
on his face.
CAROLYN ARNOLD
is an international bestselling and award-winning author, as well as a speaker,
teacher, and inspirational mentor. She has four continuing fiction
series—Detective Madison Knight, Brandon Fisher FBI, McKinley Mysteries, and
Matthew Connor Adventures—and has written nearly thirty books. Her genre
diversity offers her readers everything from cozy to hard-boiled mysteries, and
thrillers to action adventures.
Both her female
detective and FBI profiler series have been praised by those in law enforcement
as being accurate and entertaining, leading her to adopt the trademark: POLICE
PROCEDURALS RESPECTED BY LAW ENFORCEMENT™.
Carolyn was born
in a small town and enjoys spending time outdoors, but she also loves the
lights of a big city. Grounded by her roots and lifted by her dreams, her
overactive imagination insists that she tell her stories. Her intention is to
touch the hearts of millions with her books, to entertain, inspire, and
empower.
She currently
lives just west of Toronto with her husband and beagle and is a member of Crime
Writers of Canada and Sisters in Crime.
Connect with CAROLYN ARNOLD Online:
Website - http://carolynarnold.net/
Twitter - https://twitter.com/Carolyn_Arnold
Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/AuthorCarolynArnold
And don’t forget to sign up for her
newsletter for up-to-date information on release and special offers at http://carolynarnold.net/newsletters.
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