Book Title: VACATION IS MURDER
Author: Carolyn Arnold
Series: McKinley Mysteries, Book 2
Published by: Hibbert & Stiles
Publishing Inc.
ISBN (e-book): 978-1-988064-55-0
ISBN
(paperback 4 x 6): 978-1-988353-23-4
ISBN (paperback 5 x 8): 978-1-988064-41-3
ASIN: B00JNUNZ1Y
140 pages
This wasn't in the travel brochure…
There's
only so much relaxation two former detectives can handle—even if they're on
their honeymoon. With their recent fall into money, Sean and Sara McKinley
should be living it up, enjoying the sun and beaches of Cancun. But heading
into their third week they've had just about enough lying around.
When
the husband of a couple they've befriended is kidnapped and held for ransom, it
has the McKinleys putting their experience to use. As they set out in the
unfamiliar landscape of paradise, the investigation will have them risking
their lives to stop a killer.
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 1 of Vacation
is Murder (McKinley Mysteries)
DYING FOR
MURDER
HERE SEAN WAS IN PARADISE and yet he was dying for murder.
Lying on his side watching his bride of a few weeks, he thought back to the
events of the last month. Life had been a true
whirlwind. First, coming into a fortune large enough to carry generations. Second, finally being able to have the
woman he had loved for two years. He was lucky that she loved him as much he
did her.
Their wedding was an intimate gathering of
close friends and family—the family being Sara’s adoptive parents, since neither
Sean nor Sara had siblings, and Sean’s parents were both gone.
While he was surprised she hadn’t wanted the
big event, complete with caterers, a slew of bridesmaids, and the rest of the “fun”
that went along with it, he was pleased. She’d wanted to solidify their
relationship too, so, he had promised her a large party when they got back from their
honeymoon.
Sean adjusted his pillow, plumping it up a bit
more to support his neck, smiling as Sara’s chest rose and fell, carrying the
soft purrs of a snore.
Beyond her, a gentle breeze played with the curtain and revealed the Caribbean Sea. The sun
was already up and made the water sparkle as diamonds. On the horizon, the cerulean
blue of the sky and water merged as if stroked with the brush of a master
painter who could rival Claude Monet.
She shifted to her side, facing away from Sean,
a moan escaping her throat.
Her sleepy response to a new day caused him to
smile again. It was starting to feel like this would be his permanent
expression.
One thing he had always known about Sara but
that became amplified since they’d gotten married—she didn’t do mornings very
well. She preferred to laze around, sleepy-eyed and cradling a mug of
coffee—which she refilled periodically—for a good hour before she’d shed the
shell and admit to being up.
This was where they differed. Sean typically
loved waking early and getting a jump on the day, although, things might change
a bit in that regard now. He was retired at the age of thirty-three and had no
place he needed to be, nothing he needed to do.
He pressed tightly against Sara’s back and put
his arm around her, sweeping back the cascade of dark hair, baring her neck,
and pressing his lips to her warm flesh.
“Morn—” A yawn, that seemed to stem up from the
tips of her toes, shuddered through her entire body.
She angled her head back, kissed him, and then
nuzzled into her pillow. “What a beautiful view.”
“It is.” While she had referred to the view
outside, a different one had his attention.
She rolled over to face him and smiling, she took in his features
and brushed a strand of hair from his
forehead. Her eyes settled on his.
If he had to die, he would want this woman by
his side. So many nights had been spent dreaming of the time they’d be
together—and he wasn’t the kind to resign to such whimsical fairytales. Before
he met Sara, he would have been content to live out his days as a single man. She was what people termed a game
changer.
He squeezed her
tighter and took her mouth, his hand caressing her shoulder, running down the
length of her torso. She curved into him, melding her body into his.
Author Bio
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:
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