A Deadly Dunk

by Cindy Bell

Genres: Cozy Mystery; Animal Cozy Mysteries; Craft & Hobby Cozy Mysteries

Synopsis

Celebrations, Basketball, and a Murder!

Bobbie is settling into life in the quaint cottage in Newfield, Vermont, with her goldendoodle Bailey and a growing group of friends. The town is buzzing with excitement because the newly restored lake is ready to be reopened. To celebrate, the locals are hosting a lakeside event, with fun, food, and other festivities.

But the celebrations come to a grinding halt when the town’s basketball star is murdered. Bobbie’s determined to get to the truth, but that isn’t proving an easy task, because the victim seemed to have more enemies than friends.

It’s a race against the clock to catch the killer before there’s another victim.

Release date: June 24, 2025

Print pages: 160

Sample

Chapter One
Spring had given way to summer, and Bobbie Walker had been spending a lot
of time enjoying the wildflowers that bloomed in the backyard of her childhood home.
The sea of colors and shapes that stretched to a lake at the edge of a tree line
reminded her of the first time she’d opened the back door of the lakeside cottage,
after moving to Newfield, Vermont, and had been greeted by the various scents.
Memories she had tucked away for so many years had begun to surface
when she took that first breath of familiar air. Now, although she still enjoyed the
smells, she felt as if she’d finally settled into her home, and as if she was receiving
answers about her tumultuous past.
“Bobbie?” Kyle West’s voice carried through the cottage, followed by an
insistent bark from the goldendoodle she’d met on the day she’d moved in and had
now adopted.
“I’m here.” Bobbie stepped inside and closed and locked the back door behind
her.
As Bobbie crossed the small kitchen into the space that served both as the
dining room and living room, she smiled at the sight of Kyle. They’d only known each
other for a short time, but she felt as if she’d known him forever. He’d started out as
her martial arts instructor, but over time, they’d become friends, and maybe a little
more than that.
The smile that spread across Kyle’s lips as he greeted her sent nervous
butterflies through her stomach. She recalled the near kiss that had been interrupted,
and never mentioned again. The memory filled her cheeks with heat.
“Are you ready to go? The event starts soon.” Kyle ruffled Bailey’s fur as the
dog licked his hand.
“I’m ready, I think.” Bobbie swept her long, dark brown, curly hair back into a
tight ponytail, then wound a rubber band around it to hold it in place. “Are you ready
for the basketball game? Do you know much about basketball?”
“I’ve been known to sink a few free throws.” Kyle tugged his striped tube
socks up along his shins. “I’m not a star like Ty, that’s for sure, but I can hold my own
in a pickup game.” He straightened up and smiled at her.

“Great, I’m going to pretend I know what all that means.” Bobbie laughed as
she tossed her bag over her shoulder. She’d loaded it with dog treats, a water bowl,
and some toys for Bailey.
“Are you telling me you and your uncle never played basketball?” Kyle raised
his eyebrows. “That surprises me.”
“We were more about hockey.” Bobbie clipped a leash on to Bailey’s collar.
“Mostly the street variety.” She led the goldendoodle to the door. “But I’m always
willing to try new things. Maybe you could teach me?” She shot him a shy smile.
“Absolutely.” Kyle held the door open for her and Bailey. “I’d love to teach you
something off the mats for once.”
Bobbie’s cheeks warmed at the thought of the early days of his self-defense
classes. Between her crush, and her lack of coordination, it had been quite a
struggle. She’d definitely become more comfortable with him as her teacher, but
there were still moments when she felt like a clumsy fool compared to the smooth
flow of his movements. “You said this guy Ty’s a star?”
“Not exactly a big-name star. But by our small-town standards? Definitely. He
was signed to a professional basketball team, which is unusual around here, so
everyone knows who he is, and his story.”
“Is he a friend of yours?” Bobbie strolled beside him with Bailey a few paces
ahead of both of them.
They walked toward the local park which sat beside the expansive, pristine
lake. It had finally been completely cleaned of all of the chemicals that had been
intentionally dumped into it by ChemTree, a chemical factory, and the whole town
was excited to reopen it as the center of their recreational activities. She couldn’t
wait to go for a swim herself, although the early summer air indicated it was a bit too
soon for that.
“Actually, no, I’ve never even met him properly. He’s a few years younger than
me, and once I returned home, he’d already taken off for college. But I’ve definitely
heard a lot about him. He’s very well-liked around here, and people are excited to
see him today. I’ll be honest. I’m kind of surprised that he decided to move back
home. I thought for sure he’d keep making a name for himself in the sport.”
“Do you know why he came back?” Bobbie smiled as she spotted the crowd
of people pouring through the park entrance a few feet ahead of them.

“He was injured. His arm. He can still play, but not at that level. But I thought
he might get into coaching or something else and stay away.” Kyle looked over at his
cousin Rachael West, who jogged toward them with a basketball tucked under her
arm.
“Rachael!” Bobbie waved to her with a bright smile. Meeting Rachael had
been one of the most exciting parts of moving to Newfield. She’d never really had a
close friend, and Rachael had made it clear from the moment she arrived, that she
intended to be her “bestie,” as she put it.
“Hi, you two, it’s about time you got here.” Rachael reached down to pet
Bailey, then looked up at Kyle with a sly smile. “So, are you ready for a rematch?”
“You only won last time because I twisted my ankle.” Kyle folded his muscular
arms across his chest as he eyed the petite woman in front of him with amusement.
“Don’t get a big head about it.”
“Oh, well, I guess we can find out for sure today. Unless, you know, your
ankle’s too delicate for you to play.” Rachael wiggled her blonde eyebrows as a wide
smile spread across her face.
Bobbie held back a giggle as she detected a spike in Kyle’s frustration levels.
The two were cousins, but to her acted more like siblings, and though they could be
like oil and water, she also knew they would do absolutely anything for each other.
“Ty’s already warming up.” Rachael gasped and grinned at Bobbie. “Guess
who else I saw on the court?”
“Who?” Bobbie couldn’t help but grin in return. Rachael’s enthusiasm was
infectious.
“Matt!”
“Matt?” Bobbie laughed. “I didn’t know he played basketball.” The thought of
her studious and decidedly unathletic coworker, Matt Smith, from Newfield News,
getting ready for a basketball game left her both baffled and amused.
“Wow, I guess I have some competition.” Kyle chuckled.
Rachael grabbed Bobbie’s hand. “Let’s go, I want you to meet Coach Barber.
He’s pretty famous around here.”
Bobbie laughed as Rachael tugged her into the crowd. She gave a quick look
over her shoulder as Kyle followed with Bailey behind them. Her heart filled with
pride as she recalled that her investigation, along with Matt, had led to this moment
of the reopening of a once polluted lake for the community. Being a freelance

journalist didn’t always feel like a worthwhile career, especially when she saw her
paycheck, but seeing the difference she’d made as businesses reopened, and
families celebrated, reminded her of just how impactful it could be.
However, thinking about the investigation also reminded her of the tension
with her fellow journalist. They often came to loggerheads, but she’d originally had a
bit of a crush on him, and he hadn’t been subtle about wanting more than just a
professional relationship. Still, it was Kyle who had truly caught her attention. Even
now, just thinking of him made her mind buzz with excitement.
In an attempt to distract herself from any romantic thoughts, Bobbie waved to
a woman who flipped a sign to open on the door of a boathouse that now doubled as
a coffee shop and small rental center for lake gear.
The woman stared at her for a moment, then turned back toward the building.
Dampened a bit by the lack of response, Bobbie found herself being
introduced to a tall man who appeared to be in his sixties. He had the physique of a
basketball player, aside from the rounding of his stomach.
“It’s nice to meet you, Bobbie.” Coach Shane Barber grinned as he shook her
hand. “Thanks to you, we’re going to have a great summer.”
“It wasn’t just me.” Bobbie blushed as she smiled.
“That’s right, it was also Matt. He’s participating in our free-throw contest.”
Shane pointed at the basketball hoop. “But I don’t know. With Nate and Ty on the
court, it’s going to be tough to win.”
“Aren’t you forgetting someone?” Rachael raised her eyebrows.
“As I always told you, Rachael, if you spent less time chatting and more time
aiming for the hoop, you’d sink a lot more shots,” Shane teased.
“Rude, but not untrue.” Rachael pouted for a moment, then shrugged and shot
the basketball toward the hoop. As the ball swished through, she raised her hands
and grinned. “Nothing but net!”
Shane cheered for her, then walked off to greet the other contestants. ...