Awards, Adventure, and Accusations

Book 35: Dune House Cozy Mystery Series

by Cindy Bell

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

Synopsis

Behind the applause, someone’s hiding a deadly secret.

Dune House, the majestic beachside B&B, is nominated for a hospitality award. With a rare lull in bookings, Suzie and Mary hop on a private plane with their lovable Lab, Pilot, and set off for a weekend getaway to a beautiful country inn for another adventure.

But things quickly take a deadly turn when one of the guests is found murdered. The police refuse to let anyone leave until the investigation is complete, so Suzie and Mary do a little snooping and discover that the victim had more enemies than friends.

As the mystery deepens, it’s clear this fun trip is turning into something far more dangerous. Can Suzie and Mary find the murderer before someone else gives their final speech?

Release date: September 24, 2025

Print pages: 159

Sample

Chapter One
“It’s an honor to be honored.” Mary Brent waved a piece of paper through the
air.
The sunlight that spilled into the large kitchen, through wide windows over the
sink, danced off the surface of the glossy paper.
“What’s that supposed to mean?” Suzie Allen laughed as she joined her in the
kitchen, summoned by Mary’s happy voice. She attempted to snatch the paper out of
her hand.
“We’ve officially been nominated for the prestigious award of Travel and
Hospitality Boutique Accommodations of the Year.” Mary laughed as she spun away
from Suzie, shielding the paper from her grasp. “It’s the coveted THBAY.”
“THBAY?” Suzie finally snagged the paper and began to read it over. “I’ve
never heard of it.”
“Apparently, it’s like a warm-up for the real deal. Another actually prestigious
award, but if we win this one, we’re a shoo-in for the big one.”
“I don’t understand. How did we even get entered?” Suzie studied the gold
embossed text on the thick paper and recalled what it had been like to win awards in
the past as an investigative journalist, in a life when things had moved quickly and
she was always chasing something.
That seemed so long ago, now that she owned a bed and breakfast with her
best friend, and spent most of her time thinking about new themes for room designs
and navigating an unexpected relationship with a scruffy fisherman. She couldn’t
recall the last time she’d dressed up for an awards ceremony, or for anything else for
that matter.
“Technically, we weren’t entered, we were nominated. Which means that
someone enjoyed their stay here so much, they put our names in the ring, and then
summoned enough support from our previous guests to warrant being included in
the final competition.” Mary took the letter back from her. “So, we’ve been invited to
attend the awards celebration in North Carolina.” She held up one hand as Suzie
was about to protest. “I know, I know, you don’t want to go.”

“I didn’t say that. It’s just that we have a business to run here. It’s crazy to
take time off to go to some awards ceremony.”
“Travel’s paid for, we’ll get to stay in a luxury inn, and there will be a showcase
of the different amenities that modern B&Bs are offering. And the best part is one of
the sponsors of the event is a private charter company, so we get to go on a private
plane.”
“Wow,” Suzie gasped.
“You could even call it a research trip. Yes. We have a steady business,
because we have the ocean as a draw and our B&B is beautiful, but we still have to
keep up with our competition, and we might find something that could enrich our
guests’ experiences.” Mary followed Suzie through the kitchen as she neared the
coffeepot. “Really, it would be wasting an opportunity if we don’t go.”
“Okay. You don’t have to convince me.” Suzie poured herself a cup of coffee,
then turned to face her friend. “If you want to go, we’ll go.”
“I’m so glad.” Mary paused, her breath caught in her chest as she braced
herself for Suzie’s reaction to her next words. She said them as quickly as possible.
“Because I already agreed and signed us up for the trip and we actually leave
tomorrow.”
“What?” Suzie’s eyes flew wide open, as did her mouth.
“Don’t worry, I’ve already made all the arrangements. Busy season’s coming
to an end, and it’s midweek, so we don’t have any reservations until Friday. It seems
like it’s meant to be. I’ve asked Jason and Summer to stop by and check on things a
few times.”
Mary knew that Suzie would trust her cousin Police Chief Jason Allen and his
wife, the medical examiner, Dr. Summer Rose, to take care of everything.
Mary circled slowly around her stunned friend as she ticked off all the things
she knew Suzie would be worried about.
“I’ve updated our phone service to forward any calls to our cell phones, asked
the gardener to come inside and take care of the indoor plants as well. I even
packed Pilot’s bag and some calming treats for the flight. Since his previous owner
was a pilot, I think he’ll be fine, but just in case, you know?”
The yellow Lab perked his head up from the bed he’d been contentedly curled
up on by the back door.

“I don’t understand.” Suzie’s shoulders slumped as every argument she could
think of was undone by Mary’s list. “Why didn’t you just tell me? We could have done
all this together.”
“Because I wanted to make sure you would feel okay saying yes.” Mary
stroked her shoulder. “Aside from that one road trip, which turned out to be less of a
vacation and more of a murder investigation, we haven’t taken a break since we
moved here and opened Dune House. I know you feel a lot of responsibility for its
success, especially since we both manage it. But it’s a success, Suzie. Things are
going very well. It’s okay for us to have a little fun, a little adventure.” Her eyes
sparkled as she watched a hint of excitement surface in her friend’s expression.
Suzie was usually trying to get Mary to relax, but Mary knew they both needed
a break.
“Do you think I’ve forgotten the kind of life you had before you decided to run
Dune House? I know you love it here, but Suzie, I also know that you miss going on
adventures. And while this might be a tame one compared to jetting off to a foreign
country to cover a political crisis, it’s something. Right? Something different. I didn’t
want you to talk yourself out of going. This way, you have no choice, and all the hard
stuff is already done.”
“I still have a choice.” Suzie pursed her lips, though the stubbornness in her
tone didn’t reach her still shining eyes. “But I wouldn’t want to disappoint you.”
Mary threw her hands in the air with a heavy sigh followed by a laugh. “I’ll take
it.”
“Now, I have to pack, and we need to contact the credit card company to let
them know we’ll be traveling out of the area, and call the local motel as we’re on their
list for referrals if anyone’s looking for a place to stay and they’re booked up. We
wouldn’t want them to refer us when we’re not open for business.” Suzie took
another sip of her coffee.
“Ugh, I knew I was forgetting something. You pack. I’ll take care of all of that
right now. By this time tomorrow, we’ll be on a private plane, on our way to a luxury
inn!” Mary squealed with excitement. “It’s just what we need. Someone to cater to us
for once. All our meals taken care of. Room service!”
As Mary hurried toward the front desk in the large entrance of the house, she
was relieved that Suzie had accepted the trip. Secretly, she really wanted a chance
to be two friends on a vacation together. It had been some time since they’d been

able to just relax and enjoy each other’s company without business responsibilities
getting in the way.
Mary glanced back at Suzie and smiled. Suzie met Mary’s eyes and smiled in
return.
Mary was sure they were in for a fun time.
Still, with their luck, she knew their best-laid plans usually turned into more than they
bargained for. ...