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Synopsis
Fans of female sleuth cozies will delight in New York Times bestselling author Lynn Cahoon’s latest installment in her long-running Tourist Trap Mystery series.
With the Moonstone Beach Festival coming up, Jill is touching base with her fellow small business owners to make it as successful as possible. It’s frustrating when Darla, the owner of South Cove Winery, is late to a big meeting, but they manage to get the discussion rolling about the kite flying event and the big Battle of the Bands—which Darla’s musician boyfriend is hoping will be his big break. And Jill, of course, will be there with her food truck, hoping for a financial boost after a slow spring.
But amid the fun in the California sun, someone will soon be planning a funeral instead of a festival—and Jill and her detective fiancé will have to find out who ruined the Moonstone Beach mood with murder . . .
Praise for Lynn Cahoon and the Tourist Trap Mysteries
“I love the author’s style, which was warm and friendly . . . [A] wonderfully appealing series.” —Dru’s Book Musings
“Lynn Cahoon’s popular Tourist Trap series is . . . one of my go-to cozy mystery series!” —Hope By the Book
Release date: June 6, 2023
Publisher: Lyrical Press
Print pages: 208
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Songs of Wine and Murder
Lynn Cahoon
Praise for Lynn Cahoon and Her Irresistible Cozy Mysteries
THREE TAINTED TEAS
“A kitchen witch reluctantly takes over as planner for a cursed wedding...This witchy tale is a hoot.”
—Kirkus Reviews
ONE POISON PIE
“One Poison Pie deliciously blends charm and magic with a dash of mystery and a sprinkle of romance. Mia Malone is a zesty protagonist who relies on her wits to solve the crime, and the enchanting cast of characters that populate Magic Springs are a delight.”
—Daryl Wood Gerber, Agatha winner and nationally best-selling author of the Cookbook Nook Mysteries and Fairy Garden Mysteries
“A witchy cooking cozy for fans of the supernatural and good eating.”
—Kirkus Reviews
A FIELD GUIDE TO HOMICIDE
“The best entry in this character-driven series mixes a well-plotted mystery with a romance that rings true to life.”
—Kirkus Reviews
“Informative as well as entertaining, A Field Guide to Homicide is the perfect book for cozy mystery lovers who entertain thoughts of writing novels themselves…this is, without a doubt, one of the best Cat Latimer novels to date.”
—Criminal Element
“Cat is a great heroine with a lot of spirit that readers will enjoy solving the mystery (with).”
—Parkersburg News & Sentinel
SCONED TO DEATH
“The most intriguing aspect of this story is the writers’ retreat itself. Although the writers themselves are not suspect, they add freshness and new relationships to the series. Fans of Lucy Arlington’s “Novel Idea” mysteries may want to enter the writing world from another angle.”
—Library Journal
OF MURDER AND MEN
“A Colorado widow discovers that everything she knew about her husband’s death is wrong… Interesting plot and quirky characters.”
—Kirkus Reviews
A STORY TO KILL
“Well-crafted...Cat and crew prove to be engaging characters and Cahoon does a stellar job of keeping them—and the reader—guessing.”
—Mystery Scene
“Lynn Cahoon has hit the golden trifecta—Murder, intrigue, and a really hot handyman. Better get your flashlight handy, A Story to Kill will keep you reading all night.”
—Laura Bradford, author of the Amish Mysteries
TOURIST TRAP MYSTERIES
“Lynn Cahoon’s popular Tourist Trap series is set all around the charming coastal town of South Cove, California, but the heroine Jill Gardner owns a delightful bookstore/coffee shop so a lot of the scenes take place there. This is one of my go-to cozy mystery series, bookish or not, and I’m always eager to get my hands on the next book!”
—Hope By the Book
“Murder, dirty politics, pirate lore, and a hot police detective: Guidebook to Murder has it all! A cozy lover’s dream come true.”
—Susan McBride, author of The Debutante Dropout Mysteries
“This was a good read and I love the author’s style, which was warm and friendly… I can’t wait to read the next book in this wonderfully appealing series.”
—Dru’s Book Musings
“I am happy to admit that some of my expectations were met while other aspects of the story exceeded my own imagination… This mystery novel was light, fun, and kept me thoroughly engaged. I only wish it was longer.”
—The Young Folks
“If the Shoe Kills is entertaining and I would be happy to visit Jill and the residents of South Cove again.”
—MysteryPlease.com
“In If the Shoe Kills, author Lynn Cahoon gave me exactly what I wanted. She crafted a well told small town murder that kept me guessing who the murderer was until the end. I will definitely have to take a trip back to South Cove and maybe even visit tales of Jill Gardner’s past in the previous two Tourist Trap Mystery books. I do love a holiday mystery! And with this book, so will you.”
—ArtBooksCoffee.com
“I would recommend If the Shoe Kills if you are looking for a well written cozy mystery.”
—Mysteries, Etc.
“This novella is short and easily read in an hour or two with interesting angst and dynamics between mothers and daughters and mothers and sons… I enjoyed the first-person narrative.”
—Kings River Life Magazine on Mother’s Day Mayhem
Chapter 1
Early summer was a busy time for South Cove’s businesses, so it didn’t surprise me that the attendance for the first Tuesday of the month’s business-to-business meeting was light. What did surprise me was that Darla Taylor, the owner and manager of South Cove Winery and our promotions chair for the business council, looked like she was going to be totally AWOL. Since we had the Moonstone Beach festival coming up this weekend, which was her baby and she’d begged the council to support it, I’d assumed that she wanted most of the agenda time to make sure everyone was on the same page.
I’d already gone through the few agenda items I’d brought, including a recommendation from the council to support Josh Thomas’s request for the city council to increase trash pickup on Main Street from once a week to twice, if there was a business supported festival that week. Of course, our recommendation held as much weight as a food scale for a deprivation diet program, but from the look on his face, Josh thought he had won the lottery.
Deek Kerr held up the shop phone and pointed to me as I tried to stretch out the time. I was the liaison between the business council and city hall, so the meeting was typically held at my combination coffee shop and bookstore, Coffee, Books, and More.
I nodded and addressed the group. “I need to take this call, and I’m sure Darla will be here in just a few minutes to finish up the meeting. While we’re waiting, Deek will bring out a cookie platter of all the amazing treats our own Sadie Michaels makes at Pies on the Fly. If you haven’t tasted her lemon bars, you’re missing out.”
Deek nodded and set the phone down while he set up a cookie platter. He moved fast, and by the time I reached the back to take the phone call, he was already on his way to the table with the cookies. I heard him call out the types of cookies as he set the platter down on the table. A lot of the traffic I got in the store was to chat with the surfer dude turned barista turned author. His blond dreadlocks were tinted purple this month, and the color matched his almost-violet eyes. At least the female attendees would be distracted for a few minutes.
I picked up the line. “This is Jill Gardner. How can I help you?”
“Jill, it’s me. Darla. I’m about five minutes out. I was on the phone with Matt, and I lost track of time. He’s in Boise tonight. Then they’re heading back.” Darla rattled off the tour stops of the band her boyfriend had just returned to touring with. The band had broken up a few years ago, and this was a revival tour. They’d lost their contract, mostly due to their lead singer being admitted to rehab one too many times for the record label. Now, Matt Randall and the lead singer, Axel Poser, were sober and trying to recreate the magic they’d had before. A smaller label had picked them up and set up this northwest tour to hopefully spur some creativity and get some new songs out of the group. Or at least that had been the story Darla told me when Matt left on the tour last month.
“Darla, I’m dying here. There’s nothing else to talk about except the festival. What do you want me to do to get them to stay? I’ve already fed them twice now.” I watched as several of the members looked at their watches and started packing up their notebooks.
“Tell them I’m on my way, and anyone who leaves will be put on any committee I need help with. Including the trash-collection committee.” She honked her horn and yelled out a cussword. “I’m turning onto Main Street from the highway. Three minutes, I promise.”
I knew it took more than three minutes to drive from the coastal highway where my house was located to the shop. At least it did if you did the speed limit. I glanced at the clock. “Greg has his staff meeting now, so hopefully there’s no one on speed-trap duty. If there is, you’re going to get a ticket.”
“Won’t be the first one. Just keep them there. I need everyone to support the kite festival on Saturday. With that and the battle of the bands, I think we can really blow up the festival this year.”
With that, she disconnected our call, and I hurried over to the podium again. Pat Williams, the co-owner of Vintage Duds, had just stood up and was putting on her jacket.
“Hi, everyone, I’m back. That was Darla. She’s just outside parking. She needs to talk to everyone about the plans for the kite festival Saturday morning and the battle of the bands that starts up right afterward and finishes on Sunday morning. I know she has a lot of bands already signed up; however, she needs some help with the kite festival.”
Two other people stood and grabbed their papers.
“And she said anyone who isn’t here when she arrives, well, she still has plenty of slots left on the trash-collection committee. Josh, you’re in charge of that committee, right?”
Josh Thomas stood and looked at Pat and the other two who were gathering their things. “I’ll be glad to put your names on my call list. I’ll just need your cell phone number, landline number, home address, email address, and a second number of someone who can always get a hold of you. I’ve got a pamphlet of information, and I’ve developed a comprehensive test on the material. It should only take you about six hours to complete the training. Thanks for volunteering, this is awesome.”
Pat sighed and sat back down, as did the other two people.
Josh frowned and looked at me. “Does this mean they’re not on my committee?”
Before I could answer, the front door swung open, and Darla Taylor ran inside. She was about five foot nothing tall, and since she’d been working out with Matt for the last year, she didn’t even look winded. I smiled and waved her up to the front of the table. “I’ll leave that answer to Darla. I’m so glad you could make it. The Moonstone Beach Band Blowout is going to be amazing! Right, guys?”
I stepped away from the podium and let Darla take over. She talked about the kite festival and how they still needed assistants for the kids. “It’s from seven to nine in the morning, so it shouldn’t interfere with opening your shops.”
Pat raised her hand to volunteer, as did a few others.
Darla scribbled names down and then went on. “The band competition will run from noon to ten that night, when the local police have asked us to shut down that section. I’ll be running an after-party at the winery for everyone. Then on Sunday, the top three bands will face off at noon, and we’ll have a winner by three that afternoon. You can close down your shops any time after four on Sunday, but I think our traffic is going to be strong up until about six, based on other festivals.”
“What about the beach crowd? Are we feeding them there, or will they come into town for food and water?” asked one of the art dealers.
Darla nodded to me. “Jill’s going to have a food truck with treats and drinks. And Diamond Lille’s is doing a limited-menu truck both days. I think you both are opening for the kite festival and closing at ten on Saturday?”
“Nine on Saturday and five on Sunday,” I corrected her. I was going to be hiring temps to keep both the food truck and the storefront open. I didn’t even want to have Lille’s schedule to figure out. But the money would be great, and we’d had a slow spring.
Darla finished up the meeting and made her assignments. Then she called it to a close, and everyone bolted except Darla and my best friend, Amy Newman-Cross. Amy was the mayor’s assistant as well as South Cove’s city planner, so she’d been assigned to attend the business meetings to take notes for the council. Except for the couple of months before an election. Then Mayor Baylor and, more often than not, his wife, Tina Baylor, attended and made some sort of nonpolitical, political speech that screamed, “Vote me back into office!” It was an annual tradition. Amy and I had a running bet on the number of town enhancements the couple would take full credit for even if they weren’t in on the planning or implementation. As the mayor always said, “A united South Cove is a winning South Cove.” Which meant, “Keep me in office, please.”
Darla sank into a chair after filling a glass with water from the hydration station we kept available all day. “I’m so sorry I was late. I just lost track of time. Matt loves being out on the road again, but Axel Poser, the lead for the band, is a little high-strung. I’m worried that Matt’s going to have issues.”
“You mean like telling the guy off?” Amy asked as she took the last cookie off the plate.
Darla flushed and shook her head. “Sorry. I shouldn’t be projecting my fears onto him. I’m just worried.”
“Well, long-distance relationships can be hard,” I said to give her some support. I hadn’t had one, but during my time as a family lawyer, I’d had a lot of divorces that were brought to court because the couple never saw each other. “Or at least that’s what I’ve been told.”
“Don’t stress about Matt. What you need is a girls’ night. Esmeralda was talking about this amazing bar in Bakerstown. It just opened. We should head there tomorrow night. It’s ladies’ night, and we get in without a cover. Unless anyone has plans.” Amy grinned at the two of us.
“The only plan I have is the upcoming festival.” Darla paged through her notes. “And I think, with these last volunteers, I’m good until the next shoe falls and I have to start all over.”
“You’re stressing too much. Your festivals are always fun and profitable. Which is the bottom line. Did the mayor pony up city money to pay for the bandstand?”
Darla laughed and nodded. “Tina has a nephew whose band is playing at six on Saturday night. They got a good slot for exposure, and we got a nice check from the city growth fund for the festival. It’s going to pay for the bandstand, the lights, and a small honorarium for the bands who attend. And Lille kicked in the grand-prize money to go along with the contract offer from a record label. Of course, Matt’s band thinks they have it in the bag.”
“Why would they want a contract offer? Don’t they already have one?” Now I was confused.
Darla shrugged. “According to Matt, the contract they have is for four songs. And if all of them bomb, it’s over. The contract for the competition is for an album. And it has a lot more money attached to it.”
Amy glanced at her watch. “I need to go. Esmeralda can only cover the phones until eleven. Then she goes to lunch. So are we on for tomorrow night? I’ll drive.”
“I’m in. I’ll check with Judith and see if she wants to go. She usually has plans on the nights she doesn’t work. I swear she’s got more activities than anyone else I’ve ever known.” Judith was our latest hire, or I should say, my latest hire. Aunt Jackie still hadn’t forgiven me for hiring Judith without running the decision by her. Mostly I think Judith got on her nerves because the two women were so much alike. Amy and I turned to stare at Darla.
She held her hands up in surrender. “Fine, I’ll have my manager handle the winery, and I’ll come too. It’s been a while since we all went out together.”
“Can I invite Esmeralda?” Amy asked as she put her tote over her shoulder. “I know Evie’s probably working, right?”
“Yes, Evie’s working. I’ll ask Judith, and you invite Esmeralda. I haven’t had time to catch up with her for a while.” Esmeralda lived across the street, but her fortune-telling shop in her house seemed to be booming. There was always someone parked in her driveway. At least when I was home. I wondered if she was going to have to quit her job as dispatcher at the police department soon to expand her hours. “This is going to be fun.”
“Oh, you have no idea,” Amy said as she walked out the door.
Darla looked at me as she tucked her notes back into her tote. “Do you feel like we just got set up for something?”
Amy was my friend, but I wouldn’t put a twist in the upcoming plans past her. “I just hope it’s not male strippers again. Remember when we drove into the city for a ‘cultural’ event, and it was that group from Australia?”
Darla grinned as she headed out the front door. “It was a fun night.”
After I got the dining room reset, I poured myself a cup of coffee and went to the bookstore section to relax and read an advance reader copy I’d started that morning. Before I got too far into the book, Deek sat down across from me.
The shop was empty. He leaned against the back of the chair. “Why don’t you just go home? I’ve got this. And there shouldn’t be a random bus dropping off tourists today. I think the first one is scheduled for Thursday.”
“I can hang around.” I held up the book. “I really like this. It falls into the fantasy genre, right?”
“Actually, that’s middle-aged women’s paranormal fiction.” He took the book from me. “This author kind of invented the genre, self-published the first three books, and now she’s published by one of the traditional publishers. It’s a good win-win author story.” He gave the book back.
“I love that you have the author side of the gossip tree around publishing. Have we set up any author visits I need to know about?” I set the book aside.
“I thought I sent you the calendar. We have one next week on Friday night, one the following Saturday afternoon for a kids’ book, and then we have three more scheduled in May. Since I have to block out the festival weeks, people are really scrambling to get a slot.”
I had seen something in my email, but I hadn’t read it. “I’ll look at it this afternoon. Am I going to get blindsided by Jackie about the book costs?”
He shrugged. “Maybe, but we had good sell-through last month with the author events. The kids’ books seem to sell out within a week, especially if it’s signed by the author. I’ve been keeping all of them. If you want me to order less, I can.”
“Let’s just watch what sells, and if you can give me a weekly update on what we don’t sell and how long it takes to sell off the signed stock, that would help. Maybe we should set up a signed bookshelf? That way if a buyer is looking for a gift, they have an option. Even if the receiver has read the book, if they loved it, they’d probably cherish a signed copy.”
Deek blinked and scribbled something down on his paper.
“What, do you think I’m wrong?” I was beginning to worry I’d said something stupid. Deek was our marketing guru. He had all the tricks.
He grinned and stood as the doorbell went off, announcing a new customer. “No, I can’t believe I didn’t think of it. I’ve put signed copies up by the register the week after the talk, but a dedicated shelf? That’s a great idea.”
I picked the book up and went back to reading. “I have them, sometimes.”
My stomach grumbled right as my shift was ending. My body was trained. It knew when to expect food. I texted Greg King, my fiancé, to see if he wanted to meet me at Diamond Lille’s, the only full-service diner in town.
His response came fast. How about tomorrow instead?
I texted back a short okay, then went to grab my tote and say goodbye to Deek. He was restocking the dessert case. . . .
THREE TAINTED TEAS
“A kitchen witch reluctantly takes over as planner for a cursed wedding...This witchy tale is a hoot.”
—Kirkus Reviews
ONE POISON PIE
“One Poison Pie deliciously blends charm and magic with a dash of mystery and a sprinkle of romance. Mia Malone is a zesty protagonist who relies on her wits to solve the crime, and the enchanting cast of characters that populate Magic Springs are a delight.”
—Daryl Wood Gerber, Agatha winner and nationally best-selling author of the Cookbook Nook Mysteries and Fairy Garden Mysteries
“A witchy cooking cozy for fans of the supernatural and good eating.”
—Kirkus Reviews
A FIELD GUIDE TO HOMICIDE
“The best entry in this character-driven series mixes a well-plotted mystery with a romance that rings true to life.”
—Kirkus Reviews
“Informative as well as entertaining, A Field Guide to Homicide is the perfect book for cozy mystery lovers who entertain thoughts of writing novels themselves…this is, without a doubt, one of the best Cat Latimer novels to date.”
—Criminal Element
“Cat is a great heroine with a lot of spirit that readers will enjoy solving the mystery (with).”
—Parkersburg News & Sentinel
SCONED TO DEATH
“The most intriguing aspect of this story is the writers’ retreat itself. Although the writers themselves are not suspect, they add freshness and new relationships to the series. Fans of Lucy Arlington’s “Novel Idea” mysteries may want to enter the writing world from another angle.”
—Library Journal
OF MURDER AND MEN
“A Colorado widow discovers that everything she knew about her husband’s death is wrong… Interesting plot and quirky characters.”
—Kirkus Reviews
A STORY TO KILL
“Well-crafted...Cat and crew prove to be engaging characters and Cahoon does a stellar job of keeping them—and the reader—guessing.”
—Mystery Scene
“Lynn Cahoon has hit the golden trifecta—Murder, intrigue, and a really hot handyman. Better get your flashlight handy, A Story to Kill will keep you reading all night.”
—Laura Bradford, author of the Amish Mysteries
TOURIST TRAP MYSTERIES
“Lynn Cahoon’s popular Tourist Trap series is set all around the charming coastal town of South Cove, California, but the heroine Jill Gardner owns a delightful bookstore/coffee shop so a lot of the scenes take place there. This is one of my go-to cozy mystery series, bookish or not, and I’m always eager to get my hands on the next book!”
—Hope By the Book
“Murder, dirty politics, pirate lore, and a hot police detective: Guidebook to Murder has it all! A cozy lover’s dream come true.”
—Susan McBride, author of The Debutante Dropout Mysteries
“This was a good read and I love the author’s style, which was warm and friendly… I can’t wait to read the next book in this wonderfully appealing series.”
—Dru’s Book Musings
“I am happy to admit that some of my expectations were met while other aspects of the story exceeded my own imagination… This mystery novel was light, fun, and kept me thoroughly engaged. I only wish it was longer.”
—The Young Folks
“If the Shoe Kills is entertaining and I would be happy to visit Jill and the residents of South Cove again.”
—MysteryPlease.com
“In If the Shoe Kills, author Lynn Cahoon gave me exactly what I wanted. She crafted a well told small town murder that kept me guessing who the murderer was until the end. I will definitely have to take a trip back to South Cove and maybe even visit tales of Jill Gardner’s past in the previous two Tourist Trap Mystery books. I do love a holiday mystery! And with this book, so will you.”
—ArtBooksCoffee.com
“I would recommend If the Shoe Kills if you are looking for a well written cozy mystery.”
—Mysteries, Etc.
“This novella is short and easily read in an hour or two with interesting angst and dynamics between mothers and daughters and mothers and sons… I enjoyed the first-person narrative.”
—Kings River Life Magazine on Mother’s Day Mayhem
Chapter 1
Early summer was a busy time for South Cove’s businesses, so it didn’t surprise me that the attendance for the first Tuesday of the month’s business-to-business meeting was light. What did surprise me was that Darla Taylor, the owner and manager of South Cove Winery and our promotions chair for the business council, looked like she was going to be totally AWOL. Since we had the Moonstone Beach festival coming up this weekend, which was her baby and she’d begged the council to support it, I’d assumed that she wanted most of the agenda time to make sure everyone was on the same page.
I’d already gone through the few agenda items I’d brought, including a recommendation from the council to support Josh Thomas’s request for the city council to increase trash pickup on Main Street from once a week to twice, if there was a business supported festival that week. Of course, our recommendation held as much weight as a food scale for a deprivation diet program, but from the look on his face, Josh thought he had won the lottery.
Deek Kerr held up the shop phone and pointed to me as I tried to stretch out the time. I was the liaison between the business council and city hall, so the meeting was typically held at my combination coffee shop and bookstore, Coffee, Books, and More.
I nodded and addressed the group. “I need to take this call, and I’m sure Darla will be here in just a few minutes to finish up the meeting. While we’re waiting, Deek will bring out a cookie platter of all the amazing treats our own Sadie Michaels makes at Pies on the Fly. If you haven’t tasted her lemon bars, you’re missing out.”
Deek nodded and set the phone down while he set up a cookie platter. He moved fast, and by the time I reached the back to take the phone call, he was already on his way to the table with the cookies. I heard him call out the types of cookies as he set the platter down on the table. A lot of the traffic I got in the store was to chat with the surfer dude turned barista turned author. His blond dreadlocks were tinted purple this month, and the color matched his almost-violet eyes. At least the female attendees would be distracted for a few minutes.
I picked up the line. “This is Jill Gardner. How can I help you?”
“Jill, it’s me. Darla. I’m about five minutes out. I was on the phone with Matt, and I lost track of time. He’s in Boise tonight. Then they’re heading back.” Darla rattled off the tour stops of the band her boyfriend had just returned to touring with. The band had broken up a few years ago, and this was a revival tour. They’d lost their contract, mostly due to their lead singer being admitted to rehab one too many times for the record label. Now, Matt Randall and the lead singer, Axel Poser, were sober and trying to recreate the magic they’d had before. A smaller label had picked them up and set up this northwest tour to hopefully spur some creativity and get some new songs out of the group. Or at least that had been the story Darla told me when Matt left on the tour last month.
“Darla, I’m dying here. There’s nothing else to talk about except the festival. What do you want me to do to get them to stay? I’ve already fed them twice now.” I watched as several of the members looked at their watches and started packing up their notebooks.
“Tell them I’m on my way, and anyone who leaves will be put on any committee I need help with. Including the trash-collection committee.” She honked her horn and yelled out a cussword. “I’m turning onto Main Street from the highway. Three minutes, I promise.”
I knew it took more than three minutes to drive from the coastal highway where my house was located to the shop. At least it did if you did the speed limit. I glanced at the clock. “Greg has his staff meeting now, so hopefully there’s no one on speed-trap duty. If there is, you’re going to get a ticket.”
“Won’t be the first one. Just keep them there. I need everyone to support the kite festival on Saturday. With that and the battle of the bands, I think we can really blow up the festival this year.”
With that, she disconnected our call, and I hurried over to the podium again. Pat Williams, the co-owner of Vintage Duds, had just stood up and was putting on her jacket.
“Hi, everyone, I’m back. That was Darla. She’s just outside parking. She needs to talk to everyone about the plans for the kite festival Saturday morning and the battle of the bands that starts up right afterward and finishes on Sunday morning. I know she has a lot of bands already signed up; however, she needs some help with the kite festival.”
Two other people stood and grabbed their papers.
“And she said anyone who isn’t here when she arrives, well, she still has plenty of slots left on the trash-collection committee. Josh, you’re in charge of that committee, right?”
Josh Thomas stood and looked at Pat and the other two who were gathering their things. “I’ll be glad to put your names on my call list. I’ll just need your cell phone number, landline number, home address, email address, and a second number of someone who can always get a hold of you. I’ve got a pamphlet of information, and I’ve developed a comprehensive test on the material. It should only take you about six hours to complete the training. Thanks for volunteering, this is awesome.”
Pat sighed and sat back down, as did the other two people.
Josh frowned and looked at me. “Does this mean they’re not on my committee?”
Before I could answer, the front door swung open, and Darla Taylor ran inside. She was about five foot nothing tall, and since she’d been working out with Matt for the last year, she didn’t even look winded. I smiled and waved her up to the front of the table. “I’ll leave that answer to Darla. I’m so glad you could make it. The Moonstone Beach Band Blowout is going to be amazing! Right, guys?”
I stepped away from the podium and let Darla take over. She talked about the kite festival and how they still needed assistants for the kids. “It’s from seven to nine in the morning, so it shouldn’t interfere with opening your shops.”
Pat raised her hand to volunteer, as did a few others.
Darla scribbled names down and then went on. “The band competition will run from noon to ten that night, when the local police have asked us to shut down that section. I’ll be running an after-party at the winery for everyone. Then on Sunday, the top three bands will face off at noon, and we’ll have a winner by three that afternoon. You can close down your shops any time after four on Sunday, but I think our traffic is going to be strong up until about six, based on other festivals.”
“What about the beach crowd? Are we feeding them there, or will they come into town for food and water?” asked one of the art dealers.
Darla nodded to me. “Jill’s going to have a food truck with treats and drinks. And Diamond Lille’s is doing a limited-menu truck both days. I think you both are opening for the kite festival and closing at ten on Saturday?”
“Nine on Saturday and five on Sunday,” I corrected her. I was going to be hiring temps to keep both the food truck and the storefront open. I didn’t even want to have Lille’s schedule to figure out. But the money would be great, and we’d had a slow spring.
Darla finished up the meeting and made her assignments. Then she called it to a close, and everyone bolted except Darla and my best friend, Amy Newman-Cross. Amy was the mayor’s assistant as well as South Cove’s city planner, so she’d been assigned to attend the business meetings to take notes for the council. Except for the couple of months before an election. Then Mayor Baylor and, more often than not, his wife, Tina Baylor, attended and made some sort of nonpolitical, political speech that screamed, “Vote me back into office!” It was an annual tradition. Amy and I had a running bet on the number of town enhancements the couple would take full credit for even if they weren’t in on the planning or implementation. As the mayor always said, “A united South Cove is a winning South Cove.” Which meant, “Keep me in office, please.”
Darla sank into a chair after filling a glass with water from the hydration station we kept available all day. “I’m so sorry I was late. I just lost track of time. Matt loves being out on the road again, but Axel Poser, the lead for the band, is a little high-strung. I’m worried that Matt’s going to have issues.”
“You mean like telling the guy off?” Amy asked as she took the last cookie off the plate.
Darla flushed and shook her head. “Sorry. I shouldn’t be projecting my fears onto him. I’m just worried.”
“Well, long-distance relationships can be hard,” I said to give her some support. I hadn’t had one, but during my time as a family lawyer, I’d had a lot of divorces that were brought to court because the couple never saw each other. “Or at least that’s what I’ve been told.”
“Don’t stress about Matt. What you need is a girls’ night. Esmeralda was talking about this amazing bar in Bakerstown. It just opened. We should head there tomorrow night. It’s ladies’ night, and we get in without a cover. Unless anyone has plans.” Amy grinned at the two of us.
“The only plan I have is the upcoming festival.” Darla paged through her notes. “And I think, with these last volunteers, I’m good until the next shoe falls and I have to start all over.”
“You’re stressing too much. Your festivals are always fun and profitable. Which is the bottom line. Did the mayor pony up city money to pay for the bandstand?”
Darla laughed and nodded. “Tina has a nephew whose band is playing at six on Saturday night. They got a good slot for exposure, and we got a nice check from the city growth fund for the festival. It’s going to pay for the bandstand, the lights, and a small honorarium for the bands who attend. And Lille kicked in the grand-prize money to go along with the contract offer from a record label. Of course, Matt’s band thinks they have it in the bag.”
“Why would they want a contract offer? Don’t they already have one?” Now I was confused.
Darla shrugged. “According to Matt, the contract they have is for four songs. And if all of them bomb, it’s over. The contract for the competition is for an album. And it has a lot more money attached to it.”
Amy glanced at her watch. “I need to go. Esmeralda can only cover the phones until eleven. Then she goes to lunch. So are we on for tomorrow night? I’ll drive.”
“I’m in. I’ll check with Judith and see if she wants to go. She usually has plans on the nights she doesn’t work. I swear she’s got more activities than anyone else I’ve ever known.” Judith was our latest hire, or I should say, my latest hire. Aunt Jackie still hadn’t forgiven me for hiring Judith without running the decision by her. Mostly I think Judith got on her nerves because the two women were so much alike. Amy and I turned to stare at Darla.
She held her hands up in surrender. “Fine, I’ll have my manager handle the winery, and I’ll come too. It’s been a while since we all went out together.”
“Can I invite Esmeralda?” Amy asked as she put her tote over her shoulder. “I know Evie’s probably working, right?”
“Yes, Evie’s working. I’ll ask Judith, and you invite Esmeralda. I haven’t had time to catch up with her for a while.” Esmeralda lived across the street, but her fortune-telling shop in her house seemed to be booming. There was always someone parked in her driveway. At least when I was home. I wondered if she was going to have to quit her job as dispatcher at the police department soon to expand her hours. “This is going to be fun.”
“Oh, you have no idea,” Amy said as she walked out the door.
Darla looked at me as she tucked her notes back into her tote. “Do you feel like we just got set up for something?”
Amy was my friend, but I wouldn’t put a twist in the upcoming plans past her. “I just hope it’s not male strippers again. Remember when we drove into the city for a ‘cultural’ event, and it was that group from Australia?”
Darla grinned as she headed out the front door. “It was a fun night.”
After I got the dining room reset, I poured myself a cup of coffee and went to the bookstore section to relax and read an advance reader copy I’d started that morning. Before I got too far into the book, Deek sat down across from me.
The shop was empty. He leaned against the back of the chair. “Why don’t you just go home? I’ve got this. And there shouldn’t be a random bus dropping off tourists today. I think the first one is scheduled for Thursday.”
“I can hang around.” I held up the book. “I really like this. It falls into the fantasy genre, right?”
“Actually, that’s middle-aged women’s paranormal fiction.” He took the book from me. “This author kind of invented the genre, self-published the first three books, and now she’s published by one of the traditional publishers. It’s a good win-win author story.” He gave the book back.
“I love that you have the author side of the gossip tree around publishing. Have we set up any author visits I need to know about?” I set the book aside.
“I thought I sent you the calendar. We have one next week on Friday night, one the following Saturday afternoon for a kids’ book, and then we have three more scheduled in May. Since I have to block out the festival weeks, people are really scrambling to get a slot.”
I had seen something in my email, but I hadn’t read it. “I’ll look at it this afternoon. Am I going to get blindsided by Jackie about the book costs?”
He shrugged. “Maybe, but we had good sell-through last month with the author events. The kids’ books seem to sell out within a week, especially if it’s signed by the author. I’ve been keeping all of them. If you want me to order less, I can.”
“Let’s just watch what sells, and if you can give me a weekly update on what we don’t sell and how long it takes to sell off the signed stock, that would help. Maybe we should set up a signed bookshelf? That way if a buyer is looking for a gift, they have an option. Even if the receiver has read the book, if they loved it, they’d probably cherish a signed copy.”
Deek blinked and scribbled something down on his paper.
“What, do you think I’m wrong?” I was beginning to worry I’d said something stupid. Deek was our marketing guru. He had all the tricks.
He grinned and stood as the doorbell went off, announcing a new customer. “No, I can’t believe I didn’t think of it. I’ve put signed copies up by the register the week after the talk, but a dedicated shelf? That’s a great idea.”
I picked the book up and went back to reading. “I have them, sometimes.”
My stomach grumbled right as my shift was ending. My body was trained. It knew when to expect food. I texted Greg King, my fiancé, to see if he wanted to meet me at Diamond Lille’s, the only full-service diner in town.
His response came fast. How about tomorrow instead?
I texted back a short okay, then went to grab my tote and say goodbye to Deek. He was restocking the dessert case. . . .
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Songs of Wine and Murder
Lynn Cahoon
Copyright © 2025 All Rights Reserved
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It’s always a good day when you get to visit Coffee, Books and More in South Cove and this one didn’t disappoint. I’ve been a big fan of this series from the beginning and love how the characters have evolved through the fifteen books so far. You can’t go wrong when you pick up any Tourist Trap mystery!
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