Bree’s
orderly scientific life turned upside-down the day she discovered her
first body…learned her co-worker was a spy…and accepted the
mission of tracking down an international terrorist.
Out
January 15, 2019 – The Tiger’s Tale by Kelle Z. Riley
Follow
the tour and enter to win one of 10 backlist ebooks!
Title:
The
Tiger’s Tale
Series:
The Undercover Cats Series
Author:
Kelle Z. Riley
Genre:
Cozy Mystery with Romantic Elements
Publisher:
Curtis Brown Unlimited
Length:
350 Pages
Release
Date: January
15, 2019
Synopsis:
Is
she hitting her stride? Or going nowhere fast?
Fresh
from a successful undercover operation, scientist/spy-in-training
Bree Watson should feel on top of the world. Instead, the ground is
shifting under her feet. When her handler abandons her to follow a
lead with his sexy ex-partner, Bree must choose between a normal
life, or proving her worth as a spy. Not an easy choice, when she
factors in:
- A police detective’s amorous intentions
- Her handler’s mixed signals
- A teaching post at a university filled with intrigue
- A dead administrator with a sordid past
- A timid tiger and her tenacious trainer—both being framed for murder
Combined
with fanatic football fans, beatnik poets, an orphaned monkey, a
demanding boss, quirky colleagues, and her angry cat, the result may
be a recipe for disaster.
Can
she take the heat? Or will she get burned?
Early
Praise for The Tiger’s Tale
“With
unique, intelligent and captivating storylines, and best of all,
relatable characters who you find are quite easy to develop an
emotional attachment to, I can’t turn the pages fast enough.” ~
Goodreads
Reviewer
EXCERPT :
Six months ago, Bree had
been a confirmed dog person—until she'd inherited a cat from her
murdered boss. Now, she held a tiger by the tail. Or rather, by a
leash. But when it came to tigers, the difference was just splitting
hairs.
Bree scrambled, following
the energetic cub over the dusty, rock-strewn flatlands of the
Thailand Tiger Sanctuary. It tugged on the leash, intent on
exploring. Sweat trickled down her back. Her foot caught on a rock
and she stumbled when the wayward cub pulled her forward.
A strong male hand grabbed
the leash and jerked the tiger back onto the path. Bree suppressed a
shiver of awareness and turned to Matthew Tugood, both grateful
for—and irritated by—his presence.
“I can’t believe we’re
doing this,” he grumbled. “Why are we here again?”
Bree resisted the temptation
to roll her eyes. “You know my sorority is donating a rescued cub
to the Terrance U animal clinic.”
He scowled at her. Or maybe
the sun was in his eyes. “I cut through the red tape for the
donation. Not your sorority. Not Terrance University. Not the exotic
animal clinic. Me.”
She ignored him and focused
on her tiger cub. Tugood slowed, widening the gap between them and
the tour group. “Let me rephrase. Why are we spending the day in a
tourist trap?”
“I wanted to meet the
cub’s trainer and get firsthand experience.”
Matthew answered with a
grunt. His mouth firmed into a tight line as he scanned the horizon,
squinting against the bright sunlight. “You’re wasting time you
could spend preparing for your assignment.” His voice dropped low
and he kept his eyes trained on the distance. After a slow pivot, he
leaned close, his breath warm on her ear despite his harsh tone. “Or
have you forgotten about your mission?”
Bree disentangled the leash
from his hands. “I liked you better before I knew you were a spy.”
“No, you liked my cover
story.” His voice softened, and he glanced her way. “That’s not
the same thing. And you do
like me now. I happen to like you too.” Despite the ninety-degree
heat, a shiver raced down Bree’s spine as if he’d touched her.
“What I don’t like is
that you never stop thinking about your mission. Not for a minute.”
“Lower your voice. We
don’t want to be overheard.”
Bree eyed the terrain,
wondering if the clumps of scrub grass and rocks were cleverly
disguised surveillance devices. She dismissed the idea. “Can’t
you think about something besides the mission?”
“May I remind you that my
single-minded focus on the mission saved your life on more than one
occasion?”
Bree dropped the argument.
For one thing, his interference had saved her life when a
murderer—make that two murderers—had wanted her out of the
picture. On the other hand, she hadn’t found a single dead body
before she met Matthew. So, in her mind, it was a toss-up.
“I need you to focus on
our mission.”
“Fine. You’ve made
yourself clear.” Bree shrugged. “Next topic.” Beside her,
Matthew bristled and Bree took secret delight in being able to needle
him the same way he constantly needled her.
“Our target is convinced
you’re a brilliant researcher with access to cutting-edge
technology.”
Bree stopped in her tracks
so fast, the tiger cub did a backflip at the end of his leash. She
whirled on Matthew. “In case you’ve forgotten, I am a real
researcher, complete with a PhD in science. Just because my cover
story involves a fictional company doesn’t negate my real
experience.” Behind her, the tiger cub let out a noise—between a
growl and a whine—as if to support Bree’s statement.
“Your science degree isn’t
the only reason you’re an asset to the Sci-Spy organization.”
Another yowl accompanied by
a tug on the leash made Bree turn back to her tiger cub and hurry to
catch up with the group. Tugood kept pace, his voice low and
insistent. “Like it or not, your days as a simple researcher ended
when you signed on with Sci-Spy.”
Bree stopped at the edge of
the tour group and turned to Matthew. “Please. I need a day to do
something fun. Something…normal.”
Across the clearing, a tiger
roared, shaking the ground under her feet. Soon she’d be
photographed with the massive animal.
Bree held Matthew’s gaze.
When he nodded in reluctant agreement, she turned to the group, but
all thoughts of fun—and normal—had fled at Matthew’s mention of
their target. Tomorrow, she’d confront a terrorist and try to
uncover his network of associates.
Compared to that, even the
quarter-ton tiger seemed docile.
Author
Bio:
Kelle
Z. Riley, writer, speaker, global traveler, Ph.D. chemist and martial
artist weaves bits of her real life into the Undercover Cat Series
books. The series features a scientist-turned-sleuth who juggles
mystery, romance and the search for a perfect cupcake recipe.
By day
Kelle is a full time chemist working in water treatment with multiple
U.S. patents. At night she turns into an author whose accolades
include finals in the RWA Golden Heart and numerous chapter contests.
More information on her workshops can be found on her website.
You can also visit her online at the following places: Website | Facebook | Twitter | Amazon | BookBub | Instagram | Goodreads | Pinterest
You can also visit her online at the following places: Website | Facebook | Twitter | Amazon | BookBub | Instagram | Goodreads | Pinterest
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