McKinley
Mysteries
by Carolyn Arnold
Series
Information
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.
Book Overview
(in published order)
The Day Job is
Murder
The bad guys aren’t the only ones on
his radar…
For Albany PD homicide detective Sean McKinley,
catching killers is the easy part of his job. Working next to his
beautiful partner, Sara Cain, is what’s difficult. It might have
something to do with the fact that he’s fallen in love with her,
though. Fortunately, she feels the same way about him. But she’s
convinced they should just be friends.
If only there was some way to change her mind…
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Vacation is
Murder
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.
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Money is Murder
Old Man Quinn left Sean more than his billions–he
left him a murder to solve.
Inside the chest given to him from the executor of
Quinn’s Will, Sean finds a key and implicit instruction that the
contents are for his eyes only. After Sean discovers where the key
fits, he finds another letter–Quinn wants a closed case reopened,
and Sean is shocked to learn who the victim was.
As Sean and his wife, Sara, uncover clues, it leads
them from the back rooms of Quinn’s corporation to the streets of
New York City, but they will stop at nothing to get to the truth.
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Politics is
Murder
There’s no time for a debate…
Sean and Sara’s popularity as a murder-solving
duo has gained momentum. But it’s not until it comes time for a
local television interview that they meet Reanne Mable and end up
finding themselves involved with a high-profile investigation.
Reanne is the sister-in-law of Albany’s Mayor
Davenport and his daughter, Halie, has gone missing from her
university campus. With a desire to keep the matter out of the media
spotlight, Davenport turns to Sean and Sara to find her. But with the
police already investigating the matter, taking this case would pit
them against their friends from the police department, including
their former sergeant Jimmy Voigt.
As time moves on, though, the fate of the girl is
not up for a vote, and the McKinleys set out to find out what really
happened. With the mayor taking the heat for a recently passed zoning
bylaw, is an enraged small business owner behind Halie’s
disappearance? Or did she simply grow tired of living in her father’s
limelight and run away?
To get the answers, Sean and Sara will need to use
all the resources at their disposal and may have to call upon their
good friend Jimmy for help, after all.
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Family is Murder
If only there were someone to clean up
this mess…
Sean and Sara McKinley put out an ad for a maid,
but they never expected Sara’s birth mother to apply—or at least
that’s who the woman is claiming she is. While Sean is suspicious
of her true identity and motive, Sara opens her heart to the woman.
But when a dead body turns up soon after Sara’s supposed mother
takes off without so much as a good-bye, they both start to question
the truth.
Could they have welcomed a killer into their home
and not even known it?
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Shopping is
Murder
They find more than a bargain…
Black Friday should be all about shopping and
discounts, but when Sean and Sara only have a few more items left to
buy, screams fill the mall—and for good reason. A man has fallen to
his death from the second level.
But what exactly happened isn’t that
straightforward, and normally, Sean and Sara would leave this matter
to the police, but the widow was a childhood friend of Sara’s.
While the police are leaning toward the belief the man intentionally
took the leap, the widow is adamant her husband would never jump and
asks Sara for her help.
Despite the fact there is an unresolved past
between the friends—in which Sara feels she let her down—Sara
can’t turn her back on her now. Fueled by guilt and the need to
find answers, Sara convinces Sean they should look into the man’s
death.
But the answers aren’t all coming quickly. Mall
security has dropped the ball and there’s no seeming motive for
murder. To find out the truth will take unconventional means, a
little undercover work, and the help of their friend Jimmy. And if it
all comes together, they just might have this case wrapped up in time
for the holidays. Maybe even with a pretty little bow.
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Christmas is
Murder
Albany’s the perfect image of a winter
wonderland, and Sean and Sara’s friend Jimmy is going to be Santa
Claus for the upcoming Christmas parade. The trees and decorations
have been selected and the gifts have been purchased. The season has
truly cast its magical spell–until Sean and Sara’s neighbors die
in a horrible house fire.
While the fire department ruled holiday-related
hazards as the cause, Sara suspects there’s more to it. Her
determination to find the truth has her and Sean toeing the line
between what’s legal and what’s not.
As they sort out fact from fiction, the McKinleys
make the final decision about whether or not they should open a
private investigation firm.
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Valentine’s Day is
Murder
Cupid’s arrow may have missed its
mark…
Jimmy finally takes a vacation–and a chance on
love–only to be abducted. His female companion originally thinks he
had cold feet about their relationship, but Sean and Sara know
there’s more to it. Jimmy isn’t the type to just up and
disappear, let alone leave a lady stranded.
Setting out on their private jet, Sean and Sara
reach the tropical paradise of Ocho Rios, Jamaica with sightseeing as
the last thing on their minds.
With a gold coin being their initial tie to Jimmy’s
kidnapper, Sean and Sara even speculate about the involvement of
pirates. Yet as the hours pass, and there’s no word from Jimmy’s
captors, Sean and Sara will need to figure out the real motive before
it’s too late.
With help from their friend, Adam, back in Albany,
the pieces come together and not a moment too soon.
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Coffee is Murder
A cup a day won’t kill you, but a few
might.
Their first case as private investigators have
Sean, Sara, and Jimmy neck-deep in coffee beans trying to find a
killer. With their client certain that her mother was poisoned
through her coffee of the month club, it has them setting out to
Williamsburg, Virginia. But instead of approaching matters from the
traditional standpoint, Sean and Sara brew a robust plot and stir
Jimmy into the blend, all to get close to their top suspect and grind
out the truth.
Going undercover at Tasty Beans, the coffee
company, the three of them work to expose the culprit before anyone
else dies.
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Skiing is Murder
They’re ready to hit the slopes when
things go downhill…
Sean and Sara are supposed to have a relaxing
vacation in Vail, but it all goes up in a puff of powder when there’s
a suspicious death on the mountain. And the deceased is not just
anyone; it’s Adrian Blackwell, a two-time Olympic skiing gold
medalist.
Rumor has it Adrian died in a skiing accident, but
he was too skilled for Sara to accept that as fact. But she doesn’t
want to disappoint Sean by ruining his ski trip, even though she’s
convinced Adrian was murdered and she’s itching to find the
killer.
Sean has never been able to say no to Sara, but
this time he plans to. However, all it takes is a call from their PI
firm back in Albany to change his mind. A job’s come in to
investigate Adrian’s death, and his agent is the one footing the
bill, leaving Sean with more questions than answers.
Yet one major problem remains: their New York State
PI licenses hold no legal authority in Colorado. They still can’t
help but look into Adrian’s death on the sly, though. This case
will definitely involve some underhanded tactics, all while trying to
dodge the local police over the course of the investigation.
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Beware of all that goes bump in the
night…
Sean and Sara McKinley are excited
about the haunted house they’ve set up as a Halloween charity
fund-raiser, but things take a ghoulish turn when the reporter
covering their story is found dead. With the media keeping mum about
how she died, Sara’s curiosity is piqued, and she convinces Sean to
take on the investigation through their PI firm.
But this case is not without its
challenges. The police are actively investigating it, as well, and
it’s not even clear that the woman was murdered. It will take a
little cloak-and-dagger, dress-up, and finesse for the McKinleys to
get to the bottom of it, but they aren’t the kind to give up.
As they troll for leads and work
through the skeletons in the reporter’s closet, they unearth a few
suspects, but they’ll need to carve out the whole truth if they’re
going to find her killer. If they do so fast enough, there might even
be time for a little trick-or-treating.
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Review: I was debating over how I was going to review Halloween is Murder and Christmas Is Murder. I decided the best way to do this rather than review each is to do one review of my experience with the books. (I'll break them down in separate reviews later)
Both books are quick fun cozy mysteries. They are lovely afternoon reads. Christmas is Murder is only 126 pages and Halloween Is Murder is 165.
I've been having a rough time getting into books lately. I know, WTF is wrong with me, but these were book great fun. I loved Sean and Sara and even more so, I loved that Carolyn could create a mystery that wrapped up nicely in such a short amount of time.
Sean and Sara are former cops turned private investigators. I loved the husband and wife dynamic in these books along with the holiday theme. I'm a sucker for those.
So if you are a looking for quick fun cozies. This is a series for you!
Rating: 4 flowers
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.
Connect with CAROLYN ARNOLD Online:
Tour
Participants
August 5 – The Cozy
Pages – COFFEE IS MURDER GUEST POST /SKIING IS MURDER
EXCERPT
August 13 – ebook addicts –
REVIEW – VACATION IS MURDER, MONEY IS MURDER
August 16 – T's Stuff –
FAMILY IS MURDER GUEST POST
August 18 –
OFF
August 25 –
OFF
August 27 –
OFF
August 31 – LibriAmoriMiei
– REVIEW – THE DAY JOB IS MURDER, VACATION IS MURDER, CHRISTMAS
IS MURDER
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