Halloween is Murder
McKinley Mysteries
Book 11
Carolyn Arnold
Published by: Hibbert and Stiles
Publishing Inc.
Genre: Cozy Mystery
Pages: 154
Word Count: 38,534
Release Date: October 3, 2017
Book Description:
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 McKinley’s 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.
Excerpt from chapter 2 of Halloween
is Murder (McKinley Mysteries)
Chapter 2
SHOCKING TURN OF EVENTS
IT WAS
NEARING SIX O’CLOCK in the evening, and Sean and Sara were home in their
media room on a large sectional couch, getting ready to watch their spotlight
on the evening news with some friends and colleagues. They’d left the haunted
house in the hands of some capable employees, who would be posted there until
closing at eight.
Jimmy Voigt, their
former sergeant when they worked for the Albany PD, also worked for them at the
PI firm. He was on the couch next to his girlfriend, Meredith, for the viewing.
Sara had told Sean more than once that it was a match made in heaven. He was
pretty sure he’d rolled his eyes every time. Not because he didn’t believe in
love—he was married to his soul mate—but he just found it hard to picture his
former boss whispering sweet nothings to a lady love.
Helen was seated at the
other end of the sectional, and Mia was on the floor at her feet, still dressed
up as a princess. She really was a good kid—as far as kids went anyway. And
it’s not that Sean had anything against children, but for now, he and Sara had
decided they weren’t going to have any. And honestly, it was probably for the
best, as they traveled a lot and solving crimes didn’t leave much free time.
“I’m going to be on
TV.” Mia’s face lit up as she grinned. “I can’t wait!” She seemed more excited
about this than she had been at the announcement that pizza was for dinner. Mia
stared at the muted television. “That lady was so pretty.”
By “that lady,” Sean
assumed she meant Chloe Parsons. Sean had to agree that based on appearances
and initial impressions, she was good-looking. But he didn’t understand why she
took such issue with Susannah when she didn’t want to talk.
Mia turned to Sara and
flashed another smile. “You looked great, too.”
“Thank you.” Sara
returned the smile and swept her long brown hair over her left shoulder. “Did
you have fun today?”
“Oh yeah. My favorite
part was the mummy.”
“That didn’t scare
you?” Sara laced her voice with concern but couldn’t hide the underlying
amusement.
Mia’s expression faded,
and her eyes enlarged. She nodded. “I was, but I like to be scared. And I love
mummies!” She bounded to her feet and jumped onto her mother’s lap. Helen let
out a whoosh of air but quickly recovered.
“It’s the other kind of
mummy, though, sweetheart.” Helen ran a hand over her daughter’s silky hair.
“Oh, it’s almost time,”
Meredith said, obviously getting swept up in Mia’s enthusiasm.
Sean looked at the
digital clock on the cable box: 5:59.
“It’s on!” Jimmy said,
sitting up straighter.
Sean turned up the
sound and sank back into the couch, putting an arm around his wife.
Mia wriggled on her
mother’s lap.
“Come on, honey, back
on the floor.” Helen’s voice strained with the desperation of her plea.
Sean smiled, not
because of the woman’s discomfort but because he loved seeing how excited Mia
was.
“My costume was the
best. They have to show me!” The little girl’s eyes were wide and fixed on the
screen.
“You are a beautiful
little princess,” Sean said.
Mia glared at him. “I’m
not little.” She held up both hands, fingers splaying as she counted
them off. “I’m six.”
“My apologies,” he said
with a slight bow of his head.
Sara laced her fingers
with his, and he met her gaze, which said, You’re aren’t the best with kids…
Message received.
“Shh.” This came from
Jimmy, and when Sean turned to look at him, he shrugged. “You want to hear it,
don’t you?”
Sean increased the
volume a bit more.
“We have some somber
news this evening,” a chic reporter announced from the news desk. Based
on the set of her mouth and the sad look in her eyes, she wasn’t reading from a
script. “Your Source has just received word that one of our own has died.”
Sara tapped her fingers
on the back of his, leaned in, and whispered, “I have a bad feeling about
this.”
He didn’t look over at
her, but his wife had this way of sensing things. He wouldn’t label her
clairvoyant, but she certainly had strong intuition.
“Tonight, we say
good-bye to”—the reporter, while she kept her tone modulated, was clearly
battling with her emotions—“Chloe Parsons.”
The news was a sledgehammer to his chest, knocking the wind out of
him.
What to Expect from the McKinley Mysteries
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.
About the Author:
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 and Sisters in Crime.
Connect with CAROLYN ARNOLD Online:
And don’t forget to sign up for her newsletter for up-to-date information on release and special offers at http://carolynarnold.net/newsletters .
Review: I love seasonal books. I really love Halloween stories, cos I love mysteries and spooky stuff.
This was a fabulous cozy. It was a quick and fun read that is perfect for lovers of the genre. Its the kind of book you can read easily in an afternoon, and it will definitely get you in the mood for the holiday.
Rating: 5 flowers
About Unforgivable Love
