Coffee, and lots of it. That was the way I began every day.
But today there was little joy in java as I pushed through my morning routine and made my way to the library, my calling, my work, my challenge. My friend Ruby’s dilemma weighed heavily on my mind. A bundle of worry kept me from getting into my stride.
I made my usual rounds, greeted staff, checked my calendar, put out some small fires. Just after ten I made my way downstairs to the children’s section for the first activity of the day: preschool story time and singalong.
The carpeted platform that served as a kiddy stage in the corner was already alive with activity. Lizzie, our tiny dancer, was in attendance. She swayed, jumped in the air, rolled onto the carpet and then kicked her feet into the air. One of her little sandals slipped off, but she just kept dancing, bold and expressive in her striped pajamas and red tutu.
Unfazed by Lizzie’s performance, the children’s librarian smiled from her perch at the edge of the low stage, where she strummed her ukelele and led the other children in a chorus of “Puff the Magic Dragon.” All was right in the world of friendly dragons.
But not so in my house, where my friend was holed up in grief and fear. I turned away and hit the stairs. Back to work. Each step drummed my thoughts back to the serious dilemma that weighed on my mind.
George was dead.
A blow to the head.
Not far from his bed.
Such lame rhymes. The perverse poetry did nothing to ease the gravity of the situation. My friend’s husband had been murdered, and Ruby was the prime suspect, with good reason. Hours before his death, she’d caught George fooling around with another woman. “Some blonde floozy,” Ruby had said, adding, “I’m going to kill him.”
So far, the police were taking Ruby at her word.
But I knew my friend was innocent, and I was bound and determined to prove it. How to solve a murder?
I’d read enough mystery novels to know that it was time to start talking people up, collecting evidence, looking for anyone who might have had a vendetta against George. I knew the town of West Hazel well, and I was willing to work it to protect my friend. And who would begrudge a graying woman of a certain age a little information. Once you hit sixty, invisibility takes hold. You fade in a crowd. Some people don’t see you; others just don’t care.
And so it began. George’s murder was my puzzle. And how do you solve a puzzle?
One piece at a time.
Puzzle Me A Murder, An Alice Pepper Lonely Hearts and Puzzle Club Mystery Book #1
Genre: Cozy Mystery
Release: July 2024
Format: Print, Digital, Audio
Purchase Link
Empathetic to a fault, librarian Alice Pepper always had a natural talent for figuring out people and puzzles in the small Oregon town of West Hazel. But as a mystery permeates the quiet Pacific Northwestern community, murder is a challenge she’s not prepared to solve . . .
Down-on-her-luck Alice had hoped to retire before turning sixty-five, not struggle to keep her cozy home and dependable job. But even after divorce leaves her golden years a mess, the pieces always come together with a little help from her friends—a fun-loving crew who thrive on jigsaws over coffee, cocktails, and gossip. So, when it’s time to defend close confidant Ruby Milliner, she springs into action. Only, in this case, supporting Ruby means proving she didn’t murder her cheating husband!
Ruby never wanted to kill George, although anger can make a person say questionable—and incriminating—things. And scheming, deceitful George made a lot of people angry. A quick investigation reveals the man was blackmailing whoever he could for a quick payday, from his mistress to the most prominent residents in town . . .
Alice dives into a secret search to exonerate Ruby, fiercely committed to cracking the crime and patching up torn relationships along the way. Despite using her unassuming persona to fly under the radar, slimming down a massive suspect list and restoring peace to West Hazel is a real gamble. Because if successful, Alice will meet a vengeful killer whose game she doesn’t yet know how to play.
Meet the author
Roz Noonan is the New York Times bestselling author of the Alice Pepper Lonely Hearts Puzzle Club Mysteries for Kensington Cozies, as well as acclaimed contemporary fiction and domestic suspense novels. She also co-authored the bestselling collaborative novels Sinister and Ominous with Lisa Jackson and Nancy Bush. Her Christmas novel, produced as CHARMING CHRISTMAS, appeared on the Hallmark Channel starring Julie Benz and David Sutcliffe. Like Alice Pepper, Roz lives in the Pacific Northwest near mountains, tall fir trees, and an extraordinary library. Connect with Roz at rosalindnoonanbooks.com.