Hi, Allie McMurphy here. I’ve visited before with a typical day in my life, but things change so quickly. One minute you’re on your way to place a classified advertisement in the paper for a part-time maid and the next minute you’re pressing yourself against a closed door dialing 9-1-1 worried there might be a ferocious animal outside.
Let me elaborate. I was walking with my bichonpoo puppy, Mal, to the Town Crier when Mal went digging in the fresh mulch under the lilac brush outside of the newspaper office. Mal popped out with a bone-a rather large bone. Let’s say lower leg size bone and attached to the bone was a sock remnant. Now I was thinking maybe the bone belonged to a dog that liked socks and hiding its bones. That’s reasonable, right?
But then Mal dug back into the mulch and came out with a piece of shoe. She shook the shoe and little bones flew out–bones with neon orange painted toenails.
That’s when I grabbed my doggie and raced inside the newspaper office ensuring there was a door between me and whatever mauled that poor person’s leg off.
It’s also the first time I met Angus MacElroy. That old man didn’t help. As soon as he found out who I was, he pulled a rabbit’s foot out of his desk and placed it carefully between him and me. Why you might ask? I mean, I asked.
“Because I don’t know how to make an evil eye,” he said.
“An evil eye? I don’t get it.”
“It wards off bad omens and such.”
“What?”
“The way I see it,” he said. “You’re the bad luck.”
“Why?”
“You’re the one who finds old men dead and since I’m an old man…” He let the rest of the sentence fall off and pointed at the rabbit’s foot.
But then I wasn’t the problem. The possibility of a vicious animal mauling people outside his door was the problem. That’s how I saw it anyway. I dialed Officer Manning who was not only a friend, but who also didn’t jump to conclusions about me and old men.
It only took a few minutes for Officer Manning to show up and ensure that Mal did, indeed, discover a partial body under the lilacs. None of this boded well for the upcoming Lilac festival.
On Mackinac Island the Lilac festival is one of the first festivals of the summer season. The lilacs bloom in time for the festival and we have the only motor prohibited parade in the USA. That’s right. Mackinac Island is the island time forgot where all transportation on the island is strictly horse drawn carriage, bicycles and walking. The only exception is the thoroughly modern ambulance and fire truck. Sometimes there needs to be exceptions to the rules.
As for me and Mal, we are safe for now, but it would be some time before I actually got back to placing that classified advertisement. Before we can do that there is fudge to be made and a killer to be found.
Angus MacElroy has his rabbit’s foot. What’s your lucky talisman?
You can read more about Allie in To Fudge or Not To Fudge, the second book in the “Candy-Coated” mystery series, published by Kensington. The first book in the series is All Fudged Up. Books are available at retail and online booksellers.
GIVEAWAY: Leave a comment by 6 p.m. eastern on September 12 for the chance to win a copy of TO FUDGE OR NOT TO FUDGE. The giveaway is open to U.S. residents only.
Meet the author
Nancy J Parra AKA Nancy Coco is the author of 19 published novels which include three mystery series: The Gluten-free Baker’s Treat Mysteries (Berkley Prime Crime), The Candy Coated Mysteries (Kensington), and The Perfect Proposal Mysteries (Berkley Prime Crime). Her writing has been called witty and her protagonists plucky by reviewers around the world. All Fudged Up, the first in the Candy Coated Mystery series was a National Best Seller when it debuted in November 2013. Nancy is a member of the Killer Character Blog and loves to hear from readers. Find her www.nancyjparra.com, on Twitter or on Facebook.
Okay! I want this one too.
Thanks for the chance to win!
What fun! 🙂
Love the title; thank you for the chance to win 🙂
I have been wanting to read this book. I would love to win a copy, as I can’t afford to biy it right now. Thanks.for.the giveaway.
I enjoyed meeting Allie and would love to win! Fudge, dogs, lilacs–lots of my favorite things. I don’t really have a lucky talisman, but certainly had a rabbit’s foot keychain as a kid.
Lovely cover! Thanks for the giveaway.
Great title. This sounds like a good read. Thanks for the chance to win.
Sounds great, love the cover and title
I would love to meet Angus. He sounds like quite a character.
lag110 at mchsi dot com
This sounds really good! Thank you for the giveaway!
Sounds perfect for me.
Sounds like so much fun!
This sounds good, thank you for the chance to win
Not the way to start your day.
Thanks for the chance to win.
Sounds like a fun read. Some laughter involved. would love to read it.
I like the Michigan setting and the dog. Thanks for sharing.
I loved the first book in this series and can’t wait to read this one. Mackinac Island is one of my favorite places in the whole world. So I find it cool to read books set there.
Angie Young
angiey1974@hotmail.com
I don’t think I have a lucky talisman, although every time we spill salt I wonder if I should throw some over my (right? left?) shoulder because that’s what my grandmother did.
I enjoyed All Fudged Up and loved Mal so this is on my TBR. Thanks for the chance to win.
If my pup had dug up a leg bone with a sock on it, I would have picked up my pooch and high tailed it as far away from there as possible. I’m sure if this book is as interesting as the first one, it will be a winner. Thanks for the opportunity to win a copy.
The first book was awesome. Thank you for the chance to win this!
What a fun series. I can’t wait to read it.
Sounds like a great read!
Don’t have a talisman, but maybe a couple lucky numbers (or so I say). I’ll have to look for these other series as well.
Lucky talisman? Nah…I’m not superstitious by nature. Thanks for another good review and a chance to win. Sandy in So. Cali
Ok, that caught me, I love the sound of this, thanks for the chance to win.
Thanks so much for a chance to win! Sounds like a great read~
I have no talisman. I’m just glad my pups have never dug up anything so interesting as what Mal digs up.
suefarrell.farrell@gmail.com
No lucky talisman for me.
Looking forward to reading this one. I don’t have a lucky talisman.
Thank you for a chance to win a copy of To Fudge or Not To Fudge.
Murder and fudge, what could possibly go wrong
Sounds like a delicious mystery! Would love to win!
another great giveaway!!
thank you!!!
Looks like a great cozy mystery.
I loved the first one. Happy to see a new one and another visit to Mackinac Island.
I’m reading the first one in this series right now. It’s good.
Thoroughly enjoyed All Fudged Up and looking forward to reading To Fudge or Not To Fudge. Thanks for the giveaway… Ok, I’m going to look for a lucky talisman.
There are so many fun books and great books out now and finding time is difficult if you want to read all of the ones that interest you, and this is one of the ones that I know I have to get to read. I have read the book previous to this and it was so good so need to get this one ordered soon.
Thanks for the reminder, Dru Ann.
Cynthia
It sounds like a good read. I love the cover. Thanks for having the giveaway.
thanks for running the giveaway hope to win
What a great intro! Not only do I want to read the series, I want to visit the island 🙂
Thank you for the chance to win a copy of the book.
I love the cover. I have the first one but haven’t read it yet.
contest is closed.
Oops! missed the deadline. 🙁