Hi. My name is Bridgy Mayfield. Do you know my BFF Sassy Cabot? She and I own the Read ’Em and Eat Café and Bookstore in Fort Myers Beach, Florida. It’s a really interesting place that attracts book lovers like magnets. Our tables are laminated with pictures and snippets of work from our favorite authors and many of our menu items have literary names. Have you tried our Miss Marple’s Orange Iced Scones, yet? Or our Old Man and the Sea Chowder?
In addition to serving fabulous food, we sell books of every description. Sassy runs book club meetings in the part of our shop that is lined with bookshelves, and I hate to say it but it was one of her book clubs that got me in a mess of trouble. The Cool Reads/Warm Climate Book Club meets monthly during the winter season and the final get-together usually includes an outing to a popular local tourist site. This year the members chose to read The Florida Life of Thomas Edison written by Michele Albion and they decided to visit the Edison and Ford Winter Estates on the mainland in Fort Myers. We’d rented a snazzy blue van from Gulf Coast Cab and Van and requested that Oscar Frieland be our driver for the day because he has a great sense of humor and always keeps the riders highly entertained.
The trip was a huge success. We returned to the parking lot of the Read ’Em and Eat and everyone was in high spirits. We piled out of the van and headed into the café for some lemonade and a quick book club meeting. Some of the snowbird members were getting ready to head north so I suspected there would be a lot of hugs and a few tears. We were just settling in when I realized I’d lost my sunglasses. I was happy to see that the van was still in the parking lot. I ran outside, ready to flag Oscar down if he started up his engine. Thankfully, the van didn’t move and I hopped on ready to search for my missing glasses. I nearly fell backwards down the van steps when I saw Oscar sprawled across the front seat. It only took a few seconds for me to realize he was dead.
You can imagine what the rest of the afternoon was like. Thank goodness Sassy and my Aunt Ophie were there to support me. Frank Anthony, who I always thought of as a friend, wore his role as a Lieutenant in the Lee County Sheriff’s Department with a bit too much of “in charge” attitude.
My Aunt Ophie is super good in a crisis and as soon as she could get me alone in her consignment shop, The Treasure Trove, she called her sister Emelia, aka, my mom. Next thing I knew, my mother had a plane ticket to Florida and I was all set for some smotherly love and comfort, until I remembered that Ophie and mom in the same room—well that could cause more trouble than any three murders. I invite you to visit us all in Read to Death, the latest in the Read ’Em and Eat series so you can find out if protecting me from a murder charge will bring peace between the Brice Babes, Grampa’s name for his two feisty daughters.
Read to Death is the third book in the Read ’Em and Eat mystery series, published by Penguin Random House, July 2016.
At their seaside Read ‘Em and Eat bookstore café, Sassy Cabot and Bridgy Mayfield offer fresh scones, great books, and excellent detective work. . .
With their book club season wrapping up with The Florida Life of Thomas Edison, Sassy and Bridgy decide to take their group on a day trip to the beautiful Edison and Ford Winter Estates. Hiring driver Oscar Frieland, who’s known for his colorful stories and love of the café’s Robert Frost fruit tartlets, the bibliophiles set off for a day of sunshine and history.
After a lovely excursion, the club returns to the café for lunch and a book discussion, but the group falls silent after Oscar is found dead in his van. The sheriff’s deputies have some questions of their own for the group, and if the ladies don’t find some answers soon, the next book they read might be from a prison library.
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About the author
Terrie Farley Moran is the best-selling author of the Read ‘Em and Eat cozy mysteries series. Well Read, Then Dead, winner of the Agatha Award for Best First Novel 2014, was followed by Caught Read-Handed in 2015 and Read to Death in July 2016.
Terrie’s short mystery fiction has been published in Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine, Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazine and numerous anthologies. Her short story, “A Killing at the Beausoleil” prequel to the Read ’Em and Eat novels, was nominated for an Agatha Award for Best Short Story.
She also co-writes Laura Childs’ Scrapbooking Mystery series. Together they have written Parchment and Old Lace (October 2015) and Crepe Factor (October 2016).
Connect with Terrie at terriefarleymoran.com.
Giveaway: Leave a comment below for your chance to win a print copy of Read to Death plus this purse 
signed by eighteen authors (Kathy Aarons, Victoria Abbott, Rebecca Adler, Beverly Allen, Laura Bradford, Erika Chase, Nancy Cohen, Vicky Delany, Barbara Early, Vickie Fee, Kaye George, Cheryl Holland, Alice Loweecey, Terrie Farley Moran, Kate Morgan, Nancy J. Parra, Maggie Sefton, and Diane Vallere). US entries only, please. The giveaway will end July 21, 2016 at 12 AM (midnight) EST. Good luck everyone!
I’ve only read the first book in this series -I’m behind! Love it and I would love to win the newest book and the autographed purse. Fun!
I adore this series!!! Thanks for the opportunity.
This sure looks like another awesome mystery by the ever awesome Terri Farley Moran! The first two books in this series were super duper exciting and can’t wait to read this one! The cover of this new book is terrific! I always look at the cover of a new book and can tell so much about the book before I even open the pages to read it…..it is an exciting way to get into the book!!!!! I sure would love to win this new book and the awesome autographed purse by so many of my fav authors. Thank you so much dear Dru and Terri for the chance to win!!! This is so much fun!!! God bless you girls!!!
This is a new author for me. I hope to read this book soon (or win it).
Digicats {at} Sbcglobal {dot} Net
Terrie Farley Moran’s books are always good! Thanks for a chance to enter.
This is one of my very favorite series , and I can’t wait to dive in to the latest installment !
Congratulations, Terrie, on your latest publication. I don’t know how you keep turning them out–so beautifully written that you make it look so easy to produce a book with a short period of time. Well done.
I read myself to sleep all the time, is that similar, lol?
wfnren at aol dot com
Oh Wow! that is a great purse!
Great series! Thank you for the chance to win a print copy of Read to Death and the awesome autographed purse.
I am a fan of cozy mysteries and would love to win this book! Thanks for the chance!! The purse with signatures is an awesome extra!!
Looking forward to Sassy and Bridgy’s latest. Thanks for the fun and unique giveaway!
What a cool giveaway! (I love this series.)
I don’t know how, but I have missed this series…and am correcting that immediately! It sounds like a series I will love. Thanks Dru for sharing this with me. 🙂 Thanks Terrie for the chance to win a book and an unusual bonus besides! Unique. 🙂
Thanks for this wonderful feature and giveaway. I love this captivating series.
I’ve enjoyed the first 2 books in this series and know this one will be enjoyable. The.author sign purse is a special bonus.
Bridgy and Sassy sound like my kind of gals!
This series looks like so much fun, now on my tbr list. Thanks for the terrific giveaway!
Thanks for the fun giveaway. I really enjoy this series.
Love this series. Thanks for the chance to win.
Happy Friday Dru, Please toss my name into the magic hat. I’d love to win this book and of course the purse which I’d put in a clear plastic case as a collectible.
Hi Everyone!! Dru Ann, thanks so much for inviting Bridgy and me to visit today. And I wish great luck to all who comment. The purse is super special and I hope you will find Read to Death to be super special as well. Good luck everyone. xoxo Terrie
How is it that this release is the third in the series, but I honestly don’t ever remember hearing about the series before!? Man, set at a seaside bookstore cafe – count me in! I’m off to look for book #1 in the series! Thanks for the chance to win!
Love this series and that purse is wonderful, it’s just too bad there aren’t more of them!
This purse is signed by some of my favorite authors. What fun to “wear” them! Thanks for the chance!
Ya gotta love a mystery combined with a dysfunctional family. I am, if you’ll excuse the term, dying to read this book.
The purse is an awesome, one of a kind gift.
Wonderful nerves.
Meant wonderful series.😊
I have the first two books in the series and love them. Can’t wait to read this one.
I really want that purse.
I love Terrie Farley Moran’s books. They are so entertaining and her characters are well developed. Thanks for including her on your block. robeader53@yahoo.com
I have read the 1st book in this series and really enjoyed it, would love to win this book in series and love the purse, ty for the chance
Have enjoyed the other books in this series. Can’t wait to read this newest.
Can’t wait to read the latest book in this series. Another great book by Terrie. Thanks for the chance. .
Eager to read Sassy’s and Bridgy’s latest.
Sounds like a fun read. What can be a better combination books and food. Can’t wait to see how they solve the mystery!
Another new author and series to add to my TBR list. Thanks for introducing me to new authors and Terrie thank you for writing a series I can’t wait to start reading.
Oooooh!!! A 2-fer giveaway!!!
Thank you, thank you!!!
This sounds like a fun read and a cool contest.Thanks.
I would love to read this it sounds great and I have had this Author on my wish list for a while now. The Bag looks great too. Thanks for the contest.
Marilyn ewatvess@yahoo.com
I like this series.
Love the mix of family, mystery, & food!
This series is near the top of my TBR list. Thanks for the giveaway!
Hoping for an early intro to this series. Thanks for the chance to do so. And for not just the book. But the little purse to go with it.
New author and series for me. I’d love to win!
Thank you for introducing us to another intriguing author.
I’ve been wanting to read this cozy. Sounds so good!!
Seeing this cozy everywhere! Would love to read this one. 🙂