I am a handsome beagle named Cagney. One erudite person said I had “velvet ears.” One of many attributes in addition to being very smart, especially when food is nearby and I must calculate foraging techniques. My owner, Chris Clarke, who adores me, is cognizant of my skills and, regrettably, always keeps a sharp eye on me. Her lover, Kate, and her son, Robert (both of whom I detest) are mostly oblivious to my presence. But I digress.
Instead of “A Day in my Life,” I will write about an evening. Chris, Robert, and I had visited her parents’ for dinner. Kate didn’t return to go with us. This rudeness aggravated Chris, though in truth the two were arguing a lot lately. Personally, I was glad Kate hadn’t joined us—I didn’t like her much better than her son. However, I loved Chris’ mother and father because they loved me, and more importantly, were lavish with food. A nice Brie and Camembert, for example. All in all, it was a lovely night at Grandma and Grandpa’s.
When we came home, however, I lifted my nose in the air and went on red alert. There was a new odor in the kitchen. From an unknown male. I followed the scent to the stairs that led to Chris’ lower-level darkroom and surmised someone had broken in and gone downstairs. To search for the forensic photos Chris had taken of Sally Ann Shaffer’s crime scene, which only Chris and I knew were now with the Fair Haven police? Being smell-impaired as humans are, Chris didn’t perceive the stranger, and because I can’t talk, I couldn’t warn her. I listened carefully to ascertain that the man wasn’t still present, but I heard no sounds from below. Rushing to the kitchen, I barked at Chris, but she didn’t pay any attention. (Okay, yes, I tend to bark a lot, and I sing with opera recordings. On pitch, too.)
Chris retired upstairs to her bedroom. I was tucked in my basket when Kate finally arrived. I knew Chris was still angry about Kate’s absence at dinner and about her failure to call. When Kate appeared, she walked into the guest room, where an argument with Robert ensued. I could feel hot vibes emanating from Chris upstairs, most likely because she was already pissed at Kate plus she could hear their loud voices. I assumed that Kate would probably sleep in Robert’s room, despite their disagreement, rather than with Chris. Maybe, at last, Kate and Robert would move out, and I’d have some peace and quiet. Chris and Kate’s relationship had turned toxic—all because of Kate and Robert’s tempers and the fact that Kate was seeking counsel about receiving custody of her son from his father, Harry, a drunk. According to what I had heard at my grandparents’ house this evening, Chris thought Kate would leave her in order to avoid being labeled as a lesbian, which Harry knew about and would certainly use in court. As if anyone cares? That said, I’d do jumping jacks if Kate left.
But foremost in my mind was the intruder. What had he taken and why? Was Chris in danger? If I’d been home, I would have chewed the damned guy’s leg off. Unfortunately, Chris didn’t discover the man’s presence until later, when she saw that things in her darkroom had been disturbed—she is obsessive about leaving items in their exact places since she works in the dark during color printing and must be able to find her tools. Chris called the police, who came to investigate because Kate—among others—was a suspect in Sally Ann Shaffer’s murder. I didn’t know the dead woman, but Kate once had a relationship with Sally Ann; now, Kate hated her. A motive for her death? But what about the man? Had Kate hired him to steal Chris’ forensic photos, or was he Sally Ann’s killer? If so, my teeth itched, ready to bite the guy if he tried to enter the house again.
Fair Haven
Genre: Traditional Mystery
Release: April 2025
Format: Digital, Print
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A picturesque riverside town. A safe, serene, friendly place. And then, one sunny summer afternoon in 1994, Sally Ann Shaffer is electrocuted in her hot tub. Who did it? One of her many lovers? Her husband? A thief? A jealous colleague at her tennis club? Fair Haven is suddenly embroiled in suspicion, interpersonal conflict, blackmail, financial fraud, and murder.
Fair Haven shares sympathies with the British crime drama, Midsomer Murders, because of its small-town setting and its diverse cast, any of whom could be the killer (except Cagney, the beagle, who leavens the plot). The primary characters include Chris Clarke, who is hired to photograph the crime scene and is involved with Kate Morgan, a woman fighting for custody of her son (Kate has a past history with Sally Ann Shaffer); the police chief, Ray Mackie, an experienced cop who must step aside in the homicide investigation in favor of Vincent Rivera, his nephew (Rivera reports to the Major Crimes Bureau and the county prosecutor’s office). Other important players are Fair Haven’s detective, David DeMarco, who is coordinating the local police effort; Harry Fallon, Kate Morgan’s drunken ex-husband and a long-time lover of Sally Ann; and R.J. Baines, a realtor who is hiding her lesbianism and her affair with the deceased. The relationships between these characters, as well as with a tennis pro, husband, priest, and a financial fraudster), provide rich opportunities for intrigue and moments of quiet humor.
About the author
Laury A. Egan is the author of fifteen novels, most recently Fair Haven, which is in the crime fiction/mystery genre. She has also written psychological suspense, comedy, and literary work, such as her second collection, Contrary: Stories and a Play. Ninety of her stories have appeared in literary journals. She has also published four volumes of a poetry. In 2024, Laury received a New Jersey Arts Council Individual Award for Prose. Website: lauryaegan.com