Slurp
“Nooooo.” My human moans and pulls the blanket over her face.
This is the way we start every day. I yawn my loudest, most dramatic yawn, and rest my snout on the bed. When she pushes the blanket back down, I’ll be ready. I’ll give her another lick and do that thing with my eyes that makes her say, aww.
Good morning. I’m Darcy. You can call me Darce, Boy, or Good Boy (I expect treats with that one). I’m a Labrador retriever, and the man of the house. Taking care of Bobbie (that’s what other humans call her) is my job.
“It’s too early,” Bobbie mumbles from beneath her blanket.
Uh-oh, is she rolling over? I let out a loud sigh. Ever since moving to Vermont, this part of my job has gotten harder. Bobbie says she doesn’t need to get up early anymore. I don’t buy it. Just because she has a studio in our backyard doesn’t mean we shouldn’t start our day when the sun rises. Bobbie is a photographer. That’s her main job, anyway. Her other one is catching killers.
A few months ago, Bobbie and I left Boston for what everyone calls a fresh start. It seemed like a good thing. Bobbie and I were both sad after our other human died. In Vermont, we go on hikes in the forest (I love the forest). Sometimes we go on photo shoots and she calls me her assistant (I like that too). Best of all, we go to Auntie Alicia’s farm, where I get to run around with Harry and Sally. They’re Labradors like me.
Our life here was quiet until the morning we came back from a hike and a mean policeman was waiting for us. Like I said, it’s my job to take care of Bobbie. I may be a lab, but that doesn’t mean I’m not up to the task. Yeah, I prefer licking, but I also have a super scary growl. I bared my teeth at that policeman, and when he jumped backward, he wasn’t asking if my bark was worse than my bite. I’m good at my job.
Bobbie rolls over again and opens her eyes. This time, I give her my full-body wag. She can never resist that. She smiles and pats my head. “Okay, you win,” she says as she gets out of bed. I always win, but I don’t rub it in. Instead, I run downstairs to the kitchen, where she lets me outside.
As I sniff the ground for uninvited visitors, I wonder what Bobbie and I will do today. One thing I know, we won’t be sleuthing. And that’s a good thing. After the mean policeman came to our house and accused Bobbie of being a murderer (as if she could hurt anyone), she started getting nosy, asking people questions that made them mad. Boy, did I ever have to be on high alert. Then, Bobbie caught the real killer, and I was there to help. Now our lives are back to normal. Maybe we’ll go on another photo shoot. Or maybe Bobbie will work in her studio and I’ll lie on the patio, napping in the sunshine.
The door opens and Bobbie lets me inside. “Eat up,” she says. “As soon as I get back from church, we’re going to the farm for Sunday dinner.”
I wag my tail so hard it thumps on the floor. Excuse me while I gobble down my breakfast.
Thump, thump.
Caught on Camera, A Camera Club Mystery Book 1
Genre: Cozy Mystery
Release: September 2024
Format: Print, Digital
Purchase Link
Blue skies and wildflowers signal the start of summer in southern Vermont, and the Stonebridge Keep it Snappy Camera Club lenses are zoomed in on…murder.
It’s been more than a year since the sudden death of her husband, and photographer Bobbie Brooks wants nothing more than to escape her grief. Fleeing her life in the city, she seeks a fresh start in the serenity of the Green Mountains. But Bobbie’s new beginning comes to a halt when she finds a member of her camera club dead beneath the village’s idyllic covered bridge. Tragic accident or something sinister? With a keen photographer’s eye, Bobbie suspects murder.
As if transitioning to small-town life wasn’t challenging enough, Bobbie’s missing scarf is found at the murder scene, making her the primary focus. Scorned by local gossips, she enlists the help of her camera club and shifts her lens from photographer to amateur sleuth. Using photos found on the victim’s camera, they waste no time setting out to catch the killer—and discover no shortage of suspects. Secrets, lies, and blackmail…Danger abounds as they close in on the killer.
Her camera holds the answers… But can she develop the clues in time to stop the killer?
Meet the author
Kara Lacey is the author of the Camera Club Mysteries. Along with her husband, she lives in a tiny village nestled in the beautiful Green Mountains of Vermont—the inspiration for her novels. Kara is a photography enthusiast who also enjoys hiking, skiing, and getting cozy with a good book. When she’s not at her laptop creating havoc for her characters, you can find her rambling through the forest with her husband and spirited Labrador retriever, camera in hand. Kara is a member of Sisters in Crime, Sisters in Crime-New England, and Mystery Writers of America. She is also a co-Member at Large for Vermont SinC NE writers.