Sleuthing 101

Am I the only one who doesn’t get young people these days?

Take for instance, Emma, the young woman my late husband hired to have tea with me every Tuesday afternoon at three o’clock sharp. After watching Emma’s home-based travel agency go the way of poodle skirts and decent music, I suggested she try starting a business doing exactly what she does for me—being a paid friend.

Of course, she balked at my summary of our relationship, but the simple fact is that every week, after our tea, a check is deposited into Emma’s account courtesy of my beloved Alfred, God rest his soul.

So to help Emma see the pure genius that is my suggestion, I sent a few initial clients her way. People in need of a little companionship. Then Emma found a client on her own. . .who promptly fell down dead in front of her.

I realize some of you might gasp at that last little tidbit, but I also know that if you’re a true cozy mystery reader (as I am), you not only sat up taller, but you also grabbed the closest notebook and pen you could find and started jotting notes to help in your sleuthing.

And boy is this one juicy case.

Which brings me to my problem. . .

Emma is the epitome of the ‘reluctant sleuth.’ She thinks murder investigations are for the police, and the police only. Yes, yes I know. . . That’s why I loaned her the first book in one of my very favorite cozy mystery series. It killed me to do it—and I threatened her life if she breaks the spine or fails to return it to me when she’s done—but it was the only way I could think to force her out of her antiquated belief system when it comes to murder.

I mean, really, the police? Seriously?

Don’t worry. Reluctant sleuth or not, Emma will either solve her client’s murder (with the help of my attention to detail and well-honed instincts) or step aside and let me do it completely on my own, “side character” or not.

A Plus One for Murder, A Friend for Hire Mystery #1
Genre: Cozy
Release: December 2021
Purchase Link

Entrepreneur Emma Westlake is reinventing herself as a hired friend when murder gets in the way in this exciting new mystery series from USA Today bestselling author Laura Bradford.

Emma Westlake has always wanted to be in business for herself. As a kid, she had her own successful lemonade stand and dog-walking business. And when she entered adulthood, Emma sunk all her cash into her dream job of travel planning. But as her customers became more and more internet savvy, the need for her services declined. At a loss for what to do next, she turns to an elderly friend who suggests she try to get paid for doing something she’s really good at–being a paid companion. Emma thinks it’s a crazy idea until requests start pouring in. Big Max from down the block wants her to act as his wingman at the local senior center’s upcoming dance, nurse practitioner Stephanie needs a workout partner, and writer Brian Hill asks Emma to be his cheering section at an open mic night.

Brian will be reading from his latest work and wants to know someone will clap for him when he’s done. When Emma balks at the notion that people wouldn’t, he tells her the room will be filled with people he’s invited–most of whom will likely want him dead by the time he’s done reading. Assuming he’s joking, she laughs. But when Brian steps up to the mic and clears his throat to speak, he promptly drops dead. Emma is one of the last people to see him alive, and so she becomes an immediate suspect. Now she’ll have to cozy up to a killer to save her skin and her new business.

About the author
While spending a rainy afternoon at a friend’s house as a child, Laura Bradford fell in love with writing over a stack of blank paper, a box of crayons, and a freshly sharpened number-two pencil. From that moment forward, she never wanted to do or be anything else. Today, Laura is the USA Today bestselling author of several mystery series including; the Amish Mysteries, the Emergency Dessert Squad Mysteries, the Tobi Tobias Mysteries, the Southern Sewing Circle Mysteries (written as Elizabeth Lynn Casey), and the new A Friend for Hire Mysteries. To learn more about Laura and/or her books, visit her website at  laurabradford.com.

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