I looked around my apartment. The Sunday meal with my family was going to be crowded today. Everyone could make it, including Ansel. the hunky contractor who helps Jerod and me flip houses. As usual, his live-in girlfriend, Emily, had kicked him out of their apartment so that she could sleep. She’s a nurse and works nights, but I swear, almost everything Ansel does bothers her.

Luckily, there’s a large arch between my dining room and living room, so I can stretch my trestle table enough to accommodate everyone, but someday—probably sooner rather than later—I’m going to have to find a bigger place to live. Mom and Dad’s house has more room, but Mom doesn’t like to cook, let alone entertain. My cousin Jerod and his Franny live in a big, old farmhouse, but Franny’s busy enough refinishing furniture and taking care of their two kids. She doesn’t need more people trooping into her kitchen every Sunday. Counting me, thirteen people will be here today.

I love to cook, and I’ve been doing the Sunday meals long enough, I’m organized, but it’s so darn hot this July, I decided to keep the meal simple. I have five pork tenderloins on the grill with a Chinese glaze to brush over them, potato salad I made yesterday, a green bean and tomato salad, and two strawberry cakes for dessert. Another do-ahead. Now, I just have to find space for everyone.

Ansel came early to help me put every leaf in the table. We had to grab the two lawn chairs on the front porch to have enough seats. He counted one more time and nodded. “You’re set.”

The man’s white T-shirt clung to him, and his jeans rode low on his hips. Muscles rippled everywhere. If he weren’t in a serious relationship, I’d throw myself on him. At six-five with white-blond hair and blue eyes, he could be a poster boy for why every American should adopt a Norseman. At least, every single female.

Before I started drooling, Jerod showed up with Franny and his kids. They were always the first ones in my family to arrive. They went straight to the kitchen to spread a few crackers with the cheese ball I made. Jerod always came hungry. So did Ansel.

Munching a cracker, Jerod grabbed a beer from the fridge and came to spread a newspaper ad in front of me. “An auction,” he said. “Bet we can get this cheap. When a place is in this bad of shape, most people run.”

A lovely stone cottage sat on an overgrown lawn full of weeds. We were almost done with the house we’d been working on. It had already sold. Houses were in short supply right now, and when we redid a house, it was darn near perfect. Soon, we’d need to start work on a new project.

I bit my bottom lip. “You recognize this house, right?”

Jerod frowned. “It looks familiar.”

“That was Cal Juniper’s house, the man who was engaged to my Aunt Lynda before she left River Bluffs and never returned.” Correct that. Before she left River Bluffs and no one ever heard from her again. “We can bid on it, but don’t say a word about the house to my mom. The whole Aunt Lynda thing still upsets her. Gram gets all choked up, too.”

Jerod narrowed his eyes and studied the rolled roof and English country style vibe. “But you’re okay about working on it?”

“It’s a beautiful house. I’d love to see it restored to its former glory. If Lynda hadn’t disappeared, it would be in our family.” Besides, Cal had died a while ago. His nephews had inherited his money—enough that they didn’t care about the property. They rented it out and never checked on it. Our link to the house was gone, right? If Jerod, Ansel, and I restored it, what harm could come of that?

You can read more about Jazzi in The Body in the Attic, the first book in the NEW “Jazzi Zanders” mystery series.

Welcome to River Bluffs, Indiana, a cozy small town populated with charming homes, close-knit families, and the occasional deadly secret . . .

House-flipper Jazzi Zanders and her cousin Jerod have found their latest project. The property, formerly owned by the late Cal Juniper, is filled with debris that must be cleared before the real renovation begins. But a trip to the attic reveals something more disturbing than forgotten garbage—a skeleton wearing a locket and rings that Jazzi recognizes . . .

Tests confirm that the bones belong to Jazzi’s aunt Lynda, who everyone assumed moved to New York years ago after breaking up with Cal. Soon enough, the whole family is involved, sifting through memories and rumors as they try to piece together what really happened to Lynda—and the baby she gave up for adoption. In between investigating and remodeling, Jazzi is falling for the old house’s charms—and for her gorgeous contractor, Ansel. But with surprises lurking in every nook and cranny, a killer might be waiting to demolish her dreams for good . . .

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Meet the author
I live in Indiana, so many of my books are based in the Midwest. I love it here. I wrote urban fantasies as Judith Post before I tried my hand at writing romance under the pen name Judi Lynn. Instead of fighting epic battles, I wrote internal, emotional struggles to find happy ever after for my six Mill Pond romances. Then my editor gave me the choice of writing more romance or switching to mysteries. When I first dabbled with writing, I wrote mystery short stories, so I jumped at the chance. I love to cook, so cooking is part of the stories I write. My husband and I bought a 1920’s small bungalow and have spent the rest of our lives fixing it up, so that’s part of my Jazzi series, too.

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