Hi! I’m Kelly Jackson, the new manager of Redwood Cove Bed and Breakfast. I had quite a day today, and I’d like to tell you about it. The day started out quietly enough. I walked out of the inn and headed for the parking lot. I paused for a moment as I began to open the door of my Jeep and turned to admire the spectacular view of the Pacific Ocean. I breathed in deeply, and the tang of the salt air filled my lungs. I reveled in the beauty of my new home on the northern California coast.

I got in my vehicle and headed for “The Barn,” the nickname the townspeople had given the meeting area of the Redwood Cove Community Center. I was going to attend a presentation put on by my boss, Michael Corrigan. He owns Resorts International and the inn I now manage. On the short drive inland, I passed towering redwood trees and bright green meadows. I sighed with pleasure, blissfully unaware of what was ahead of me.

My first surprise for the day was meeting a herd of renegade Nigerian dwarf baby goats. The living room of the main house at the center was full of the adorable creatures. They were in constant motion with leaps, jumps, and bounding from one piece of furniture to another. The manager of the center, Scott Thompson, was doing his best to shoo them out. They ignored him. Bleating filled the air.

We had some laughter filled minutes together trying to control the miniature goats until the owner of the herd showed up with his two Border Collies. He apologized profusely saying he had to put the critters in the backyard because he couldn’t get his rig close enough to the livestock pens. He didn’t know the back door was open. He quickly took care of the mischievous creatures. Scott explained they were renting the goats to try out the newest class craze, goat yoga.

Scott and I headed for the meeting. Michael Corrigan had built the center to help improve the lives of the local townspeople through a variety of classes and resources for assistance. Opportunities of this sort were scarce in the small, coastal town. He also built cabins for some of the struggling veterans in the area. We were here to learn the final details of an event Michael had organized. He had invited some of the wealthiest people in the country to it in the hopes they would replicate what he had created in other areas.

We settled in our chairs, and listened to Michael review the details of what was going to take place. I’d received updates as the plans progressed, so I was familiar with what was discussed. Everything was routine until he introduced Warden Luis Rodriguez of the California Department of Fish and Wildlife who wanted to talk about a problem happening in the area.

He started his speech by saying, “I want to let you all know we’ve discovered there has been plant poaching going on of a succulent called Dudleya farinosa.”

Plant poaching? I shook my head. I’d never heard of it before.

The warden went on to share the plant had become popular in many countries and each one was selling for approximately fifty dollars and sometimes more. Tons of the plants had been taken off the coastal cliffs. Nothing violent had happened yet, but a lot of money was involved. He asked us to be careful and vigilant when we were out and about on the coast.

Deputy Bill Stanton entered the room and sat next to Scott. I was curious as to why he had come.

When Michael returned to the lectern, I quickly found out why the officer was there. One of the guests had a stalker and two others had received threats around some projects they were involved in. A number of people would be coming with bodyguards. Michael shared that surveillance cameras had been installed and veterans from the center would be patrolling the grounds.

The fun moments with the goats faded as I reflected on what I had learned. We might be harmed by plant poachers and some of the guests were possibly in danger. I wondered what was next. Little did I know it would be murder.

Murder in the Wine Country is the sixth book in the “Kelly Jackson” cozy mystery series, released April 28, 2020.

Weeding out killers wasn’t part of the job description . . .

Kelly Jackson, manager of the Redwood Cove Bed and Breakfast, is excited to participate in an event to raise awareness for the plight of struggling veterans in their Northern California coastal community. Local wineries are sponsoring tastings, and to prepare for a culinary competition, professional chefs will forage for wild edible greens. Kelly plans to come along, despite a warning to beware of poachers, who have been stealing the highly valued succulent Dudleya farinosa.

The senior sleuths who call themselves the Silver Sentinels join forces with environmental activists known as the Succulent Saviors to thwart the poaching operation. When a consultant for the sale of a local winery is murdered, the poachers are suspected—but so is a wine merchant, Kelly’s friend Phil. As Kelly and the Silver Sentinels attempt to root out the real killer, what she digs up might just put her permanently underground . . .

Purchase Link
# # # # # # # # # # #

About the author
Janet Finsilver is the USA TODAY best-selling author of the Kelly Jackson mystery series. Murder at Redwood Cove, her debut mystery, was released on October 13, 2015. Five books followed with her most recent released April 28, 2020, of book six, Murder in the Wine Country. Janet and her husband reside in the San Francisco Bay Area. She loves animals and has two dogs—Kylie and Ellie. You can learn more about Janet at janetfinsilver.com and on her author Facebook page.

All comments are welcomed.