A black floppy hat, big enough to hide my face. A long-sleeved black T-shirt, and a black skirt that goes down to my ankles. Black sandals. Black oversized sunglasses to hide my red eyes and any tears. A black cat on my shoulders. I guess we’re set to go.

Let me introduce myself. Here in Harmony Beach, the boardwalk town where I grew up, I’m known as Maggie. Back in California, where I lived for the past five years with my husband, I went by Mags. But now my husband is dead, murdered. We were supposed to just be here for three days, the first time we’ve been back since we eloped and shocked the town, but now Eddie is dead, and I’m stuck here, trying to solve a case with a cat who’s chattering in my ear.

I wish I could just grieve, but I can’t. As a child, I was considered a crybaby, too sensitive by the town’s standards. So, as soon as I could, I figured out the best way to survive was to develop an invisibility shield, which I pretty much perfected, until my best friend, my only friend, dared me to try out for the high school musical. He knew how much I loved to sing. That was supposed to be a secret. But he somehow heard the tunes under my breath.

Anyway, long story short, I snagged the role and won the heart of the leading man, the charismatic charmer, the town dreamboat. People loved our romance as long as the play was running. But once it was over, and Eddie and I escaped off into the night, right before high school graduation, the town changed their tune. They still loved Eddie. But they blamed me for taking him away from them. Of course, now that he’s dead, they’re convinced that I did it. And I can’t trust our small-town police chief to solve the crime. He doesn’t have the experience. This is not supposed to happen in Harmony Beach. So it’s up to me and this cat to solve this case, avenge my husband, and make the world as right as it possibly can be after his murder. Simple, right? Somehow we’re going to figure it out.

Boardwalk Betrayal, A Maggie and Pepper Mystery #1
Genre: Cozy
Release: May 2022
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A chatty feline and a tragic murder. Can this loyal wife solve a heartbreaking crime?

Maggie Romano happily gave up everything to elope to California with the town heartthrob. Though when the ambitious actor’s pursuit of Hollywood stardom falters and he needs his mentor’s advice, she reluctantly agrees to head back to their old beachside haunts. But she’s shaken to her core when on a solo seaside stroll, she stumbles upon her spouse’s dead body.

Shocked that she’s the prime suspect, the grieving widow sets out to clear her name before she’s arrested for a crime she didn’t commit. But with the small-town paper sensationalizing the homicide and her husband’s dark secrets coming to light, even teaming up with a talking cat may not keep Maggie from jail. . . or worse, becoming the killer’s next victim.

Can she and her new furry friend crack the case before she’s slammed behind bars?

Boardwalk Betrayal is the quirky first tale in The Maggie and Pepper Mysteries. If you like charismatic characters, coastal conundrums, and talkative pets, then you’ll love Wendy Ledger’s memorable whodunit.

Meet the author
Wendy Ledger lives in the California Gold Country with her husband and their three cats. Her two favorite authors are Anne Tyler and Elinor Lippman. She is inspired by their warmhearted, poignant, wise yet whimsical prose and aims for that tone and style in her cozy mysteries.

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