. . .And Her New Partner Cuddles

I adore investigations, always have. When I played Julia Pinkerton in Julia Pinkerton, Teen Detective, I embodied her. That was my job, sure, but also because PI work seemed a lot more interesting than acting. Now that I’m a for-real private investigator—well, okay, apprentice to a for-real private investigator—sleuthing hasn’t been as exciting as I thought.

Not that I thought investigations would be fun. Just that there would be a lot more … investigating. My new mentor, Annie, finds infidelity cases the best way to make a buck. She loves to use me as the honey in a honey trap. As an actress, the flirty bimbo’s an easy role to play, but it’s depressing.

Even worse, our last sting went sour. And I got stuck with the guy riding shotgun with me today. He’s the one keeping me from doing real investigative work. Good thing he’s cute. Especially his chocolate brown eyes. Big and muscular, too. Unfortunately, he has anger issues. Super possessive. A real alpha male, which has not gone over well with my boyfriend (and ex-mentor), Wyatt Nash. There’s been some clashes, let me tell you.

Then there’s the drool.

Yep, I’m saddled with Cuddles, a slobbery gigantic bullmastiff, while his owner’s waiting arraignment. Annie’s got me on dog sitting duties, not field work. Plus, he’s impeding my extra-curricular investigating.

About that…

Despite the implications, I’m not investigating Nash. Not for the reasons you’d think, anyway. It’s tricky work, too. Nash was a private investigator. A great one. Just not great with the business side—the side Annie excels at. Which is why, among other reasons (for example, hiring an ex-celebrity as an apprentice), Nash lost his business and ended up working as head of security at DeerNose Apparel.

My father’s company.

Nash hasn’t said there’s anything hinky going on at my father’s company. But he also has an extra-curricular investigation. Into my father’s company. Which tells me something’s fishy.

Naturally, I want to know what smells. Other than the scent of the clothing (don’t get me started on that). It’s my father’s company, for goodness’ sake! Nash is protecting me from something that’s going on at DeerNose; I just know it. He’d never lie to me, but he can be overprotective. Kind of like Cuddles.

Just less slobbery.

This is why I started my covert investigation on Nash. To be honest, this investigation has been exhilarating, just like I imagined detective work would be. Unfortunately, it’s not super healthy for our relationship.

Until I spied Nash spying on our new client’s wife.
Who was just found murdered…
I know she must be related to Nash’s covert investigation into DeerNose, despite Annie’s beliefs.

Now Nash is wrapped in our new case—that I’m not allowed to work on. The client’s wife is wrapped in my private investigation on Nash—that I should not be doing. And DeerNose is tied into everything. Somehow. Which means my father is in trouble.

And Cuddles is making it difficult for me to unwrap anything. Unless it’s a fast food wrapper.

19 Criminals, A Maizie Albright Star Detective Mystery Book #8
Genre: Romantic Comedy Mystery
Release: January 2024
Format: Print, Digital
Purchase Link

Is It Considered Stalking Your Boyfriend If He’s Involved In Your Murder Investigation? (Asking For A Friend)

#WannabeMrsSmith Ex-celebrity and current (assistant) private investigator Maizie Albright finds her already strange life has become even odder. Her new partner is 150 pounds and canine. And her ex-partner/still-boyfriend is on the wrong side of her infidelity case.

It’s Spy vs Spy — or rather, Detective vs Detective — when Maizie and Nash realize they’re both tailing the same subject for very different reasons. Can Maizie out-investigate Nash to learn the secrets he’s probing into at her father’s company?

Her relationship is on the line, but it’s more than her heart at stake. Her career rests on this case. And there’s a killer at large. One who will do anything to keep dark secrets from getting dragged into the light.

About the author
A Wall Street Journal bestselling author, Larissa loves to tell funny stories about sassy Southern women looking for love (and sometimes dead bodies) in all the wrong places, like in her international award-winning Cherry Tucker Mystery, Maizie Albright Star Detective, and Finley Goodhart Crime Caper series. You might have seen Larissa and her family with their little dog, Biscuit, on HGTV’s House Hunters International “Living for the Weekend in Nagoya” episode. They’re back in Georgia where Biscuit has a bigger yard and now barks at deer instead of crows.

Check out LarissaReinhart.com to learn more and get a free story while you’re visiting.