It’s not every day that I learn something new and unexpected about myself, so maybe I can’t say today is a typical one. What did I learn? I discovered I do have a jealous bone. You’d think that attaining my early forties, being a successful Realtor and owning a thriving real estate company with my husband, Tom, would give me enough self-confidence that I’d never be jealous of anyone, but here I am feeling a little bit like a schoolgirl comparing myself to the prom queen and coming up short ― which is hard to do considering I’m 5’9” tall.
What makes this jealousy thing so surprising is that Tom, who is the love of my life, would probably say the same thing about me. But there’s this Carmel Realtor. . . Well, perhaps I should explain a bit before I get into telling you about my rival.
A few days ago Mireya Varner made a sobbing entrance at my office begging me to help her. Not only had her mother, Martha―a client and friend of mine―been murdered, but before she died, Martha entered into a real estate contract that was about to make Mireya homeless.
Mireya was desperate and I’ve had some experience with murder in the past so I agreed to help her. I don’t call what I do meddling, although my best friend Santa Cruz Police Ombudsman Dave Everett does, and besides, all that I was going to do was read a real estate contract―something I do every day―and figure out a way to break it.
Which brings me to that Carmel Realtor, Roya Matthews, and my jealous bone. Almost everything about Roya: her hair, her makeup, her outfits, her figure, and much as I hate to admit it, her contract writing skills, is perfect. Tom thinks so, too, which is disturbing because Roya flirts with him like crazy right in front of me and he seems flattered by her blatant attention.
The one fault I’ve found with Roya is that she appears ethically challenged, although I seem to be the only one to think so. I need to look further into what she’s doing without making everyone around me think I’m becoming obsessed because I’m jealous of her.
Investigating her is my third priority, though, because I do have real estate clients and now the police think Mireya killed her mother― which is ridiculous― and I’ll have to work on disproving that because the circumstantial evidence is piling up.
Looks like another super busy day for me. At least that much is typical.
You can read more about Regan in The Two-Faced Triplex, the seventh book in the “Regan McHenry Real Estate” mystery series. The first book in the series is The Death Contingency.
Regan signs on to play consoler-and-chief after the body of Martha Varner, one of her favorite clients, is found and the woman’s distraught daughter begs Regan to stop escrow from closing on a purchase her mother was about to make.
Martha Varner’s death, at first ruled suicide, is quickly ruled homicide. The dead woman’s best friend thinks she knows who Martha’s killer is. The police have a different suspect. And Regan? Well, she has her own ideas about who killed Martha Varner.
She just can’t imagine how complicated playing amateur sleuth will make her life and how dangerous her investigation will prove to be for her husband, Tom.
The Two-Faced Triplex is the seventh book in the Regan McHenry Real Estate Mysteries series and probably the last of Regan and Tom’s adventures. Dave, Santa Cruz Police Department Ombudsman and Regan’s best friend, makes a return appearance and Harry, Regan and Tom’s rescue cat is pressed into service as a decoy.
As usual, action takes place in Santa Cruz County, but clues lead Regan to Carmel as she tries to find out what Martha wa doing in the days leading up to her murder.
Purchase Link
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Giveaway: Leave a comment below for your chance to win a print copy of The Two-Faced Triplex. U.S. entries only, please. The giveaway ends May 9, 2018. Good luck everyone!
About the author
Nancy Lynn Jarvis was a Santa Cruz, California, Realtor® for more than twenty years before she fell in love with writing and let her license lapse.
After earning a BA in behavioral science from San Jose State University, she worked in the advertising department of the San Jose Mercury News. A move to Santa Cruz meant a new job as a librarian and later a stint as the business manager for Shakespeare/Santa Cruz at UCSC.
Nancy’s work history reflects her philosophy: people should try something radically different every few years, a philosophy she applies to her writing, as well. The Two-Faced Triplex is the seventh and likely final book in the Regan McHenry Real Estate Mysteries series, but she has taken breaks to write a stand-alone book called Mags and the AARP Gang about a group of octogenarian bank robbers, and to edit Cozy Food: 128 Cozy Mystery Writers Share Their Favorite Recipes. She just released The Truth About Hosting Airbnb using notes she took about her first year of guests in another of her new adventures and is currently editing an anthology of short stories from Santa Cruz authors with the title and theme “Santa Cruz Weird.”
Nancy is looking forward to beginning work on two new series, “Geezers with Tools,” about two older handymen who will solve mysteries in the course of doing their work, and “P.I.P. Inc.” featuring private investigator Pat, a woman who turns to amateur private investigation after she’s downsized from her regular job.
All comments are welcomed.
Sounds like a fascinating book, Nancy! I have read several in the series and have never been disappointed in the mystery! Now besides the murder there is a contract to be broken and “another woman” to deal with as well. Can’t wait to read this one!
Thanks, Barbara.
Sorry to say, this is a new author to me, but the preview to this book sounds quite interesting and I wish I had read the books prior to this already. I live the idea of older people like myself having stories about them. I will be very interested in reading the new series for that reason alone. With the authors very interesting employment history, information for books sounds ample and I will anxious to check them out.
Thank you.
Cynthia
Good morning all. Thank you Dru Ann for hosting Regan. I should let you know the books don’t need to be read in order, so starting with the last one isn’t a problem..
A real estate agent as a sleuth sounds interesting! Never heard of this series before so I’m glad you featured it! Thanks.
Sounds good to me. If it is the last book in the series at least we have the first 6 to read too.
This book sounds intriguing and compelling. Thanks for this great feature.
I haven’t read any of the previous books, so I see I have some reading to do. Looking forward to this.
Sounds like a series & author I need to read. Thanks for the giveaway.
Nancy Lynn Jarvis sounds like a very ambitious writer.
I have not read her books yet but I will look for them.
I’m glad the series does not have to be read in order.
Interesting sounding! Have not read any of this author before. I will have to remedy that situation
What a fun title.
If you read the book, you’ll know it makes sense, too.
I have not seen this series before! I’m eager to get started! Don’t cast me out if you notice I show up with a UK IP address! I live in USA…but enjoying a few beautiful sunny days in UK!
Thanks for offering this chance to win this mystery. I love Santa Cruz by the way. We spent our summer vacations there when we were kids!
Sounds like an interesting read.
Nancy is a new author to me. I really liked the description of the book. Sounds like a great read.
New to me author, sounds like one I am sorry I missed. Thanks for the chance to win a copy.
I’m curious about Harry the cat is used as a decoy.
You’ll have to read the book to find out, but suffice it to say Harry was not happy about his role.
It’s always fun to find another author/series that I haven’t read. Title is intriguing!
This sounds like a great book. The series is new to me, always a good find! Thanks for the chance to win!
Sounds like a winner.
This series will be the first one I’ve read with a Realtor as the crime solver….can’t wait!
There aren’t many Realtor/sleuths although Realtors come in contract with crime and even murder surprisingly often.
**** WINNER ****
The Two-Faced Triplex is Gram
Congratulations!