Stella: All we wanted was some peace, quiet, and a cozy little place to call home.

Nick: And a fifty-five inch plasma TV above the fireplace.

Stella: Ahem . . . having lived in the city all our married lives, Vermont offered us a haven away from the hustle, bustle, crowds, and pollution. It also gave my husband Nick an opportunity to get out from behind his desk at the US Forest Service and dive into some field work.

Nick: People are always surprised to learn that the US Forest Service has a field station in New York, but there it is – right there at Fort Totten in Bayside, just down the road from some of the best Chinese food in the city. It’s been a good experience, but it’s not the same as working in the great outdoors.

Stella: So when Nick got the field job, we found ourselves a sweet little circa 1890 farmhouse, packed up our belongings, and moved to Vermont. The new place had everything we wanted: solid construction, new kitchen, lots of living space, a level tree-lined yard perfect for a garden, and a location close to the town of Teignmouth.

Nick: It also had a feature not mentioned by the Multiple Listing Service – a dead guy in the well.

Stella: So much for our haven. Allen Weston, a plumbing contractor and land developer, had been hired to inspect and service the well at our new Vermont house the morning we were set to close on the property.

Nick: Land developer?

Stella: That’s what it says on Weston’s website.

Nick: Fraud’s more like it. The dude left a Korean War veteran with a flooded front yard, allegedly stole a valuable painting from our crazy neighbor, and involved our real estate agent in a flipping scheme.

Stella: Flopping scheme. Flipping is legal. Flopping isn’t.

Nick: Then there are the women. I’m not sure how, but Weston was supposedly a ladies man.

Stella: Some women find power and wealth alluring. Weston was probably quite confident, as well.

Nick: That must be it, because he wasn’t very good looking.

Stella: To be fair, Nick, when we saw him he’d been dead several hours.

Nick: I guess you have a point there.

Stella: In any event, someone – be it a spurned lover, a jealous husband, or someone he scammed – shot Allen Weston while he was working at our house and let his body fall to the bottom of our well. The police believe the shots came from inside our house.

Nick: So now our house, our oasis of calm, has been declared a crime scene.

Stella: Meaning we can’t move in until Weston’s murder is solved. What with all the hotels and B&Bs booked due to fall foliage –

Nick: People come here by the busload to look at leaves. I mean, I knew this place drew hikers, skiers, and antique buffs, but there’s a whole class of folks who literally ride around all day, look at leaves, eat, purchase maple products, and bog down traffic. It’s insane.

Stella: — we’ve had to rely upon the kindness of strangers, namely Alma DeVille, the owner of the luncheonette in town. She’s letting Nick and I stay in her brother’s deer hunting camp, which is highly reminiscent of the basement in Nick’s parents’ house in Staten Island.

Nick: Minus the plastic furniture covers.

Stella: I actually wish we had those plastic furniture covers. At least we could spray everything down with disinfectant. Except for the latrine . . . that requires some high level explosives.

Nick: My wife’s not the “outdoorsy type.”

Stella: Nick’s right, I’m not. As a former curator of textiles for the Metropolitan Museum of Art, I’m far more comfortable in a clean, temperature-controlled environment, but I’ve been making the best of it.

Nick: Feeding her wine and chocolate helps.

Stella: Still, it would be nice to get settled into our new home. Sheriff Mills has been quite understanding of our situation, but it seems as if his team is dragging their heels on the case. That’s why Nick and I have decided to run our own investigation into Allen Weston’s murder.

Nick: OK, so the plasma TV was my idea. The investigation, however, is strictly Stella’s.

Stella: But we both agree that the quicker the case is solved, the quicker we can sleep in our own bed.

Nick: We did. We’re both eager to solve the case and I’m definitely anxious to ditch the air mattress we’ve been carting all over town, through the woods, on top of our car . . . I’m just uncertain that sleeping in our own bed is worth taking the risk of dying for.

Stella: Oh, honey, *laughing* I doubt it would ever come to that.

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Well-Offed in Vermont, A Vermont Country Living Mystery #1
Genre: Cozy
Release: October 2021
Purchase Link

Turning over a new leaf in bucolic Vermont, Stella and Nick Buckley soon discover that country life comes with its own special kind of pleasures—and perils . . .

Leaving New York City behind for the rustic farmhouse they bought in rural Vermont, Stella and Nick Buckley discover that small-town life isn’t nearly as quiet and peaceful as they might have hoped. No sooner do the two arrive at their new home than they find a dead body in a well on their property, and they’re quickly exiled to a primitive campsite when the sheriff seals off the crime scene.

As if no electricity, no running water, and leaf-peeping tourists weren’t bad enough, the duo must also contend with an endless variety of quirky and eccentric locals. Quickly realizing that the only way they’ll get back into their farmhouse is to solve the murder themselves, the two dig deep into the life of the victim, who’d racked up more than a few enemies. And while they may never be able to shed their city-folk reputation, Stella and Nick just might nab a cunning killer before he can strike again . . .

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About the author
Author of the critically acclaimed Marjorie McClelland Mysteries, Amy Patricia Meade is a native of Long Island, New York, where she cut her teeth on classic films and books featuring Nancy Drew and Encyclopedia Brown.

After stints as an Operations Manager for a document imaging company and a freelance technical writer, Amy left the bright lights of New York City and headed north to pursue her creative writing career amid the idyllic beauty of Vermont’s Green Mountains.

Now residing in Bristol, England, Amy spends her time writing mysteries with a humorous or historical bent. When not writing—which is rare these days—Amy enjoys traveling, testing out new recipes, classic films, and exploring her new home.

All comments are welcomed.