My name’s Darby Alexander and I live in Pine Ridge, Arkansas, a podunk town near the Missouri border. Excuse me if I sound rushed. I am. It’s Friday morning and I’m already running behind.

I’m usually up early but coping with the fact that my cheating husband moved in with his sexy secretary has drained my energy. After eighteen years of marriage, he’s hired a lawyer and talks of divorce, which means we may have to sell the house. Since our home is a duplex and I need that rental income, I add that thought to the myriad other worries that cross my mind.

As I drive to class in my twelve-year-old blue Focus, I think about the years since Mama passed away and realize she had been the buffer in a high school romance and marriage that stopped working years before. Sloughing off the sinking feeling in my stomach I try to put negative thoughts out of my mind.

***

Home after class, I no sooner close the door from the garage than my cell rings. It’s Lurlene. “Hi, what’s up?” I ask my best friend since kindergarten. She and her husband Sonny are lifelines whenever I need a shoulder to cry on or a push when I need to get moving.

“Not much,” she says. “Wanna grab some lunch?”

My stomach growls. I try to remember the last time I ate and figure it was a cheese stick last night while watching TV.

“Sounds great,” I say. “How about the Chicken Shack.” Visions of crispy chicken skin and meat melting off the bone fills my brain.

In minutes I’m out the door and heading for the Shack. I see Lurlene’s T Bird parked in front. Inside I see her at a back booth and weave my way through the crowded room. Sliding into the booth, I pick up the menu. “You got here quick.”

“Sure did. I was already out.” She proceeds to fill me in on her morning, which includes errands after fixing Sonny’s breakfast. “Plus, you’ll never guess who I saw.” She lifts her eyebrows and puts a smug smile on her lips.

“No, I can’t imagine who you saw in Pine Ridge that would be a surprise.” I roll my eyes. “The Dali Llama?”

She laughs. “You’re a riot. No, the new police chief.”

Now my ears perk up. According to the article in the Springerville Bugler, the chief’s name is Scott Tipton and he came to Pine Ridge after a long career with the Tulsa PD. “What does he look like?”

“What do looks have to do with anything?” Lurlene asks. “He’s tall, nice looking, and that gunbelt around his waist made him look dangerous.” She pauses while the server takes our order. “He was going into Lois’s diner across from the police station.”

“Must not be a brown-bagger,” I pointed out. “Anyway, he won’t be here long. There’s not enough crime here in Pine Ridge to keep someone like that”

I never thought those words would end up haunting me.

FOWL DEEDS
Series: A Pine Ridge Mystery, Book 1
Genre: Cozy Mystery
Release: April 2026
Format: Print, Digital
Amazon | Barnes & Noble

After catching her husband cheating with his bombshell secretary, Darby Alexander swears her life can’t get any messier. Until a dead man shows up in her front yard.

Now, her quiet Arkansas neighborhood is crawling with cops—including the town’s new police chief whose good looks stir feelings she can’t ignore. When the victim turns out to be an ex-con—with her address tucked into his pocket—Darby realizes she’s not just unlucky in love… she might be next on a killer’s list.

Ignoring warnings to stay out of police business, Darby and her best friend Lurlene dive into a world of small-town secrets, shady dealings, and intrigue at the local poultry plant. What begins as curiosity morphs into a fight for her life as Darby uncovers a deadly conspiracy no one saw coming.

Meet the author
Wanda McLaughlin writes the kind of stories she loves to read—warm, witty mysteries where strong women, loyal friends, and small-town secrets take center stage. Her debut cozy, Fowl Deeds: A Pine Ridge Mystery, was named Best Cozy Mystery by the Southern California Writers Conference and earned an honorable mention from the Writers’ League of Texas.

Before turning to crime (on the page, that is), Wanda worked as a professional résumé writer and contributed to national career books and magazines. Her award-winning short fiction has appeared in Mystery Tribune, FewerThan500.com, and several anthologies.

A graduate of the University of Texas, Wanda now lives in the Hill Country of Texas, where she’s usually found at her keyboard, plotting her next Pine Ridge mystery—supervised by her cat, Tess, who insists on creative input (and frequent treats).

Follow Wanda on Facebook and Instagram; visit her website at www.wandamclaughlin.com.