Frozen in Cherry Hills

By Paige Sleuth

First days can be killer.

Kat Harper's first day at her new job doesn't go as planned when a runaway cat leads her to a dead body outside of her office building. Things only get worse when Sadie Cramer's death is deemed a homicide, and Kat has to wonder what she's gotten herself into by accepting this position.

Much to Kat's—and her police detective boyfriend's—dismay, she soon encounters plenty of people with motive for murder. From an employee fired right before the Thanksgiving holiday, to a grown son ruthlessly cut out of an inheritance, it seems the late career counselor angered several people shortly before her passing. And now it's up to the office building's newly hired amateur sleuth to figure out exactly who is guilty . . . preferably without turning into a victim herself.

All of the Cozy Cat Caper Mystery books can be enjoyed as standalones but will be better appreciated as part of the series. The books are light, fun cozy mysteries featuring an animal-loving female amateur sleuth, lovable and not-so-lovable quirky characters, and a page-turning mystery that needs solving. None of the books include cliffhangers, bad language, or graphic scenes.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Marla Bradeen
• Release date: Oct 18, 2016
• ISBN: 9781370708079

Paige Sleuth

Paige Sleuth is a pseudonym for mystery author Marla Bradeen (http://www.marlabradeen.com/). She plots murder during the day and fights for mattress space with her two rescue cats at night. When not attending to her cats' demands, she writes.Please join her readers' group so she can keep in touch: http://hyperurl.co/readersgroup

Book preview

Frozen in Cherry Hills

A Cozy Cat Caper Mystery

Book 10

Paige Sleuth

Copyright © 2016 Marla Bradeen (writing as Paige Sleuth)

All rights reserved.

Published by Marla Bradeen.

This book or portions of it (excluding brief quotations) may not be reproduced without prior written permission from the publisher/author.

This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events, and incidents are either products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons (living or dead), actual businesses, or actual events is purely coincidental.

This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. If this ebook copy was not purchased by or for you, please purchase your own copy before reading. Thank you for respecting this author’s work.

First days can be killer.

Kat Harper’s first day at her new job doesn’t go as planned when a runaway cat leads her to a dead body outside of her office building. Things only get worse when Sadie Cramer’s death is deemed a homicide, and Kat has to wonder what she’s gotten herself into by accepting this position.

Much to Kat’s—and her police detective boyfriend’s—dismay, she soon encounters plenty of people with motive for murder. From an employee fired right before the Thanksgiving holiday, to a grown son ruthlessly cut out of an inheritance, it seems the late career counselor angered several people shortly before her passing. And now it’s up to the office building’s newly hired amateur sleuth to figure out exactly who is guilty . . . preferably without turning into a victim herself.

All of the Cozy Cat Caper Mystery books can be enjoyed as standalones but will be better appreciated as part of the series. The books are light, fun cozy mysteries featuring an animal-loving female amateur sleuth, lovable and not-so-lovable quirky characters, and a page-turning mystery that needs solving. None of the books include cliffhangers, bad language, or graphic scenes.

Table of Contents

CHAPTER ONE

CHAPTER TWO

CHAPTER THREE

CHAPTER FOUR

CHAPTER FIVE

CHAPTER SIX

CHAPTER SEVEN

CHAPTER EIGHT

CHAPTER NINE

CHAPTER TEN

CHAPTER ELEVEN

NOTE FROM THE AUTHOR

HIT & RUN IN CHERRY HILLS

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

CHAPTER ONE

It’s a nasty habit, but I can’t seem to stop, Maura O’Malley said to Katherine Harper, taking another puff from her cigarette.

Kat cinched her coat tighter, wishing she had thought to grab her mittens from her desk before heading outside. I understand.

Maura blew out a breath, smoke swirling in front of her. Kat could see her own breath as well, but she blamed the cold for that. It was only the last day of November, not even winter yet, and it was already freezing. It didn’t help that it had snowed all Thanksgiving weekend, the results of which now sat in heaps alongside the sides of their office building. Kat felt as if she’d been dropped into the middle of Siberia.

She needed a better coat, she decided. Either that or she would have to make sure she didn’t volunteer to accompany Maura on any more of her cigarette breaks until the first spring blossoms made an appearance in Cherry Hills, Washington.

Kat eyed her new boss, who didn’t seem bothered by the cold. Maura’s cheeks were as rosy as they had been inside, although maybe that was the result of her wearing so much makeup. Kat suspected that with Maura’s lush brown hair, green eyes, olive complexion, and wide smile she would be pretty even without the makeup.

Although, Kat couldn’t help but think, Maura would be ten times more attractive if she’d lose the cigarette in her hand.

Maura toed a patch of snow. This will sound crazy, but I feel like smoking is part of my identity. I mean, I started when I was twenty. That’s over half my lifetime ago. How do you shake something that’s been with you your entire adult life?

Kat shifted from foot to foot in a vain attempt to get her blood circulating. I hear it’s a tough habit to break.

It’s the worst. Maura paused, then said, Have you noticed not many people smoke in Cherry Hills? Why do you think that is? Before I moved here I knew a bunch of smokers. We used to . . .

Kat mentally willed Maura to stop talking and start working on getting her nicotine fix. As much as she liked her new boss, she was starting to lose feeling in her fingers and toes.

She probably wouldn’t have agreed to join Maura outside today, except it was her first day at her new programming job and she didn’t want to start off with her boss thinking she wasn’t a team player. After all, it wasn’t as if she had any assignments to work on yet. She had spent most of the morning filling out new-hire paperwork, and Maura had only just finished giving her a tour of the DataRightly offices before claiming she needed a short break.

You don’t have to stand here with me, Maura said, squinting at Kat. You’re obviously cold.

‘Cold’ was an understatement, but Kat didn’t want to admit as much. I’m okay, she said instead.

Maura looked around, her brow furrowed. I wonder where Sadie is today.

Who’s Sadie? Kat asked.

Sadie Cramer. She’s another hopeless nicotine addict, the only other one working in this building as far as I know. We made a pact to quit together once, but you know how that goes.

Kat smiled, trying to keep her teeth from chattering. At least you’re trying.

Not hard enough. Maura’s face lit up. Oh, look at that.

Maura