The Poison in the Pudding: Viola Roberts Cozy Mysteries, #3

By Shéa MacLeod

With a book deadline and Christmas fast approaching, the last thing Viola Roberts has time for is a party. Unfortunately, that's exactly what she gets roped into by the Mayor of Astoria. Party planning it is. Complete with Christmas puddings. 

Everything is humming along just fine when suddenly the guests begin to drop like flies! With both her reputation and her favorite Christmas cookies threatened, Viola has no time to waste. She's got to find the poisoner before somebody ends up dead. 

Viola Roberts Cozy Mysteries:
1 - The Corpse in the Cabana
2 - The Stiff in the Study
3 - The Poison in the Pudding
4 - The Body in the Bathtub 

5 - The Venom in the Valentine

6 - The Remains in the Rectory

7 - The Death in the Drink

8 - The Victim in the Vineyard

9 - The Ghost in the Graveyard

• Language: English
• Publisher: Sunwalker Press
• Release date: Oct 19, 2020
• ISBN: 9781536534702

Shéa MacLeod

Author of the international best selling paranormal series, Sunwalker Saga. Native of Portlandia. Addicted to lemon curd and Ancient Aliens.

Book preview

Acknowledgements

With thanks to Alisa, Tara, and B. Your feedback was invaluable.

Dedication

In memory of my Uncle Roland who knew how to weave a good story.

Chapter 1

Good Luck At The Party

I CAN’T BELIEVE YOU got us into this, Viola Roberts. My best friend and fellow author, Cheryl Delany, stood on a step ladder glaring down at me. There was a smudge of dust on her forehead and I was pretty sure -I saw a cobweb in her spiky, brown hair. She clutched a string of white Christmas lights in one hand and a box of black wall clips in the other. Her job was to string enough lights across the ceiling of the banquet hall that no one would notice the ghastly off-white acoustic tiles with their large, rusty stains. Fat chance, but it was worth a shot. The Masonic Lodge was the best and only place for a holiday party.

I didn’t, exactly. It was the mayor. He annoyed me into it. I frowned at the tangled ball of multi-colored lights I was holding. Why was it that regardless of however carefully you stored Christmas lights they always ended up in a hot mess?

Cheryl snorted. Sounds like him.

Charlie Bayles was the mayor of Astoria, Oregon. He had lots of Very Big Ideas. Unfortunately, he was mostly inept and managed to rope other people into doing the dirty work. Like yours truly. Because I didn’t have a book to finish or anything.

This is an important event, I said, dumping the ball of lights back into their box and walking over to wrestle with the tree stand. Charlie had promised the local Elks would be delivering the Christmas tree at noon and it was a quarter 'til. The library is an essential part of this community and the funds raised at this party will ensure it stays that way. At least, that was Charlie’s idea. I was cautiously optimistic.

I’m still annoyed he didn’t think we were a big enough draw that he had to bring in other authors. She pouted a little as she clipped up a strand of lights and moved on to the next.

I laughed. A hero is never appreciated in her hometown; don’t you know that?

Cheryl was a thriller writer and I was a historical romance writer. I wouldn’t say either of us were famous. Not Nora Roberts or Stephen King famous anyway, but we both made a very good living at our chosen profession. That, however, wasn’t good enough for Mayor Bayles. He wanted a Big Name Author. Someone who would draw in the masses and convince them to spend fifty bucks a head to attend this little shindig. I was fine with it, frankly. I could only handle so many signings and whatnot before I needed a break.

At the last romance novel signing I’d attended, the author at the table next to me brought her cover model. Now I am not averse to handsome men showing up at signings, but I draw the line at them removing their shirts while a couple dozen women old enough to be my mother scream at the top of their lungs for him to take it all off. Planning a Christmas party was just the change of pace I needed.

With the tree stand finally up, I turned my attention to the desserts table, selecting a red tablecloth and green and gold serving plates. I can’t believe the mayor talked me into baking persimmon pudding. Persimmon pudding was a Christmas tradition in my family. When I’d mentioned it during a planning meeting for the Christmas party, the mayor had jumped all over the idea. Apparently, he thought it was whimsical and British sounding. Which, for the mayor, translated into posh and expensive. So, I’d made three, including a gluten free one.

Pudding seems a weird choice, Cheryl said. I mean, walking around with spoons.

It isn’t actually pudding, I explained. It’s sort of like a steamed cake. Very moist, rich, and delicious. You don’t need spoons. And, I grinned, there’s a secret ingredient.

Oh! What’s that?

I could tell you, but then I’d have to kill you.

She rolled her eyes. I can’t believe you let the mayor talk you into baking all those cookies, too. Six different kinds? She shook her head. What does he think you are? A bakery?

And that’s why I got Sandy down at Bakeology to donate all those cookies. Good promo for her, and I don’t have to stay up all night baking. I was inordinately fond of Sandy’s baked goods and visits to her bakery were a semi-regular thing. Why the mayor hadn’t just asked Sandy to put on this shindig was beyond me. Other than the fact he seemed bound and determined to get me involved in town events, for some reason.

Cheryl laughed. Aren’t you the clever one? She does make some awfully tasty cookies, our Sandy. Who did he invite, by the way? As the guests of honor, I mean.

I knew she was back on the subject of the other authors again. He invited Lucas, but he’s off to the East Coast for a conference. Lucas Salvatore was a big-time thriller writer and my semi-sort-of-boyfriend. The mayor had thought my connection would mean Lucas was a shoo-in. He’d been wrong, which had peeved Charlie-boy no end.

It would have been nice to have him here. I wouldn’t be so irked if it was someone we knew. She eyed me from her perch on