Murder & Mayhem - A Cryptic Cove Cozy Mystery - Book 1: Cryptic Cove Cozy Mystery Series, #1

By Patti Ann Stafford

This book was originally released under another pen name. I'm excited to share it again—now published as Patti Ann Stafford.

 

Within twenty-four hours, Alexis Danforth's world is shattered. 
She loses her parents and her job.

Rummaging through the attic she discovers family secrets and returns to her hometown of Cryptic Cove; a quiet, sleepy little town perched above the sea.

The disappearance and death of an elderly couple sets the town on edge. Accusations fly. The past is dredged up. Bodies are found.

Some even question her return and the timing of the murders.

As she joins the town constable to help solve the case, she finds herself attracted to her main suspect, Jake Donovan.
Jake is handsome, charming, and secretive. Is he a threat to her or just a threat to her heart?

Cryptic Cove Cozy Mystery Series

Book 1: Money, Murder and Mayhem

Book 2: Murder & Menace 

Book 3: Murder & Mockery 

Book 4: Murder & Marriage (2019)

**There will be more than five books in this series.

• Language: English
• Publisher: K.P. Stafford
• Release date: Apr 29, 2016
• ISBN: 9781540160089

Book preview

1

Four weeks ago, Alexis Danforth’s life was meticulously planned out. Working as a legal researcher for a prominent lawyer in Boston allowed her to pursue her law degree while honing her skills in the field. It was her father’s plan, not hers. The legal field intrigued her, but she couldn’t claim it was her dream job. Her father had always made the decisions, and Alexis had never argued.

Her parents had taken an early vacation to celebrate their twenty-seventh wedding anniversary in some remote jungle. Having the house to herself for the last few weeks of summer vacation had been liberating at first, but loneliness began to creep in. She started questioning her career choice, though telling her father that it wasn’t what she wanted would have been unthinkable.

The majority of people she encountered in her job were unpleasant. They were rich, powerful men, but still scumbags, and the thought of helping them escape serious charges didn’t sit well with her.

Then, in the early hours of the morning, fate threw her a curveball. The phone rang at two a.m., jolting her awake.

Miss Danforth, this is Inspector… The man’s name didn’t register, but his next words did. I regret to inform you that the plane your parents were on has crashed in the jungle. There were no survivors.

What? Alexis shot up in bed. Oh my God. Are you sure? They were on flight 131.

Yes, ma’am, we’re sure. The plane encountered bad weather during its descent.

She lay in bed for hours, sobbing, unable to process the news. When dawn broke, she called her job to inform them she wouldn’t be in.

Oh, Alexis, that’s awful, the secretary said. Let me put you through to Dan.

Dan Matthews, the top lawyer she worked for, could be stern but wasn’t devoid of compassion. Still, as Alexis relayed the tragic news, she sensed something was off.

Is there something else, Mr. Matthews? she asked cautiously.

Dan hesitated. Alexis, I hate to tell you this now, but I was going to speak with you today. The firm has decided to cut your position. You’ll receive severance pay, but we won’t need a researcher anymore.

She hung up without a word, rolled over, and cried harder than she had all night. In a matter of hours, her entire world had crumbled. As an only child with no other family to turn to, she was truly alone.

The estate manager called soon after, insisting she go through the paperwork to tie up her parents’ affairs. Feeling lost, Alexis wandered up to the attic—her mother’s favorite place. Her mother had always loved spending time up there, reading or sewing. Alexis found herself drawn to her mother’s old hat box, a beautifully decorated one with pink Victorian roses and a pink ribbon. Her mother had once called it a treasure box, filled with secrets.

At twenty-five, Alexis figured she was long overdue to peek inside. She squatted in front of the box, wedged tightly between other items. With some effort, she managed to free it.

Dust covered everything. Her mother had always been meticulous, even about cleaning the attic, but it had clearly been a while since anyone had been up there. Alexis carefully untied the ribbon and opened the box. Among several items, a small notebook caught her eye. Her hands trembled as she flipped through its pages, reading words that shattered her world even further.

Her grandmother was alive.

At twelve, her parents had told her her grandmother had passed away. That lie now felt like the final betrayal. She threw the notebook back into the box, anger surging through her. How could they do this to me? she screamed to the empty attic.

Driven by a need for answers, she spent hours researching online, searching through legal and county records. She couldn’t understand why her parents had uprooted them from their hometown, only to lie about her grandmother. It didn’t take long for the truth to sink in: her life, at least half of it, had been built on lies.

Two weeks later, she found herself back in her childhood hometown. Cryptic Cove was a place she barely remembered, having left when she was just eleven. The town hadn’t changed much, and her grandmother was still there, but her reasons for leaving and staying away were unclear. Grams had mentioned a fight with Alexis’ father, but before Alexis could press her for details, she changed the subject.

In the days that followed, Alexis wandered the town, lost in her thoughts. She remembered loving the fisherman’s wharf as a child. The salty air, the ice cream cones, and the homemade New England fudge were fond memories. The area wasn’t a tourist destination, just a place where locals worked and lived, but to her younger self, it had been magical.

Sitting on a bench with a chocolate chip ice cream cone, Alexis gazed out at the sea, trying to recapture that sense of wonder. But the magic felt distant. She was no longer that little girl who dreamed of fairy tales and hidden worlds.

You’ll remember the magic soon enough.

Startled, Alexis turned to see her grandmother standing behind her.

How did you know I was here? Alexis asked, confused.

Grams waved a hand casually. I saw you sitting here. She joined Alexis on the bench.

Alexis studied her, still puzzled. Okay, but how did you just read my mind?

Her grandmother chuckled. Some people just think really loud, child.

Alexis wasn’t sure if she believed that. Grams had always seemed to have some kind of special power, knowing things before anyone else did.

I don’t feel like that little girl anymore, Alexis admitted. This place used to feel magical, but now it’s just another spot on the map.

Nothing wrong with memories. The magic is still here, waiting for you to find it.

Alexis sighed. Peyton says I’m too analytical. She’s never left town, so she doesn’t know the real world.

Grams raised an eyebrow. Don’t be so quick to judge what someone else has or hasn’t been through. Peyton’s a lot smarter than you think.

They sat in silence for a moment before Alexis’ emotions bubbled to the surface. I’m so mad at Dad for taking us away from here. Why did they lie to me about you? Why…? Her voice trailed off, overwhelmed by the unanswered questions.

Grams gave her a sympathetic smile. He did what he thought was right. We can’t always judge someone for that.

Maybe, Alexis muttered, unsure.

Be mad for a while, and then let it go. Holding on to it won’t do you any good.

Grams gently rubbed the back of her head, a comforting gesture from Alexis’ childhood. Then, without warning, she stood up. I have to get back to the shop. You come by later for a visit. With that, Grams hurried off.

When Alexis turned to ask what time she should stop by, her grandmother was already gone, vanished faster than seemed possible. Only a pink flower on the bench beside her gave any indication that she’d been there at all. Grams’ favorite flower.

Maybe Alexis hadn’t returned to Cryptic Cove to take care of her grandmother. Maybe she was here to find herself again.

Over the next week, Alexis spent more time with her grandmother, trying to make sense of her past. She eventually decided to drop her law classes and stay in town. Grams helped her find a job as the secretary for the town constable, a far cry from the high-pressure world of Boston law.

On her second day on the job, Alexis spotted a handsome man across the street, tall with dark hair and a charming smile. He held the door open for others at the café, and Alexis couldn’t help but notice how gentlemanly he seemed.

The phone rang, pulling her out of her thoughts. Constable’s Office. How can I help you? she