Hijinks in Ajijic: Viviane's Adventures Mysteries, #0

By Vikki Walton

 

Caring for animals in a Mexican casa sounds delightful, but when Viviane uncovers rumors and scandals, fireworks at dawn may not be the only thing exploding.

Turning sixty has Viviane Masters seeking adventure and travel. Against her daughter's wishes, spunky Viviane resolves to travel the world as a house and pet sitter. Her first sit in a sleepy ex-pat town in Mexico sounds great, but on arrival, she senses a disturbing undercurrent in the placid locale. When Viviane finds threatening notes at the casa, are the warnings for her or the homeowner? As she delves deeper into the mystery, will Viviane's first adventure be her last?

 

If you love travel, animals, and clean cozy mysteries, with a sassy senior sleuth,  grab this short read that introduces you to Viviane Masters, a global house and petsitter.

 

Hijinks in Ajijic (pronounced A-he-he or A-he-hek) is the short prequel to

Deception in Devon (Book 1 in the Viviane's Adventures Mysteries).

• Language: English
• Publisher: Morewellson, Ltd.
• Release date: Apr 5, 2021
• ISBN: 9781393227557

Vikki Walton

Vikki Walton loves to travel so it was no surprise when the idea for a travel mystery series germinated. Vikki has also done house and pet sits across the globe so she knew there would be lots of opportunities for fun, new mysteries for senior sleuth, Viviane Masters. In addition to travel, Vikki enjoys design, gardening, and hiking in the beautiful Colorado mountains where she lives.

Book preview

Chapter One

I’d expected my daughter’s response, but maybe not as dramatic. Listen, sweetie. It’s no big deal; people travel solo all the time.

But Mom, my daughter pushed her curly blond hair behind her ears, You’re—

Here it comes. Old?

I don’t mean you’re old, but... um, have you looked in a mirror lately?

Boy howdy, had I! It occurred around six months after my dear Bryce had passed. I had stared at the pale, drained, elderly woman and wondered who the hell was that person? When had I become an invisible shell of a woman? Certainly my body bore the scars of childbirth and many accidents, my face bore the wrinkles and laugh lines of a life well-lived, and even my hair’s pigment had fled, leaving my hair a term I prefer to call antique blond, thank you very much. Even worse, while the hair on my head had thinned, fresh ones popped up, moving south to my chin and upper lip. Yes, I had seen that woman.

Just because I’m about to turn sixty doesn’t mean I’m decrepit. Just wait; if you’re lucky, you’ll get old too.

Anne reached over and clasped my hand in hers. Mom, I’m worried, that’s all.

I patted her hand. I’m not going to Antarctica. I didn’t tell her it was on my new travel wish list. After plodding through day after day doing the same thing, I’d sat down and written out sixty things I wanted to do when I turned sixty. Things I’d put off over the years, because of children, work transfers, and the inevitable tomorrow. Nothing was stopping me now, but I still dragged my feet.

Over brunch with my old friend, Cheryl, I’d told her about my bucket list, with travel being one of the major themes. She pulled a card from her purse. You need to connect with this lady. Monica does house and pet-sitting all around the world. She spoke to our ladies’ lunch group just last week.

Pet sitting? I waved to the waiter for another Mimosa. Sounds interesting. Tell me more.

Well, it’s probably best to talk to her, but you stay at a person’s home and care for their animals while they’re away on vacation. No money’s exchanged. It’s a barter system. Obviously, there’s responsibility for the animals and things like watering plants, but other than that, you can often go out and explore.

I didn’t hesitate to call Monica when I returned home, and we went over everything. I took courses on animal care, updated my passport, and gathered recommendations from people in town. I’d signed up on a house-sitting platform, not unlike the new-fangled dating sites people use. I’d chosen not to start the dating route after finding that most men wanted someone younger or that older men were often looking for a nurse or a purse. As a married woman most of my life, it was now time for me. I sought, and wanted, freedom, so I signed up on a house-sitting platform. The next thing I knew, I’d been accepted to do my first sit in Mexico.

Mom, people are getting killed there. The cartels, the—

I shook my head and tried not to roll my eyes. People are dying every minute all around the world. I don’t plan on seeking out the cartels for drug deals. I spied the disapproval and frustration on her face. "Don’t look at me