Pumpkin Pie & Murder: A Prairie Crocus Cozy Mystery, #3

By Miranda Brickett

Book 3 of the Prairie Crocus Cozy Mystery Series.
Clean, wholesome fun (& murder) for all ages!

 

Holidays: a time to gather, spend time with loved ones and...stress over hosting?  Claudia Porter's parents are visiting for the first time since she abruptly quit her job and fled to Prairie Crocus.  She's determined to impress them with her hospitality and everything the picturesque small town has to offer.  But when Claudia and her folks discover a dead body, it seems like her plan is doomed to fail.  Can Claudia salvage the holiday and catch the killer?

 

 

A fun, casual read with a thirty-something amateur sleuth. Set in a charming rural town on the Canadian prairies, this series has quirky characters, no profanity, and plenty of cats. Each book is a full-length, standalone novel.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Miranda Brickett
• Release date: Aug 25, 2021
• ISBN: 9798201921873

Book preview

PUMPKIN PIE & MURDER

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Miranda Brickett

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A Prairie Crocus Cozy Mystery

Book 3

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Copyright 2020

All Rights Reserved

Holidays: a time to gather, spend time with loved ones and...stress over hosting?  Claudia Porter’s parents are visiting for the first time since she abruptly quit her job and fled to Prairie Crocus.  She’s determined to impress them with her hospitality and everything the picturesque small town has to offer.  But when Claudia and her folks discover a dead body, it seems like her plan is doomed to fail.  Can Claudia salvage the holiday and catch the killer?

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Released: November, 2020

Approximate word count:  50,000

Prairie Crocus Cozy Mystery Series

Book 3 

Standalone: Yes 

Cliffhanger: No

Contents

Chapter 01

Chapter 02

Chapter 03

Chapter 04

Chapter 05

Chapter 06

Chapter 07

Chapter 08

Chapter 09

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

Chapter 19

Chapter 20

Chapter 21

Chapter 22

Chapter 23

Chapter 24

Chapter 25

Chapter 26

Chapter 27

Chapter 28

Chapter 29

Chapter 30

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This is a work of fiction.  All characters and events are fictitious and any resemblance to real persons or situations is entirely coincidental.  All rights reserved.  No part of this work may be reproduced in any form without written permission from the author, the only exception being brief quotations in a book review.

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Copyright © 2020 Miranda Brickett.

Chapter 01

The fresh, clean scent of laundry detergent lingered in the air.  The guest bedroom had been thoroughly vacuumed and dusted.  A plush white duvet adorned the bed, accented by half a dozen decorative cushions and a soft grey cable knit blanket. 

The space looked comfortable and cozy.  It smelled fresh and clean.  It felt inviting. 

Brilliant beams of sunlight streamed in the large farmhouse window as Claudia Porter tied the curtains back.  She opened the window to let in some fresh air.  She was careful to only open it a crack as she didn’t want to cool the house off too much.

Getting the guest bedroom ready for company had been a frenzied, chaotic process.  A week prior, she hadn’t even had a guest bedroom in the large country farmhouse she was slowly restoring.  The room had been serving as a storage space for all the boxes she had yet to unpack after her move to Prairie Crocus, an idyllic small town on the Canadian prairies.

Truthfully, Claudia hadn’t planned on hosting overnight guests anytime soon.  But then her parents had, at the last minute, broached the idea of visiting for the Thanksgiving long weekend.  She had flown into action. 

Renovations and several shopping trips in the city had left Claudia exhausted.  But she was pleased with the end result.  Decorated in hues of cream and muted blue, the guest bedroom reminded her of something one might find at a lakeside cottage retreat.  She hoped her parents would like it as much as she did.

Mew? Claudia’s grey kitten Fluffy sauntered into the bedroom to see what she was doing.

I’m sorry but you can’t be in here, Claudia informed her whiskered friend.  "I just finished cleaning.  The last thing I need is you shedding everywhere - and believe me, you shed everywhere.  Let’s go to the living room, okay?"

Fluffy let out a huff of dismay as Claudia picked him up and carried him out of the guest bedroom, shutting the door behind them.

I know, I know.  But my parents are coming to visit, Claudia reminded her cat.  You need to be on your best behavior, okay?  No yowling at the window at five o’clock in the morning just because you saw a bird fly past.  And no tracking mud through my house!

Mrow? Claudia’s older cat, Cat, asked, cracking one eye open as she and Fluffy entered the

living room.  The black and white feline was curled up on the couch, looking quite content.

Claudia sighed.  "See that blanket you’re sitting beside?  It’s for you.  You’re supposed to sit on the blanket, not beside it!  Actually, why am I even explaining this to you?  You’re a smart cat.  I’m pretty sure you understand.  You’re just being defiant, aren’t you?"

Cat yawned and closed her eyes, completely unbothered by the scolding.

Fluffy leapt out of Claudia’s arms and made a beeline for the vase of fresh flowers on the coffee table.  It really was a gorgeous arrangement, with its pink lilies, magenta carnations and sprigs of white baby’s breath.  Claudia had picked it up at the grocery store earlier in the day and had spent quite some time making it look absolutely perfect.

The inquisitive kitten was too quick to be stopped.  In the blink of an eye, the vase was tipped over onto the floor.  Flowers and water went everywhere.

At least I used a plastic vase this time, Claudia sighed as she went to retrieve some paper towels from the kitchen.  She was grateful there was no broken glass to contend with.

She knew someday she would yearn for Fluffy to be back in the kitten stage.  The adorable little critter’s boundless energy and zest for life was actually quite endearing.  But Claudia could do without all the destruction and chaos.  Keeping up with Hurricane Fluffy, as the kitten had been nicknamed, often felt like a full-time job.

Now that summer was long gone and the temperature had dropped, the cats spent less time burning off energy outside.  They both had a tendency to wreak havoc on Claudia’s old farmhouse, though Fluffy was by far the worst culprit. The thought of how they might behave once winter boredom set in filled her with dread.

She contemplated buying them cute little cat sweaters so they could comfortably spend more time outside.  She quickly nixed the idea.  She could practically hear the two spirited cats yowling and snarling in protest as she tried to dress them in said sweaters.  It definitely wasn’t worth the headache - or the scratches.

Claudia heard a car pulling up outside.  Her eyes widened.  Her parents weren’t supposed to arrive for another hour.  She had hoped to have time to shower, change her clothes and make herself look a little more presentable.  So much for that idea.

She heard footsteps on the front porch.

The doorbell rang.

Claudia tossed the paper towels on top of the mess on the living room floor.  She would have to deal with it later.  She tugged at her messy ponytail, trying in vain to tame her unruly red hair.  Then she took a deep breath and walked over to the door.

Was it normal to feel nervous about a visit from one’s parents?  Claudia wasn’t sure.  She loved her mother and father dearly, but she always had a nagging feeling they were comparing her to her identical twin sister, Madeline.  Despite her best efforts, she never felt like she measured up.

Madeline was an in-demand attorney at a busy, prestigious law firm in the city.  She was married to a wealthy, good-looking and highly-respected surgeon.  Together, they and their two young children lived in a lavish home in an upscale neighborhood. 

Simply put, Claudia’s twin sister was the epitome of success.  While Claudia was happy for Madeline, sometimes she couldn’t help but feel inferior.  She felt a little lost after giving up her teaching career and ending a toxic relationship.  She had no children and, the older she got, the more she wondered if she ever would.  And she definitely didn’t have her sister’s money or sense of style.

It didn’t help that people had a tendency to compare twins to one another, as though they weren’t their own individual people.  Even the twins’ parents were guilty of it from time to time - especially their mother.

You’re in your thirties! Claudia whispered to herself sternly.  You don’t need Mommy and Daddy’s approval or permission.  Be proud of the amazing life you’ve built for yourself and stop worrying about how it measures up to your sister’s life!

The doorbell rang again. 

Claudia? she heard her mother call.  We’re here!  Are you home?

I wouldn’t be surprised if the doorbell didn’t work, her father said.  After all, this place is quite the fixer upper, isn’t it?  I still can’t believe my aunt’s house sat vacant for so many years - or that Claudia decided she wanted to renovate it.

Hmm, her mother murmured, the disapproval in her voice audible.  I don’t know what’s gotten into her.  I hope she isn’t in over her head.  The implication was that Claudia was obviously in over her head.

There was a loud, sudden rap at the door.

Startled, Claudia jumped.

She took a deep breath and plastered a smile on her face, even though she didn’t much feel like smiling after overhearing her parents’ conversation. 

Then she opened the door.

Chapter 02

There’s my girl! Harrison grinned, sweeping Claudia up in a big bear hug the instant she opened the front door.  He smelled like his usual Old Spice deodorant and Dippity Do hair gel.  It was a familiar, pleasant, comforting scent.

There was no question that Claudia was Harrison Porter’s daughter.

Claudia and her sister had been born with their father’s fiery red hair, though his had begun to fade to grey over the past decade.  It was a family trait that had been passed down.  Claudia knew that her paternal grandmother and great-aunts had all been redheads.

Claudia also shared her father’s high cheekbones and delicate bone structure.  They had the same clear, pale complexion with a light spattering of freckles across the nose, although her father was presently sporting a tan thanks to all the time he had spent traveling in tropical destinations.

Harrison had also passed his empathetic nature along to Claudia. 

He was generous, helpful and always thinking of others.  He was quick to give his spare change to those in need, and he was the first one to offer help when he spotted someone stopped at the side of the road with a flat tire.  He was a caring and kindhearted person at his core.

Claudia was similar in that she tried to spread kindness and goodwill whenever possible.  She was unsure whether her sister had inherited the same trait, but she suspected not. 

There was no doubt that Claudia took after her father, not only in looks but also in personality.  That was probably why she had always been close to him.  They had a lot in common, such as their thirst for knowledge, love of the arts and obsession with food. 

Her sister and mother were another story entirely.

Kate Porter was practical and high strung, always finding something to worry about.  It wasn’t her fault.  Claudia knew her mother’s childhood hadn’t been the easiest.  It was no wonder she fretted over everything and was in a near-constant state of hypervigilance.

Claudia’s mother had grown up in the city - and not a particularly good part of the city, either.  She didn’t speak about her childhood much, presumably because she didn’t want to dwell on difficult experiences that were best left in the past.  But Claudia knew money had been tight and times had been tough.

It had made the pleasantly plump blonde resilient - she was one tough cookie.  It had also left her emotionally cold and closed off.  Perhaps her cynicism and wariness had been a survival mechanism in her younger years.  She didn’t wear her heart on her sleeve the way Harrison did, that was for sure.

Remarkably, Kate had risen above her circumstances.  Through hard work and perseverance, she had won a scholarship to business school.  There, she had taken some office administration courses, although she had eventually had to drop out.

Together with Claudia’s father, Kate had been able to build a comfortable, happy life in a suburban middle class neighborhood.  The twins had never wanted for anything, nor had they experienced the types of hardships their mother had endured in her youth.

Kate valued things like education and job stability.  She saw them as a way to rise above one’s circumstances.  She also saw them as an insurance policy.  She frequently reminded her daughters that one’s education could never be taken away.  Claudia had always gotten the sense that her mother regretted not being able to advance her education.

It was no secret that Kate was immensely proud of Madeline, who had married a wealthy surgeon and built a lucrative and successful career as an attorney.  Though she had never come right out and said so, Claudia suspected her mother was secretly disappointed she had become a teacher instead of also going to law school.

Claudia was sure she was going to get an earful about her decision to quit teaching and move to Prairie Crocus.  To say she was dreading it was an understatement.

There was no denying that Kate was a devoted mother, although perhaps a little emotionally distant.  She had made sure her girls were always provided for.  She had kept the house clean, the fridge stocked and the yard well-maintained all while holding down various receptionist jobs throughout the years.

Now that Harrison had retired from his thirty-year career as an accountant, he and Kate were enjoying some well-earned leisure time.  The two had spent so much of the past year traveling that Claudia had barely seen or heard from them.

It would be nice to catch up. 

Or at least she hoped it would be nice.

Wow! Harrison exclaimed as he stepped into the farmhouse’s grand entryway.  He looked around with wide eyes, trying to take everything in.  Then he let out a low whistle.  Aunt Alexandra would barely recognize her old farmhouse.  Look at this place!

She would be horrified that it fell into such disrepair over the years, Kate added, her lips pursed.  Hello, Claudia, she added, almost as an afterthought.

Look at all the decorations! Harrison remarked, his eyes twinkling with the excitement of a small child on Christmas morning.  That’s quite the Thanksgiving wreath you’ve got hanging on the front door, Claudia.  It’s very nice - very festive.

Thanks, Claudia smiled.  "My friend Emily made it.  I’m sure you’ll meet her