Red Velvet Revenge: Spirited Sweets Paranormal Cozy Mystery, #3

By Stephanie Damore

Champagne, chocolates, and murder? That definitely wasn't on the menu.

 

When Claire London hosts her first all-out New Year's Eve Party at London Manor, the last thing she expects to find is a corpse in the closet. The discovery only leads to more questions--ones that she's counting on her hunky (although albeit dead) hubby and her mischievous kitty helping her solve.

 

Can Claire crack the case before she's charged with murder, or will her first New Year's resolution be to get out jail?

 

Find out in the third installment of the Spirited Sweets Mystery Series.

 

• Language: English
• Publisher: Stephanie Damore
• Release date: Dec 28, 2021
• ISBN: 9798201788988

Book preview

1

Champagne? Check. Confetti? Check. Caterer? Check.

What else am I forgetting? I said aloud as I walked around the ground floor of London Manor. The last time I'd hosted a party, Nick had been alive and at my side, and now, well, he was just at my side.

It's going to be great, Love, Nick said reassuringly.

Why did I let them talk me into this? I haven't even so much as planned a birthday party in the last three years, let alone a major event! I was more than happy to let the new year ring in without the fanfare, but Amelia and my mother insisted a party was a grand idea. Now that the night was here, I had some serious reservations.

It does seem like people are rather excited for tonight, Nick replied.

You could say that. All of Bleu Clair Bay RSVP'd. Okay, maybe I was exaggerating, but not by much. I'd have a packed house in t-minus ten minutes. I looked out the front windows and could already see a line of cars driving up the steep incline to the hilltop estate.

The house looks great. You did an amazing job. Nick spread his transparent arms out for me to take it all in. I had to admit it, Nick was right. I took a second to admire the decor. From the beautiful live Christmas tree with its gold and red blown-glass ornaments to the evergreen-strung fireplace mantel glowing warmly with white candles. The atmosphere screamed Happy Holidays! Even the expansive gourmet spread on the dining room table welcomed guests to come in, eat, and mingle. Trust me, people are going to love this party, Nick added.

It's not them I'm worried about, I mumbled under my breath as my mother swept into the room. She was decked in red sequins from top to bottom with a black velvet wrap for added effect. Like my sister, Autumn, my mother's hair was a fiery, festive shade of red, and it was presently curled and pinned up into a perfect coif.

You're not wearing that, my mother said, stopping to take in my appearance.

I looked down at what I was wearing—-black dress pants, black heels, and a cream sweater. Sure, my hair was nowhere near as fancy as hers, but I did curl the ends, and I made sure my manicure was fresh and festive. I wasn't wearing a fancy dress or nearly as much jewelry as my mom, but I didn't look bad. At least I didn't think so. Now the woman had me second-guessing myself.

This is what she did to me; made me an insecure child once more. I let out a breath. It had been a stressful two weeks, and my mother didn't leave for another week. I loved my mother. I really did. And I'd love her even more in Florida.

I'm just saying you could have tried a bit harder to look nice. Who knows, maybe you might meet someone. My mom winked at me before sashaying away to refill her martini glass—her trademark cocktail.

Nick laughed at my side. He was always amused at my mom's matchmaking schemes. My parents had been very happily married, but my mom wasted no time in the dating department when my dad died. No one wants to be old and lonely, she'd quipped when Autumn pressed her on it. I didn't have an opinion on the matter, knowing Dad wouldn't have wanted Mother old and lonely either. She tended to need someone to look after her.

Don't listen to your her. You look beautiful. Nick whispered into my pearl-studded ear. His comment brought a smile to my lips. Of course, just like my sister, my mother was oblivious that I shared my life with my ghost of a husband. She was too practical to believe in such nonsense, or so she had told me the one time I attempted to broach the subject with her. Ellen, or as I had recently started to refer to her as—my other mother—fully accepted Nick even if she couldn't see or hear him.

I thought back to Autumn and wondered if my sister would make an appearance tonight. She said she would be on duty but hadn't elaborated. It was the same thing all week, claiming she was slammed at the sheriff's department and couldn't spend any time with mom. At this point, I was about to call the sheriff and ask if Autumn really was working as long and hard as she claimed. My sister loved rules, and while I usually wouldn't consider her a liar, if anything were to get her to fib, it would be spending time with Caroline Sinclair. The woman drove me nuts, but it was nothing compared to the way those two clashed. I was convinced it was because they were so similar. A fact Autumn would deny up and down. She couldn't see it like the rest of us could.

The doorbell rang, and Margaret came swiftly from the kitchen down the hallway to answer it. It was a movement she had done hundreds, if not thousands, as the London Manor housekeeper, a position she readily took back up once I moved in, along with her daughter, grandson, and my dear friend Ellen. When I had officially invited everyone to make London Manor their home, Margaret decided to stay in her little bungalow downtown, but her daughter jumped at the chance.

While I love my daughter and my grandbabies, I love my alone time too, Margaret said at the time. I could understand that.

Speaking of Margaret's daughter, Amelia appeared at the top of the stairs wearing a high-waisted, emerald-green dress with a beaded bodice. It