19 Criminals by Larissa Reinhart ~ Spotlight

Posted February 18, 2024 by karenbaron in Blog Tour, Contest - Giveaway, Spotlight / 1 Comment

19 Criminals

Series: Maizie Albright Star Detective #8

Author: Larissa Reinhart

Genre: Cozy Animal Mystery

Setting: Georgia

Release Date: January 16, 2024, by Past Perfect Press

Pages: 414

Summary:

IS IT CONSIDERED STALKING YOUR BOYFRIEND IF HE’S INVOLVED IN YOUR MURDER INVESTIGATION? (ASKING FOR A FRIEND)

Turner & Hooch meets Mr. & Mrs. Smith in the eighth book of the Wall Street Journal bestselling Maizie Albright Star Detective series. For fans of rom-com mysteries, like Janet Evanovich’s Stephanie Plum or Jennifer Crusie’s Liz Danger series—readers who like quirky characters, funny fast-paced plots, and amateur sleuthing heroines who earnestly agonize over (but not between) murder and marriage.

#WannabeMrsSmith Ex-celebrity and current (assistant) private investigator Maizie Albright finds her already strange life has become even odder. Her new partner is 150 pounds and canine. And her ex-partner/still-boyfriend is on the wrong side of her infidelity case.

Not that Wyatt Nash is cheating.

At least not on Maizie. She thinks Nash is cheating on his boss—her dad. Which sounds much worse than it is. Except it is (maybe) worse than it sounds…

It’s Spy vs. Spy — or rather, Detective vs. Detective — when Maizie and Nash realize they’re both tailing the same subject for very different reasons. Can Maizie out-investigate Nash to learn the secrets he’s probing into at her father’s company?

Secrets she fears are much darker (and stinkier) than the secret DeerNose formula.

Secrets possibly related to old rivalries and a recent murder.

Her relationship is on the line, but it’s more than her heart at stake. Her career rests on this case. And there’s a killer at large. One who will do anything to keep dark secrets from getting dragged into the light.

Order 19 Criminals today and find out why readers call the Maizie Albright series, “tremendously entertaining” and “a great combination of mystery, comedy, and a little romance.”

Related subjects include: comic crime, women sleuths, murder mystery series, whodunit mysteries (whodunnit), humorous murder mysteries, amateur sleuth books, cozy mystery, Southern humor, humorous women’s fiction, chick lit, former child stars, romantic comedies, corporate espionage, and small town humor

Excerpt

Chapter 5

#MoreThanAFeeling #ThatDogWon’tHunt

The next morning, Cuddles and I walked from the old office, Nash Security Solutions, to my new office, Albright Security Solutions—or A.S.S, as Tiffany had gleefully pointed out one day.

The day was clear, sunny, and smelled like donuts. I had spent the night at the office to prevent Cuddles from eating Nash. Cuddles slept in the La-Z-Boy. Nash and I had lain side-by-side on the hide-a-bed couch, afraid to make any sudden movements. After supervising the donut-making shift, Lamar knocked on the door, ready to take his morning nap. Before he could enter, Cuddles had bounded from the chair and attacked the door.

Thankfully, Lamar had a strong heart. As a retired Black Pine police officer, Lamar also knew dogs. Cuddles had eaten donuts for breakfast.

They were my donuts, but who’s counting?

Me, apparently.

“Cuddles,” I said, yanking on his leash. “It’s been a treat. I guess. When we get to the office, we’ll say our goodbyes. Please don’t barf donuts in the office. Annie is a bit of a clean freak.”

A bird flew past. Cuddles dragged me the length of the block but lost the bird. He ate a gum wrapper instead.

In front of the big shop window, I ordered Cuddles to sit and stay so I could catch my breath and massage my shoulder. “Listen,” I panted. “Tiffany, Rhonda, and Annie. We like them. Annie’s my boss, you met her. She’s like an M&M. Hard shell, sweet center. Rhonda’s a marshmallow. Tiffany’s more like a jawbreaker.”

A whine curled from somewhere deep in Cuddles’ chest.

“Maybe I shouldn’t use food analogies for you,” I said. “Tiffany’s actually a nail esthetician, and Rhonda’s been working on her license to do hair. But because of unfortunate circumstances, they are no longer working for LA HAIR. Annie convinced Vicki to hire them. We’re expanding the shop.”

Cuddles looked at the glass where “Albright Security Solutions” had been painted to look old-timey, like the rest of the building. My ex-manager/still-mother Vicki Albright owned the business and had hired Annie to run it. As a Hollywood insider and an amazing businesswoman, Vicki believed architecture should tell a visual story. The story said Maltese Falcon. However, we thought of ourselves as Charlie’s Angels.

In reality, we were more like a younger, crime-solving version of the Golden Girls.

“You got it? Don’t hurt them. And don’t eat anything.”

We entered, and the bell above the door rang. Cuddles snarled and snapped at the bell. From the other side of the brick wall, voices bellowed over the buzz of saws and the whine of a condenser. Cuddles whipped around, growling at the wall. Rhonda shrieked and backed into the corner behind the desk. The door to the office slammed. Cuddles bounded toward the back of the room, pulling me along with him.

“Good grief, Cuddles,” I said. “Sit. Stay.”

Cuddles sat. Looked at me with pain in his eyes. But stayed.

Rhonda peered around the corner. The office door cracked. Annie and Tiffany poked their heads out.

“I figured you for one to get a purse-sized dog,” said Tiffany. “I was way off.”

“This is Amanda Hearn’s dog. Brian wouldn’t take him.”

“We remember,” Rhonda’s voice shook.

I looked at Annie. “Any luck?”

“Not yet. The rescue places are calling around.” Annie shoved a piece of gum in her mouth. “He’s obeying you. That’s an improvement.”

I glanced at Cuddles. Drool ran from the corners of his mouth like long, slimy icicles. He looked at me. “No, stay.”

Cuddles sighed.

“What are we going to do?” said Rhonda. “We’ve got a client coming any minute.”

“Maizie, you’re going to have to handle the dog while he’s here,” said Annie. “Take Cuddles for a walk or something.”

Cuddles cocked his head and pawed at my leg.

“No. Stay.” I turned back to Annie. “But I meet clients. I do the fieldwork. I need to get a feel for them.”

Annie shrugged.

I looked at Rhonda. “Come meet Cuddles. He’s actually very nice once he learns he doesn’t want to kill you.”

“No, thank you. I’m not taking something that big for a walk.” She disappeared around the corner. “I’m good with him learning not to kill me from a distance.”

“Tiffany?”

Tiffany laughed and backed into the office.

Maizie Albright Star Detective Series

About the Author

A Wall Street Journal bestselling author, Larissa writes the international award-winning Cherry Tucker Mystery, Maizie Albright Star Detective, and Finley Goodhart Crime Caper series. She loves to tell funny stories about sassy, Southern women looking for love (and dead bodies) in all the wrong places.

Larissa, her family, and Cairn Terrier, Biscuit, lived in Nagoya, Japan, but have returned to Peachtree City, Georgia. You can see them on HGTV’s House Hunters International “Living for the Weekend in Nagoya” episode. Larissa loves books, food, and traveling with her family.

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