Episode 9 in the McKinley Mystery Series
By Carolyn Arnold
Release date: May 27, 2015
Genre: Cozy mystery, private investigator
Description:
A cup a day won’t kill you, but a few might.
Their first case as private investigators have Sean, Sara, and Jimmy neck-deep in coffee
beans trying to find a killer. With their client certain that her mother was poisoned through
her coffee of the month club, it has them setting out to Williamsburg, Virginia. But instead
of approaching matters from the traditional standpoint, Sean and Sara brew a robust plot
and stir Jimmy into the blend, all to get close to their top suspect and grind out the truth.
Going undercover at Tasty Beans, the coffee company, the three of them work to expose the
culprit before anyone else dies.
Available from:
Amazon: http://ow.ly/JIUWj
Amazon UK: http://ow.ly/JIWE1
Barnes & Noble: http://ow.ly/JJcvw
iTunes: http://ow.ly/JIV9C
Kobo: http://ow.ly/JIV5m
THE MCKINLEY MYSTERY SERIES ventures outside of the typical crime genre, lending
itself to the cozy variety with no foul language or graphic violence. The series combines
romance, mystery, humor, and adventure for a lighthearted, easy read. Each episode is a
standalone read, meaning it’s not necessary to have read previous instalments.
About the author:
CAROLYN ARNOLD is the international bestselling and award-winning author of the
Madison Knight, Brandon Fisher, and McKinley Mystery series. She is the only author, in
her genre, with POLICE PROCEDURALS RESPECTED BY LAW ENFORCEMENT.TM
Carolyn was born in a small town, but that doesn’t keep her from dreaming big. And on par
with her large dreams is her overactive imagination that conjures up killers and cases to
solve. She currently lives in a city near Toronto with her husband and two beagles, Max and
Chelsea. She is also a member of Crime Writers of Canada.
Website: https://carolynarnold.net
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Carolyn_Arnold
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorCarolynArnold
Excerpt
Chapter 1
A Moment of Appreciation
FOR SARA, COFFEE WAS ONE of life’s greatest—and simplest—pleasures. Every time she
took a draw of freshly brewed java, her eyelids automatically lowered in appreciation of
the robust flavor. Somehow, when drinking it, life seemed less complicated, or maybe it
was just how it coated the palate and calmed her nerves despite what some scientific
studies might say.
She was in her home office, seated behind her desk, staring at the blinking cursor on
her monitor, but it wasn’t because she had writer’s block. Her wrists needed a break. Better
yet, she needed to indulge in this cup.
Leaning back in her chair, she swiveled from side to side and closed her eyes, savoring
the aroma of the dark beans. While they were ground at the time she pressed the button,
the only way to get it any fresher was picking the beans off the plants in Brazil. With their
money, she supposed it was an option.
She let herself get caught up with the thought. It might not be a bad idea. As her
daydreaming grew in scale, she laughed. She wasn’t going to board a plane to South
America for a cup of coffee, even though it might be the best she’d ever had. She wasn’t that
obsessed—was she?
Sean knocked, but entered without awaiting a reply. He held on to a glass of orange
juice and she admired his self-restraint. For some reason, his body required only one coffee
a day when he first woke up. Otherwise, he moved on to juice or water.
If Sean had his way, Sara would drink only one, but coffee was a habit she wasn’t
willing to break. Maybe she was an addict, although, that word carried such a negative
connotation. She wasn’t an alcoholic simply because she enjoyed an evening beverage, so
her coffee indulgence shouldn’t be considered an addiction. Even her thoughts betrayed
her. Indulgence.
“Good morning, darling.” Sean kissed her forehead and then her lips. “I hope I’m not
interrupting.” He glanced at the screen. “I guess I’m not.”
She smirked at him, realizing only a chapter number was showing. “I’m just taking a
small break. I can’t always be typing, you know. I’m not a machine.”
“The way you’ve been holed up in here lately, I’m starting to wonder.”
She pouted. “Are you feeling lonely?”
“A little bit like a writer’s widower actually.”
“Well, let me make it up to you.” She stood, cupped his face with her hands, and kissed
his mouth.
When they parted, any pleasure she derived from the coffee had diluted. It was
replaced by the need to hold her husband.
“Hmm. Not bad,” he said.
“Excuse me?”
“You have coffee breath. I have orange juice breath. Still, the kiss, not bad.”
She narrowed her eyes and was about to say something when the phone on her desk
rang.
Sean answered. “Hello…yes, Helen…all right, make the appointment for two hours from
now.”
As she listened to her husband speak, she had a good idea what this was about. There
was a job.
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