Halloween is Murder
McKinley Mysteries
Book 11
Carolyn Arnold
Published by: Hibbert and Stiles
Publishing Inc.
Genre: Cozy Mystery
Pages: 154
Word Count: 38,534
Release Date: October 3, 2017
Book Description:
Beware of all that goes bump in the night…
Sean and Sara McKinley are excited about the haunted house they’ve set up as a Halloween charity fund-raiser, but things take a ghoulish turn when the reporter covering their story is found dead. With the media keeping mum about how she died, Sara’s curiosity is piqued, and she convinces Sean to take on the investigation through their PI firm.
But this case is not without its challenges. The police are actively investigating it, as well, and it’s not even clear that the woman was murdered. It will take a little cloak-and-dagger, dress-up, and finesse for the McKinley’s to get to the bottom of it, but they aren’t the kind to give up.
As they troll for leads and work through the skeletons in the reporter’s closet, they unearth a few suspects, but they’ll need to carve out the whole truth if they’re going to find her killer. If they do so fast enough, there might even be time for a little trick-or-treating.
Excerpt from chapter 8 of Halloween
is Murder (McKinley Mysteries)
Chapter 8
STUCK BETWEEN A GRAVE
AND A TOMBSTONE
SARA’S HEART RATE TICKED UP a few notches at Marie’s assured conclusion that
someone had killed Chloe. She could feel Sean staring at her, but she
refused to look at him. She knew that his eyes would be telling her not to get
attached to investigating this case. Besides, he had said they could look into
Chloe’s death more, which hadn’t been a commitment, she knew, but she’d taken it
as his word. Even a little investigating was a step in the direction she wanted
to go. And just because she had a gut feeling about Chloe’s death didn’t mean
she’d lost all objectivity.
“Why do you think
someone killed her?” Sara asked.
“It’s just… None of
this feels right.” Marie picked at her purse strap, its fabric frayed and
threads poking out. Probably a nervous habit of hers.
Sara gave Marie the
once-over. For someone who lived in a nice neighborhood, Marie’s clothing and
accessories didn’t speak of wealth. It also didn’t seem Chloe’s sense of style
was a trait her sister shared.
“And why doesn’t it feel
right?” Sean, a skeptic if ever there was one, pressed.
Sara looked over at
him. It didn’t seem to matter how long they worked together; he would never
fully cave to the weight she put on intuition.
So much for rubbing
off on the people you spend the most time with…
“The police talked to
me at length,” Marie said, “but they didn’t ask the types of questions I would
have expected if they were treating it as a murder.”
“Like what?” Sara
asked.
“I thought they would
have asked who would have had reason to kill her, for one.”
“We spoke with
Jackson—” Sean started.
“Yes, I know,” Marie
cut in. “That’s how I got your information.”
“Then you know that
he was held for questioning.”
Marie nodded. “I do,
but he didn’t think they grilled him very hard, either.”
There was only so
much law enforcement could do without cause. Still, they could have held
Jackson for longer than the time it had taken them to question him. By law,
they had up to twenty-four hours to hold him without filing a formal charge.
“And Chloe’s health
was excellent. We have no history of disease or people just—” Marie averted her
eyes “—dropping dead in our family. Our grandparents lived into their eighties
on both sides. Now, our parents are both dead, but they were in a car
accident.” She added the latter part quickly.
“Do you have any
other siblings?” Sara asked, though she only remembered reading that Chloe had
a sister.
Marie shook her head.
“It was just…” She cupped the sides of her face and pinched her eyes shut.
Tears squeezed out from the corners, falling down her cheeks without apology.
A knot balled in
Sara’s chest, and she took a shallow breath. She was getting too caught up
emotionally—again. And taking on the grief of others wasn’t healthy. At least
so far with this case, she’d managed to stuff the feelings deep down inside.
But she’d be lying if she said she didn’t fear that one day they’d bubble to
the surface all at once.
What to Expect from the McKinley Mysteries
Romance. Humor. Murder. Are you looking for a murder mystery without all the graphic violence and foul language? Something that you can enjoy in an afternoon and walk away feeling good about afterward? How about a dash of humor and romance? If so, meet former detectives Sean and Sara McKinley. When a billionaire leaves them all his money, they no longer have to work, but they find themselves sticking to what they’re good at—solving murders. Undercover, off the books, and around the world, they’ll get to the bottom of things…and romance it up along the way.
About the Author:
CAROLYN ARNOLD is an international bestselling and award-winning author, as well as a speaker, teacher, and inspirational mentor. She has four continuing fiction series—Detective Madison Knight, Brandon Fisher FBI, McKinley Mysteries, and Matthew Connor Adventures—and has written nearly thirty books. Her genre diversity offers her readers everything from cozy to hard-boiled mysteries, and thrillers to action adventures.
Both her female detective and FBI profiler series have been praised by those in law enforcement as being accurate and entertaining, leading her to adopt the trademark: POLICE PROCEDURALS RESPECTED BY LAW ENFORCEMENT™.
Carolyn was born in a small town and enjoys spending time outdoors, but she also loves the lights of a big city. Grounded by her roots and lifted by her dreams, her overactive imagination insists that she tell her stories. Her intention is to touch the hearts of millions with her books, to entertain, inspire, and empower.
She currently lives just west of Toronto with her husband and beagle and is a member of Crime Writers of Canada and Sisters in Crime.
Connect with CAROLYN ARNOLD Online:
Website - http://carolynarnold.net/
Twitter - https://twitter.com/Carolyn_Arnold
Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/AuthorCarolynArnold
And don’t forget to sign up for her newsletter for up-to-date information on release and special offers at http://carolynarnold.net/newsletters .
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