Recipe For Murder - Release Tour and Giveaway

 

Welcome to Pine Cove.

The Mayor is a dog, B&B guests are fugitives, and the pancakes are burnt. 

Recipe For Murder

A Pine Cove Mystery Book 2

by Marla A. White

Genre: Cozy Mystery

Mel O'Rourke traded her LAPD badge for the quiet life, running a bed-and-breakfast in tiny, quirky Pine Cove.

But when Jackson Thibodeaux, the charming café owner who broke her heart, stumbles back into town, her tranquil second act is toast. While attending a culinary academy in New Orleans, Jackson found the body of a classmate. The police rule it a suicide, but Mel’s instincts—and Jackson’s near miss with a bullet—scream murder.
Between a cooking school full of shady suspects, a reformed cat burglar for a sidekick, and a complicated love triangle involving the deputy sheriff, Mel has her hands full.

Perfect for fans of the sweetness of Jenn McKinlay and the snark of Elle Cosimano’s Finlay Donovan.

 

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The aroma of maple bacon and coffee wafted into her office as Poppy interrupted her pondering with a plate full of breakfast and a mug to replace the one that had already gone cold on her desk. “Thanks,” she murmured, still studying the computer screen.

“Don’t get used to the service, mate. Liam talked me into checking on you after I told him about Jackson’s sudden appearance.”

“And the food?” Mel cocked an eyebrow at her friend, who she suspected was just as worried about her mental state as her brother after their chat last night. The lithe, vertically challenged woman might resemble a brunette pixie, but that brain of hers worked with devious speed.

“Figured you’d holed yourself up in here without getting a proper brekkie. Besides, I have a small favor to ask, but not while you’re sporting that glower on your phiz. What’s got you frowning so hard?” She didn’t wait for an answer but came around the desk to have a look for herself. “You’re reading about the cooking school?”

“Can you believe these gullible idiots, and yes, I’m including Jackson among them, pay for the honor of working for free in Isabelle Fontaine’s restaurant?” Taking a piece of bacon, Mel absently munched on it until the flavor of maple, meat, and unbridled joy exploded in her mouth. Poppy wasn’t as diversely talented in the kitchen as Jackson, but she was the master of the breakfast dishes she made. Mel moaned in appreciation before asking, “All right, out with it. What’s this favor?”

“Well,” her friend gave her a sly grin. Never a good sign. Whatever was about to follow would almost certainly be illegal. But when she said, “I need your advice on how to win over Doctor Hart.” Mel’s jaw actually dropped open.

“You’ve never struck me as the kind of person who worries about other people’s opinions.” She eyed the other woman suspiciously. “Why do you care what Doc thinks?”

Poppy wandered around the office, tidying a crooked photo and pulling out one of Mel’s hospitality course textbooks. The only purpose for all of her movement, as far as Mel could tell, was to avoid letting her see her face. “Because she’s important to you and it seems life would be much easier for you if the two of us got along.”

“Really?” She sat back in the creaky desk chair, crossing her arms over her chest as she tried to figure out the ex-thief’s actual motivation.

“Okay, fine.” The woman whirled on her in a huff. “I’ve never had anyone not like me. Ever. Pathetic loser Agnes Mary Nobel? Sure. But since I transformed myself into the fabulous Poppy Phillips? Even people I’ve stolen from end up liking me.”

“Kind of judgey of poor Aggie, aren’t you?” She’d only recently discovered Poppy’s true identity when Gregg investigated her as a murder suspect. Abandoned by her single mother, she’d grown up in Cleveland in various foster homes that ran the gambit from kind to truly horrific. Given that, she understood her friend’s choice to reinvent herself, fake English accent and all. She claimed she identified as British, whatever that meant. If Mel had to put money on it, she’d bet it was because the accent meant she could get away with murder. And she had to admit, it had come in handy more than once to soothe the ruffled feathers of a guest. But Doc Hart, who’d been suspicious of her from the start, remained an aloof skeptic.

“You could try dropping the accent.”

For the first time, she saw a flash of vulnerability in the bold ex-thief’s eyes.

“What would I even sound like without it?” Poppy murmured, then switched to a flat, nasal tone that presumably she thought people from Cleveland sounded like. “My name is Agnes from Cuyahoga County. I like cheese. Blch.”

“I’m pretty sure you’re confusing Cleveland with Milwaukee, but I see your point.”

 

Framed For Murder

A Pine Cove Mystery Book 1

After a life-changing injury, Mel O’Rourke trades in her badge for bed sheets, running a B & B in the quirky mountain town of Pine Cove. Her peaceful life is interrupted when an old frenemy, the notorious and charismatic cat burglar, Poppy Phillips, shows up on her doorstep, claiming she’s been framed for murder. While she’s broken plenty of laws, Mel knows she’d never kill anyone. Good thing she’s a better detective than she is a cook as she sets out to prove Poppy's innocence.

The situation gets complicated, however, when the ruggedly handsome Deputy Sheriff Gregg Marks flirts with Mel, bringing him dangerously close to the criminal she’s hiding. And just when her friendship with café owner Jackson Thibodeaux blossoms into something more, he’s offered the opportunity of a lifetime in New Orleans. Should she encourage him to go, or ask him to stay? Who knew romance could be just as hard to solve as murder?

 

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Mel gaped slack-jawed at her brother, whose palm covered his face. “Why did you kidnap Grandma?”

“I did not—ugh!” He answered from behind his hand before shaking off his frustration and moving to the back seat of the truck to grab their bags. “Mom forced me to bring her. That’s what the delay was all about. She’s been driving her crazy, and then this morning she lit the kitchen on fire.”

“She what?!”

“I wasn’t there, so I don’t know exactly, something about the toaster and a curtain. Anyway, Mom convinced her she should come help you out and halfway up the mountain she wove this kidnapping story.”

“Help me? How, by greeting guests with her charming personality?” She loved her grandmother, but her salutation and scathing condemnation of the inn with just one glance were pretty mild for the old woman. When she really got on a tear, the best thing was to go to a movie until she wore herself out.

“Beats me but pro tip, do not let her in the kitchen.” Balancing the bags in one hand, Liam enveloped her with his free arm. “At least, not until we make sure the insurance covers curtain fires.”

“No need to worry, I just hired someone today who is great in the kitchen.”

He looked at her askance. “Great as in better than you or someone who is actually a good cook?”

“Shut up.” She laughed in response to the insult. “The guests this morning raved about the food. For however long she stays, I think she’ll be a plus in the breakfast department, anyway.”

“Where did you find this culinary genius? Did you put out an ad already?” He held the door open for Mel and they entered the lobby.

“We didn’t, she found me.” She looked around. “Where’s Grandma?”

The echoes of laughter led the siblings into the Great Room where their grandmother sat in front of the fireplace chatting away with Poppy. They turned toward Mel and Liam as they entered.

“Mel, your mother is a hoot,” she gushed.

She narrowed her eyes at the alleged ex-thief, who had to know perfectly well the woman in front of her was too old to be her mother. Grandma O, however, took the compliment to heart and patted Poppy’s hand, gracing her with one of her rare beaming smiles.

To Mel’s surprise, Liam skidded to a dead halt. She turned back to see why and received the icy blast of the unmistakable storm in his eyes. She’d seen the same dark expression in the mirror when she was furious. What did he have to be so angry about? Before she could ask, he dropped their bags and launched into full hissy fit mode.

“You!” he bellowed at Poppy.

The brunette seemed sincerely surprised at his response. Swiveling her head to see who else was in the room and finding no one, she met his gaze and pointed to herself with an exaggerated, “Who, me?” expression.

Her brother spun, targeting his rage at her. “Don’t tell me this is who you hired?”

“You’re only being a grump because you haven’t tried her bacon,” she joked, hoping to deflate the situation. Years of trying to nail her for any number of jobs she’d pulled off had frustrated Mel, but she had to admit she always liked her style. Despite her suspicions when she found Poppy in the lobby this morning, so far she’d been nothing but charming and kind of fun, so what had she done to piss off easy-going Liam in the two minutes since they met?

Her brother crossed his arms, stubbornly jutting out his square jaw. “There’s no way that woman is working here. She nearly killed you once, I’m not giving her a second chance.”

“You two have met?” The information surprised her, so she let the macho b.s. slide for now. She didn’t need anyone to protect her, but his anger rolled off him so calling him on his chauvinism skittered close to throwing gasoline on a fire.

“We had to watch her on the news sound bites, taking her bows for saving your life, while you lay in that hospital bed, broken and in agony.” Mel had never seen his eyes blaze with such fury before. She’d been so focused on her own suffering she’d never thought about what her family had gone through. Liam clearly had been carrying steamer-trunk sized baggage. “Nobody bothered to mention she’s the one who put you in danger in the first place. Or that you’re crippled for life, thanks to her.”

“Crippled?” Poppy’s brows furrowed, her eyes darkening.

“Easy, drama queen,” Mel snarled, “nobody’s crippled.”

“We used to go rock climbing and now you can’t even mount a set of stairs without getting dizzy.” His exasperation exploded as he paced to the far end of the Great Room to stare out the floor-to-ceiling glass door at the patio and brook beyond. What really hurt was he sounded more bummed out for himself losing a climbing partner than concerned about her.

“Is that true?” Poppy sprang up.

“I’m working on it.” Embarrassed by the whole conversation, she busied herself with tidying the morning newspapers the guests had left strewn around the sitting area.

“She nearly killed you, she’s not working here,” Liam repeated without turning away from the view outside.

Grandma O’Rourke rose to her feet with more nobility than agility, stood between her two grandchildren, and pronounced, “I like her, and I say she stays,” before tottering off to the kitchen in a self-professed search for the infamous bacon.

Of course, she liked Poppy, she just paid her a huge compliment. Never mind if she was guilty of what Liam accused her of doing or not. After putting the last section of the newspaper back in place, Mel noticed the below the fold story on the front page and tightened her fist until she almost tore the paper in two.

Scientist Killed in Daring Heist

Marla White is an award-winning novelist who prefers killing people who annoy her on paper rather than in real life. Her first full-length mystery novel, “Cause for Elimination,” placed in several contests including Killer Nashville, The RONE Awards, The Reader’s Favorite, and finishing second in the Orange County Romance Writers for Romantic Suspense. Originally from Oklahoma, she lived in a lot of other states before settling down in Los Angeles to work in the television industry.  She currently teaches at UCLA Extension and gives seminars about the art of script coverage. When she’s not working on the next book, she’s out in the garden, hiking, cheering on the LA Kings, or discovering new craft cocktails.  

 

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