Title:
In the Crosshairs: the Body on Leffis Key
Author:
M. S. Spencer
Genre:
Cozy mystery/Romantic suspense
Book Blurb:
Palmer Lind, recovering from the sudden death of her husband, embarks on a bird-watching trek to the Gulf Coast of Florida. One hot day on Leffis Key she comes upon—not the life bird she was hoping for—but a floating corpse. The handsome beach bum who appears on the scene at the same time seems to have even more secrets than the dead man.
His story begins to unravel as the pair search for answers to a growing pile of dead bodies. Spies, radical environmentalists, and wealthy businessmen circle around each other in a complex dance. Which one is lying? What do a seemingly random group of individuals have in common, other than being targeted by a crossbow?
Excerpt:
Carson Keeps Palmer Busy
“Do you have to go?”
Palmer cradled the phone under her ear while she pulled a denim skirt up over her hips. “Yes, of course I do. I told Hardy I’d meet the gang at Chubby’s for a drink.”
“You spent all Saturday with them. Isn’t that enough for a while?”
Palmer couldn’t understand why Carson sounded so fretful. “I’m here on a birding trip, Carson. The club is holding a rap session on which migratory birds generally pass through Longboat Key in the spring. I don’t want to miss it.”
He was quiet. “Too bad. I had something to tell you.”
“Oh?”
“It can wait. I suppose Thrasher should hear it first anyway.”
Oh, for Pete’s sake. “I’ll come over, but I have to leave by six.”
“That’s okay. I have…a date too.”
“A what?” But he’d hung up.
She pulled the aqua shirt printed with magenta flamingos over her head, twisted her long chestnut hair into a knot at her neck, and grabbed her keys and phone.
Carson was in the backyard hovering over the grill. “I made some snacks for you. Chubby’s still doesn’t have a working kitchen.”
She accepted the small platter of grilled baby vegetables on skewers. “I can’t stay, Carson.”
“I know. Here, try this. It’s called cacık—made with yogurt and cucumber and mint. You’ll find it goes very well with the veggies. Drink?” He held up a tall glass filled with pink liquid. “My own version of planter’s punch.” He dropped a paper umbrella in it and handed it to her.
She took a sip. “Very tasty. Not too sweet.” She put the glass down. “I can’t stay long.”
“I know. Just let me tee up some more tidbits. Then we’ll talk. I wanted to tell you about the death threats.”
She knew he was bribing her, but her curiosity was too intense to ignore. “All right.” She sat down on one of the rickety lawn chairs to wait. A black cat raced across the yard chasing a lizard. I swear there are more anoles than ants here.
Carson brought out a tray and set it on the table. “Let me see…” He pointed at one row. “Tomatillo paste with chorizo and shaved Manchego cheese.” His finger moved to the next row of bite-sized, open-faced sandwiches. “Smashed scallop seviche with lime and cilantro. And the last is muhammara—that’s a roasted red pepper dip—with feta and black olives.” He slid grilled fig halves onto another platter. “I’ve been experimenting with recipes for fresh figs. Most dishes call for the dried variety.” He indicated a large bush with the familiar five-fingered leaves, bursting with brown fruit.
Palmer—busy tasting and smelling and oohing and aahing—forgot both her purpose for coming and the time. Twenty minutes later, she emerged from a cloud of ecstasy to find Carson watching her raptly. His shadowy eyes bored into hers. She caught her breath. “What is it?”
“Do you know how beautiful you are, Palmer?”
The shock cut through her haze and brought her back to reality. “Thank you. Death threats?”
“I love green eyes, you know. They’re my favorite. Feline. They remind me of my cat.”
“Oh?” She indicated the sleek mouser currently licking lizard orts off its paws. “Is that him?”
“No. That one’s a stray. Fitz is with my ex-wife. I used to get him weekends, but he’s too old to travel now.”
“Sorry.” She shifted in her chair.
He ignored her discomfort. “And your hair—that amazing color—like cordovan shoes or the deep red rust on an old fishing trawler.”
“That doesn’t sound very pretty.”
“It is, though.” He raised his eyes to the sky. “The trawler—we’ll call her the Angeliki—has done yeoman’s work for decades, riding the high seas and hauling in netfuls of cod and menhaden.” He lowered his gaze. “Its captain—an old Greek named…let’s see…Yiannis, has long since passed, and the ship has lain idle in a corner of the docks, slowly rusting away. In the evenings, the old salts sit in the local tavern and swap yarns of her adventures: of the storms she survived, of the pirates she fought off, of the flying fish that leapt in the bow waves when Cap’n Yiannis cranked her up to twenty knots.” Carson touched an auburn curl that had escaped the bun. “Rust is the color of seafaring dreams.”
She said crossly, “I still don’t see it as a compliment. You’re comparing me to a dirty, smelly, dilapidated fishing boat.”
“And I haven’t even started on your cheekbones.” He grinned. “Did you want to know about the threats?”
She couldn’t keep the laugh down. After another sip of punch, she folded her arms. “Spill.”
Buy Links (including Goodreads and BookBub):
Books2Read: https://books2read.com/IntheCrosshairs
Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/in-the-crosshairs-m-s-spencer/1145026462?ean=2940185979617
Google https://play.google.com/store/books/details?_bbid=212779482&_bbreg=us&_bbtype=blog&id=6VsIEQAAQBAJ
What makes your featured book a must-read?
If you like political thrillers that relate to very current events, you’ll love In the Crosshairs. If you like amateur sleuths and lots of red herrings, you’ll love In the Crosshairs. If you like stories set in Florida and inside-the-Beltway, you’ll love In the Crosshairs. And if you like quirky romance, you’ll absolutely adore In the Crosshairs.
Giveaway –
Enter to win a $25 Amazon gift card:
Open Internationally.
Runs August 7 – August 14, 2024.
Winner will be drawn on August 15, 2024.
Author Biography:
Librarian, anthropologist, Congressional aide, speechwriter—M. S. Spencer has traveled the globe. She has published seventeen romantic suspense or murder mystery novels, with one more on the way. She has two fabulous grown children and an incredible granddaughter. She divides her time between the Gulf Coast of Florida and a tiny village in Maine.
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