A Major Step Up in Fiona Quinn Mystery Series With Deep Blue Murder by C. S. McDonald

 

Prologue~ Moscow, Four Years Ago… His handsome face stricken with concern, US Ambassador Jarrod Taslow ran a harried hand through his dark hair before he stepped into the hospital room. His suit jacket dangled open, and his bright blue tie hung loose below the collar of his white shirt. Quietly, he approached the doctor and nurse standing over a lovely brunette woman lying in the bed. “Doctor Vasiliev, how’s my wife?” The doctor did not look up. He set a syringe next to another syringe on the stainless-steel tray the nurse was holding. The nurse’s eyes cut to a man standing in the corner near the window, back to the ambassador, then she dropped her gaze to the tray. Placing his hand on the unconscious woman’s forehead, the doctor replied in a heavy Russian accent, “She will be fine.” His hand slipped away from the woman’s head. “I have given her a sedative to help calm her. She will need rest. She has much to deal with when she wakes.” Hitching his chin toward the man near the window, he added, “Agent Guseva will watch over her. She will sleep for many hours. You should get some rest as well, Ambassador Taslow.” Without making eye contact with the ambassador nor the agent, the doctor made his way out of the room. Keeping her gaze down, the nurse hurried to follow close behind. 

Jarrod pulled a nearby chair next to his wife, Kira’s, bedside. With a gentle sweep of his fingers, he moved an errant strand of hair from her cheek, then, taking her hand into his, he eased into the chair. From the far corner, Agent Guseva’s voice was quiet. “I am sorry for your loss, Ambassador Taslow. This is tragedy for your wife.” “Kira was so looking forward to this trip to Russia. She couldn’t wait to come home to see her parents. She hasn’t been back in over five years, and when she was invited as a guest pianist for the Moscow Symphony, she was thrilled.” “The Fedorovs were supposed to be at concert, da?” Guseva fished. Jarrod lifted his gaze to meet the agent’s. “Yes. We were given the orchestra box, stage right. I felt like I was sitting next to Kira through the entire performance. The piano was only about ten or fifteen feet away. 

When the concert began, I couldn’t believe her parents were late. When Kira took the stage, she looked over toward the box. I could see the shock and disappointment in her eyes that her parents weren’t there. Of course, we had no way of knowing…” His words fell away. “We are looking into incident. We will find who is responsible. But…as you know, the Fedorovs have been politically outspoken for long time. You are wealthy man, Ambassador. I am sure you know wealth is privilege. The Fedorovs were wealthy. But I fear their wealth and privilege made them target. It would be best, after funerals, if you return to Denmark. Take wife away from Russia. Never to return.”

~~~

McDonald has taken a major step to expand the scope of, and additions to the base character list in her latest Fiona Quinn Mystery, Deep Blue Murder. With Fiona's marriage to Detective Nathan Landry, she has also acquired a mother-in-law... But not just any mother-in-law... Rita Landry has an extensive past in government law enforcement and now leads an agency, Global Shield, that provides discrete support to those in the political arena and others needing security assistance.

But when Rita contacts Fiona and her son Nathan to take a short trip to a secluded island, Fiona had visions of sun, swimming, and lots of casual conversation and an opportunity to get to know more about those who will also be there on the island.

But Rita and her associate are on assignment! They have been asked to come to the Island, owned by Ambassador Jarrod Taslow. Interestingly, the island has a history--the former owner supposedly committed suicide and was found at the bottom of a nearby high cliff. But Taslow had bought the island and brought his wife, Kira, who had suffered a traumatic loss of her parents while she had been performing for the Moscow Symphony. Along with his wife's caregiver, there was only three other people on the island, all those who worked to provide basic staff support to the grieving couple.

But years had passed, and things were quiet until the Ambassador had learned of a online site where his picture had been placed and, ultimately, a young teenage girl and whoever was posing as the Ambassador had begun a supposed relationship! Rita and her staff quickly started the investigation to find out not only who the girl was--and notify her parents--but also to discover the background and who was striking out at the Ambassador for...whatever reason!

While those there to handle the investigation got started, Fiona and Kira, the Ambassador's wife, who was being kept from all that was happening, soon became friends. However, Kira's caretaker seemed to resent Fiona for, perhaps, a good reason. In any event, Fiona and Kira was soon spending time on the beach and getting to know each other... That is, until a maid was found dead in the hottub--which had been prepared for Kira...

Believe me, so much is going on, you'll have a tough time keeping things straight, because there are multiple plot lines developing as we move forward. Soon, Fiona's husband was being called upon to handle the possible murder of the maid, while Rita and staff continued to investigate--which got quite complicated when the young girl showed up on the island!

Seriously, with a little bit of the horrid acts of catfishers, together with a murder and who it seemed to be intended for, as well as a disgruntled groundskeeper, there was only one way to discover what was really going on...

Make a friend with an island native to guide you...and maybe even come to your rescue as this little one did... All Fiona had to do was provide lots of banana pieces! So remember, if you are visiting a private island with no or little outside communication, do seek out and befriend the natives and give them a little love...

I was hooked by the first visit from this little fellow during a meal! They decided that something must have happened to separate him from his mother, so Fiona decided to make a friend... You get the picture!

I'm hoping that the inclusion of Global Services staff may come to visit readers in future books. The complexity and wider scope that this allows has taken the Fiona Quinn mysteries a major step toward a significant novel, without losing the wonderful flavor of a cozy mystery! If you haven't met Fiona Quinn, you may not know that she also lives with a ghost back home... So with McDonald, you're going to be thrilled with her slow build of the plot(s) but, now, you just may be able to fully grasp exactly what and whodunit! But nobody would have foreseen this closing!  I loved this one!

GABixlerReviews

A Short and A Main Feature by Cindy (C.S.) McDonald! Enjoy!

When I was thinking about combining the reviews for two books I had from Cindy McDonald, I thought about how, when we used to go to the movies, we get a short, usually a cartoon, before the main feature! For whatever reason, McDonald writes her Fiona Quinn mystery series under C. S. McDonald. Personally, I find it leads to not being able to find all the books of one author, when they do that...but I digress...

Crystal Clear Confusion, just out, provides a fun short story about Fiona Quinn, the series main character. Actually, if you are interested in interpreting dreams, like I am, and become fairly good at it, you won't need to seek help, like Fiona did... You see, she was having scary dreams about being at work, alone, and discovering some horrible monster after her. Each time, it varied a little, but there was always something about which Fiona was afraid...

So when her neighbor offered to help her, using her new crystal ball that had arrived in the mail, Fiona, thought, why not?

Fiona Quinn’s hurried footfalls echoed through the empty hallway of Westwood Elementary School. The lights were off. Only the shadows of dusk fell through the large windows that lined the corridor. Where is everyone? She thought.  
She peered into the library—it was pitch dark and still. Had the librarian, Julia Bell, gone home for the day? Picking up her pace, she made her way toward the main office to look through the window—it was dim and quiet. Kim Stone, the school secretary, was not sitting at her desk tapping on her computer or fielding phone calls. Principal Britton’s office door hung open, as it always did when he was absent. 
The door to the empty office next to his was open as well—that door had always been closed. Everything appeared to be locked up tight for the night. Only, it wasn’t night—or at least she didn’t think it was so late. If it were night, where were the janitors? Why weren’t they dumping trashcans or mopping the hallways? Why wasn’t the school’s intercom system playing pop music as it always was while the janitors went through their evening tasks? Had she fallen asleep at her desk after she’d put her kindergartners on their buses for home? 
She must’ve slept for hours. She’d never done such a thing—sure, she’d been feeling a bit tired lately, but not weary enough to fall asleep at her desk while doing a little after school paperwork. Wow, she’d better get to bed early this night. 
She heard a noise. She stilled to listen again—it sounded like a growl. She didn’t move, and again, a grumbling growl echoed down the hallway. Trepidation ripped through her. She turned only to see a lion at the other end of the corridor! What? What would a lion be doing in the school? 
No time to wait for the answer—he let out a roar that rumbled the windows, then he leapt into action galloping straight at her! 
Letting out a shriek, Fiona darted down the hallway as fast as she could possibly move! Could she outrun a lion? Somehow, she doubted it! Sliding on the smooth linoleum, she made a quick right down the hall that led to her classroom, only the hallway stretched making her destination farther away. Her heavy breaths boomed inside her head as she dashed toward her room. She could hear the lion’s paws pounding on the floor—he was getting closer, and yet her room was farther and farther away! 
Totally out of breath, she finally arrived at the door of her classroom. She slid inside and slammed the door closed, twisting the lock. 
The lion snarled and roared and clawed at the door, pressing his face against the elongated glass window along the margin of the door. His dark eyes outlined with a thick band of black that extended toward his temples, such as Cleopatra’s. 
Trapped and terrified, Fiona screamed!

!!!

Sometimes people don't understand why they are sad, scared, edgy--they think everything is normal and that they can handle just about anything that comes along. But sometimes, that is not the case... You and I, and, as Fiona, discovered, get irritated, upset, and even talk about things that bother us during the day. But we don't admit that these things bother as much as they really do. And that's, sometimes, why we have nightmares...

Actually, the attempt to discover what is wrong via a crystal ball is fun but is unsuccessful. And, sometimes, you just have to finally face those fears, and realize that things were not so bad after all.. But wouldn't it be better to be able to think through issues as they are affecting you? McDonald, gives tweens, teens, and adults a chance to consider whether they can stop and explore what if anything is really bothering you. And, if you have a nightmare, think about what could have caused it...or talk to somebody about it, so that you may be able to better prepare for what comes to you each day...

A fun book, but it's also a teaching one--if you consider all that was going on and how Fiona's nightmares were visions in her mind of what she feared most during her days...  It would be interesting to see if your children understand what is actually being shared in the book... Check it out...I still suffer from flashback dreams once in awhile... When that happens, I always make a point of trying to figure out what caused me to dream those thoughts... If your children have scary dreams, this book can be a great way to talk about how what is happening in your life, affects what happens in your dreams at night!

~~~

The windows were wide open to let the fresh air into the cabin or let the layers of dust escape from all the sweeping Peyton had been doing that morning. He’d been forced outside several times coughing and hacking. He strung rope from several trees to form a clothes line to dry the bedding he’d washed. He was beginning to think it would be far easier to go into Lost Pine and buy new sheets. 
All in all the cabin was starting to look presentable, but the sheets—not so much. As he stood back trying to decide, he noticed the bushes moving. He stilled, slowing his breathing, listening, while watching the tall thicket along the wood line. And there it was again—the wolf, slowly making his way along the trees. Interesting. Wolves are known to be nocturnal creatures. They sleep during the heat of the day, preferring to hunt at dusk. It was only one o’clock—what was the wolf doing out and about? 
Peyton inched his way amongst the sheets hanging on the line, hoping to get a better look from a concealed position. The wolf caught the movement and made haste across the field, disappearing into the trees on the other side. Peyton scrubbed his fingers across the stubble on his chin. This was his second sighting of the wolf—if it was the same wolf, and it looked to be. 
He didn’t have a chance to ask Clancy about the wolf yesterday when he’d arrived in Lost Pine. The main focus was Ben Lorde and his electro-sensitive followers who had taken up residence several miles away. Clancy was convinced that Lorde and his followers were responsible for his brother, Jed’s, death. Jed had gone on a lone fishing trip last year and never returned. His body was never found, and neither was any of his gear. Clancy felt he’d had some kind of altercation with the group and they’d killed him. He had no proof—only a strong gut feeling and the strange goings on among the community. Peyton had a ton of respect for his father’s old friend, Clancy, but he wasn’t sure his suspicions were justified. Anything can happen to a man alone in the Rockies—anything at all. 
Still, if he had an opportunity to check up on the community, he would. Right now, he wanted to check up on the wolf. Taking another look at the sheets and blankets, he decided it was time for new—he would take a drive into town to make the purchases and take the opportunity to ask Clancy about the wolf. Besides, it would give the dust a chance to settle inside the cabin. After washing up a bit, Peyton jumped into his Jeep, buckled up, and set off for town. 
The warm summer air whipped through the open cab blowing his T-shirt against his chiseled chest. He wasn’t more than a mile or so down the road when he came upon a two-seater blue Razor along the side of the road, stuck in a ditch. A tiny slender woman was standing near the vehicle looking rather agitated. She was dressed in a pair of jeans, a pair of sunglasses, and a long lab coat—not the usual attire one would see a person driving a Razor wearing. Razors are all-terrain vehicles that more resemble a pimped-out golf cart than an ATV. Some have two seats, and some have four, while many have short cargo areas behind the seats. 
Peyton’s visit to Lost Pine was becoming more interesting by the day, he couldn’t help thinking as he slowed the Jeep to a stop next to the woman. “What happened?” Peyton asked. 
“Some lunatic in a pickup truck ran me off the road!” the woman said. Her face was flushed with anger. The top button of her blue blouse had come undone revealing droplets of sweat glistening above her cleavage. “I was on my way into town to pick up some packages. He came at me like a bat out of hell. I had to swerve to get out of his way. What’s wrong with people?” 
Peyton jumped out of the Jeep to take a look at the Razor. “It doesn’t appear to be damaged, just stuck. I don’t have a chain with me and I’m not sure I’ve got one at my cabin. I was going into town myself. I’ll give you a ride. I’ll pick up a chain and I can pull you out of the ditch after we finish our business in town. If that’s good with you.” 
Rubbing the nape of her neck, she noticed her open blouse. Letting out a gasp, she quickly buttoned up. “That…that would be very kind of you…mister—” Peyton held out his hand. “I’m Peyton. And you are?” 
She took off her sunglasses to expose her fairy green eyes, then shook his hand. Obviously trying to shrug off the irritation of being forced into a ditch, she smiled brightly. “Naomi…Dr. Naomi Jenkins.”
“Nice to meet you, Dr. Naomi Jenkins, you must live around here if you’re a doctor and you’re driving around a Razor.” 
“I live in the electro-sensitive community. I’m the physician for the community. I have medical supplies waiting for me in town.” 
“Well, we’d best get going.” She hurried to the Razor and grabbed a medical bag sitting on the seat. “I can’t leave this behind. It’s got medication in it.” 
Peyton helped her into the passenger seat and then slid into the driver seat. 
“So you suffer from electro-magnetic-sensitivity?” 
“No, my son does. While we in the medical field don’t recognize EHS, what my son was going through was very real—constant headaches, vomiting, digestive irritation, that was just for starters. At first, I thought he didn’t want to go to school or perhaps his study load was too stressful, but no matter what we tried, his symptoms kept escalating. I didn’t figure it out until I took him on a camping trip with no devices—his symptoms disappeared almost immediately. At that point, I couldn’t deny what his prognosis was—EHS, Electromagnetic hypersensitivity. I’m surprised you know what it is—not many people do...”

~~~

Finding a book from which I learn something new is what I consider an added bonus. I learned all about Electromagnetic Hypersensitivity in one of the books I had missed from The First Force Series. Had you heard of it? Well, I've added a couple of the shorter videos to share, but there are many more that reveals that this is Fact...not Fiction. In sharing this information, as a teaching and warning for many of us, McDonald has done a great service since most of the victims of this syndrome are not aware of what is wrong with them...and many doctors also might not know...

In telling about this issue, McDonald brings together two lovers. One in First Force and one in private security. Peyton Mattock was home from Russia, where he works for Hawke International Security Firm.  He's planning to meet up with Casey Rhodes, a First Force Operative, to spend some quality time at his cabin. Peyton has gone in advance, to clean the cabin a little, gather supplies, and ensure everything is perfect for Casey's arrival.

Only to find some really strange things happening in the little town with the only supply store around. One of the first things he noticed was a telephone booth in front of the story. Ok, that probably means that cell phones would be a problem in some areas...

Actually, it meant that there was no longer any electronic equipment in the entire area! No cell phones, television, music, computers, wifi and more--a wave-free existence! Clancy McCade would know what was going on--he'd been there in town since long before they had their cabin and Clancy took care of checking things out in Peyton's absence.  What he learned was far more than expected... Especially, that Clancy's brother was dead and he was blaming his death on a new settlement that had been created, where no type of electronics were permitted--by government approval... A very rich individual had developed a community where individuals with the syndrome, including himself, could live without problems, at least until a cure was found...

But this particular rich man was, unfortunately, not totally interested in saving many lives--just his own! And that's when outside help from First Force was called in (figuratively!). This is not the usual thriller, however, since most of the community were there to ensure a family member was able to live regularly, along with family members who cared enough to enter into this wave-free environment. Did the occupants need help, or were they part of a conspiracy underlying all that was really happening there, without any way to reach out beyond the community? Because of the unusual storyline...I'll let you discover more in the book itself!

The entire First Force is a great group of characters that, in each book, has a spotlight case handled by one or more members. In this book, we also have a personal touchstone as one of the members is about to have a child... While, by the ending, the need for a new member is gratefully welcomed. I'm hoping this series continues. The direction of First Force is uniquely flexible to respond to those needing help or in danger. They are prepared, yes, but there is always a personal element to team members that includes a touch of love moving it into a delightful pairing of romance and suspense.

I loved the side story of a gray wolf that entered the story as a scavenger looking for food near Peyton's cabin...and how...and who...was able to befriend him!

This was my first introduction to Casey Rhodes--a very cool lady who I would like to see more of in the future! Hint to the author... The First Force Series are always recommended... I'm now caught up and looking for a new addition! In the meantime, the entire series is highly recommended.


GABixlerReviews

For 26 years Cindy's life whirled around a song and a dance--she was a professional choreographer. She taught ballet, jazz, and tap. During that time she choreographed many musicals and an opera for the Pittsburgh Savoyards. Most recently, she has retired to write her novels. She resides with her husband and Cocker Spaniel, Allister, on their Thoroughbred farm known as Fly By Night Stables near Pittsburgh. To learn more about all of Ms. McDonald's book series and to read excerpts from her upcoming books, please visit her website: www.cindymcwriter.com 
You can also find out about her cozy mystery series, Fiona Quinn Mysteries, and her children's books under her pen name, C.S. McDonald. Here's that website: www.csmcdonaldbooks.com Check it out!

Fiona Quinn is back with her latest mystery, Waves of Murder, by C. S. McDonald!

Hi Fiona, Let's start with a few fun questions that popped into my mind as I read...So here's the literary question to start...is a cozy mystery still in the cozy genre if the lead character; that is, you, Fiona Quinn, in this case, not only doesn't actually solve the mystery, but even hinders it a little??? Any comment?

Well, I pondered that just a few seconds, then decided I really didn't care--I was having too much fun reading Waves of Murder, the third book in the Fiona Quinn Mysteries series...

Then, I also had another small struggle--can the lead character, you, Fiona Quinn, really have a slight inferior complex about your being a teacher of kindergarten? Or are you just letting everybody know that you're looking to advance your career by maybe applying for the role of teaching second graders? 

I guess my main question to satisfy myself was whether the author had purposely created a somewhat ditzy blond who doesn't think anything about starting to talk about her personal career ambitions, right in the middle of a discussion on a police investigation. You know, after all, being a blond myself, I'm always thinking of how that stereotype has been thrown around for ages... But since our author is also a blond who shows no signs of being ditzy, I'm thinking there was a reason why she sees you, Fiona like that... If you want, we can talk later... Maybe, you've been spoiled all your life since you're so beautiful??? You can tell her later, it's a little spoof from me...

Wish I knew why... so I just thought I'd mention to you during your visit that this is a point I'm be watching in future books, because there is no doubt that my very personal question also does not detract from the fun I, and other readers will have reading McDonald's latest cozy! 

...At this point, she would give anything--anything at all for an honest distraction from the manuscript she was editing for best-selling romance author, Wyla Parkes.

The manuscript was the first book of a four-book anthology. The books would follow Abigail Wentworth, then her daughters and granddaughters through their volatile relationships from the Civil War to WWII, and maybe farther. Wyla hadn't decided yet.

Pushng to her feet, Fiona stretched her back. She went into the bedroom and opened the nightstand drawer to retrieve a candy bar from her stash. Letting out yet another apathetic sigh, she unwrapped the Three Musketeers bar. Hey, she deserved the chocolate rush--Lord knew she needed it. Over the past six and a half hours, she'd been pouring over the manuscript, reading words like, alas, hence, and fraught. Seriously? Who would use the word fraught? Evidently, Wyla Parkes and her heroine Abigail Wentworth used those words. Fiona wasn't a big fan of romance books--she preferred edgy suspense thrillers. When the calendar drew near to Halloween, she was always up for a little Stephen King. On a cold winter's night, an Agatha Christie mystery would suit her fancy while she sat wrapped in a cozy blanket, sipping hot chocolate.

Usually, Fiona's mother would edit Wyla's manuscripts--Nancy Quinn was the author's trusted long-time friend. Fiona's mother and Wyla had gone to high school together and were college roommates as well. Nancy, who had a degree in

literature, would travel to Presque Isle every summer and spend at least six weeks editing Wyla's latest work. Only over the next six weeks, she was having cataract surgery in both eyes, making the trip and the editing impossible. Wyla was disappointed. Fiona's mom volunteered her for the job.

Fiona wasn't happy about the arrangement. She was a kindergarten teacher in Pittsburgh and she had been looking forward to summer recess. She wanted to get a jump on some much-needed painting in her house. There was always plenty of yardwork, and she was looking forward to spending extra time with her boyfriend, Nathan Landry, who was a detective for the Pittsburgh police, homicide division.

"You can't pass up this opportunity, Fiona Nicole. Wyla will pay you a boatload of money, and the accommodations are

beautiful," her mother said when she called to tell her that she'd offered up Fiona's services--and time.

"I have other plans for my summer, Mom."

"I already told her that you were coming. You can't turn down this kind of money--you'll need it for when you and Nathan get married."

Fiona sighed so loudly that she was certain her mother could feel the roll of her eyes across the phone connection. "Seriously, I don't understand why I actually need to go to her beach house. It's the twenty first century for crying out loud. If all the editing is being done on a computer and then emailed to her, why can't I do it from here?"

"Not Wyla's style. She prefers her editor to be right there, on hand so she can discuss changes in the manuscript with you personally. It's just the way she is--you know how creative people can be...very...eccentric. Believe me, Wyla Parker could probably teach a class on eccentricity."

Thusly (one of those words Fiona couldn't imagine anyone in the twenty-first century using) she was obligated for the next six weeks to edit at least two, but hopefully, three of the books from the anthology that had been titled, Waves of Romance.

Ugh.

~~~

Waves of Murder:

A Fiona Quinn Mystery

By C. S. McDonald

Maybe it's because I love books so much, but I get a special taste of pleasure when a book also talks about something to do with books! In this case, Fiona's mother is an editor for a top romance author, but is having cataract surgery this summer, when she normally worked for Wyla Parkes. Without contacting Fiona, she volunteers her to handle the job for her!

Fiona was not happy. Especially when she realized that she would have to spend the time on the estate of the author, rather than at home doing the things she needed to do while free from her teaching responsibilities... And of course spending time with Nathan!

But you guessed it...Fiona allowed her mother's wishes to control her decision. She was in her first week of working on book 1 of a planned trilogy...and was not happy fumbling over the now archaic words of historical times that somehow needed to be brought back for a proper setting, you know... I can empathize with Fiona's misery...

But, neither she nor I would have guessed that at the end of that first week, Wyla Parkes would be dead! Essentially the end of her editing job, but...well...Fiona realized that she had been privy to several conversations that got her thinking about who would have decided to murder the popular author...

There was her present publisher, who had just been told by Wyla, that she was going Indie with her upcoming trilogy. Then there was the man who was to be co-author... And those were just the business issues that could have led to sufficient anger to kill... But what about her personal life? Were there those who resented the author in some way...

Fiona had remembered most of what she'd accidentally heard of conversations between Wyla and several men. She would normally have immediately shared everything with Nathan, the man with whom she was involved, who was also a homicide detective... But he was back in Pittsburgh!

Then an interesting little twist developed when Nathan came to visit, and discovered that the local officer in charge of the case, was someone with whom he'd been in the academy... Almost immediately Fiona watched as they placed a bet (dinner) on who would figure out the whodunit for Wyla's murder... That's a guy thing, right? Because Fiona soon realized that Nathan was trying to send her home, to get her away from the potential danger...but also, so he could devote his time to winning the bet... And, oh yes, solving the crime...

Only thing was that Wyla's was only the first murder...

Yes, we have a multiple murder situation, so the question has to be whether we have just one killer or more... This is a complicated mystery--I had some inklings if that counts but McDonald will, I think, keep you guessing from the beginning of the book to the end. With, of course, some great scenes and subplots about potential affairs, and even a motive for the local police officer!

But, I don't know, the ending totally hit me, the character had been drawn so perfectly that I found I was sympathetic--even though I was pretty close to the right selection...and even the next murder didn't surprise me. Maybe it was too close to a real outcome for  today's world... At the same time, there is such a light tone of underlying humor in this series that readers just can't get too deep into heavy drama.What a cool book! And, yes, it's highly recommended and quite suitable for teens as well...

GABixlerReviews

C.S. McDonald taught dance and choreographed shows for twenty-six years. Nowadays, she resides with her husband and her poorly behaved Cocker Spaniel, Allister, on their Thoroughbred farm, Fly-by-Night Stables, near Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. George the Pony is a real pony who lives among the tall Thoroughbreds on their farm.

Most recently Ms. McDonald decided to write a cozy mystery series. The Fiona Quinn Mysteries are quick clean reads for everyone! You'll love Fiona and the quirky but oh so charming, Detective Landry. Fiona is a kindergarten teacher and an unlikely sleuth from Pittsburgh. If you've never been to Pittsburgh, welcome to this wonderful city! Ms. McDonald has even sprinkled a little Pittsburghese into her stories just for fun. Yinz will love it!

To learn more about C.S. McDonald, George, and her cozy mystery series, Fiona Quinn Mysteries, please visit her website at: www.csmcdonaldbooks.com

Hey! Book #3 Fiona Quinn Mysteries, WAVES OF MURDER, is now available! Watch for book #4, TASTES LIKE MURDER, coming this fall! WOOT! MURDER ON POINTE is now available on Audible! WAVES OF MURDER will be soon!

Merry Christmas Becomes Merry Murder When Santa Claus is Murdered...

...a flash of red caught her eye outside the window. She tenderly pushed a branch from the tree aside, and craned her neck to look out the big picture window that lent a nice view over Oxford Street. Great Uncle Wilbur was making his way up the sidewalk, Harriet danced around the old fellow's feet. Wilbur paused halfway to turn and wave merrily at the wide eyes, slack jawed children who were peering out their windows amazed to see Santa strolling along Fiona Quinn's sidewalk. They waved back, feverishly.
Lord love him, Wilbur never missed an opportunity to make children smile or to promote the noble cause of Santa.
Fiona had to giggle to herself. From now on the children in the neighborhood would see her in a different light--she knew Santa Claus personally! Maybe they'd think twice about soaping her windows on Halloween--one could only hope.

Wilbur was grandma Evelyn's older brother. He was ninety years young, had never been married, retired from the steel mill many years ago and lived a block or so away on Guyland Street. He absolutely loved to play the role of Santa every year at Macy's Department Store in downtown Pittsburgh, until it closed. He was sad, but he had been such a popular Santa that the management at the Robinson Mall near Pittsburgh airport scooped him up.

"It just isn't the same," Uncle Wilbur once told her. "Bit I guess I should be thankful that I'm still able to do what I love."

...Anyways, I wanted to pop in to find out when you're expecting your parents."

...the closer she got, it was looking more and more like the kennels belonged to her parents. How was she going to fit the luggage, the kennels, and her parents in her tiny car? Worse, how was the going to accommodate five more dogs or whatever was inside the travel kennels? Yikes! Christmas was becoming a little more complicated than she had planned--way more complicated.

..."How's my favorite kindergarten teacher? Those kids treating you good?" Her father asked, giving her one last squeeze before releasing. 

"I'm good. The kids are a little over the top right now with Christmas right around the corner. Let's just say I'm ready for the holiday break...three more days of class, but who's counting?"

"Fiona," her mother began. "You're so painfully thin. Aren't you eating properly?"

~~~

Merry Murder:

A Fiona Quinn Mystery

By. C. S. McDonald

This is the second Fiona Quinn Mystery from C. S. McDonald who brought her new series out with Murder on Pointe. In this novel we learn much more about her and her personal life, meeting her family during the holidays as well as her "young man," Nathan Landry. 

All the family is coming to Fiona's home for Christmas! Which would have been much better if her mother had not insisted that they bring all five of their dogs--with Harriett, already a resident... Last winter I had six kittens/cats in my house so I can empathize as to how Fiona was feeling... Talk about animals under your feet!

Her father was still carrying in the luggage and kennels, when he asked Fiona where her mother was... Nancy had already headed up to the attic, where, as you may remember, her mother still resided--in spirit form. Nancy had immediately started taking off the furniture covers and cleaning the room and then sat down to be close to her mother... Of course, Fiona was used to having her grandmother living with her, and really appreciated her fixing her coffee each morning and doing other little things around their home... It never seemed strange to any of them that her ghost was still with the family...

A cute little story about Nancy's dogs was that four of them were named after the Beatles, but the other, Keith, was named after a former special friend...

When Keith just happened to be left outside when Garrett went out to pick up the newspaper, who should appear at the door to bring Keith in? Why, of course, Keith Schlemmer himself! With Fiona's parents each having their own personal feelings about that visit! And when they learned that Keith Schlemmer lived in town, it soon had both parents not speaking--even by breakfast. Luckily Fiona's brother came!

Breakfast with her parents had been as icy as December should be. The breakfast table was null and void of conversation. Luckily, the air instantly cleared upon the arrival of her younger brother, laughing and joking. The dog's vanishing act, and Keith Schlemmer's visit appeared to be forgotten. Joy to the World!

The delicious smells of turkey roasting in the oven and fresh baked apply pie drifted through the house, reminding Fiona of the many Thanksgivings and Christmas'  past. Even though Christmas Eve was still four days away, she wanted to have a special luncheon for the family--and Nathan. She and her mother were just putting the finishing touches on the dining room table when there was a knock at the door. Fiona stilled.
Mom's gaze snapped to meet her daughter's. A wide smile stretching across her face, she said, "There's only one guest who hasn't arrived yet--your policeman boyfriend."
"He's a homicide detective, and I'd appreciate it if everyone would at least try to act normal," Fiona said, setting down the napkins to make her way to the door only to find her father, and Uncle Wilbur, who was sporting his Santa pants and boots and a bright red T-shirt. Yeah, Nathan wouldn't think that was too terribly strange. Oh well, Uncle Wilbur's attire would most likely be just one of a long string of strange things Nathan would witness during lunch...
~~~

But she never thought her brother would share the secret of her first theft years ago...

Back at school, the children were even more disruptive as they looked toward Christmas and then one boy said there wasn't any Santa Claus...and Fiona easily proposed that she might be able to have Santa visit their class before school closed...

Immediately Fiona walked over toward her uncle's home, only to see flashing lights from police vehicles! She soon realized that it was bad and when Nathan rushed to hug her, she knew that he'd been murdered!

Why would somebody murder an adorable man who played Santa Claus... And why were Santa's suits being stolen?!

This was quite traumatic for the family and soon Fiona's mother was anxiously wanting to find out who murdered her uncle...Fiona and Nancy might meet with disaster, because what was going on was much bigger than the death of Santa Claus... The real Santa was saddened to learn of the death of one of his best helpers, so he joined those who celebrated the life he'd given to brighten each Christmas... singing along with the other Santa helpers...

This was a slick criminal activity that had evolved wherever and whenever people want to make easy money. McDonald does an excellent job in keeping the family story light, while the dark side of the story is discovered. 

While I can highly recommend the book, I do need to add that I found many small proofreading errors... too many to ignore. But in talking to the author, who was sad that her editor had failed her, she promised that the book will be redone... It saddens me when this happens but, hey, the individual was paid for the work... sounds like something naughty, right?!

GABixlerReviews