A Witch Called Wanda (iWitch Mystery Book 1)

by Diana Orgain

Suddenly we felt a bump and the ship jostled back and forth. Everyone in the dining room turned toward the sound. Through the starboard window we could see the U.S. Coast Guard vessel had arrived. Crew members were roping the smaller craft to our ship.

  The Coast Guard quickly boarded our ship and disappeared out of sight with the crew members.

  Margaret cleared her throat and eyed Evelyn. “Does anyone know what happened? I mean, did she just slip or what?”

  I had noticed that the woman hadn’t been very chatty with Evelyn throughout the dinner and now wondered what the look Margaret had flashed her might mean.

  Evelyn shrugged and returned Margaret’s look evenly. “How would I know? Ask Sara.”

  Sara pressed her shoulders back and sat a little taller.

  “She was really out of it,” Evelyn continued, rubbing her extended belly. “How much did she have to drink anyway?”

  “I didn’t think she had that much, did she?” Margaret asked.

  Helene’s empty place seemed to dominate the table. Her dessert plate still held the untouched apple turnover. The ice cream had melted and run over the edge of the plate onto the navy and white place mat. Next to the plate, two drained cocktail glasses loomed, and in the tall wine-glass only the stain of red wine remained.

  A strange hush settled on our table.

  Howard, Sara’s husband, slouched into his chair and casually slung his arm around the back of Sara’s. “Looks like we’re going to be here awhile.”

  Everyone at the table looked at Howard, and then followed his eyes to the starboard window. The night and bay were dark except for a troubling light that was converging upon us.

  “Oh good!” Margaret exclaimed. “That must be the hospital boat for Helene.”

  The craft nudged itself alongside us. Silence descended on the entire dining room as letters on the boat came into view: “SFPD.”

  ...Excerpt from MOTHERHOOD IS MURDER by Diana Orgain © 2010

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  About the Author

  Diana Orgain is the USA Today Bestselling author of the MATERNAL INSTINCTS MYSTERY SERIES: Bundle of Trouble, Motherhood is Murder, Formula for Murder, and Nursing a Grudge. She is the co-author of NY Times Bestselling Scrapbooking Mystery Series with Laura Childs. Diana’s new FOR LOVE OR MONEY SERIES is now available and as is her ROUNDUP CREW MYSTERY SERIES: Yappy Hour and Trigger Yappy. For a complete listing of books, as well as excerpts and contests, and to connect with Diana:

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  Other Titles by Diana Orgain

  In the Maternal Instincts Mystery Series

  Bundle of Trouble

  Motherhood is Murder

  Formula for Murder

  Nursing a Grudge

  In the iWitch Mystery Series

  A Witch Called Wanda

  I Wanda put a spell on you

  In the Love or Money Mystery Series

  A First Date with Death

  A Second Chance at Murder

  Third Time’s a Crime

  In the Roundup Crew Mystery Series

  Yappy Hour

  Trigger Yappy

  For a full and update list of Diana’s books visit her website at www.dianaorgain.com

  ALSO BY DIANA ORGAIN

  Have you read them all?

  In the iWitch Mystery Series

  A Witch Called Wanda

  Famous songwriter, Maeve O’Dare, left the drama of Hollywood -- and a broken heart – behind, eager for a fresh start in the small town of Wisteria Pines. As if by magic, she makes a new friend of the local town gossip, lands the perfect spot for her new café, Listen: It’s old Fashioned, and a stray dog named Wanda adopts her right off the bat.

  As Maeve hustles to prepare Listen for its grand opening, little does she know that Wanda will turn her world “tailside up”. The scruffy, bedraggled dog is actually the enchanted version of famous childhood sitcom star Chuck from the show “Jennie Loves Charlie”. He’s in desperate need of a powerful witch to help him break the curse that turned him from leading man into four-legged mutt. Sensing Maeve is just the one to do it, he must use some of his own enchanted powers to get Maeve to *listen* to hers.

  When murder and mayhem ensue, Maeve -- with a little magic and the help of and her new furry friend -- embark on an investigation to solve the crime. But will sniffing out the truth land Maeve in the doghouse? Or will she discover a handsome man hiding under all that dog hair who makes her want to sit up and beg?

  Don’t miss the first installment in USA Today Bestselling author Diane Orgain’s madcap cozy witch series, iWitch!

  Get A Witch Called Wanda Now

  I Wanda put a spell on you

  Maeve O’Dare’s fresh start in Wisteria Pines has gone to the dogs—one dog in particular that is. Wanda, the stray who adopted Maeve the first day she hit town, acts more human than canine and keeps distracting the former songwriter from her newly opened cafe, Listen: It’s old fashioned. After the mayor drops dead while eating at the cafe, and scandalous Hollywood tabloids suggest Maeve had something to do with her ex-boyfriend’s mysterious disappearance, Maeve finds herself at the top of the town’s suspect list.

  Wanda, aka famous actor Chuck Lowry, needs Maeve to break the curse that changed him from sexy leading man to scruffy, female dog. But the novice witch needs Magick For Dummies to help her navigate her fledgling powers and Chuck fears for his alpha-dog status. Especially when Maeve’s nose for trouble leads her into some hocus pocus that threatens them both.

  Determined to find out who’s behind all the trouble in the dog-eat-dog world of her not-so-perfect little town, Maeve ends up chasing her tail when Wanda is kidnapped. She’s lost her best friend, her business is threatened, and her reputation has gone up in smoke. Can a little magic save Wanda and keep Maeve out of jail? Or will she end up singing the small-town witchy blues?

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  In the Maternal Instincts Mystery Series

  Bundle of Trouble

  A body has been dredged from the San Francisco Bay. Kate Connelly, pregnant and ready to pop, has reason to fear it may be her long lost brother-in-law. Battling sleep deprivation, diaper blowouts and breast feeding mishaps she muddles through her own investigation, Mommy style:

  To do:

  Find Killer

  Figure out hideous breast pump.

  Avoid cranky cop.

  Send out Make birth announcements – need pink paper.

  FIND KILLER

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  Motherhood is Murder

  Nights out are hard to come by for new pare
nts. So when Kate’s new- mommy club, Roo & You, holds a dinner cruise, she and her husband leave baby Laurie with Kate’s mom and join the grown-ups for some fine dining on the San Francisco Bay.

  But when one of the cofounders of Roo & You takes a fatal spill down a staircase, the police department crashes the party. Suddenly every mom and her man has a motive. Kate’s on deck to solve the mystery- but a killer’s determined to make her rue the day she joined the first-time-mom’s club...

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  Formula for Murder

  Sleuth and first-time mom Kate Connolly and her baby are the victims of a hit-and-run, but escape unharmed. A witness identifies the car’s French diplomatic license plates, yet when Kate and her hubby try to get some answers, they get le cold shoulder.

  But there’s something going on at the French consulate that’s dirtier-and far deadlier-than any diaper.

  Get Formula for Murder Now

  Nursing a Grudge

  Bringing up baby

  Sleep deprivation, diaper blowouts, and breastfeeding mishaps are status quo for new mom Kate Connolly. But when she decides to turn private investigator in order to work from home, her To-Do List expands exponentially (1. Buy diapers. 2. Get back in shape. 3. Order lock pick set...)

  Bringing down a killer

  Her friend Jill’s boyfriend falls to his death under questionable circumstances. Juggling mommy duties and unorthodox investigation techniques, Kate must determine whether the scathing review Jill wrote about a local restaurant is connected to his untimely death...and whether the killer might strike again.

  Investigation, Mommy-style

  Kate races to solve the case before Vicente Domingo, the new, sexy PI in town swoops in and saves the day. He’s drop-dead gorgeous, but she’d like to tell him to drop dead for poaching her last client. As bodies pile up faster than dirty diapers, can Kate uncover the truth about what happened to Jill’s boyfriend between nap times, diaper changes, and playdates? Or will Become A Bonafide P.I be the last entry she makes on her To-Do List?

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  In the Love or Money Mystery Series

  A First Date with Death

  When brokenhearted Georgia Thornton goes looking for romance on reality TV, she has nothing to lose—apart from a good man, a cash prize, and maybe her life...

  What was she thinking? Sure, some cad ditched her at the altar, but can she really find love on TV? Her best friend—and producer of the reality show Love or Money—thinks so. Ten men. Ten adventure-filled dates. What can go wrong? For starters, a faulty bungee cord that hurls Georgia’s first date into a tragic spiral off the Golden Gate Bridge.

  He’s replaced by Paul Sanders, Georgia’s former fiancé. But the cop isn’t looking for a TV gig. Suspecting that the lover’s leap was no accident, Paul’s going undercover. When another bachelor gets a fatal kiss-off, the reality is that someone has killer new plans for the show—and for Georgia herself. Now, under the threat of permanent cancellation, Georgia fears that the only man on the set she can trust is the one man she just can’t count on...

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  A Second Chance at Murder

  After Love or Money made them reality TV stars, former cop Georgia Thornton and her new boyfriend Scott were supposed to live happily ever after. Unfortunately as their fifteen minutes of fame came to an end, actual reality kicked in and their prize money quickly evaporated.

  So Georgia and Scott agree to appear in a new program, pitting them against other teams in an athletic journey across the countryside of Spain for a chance to win $250,000. But the fierce competition turns frightening when Scott disappears during an overnight camping trip in the Pyrenees Mountains, leaving only his bloody wristwatch behind—and a woman’s dead body.

  With the Spanish authorities ready to convict Scott, Georgia must find him and prove his innocence in an amazing race against crime...

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  Third Time’s a Crime

  After two hit reality TV shows brought ex-detective Georgia Thornton into America’s living rooms, audiences can’t get enough of her quest for love and justice. Now producers have come up with an all-new show set in a haunted castle in Golden, California. Georgia and nine other contestants will need to solve the mystery of a young woman who disappeared at the castle in 1960.

  Except there’s one rather substantial problem waiting for everyone when they arrive: a groundskeeper is found drowned at the bottom of the castle’s empty pool. Now Georgia and the other contestants will need to work together, because there’s a different sort of game afoot—and it’s not one they can afford to lose...

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  In the Roundup Crew Mystery Series

  Yappy Hour

  Every Friday night in the idyllic seaside town of Pacific Cove, CA, the Roundup Crew, a group of dog-loving friends, meet at a neighborhood wine bar for Yappy Hour. When Rachel, the owner, mysteriously leaves town and asks her sister, Maggie (who is neither pet friendly nor business savvy), to run the bar in her absence, things get complicated fast. Maggie arrives to open up and finds a body sprawled on the floor, and even worse, an incriminating letter with Rachel's name on it nearby. On impulse, she hides the letter from the hunky detective, Officer Brad Brooks, who's dispatched to the scene.

  When Rachel is declared the top suspect by the police, Maggie decides to investigate on her own. She reopens the bar and gets to know the members of the Roundup Crew, including chief organizer Yolanda, who never goes anywhere without her signature strappy stilettos or her Chihuahua Beepo. Maggie juggles searching for clues, trying to locate Rachel, and serving up Doggie Daiquiris, Muttguaritas and homemade Arf D'Oeuvres—until another body turns up. The Roundup Crew must step in and save the bar, and it seems the only way to do that will be to solve the mystery and turn Maggie into a dog-lover.

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  Trigger Yappy

  Although still not quite a dog lover, Maggie Patterson meets with her new group of dog-loving friends for “Yappy Hour” every Friday night in the sleepy seaside town of Pacific Cove, CA. Both she and her sister Rachel have put the past murderous summer behind them, with Rachel even securing a headline feature for the Wine & Bark in the famous Doggie Day magazine. But when her sister comes down with a case of salmonella poisoning, Maggie is left to run the business in her absence. Even worse, Maggie overhears an argument between her friend Yolanda and Bonnie, who runs the Chic Chickie shop. Then poor Bonnie turns up dead.

  With evidence pilling up against Yolanda, the Roundup Crew is desperate to find the real killer and convince Maggie to investigate. With the help of charming detective Officer Brad Brooks, Maggie finds that everyone has a motive, even some of her beloved Roundup Crew friends. Maggie must put her new job as a purser on hold while she tracks down a murderer. Will Maggie’s investigation kill her budding romance with Officer Brooks? Sometimes getting to the truth is not for the faint of bark...er...heart. Between running the bar, managing her love life, and solving a murder in time for the editorial spread, things are about to get a little hairy in this laugh-out-loud cozy mystery.

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  The Vicente Domingo Intrigue Series

  Destruction

  Catching a cheating husband in the act should have been a routine case for Private Investigator Vicente Domingo. But not when the subject of his investigation is Howard Thrasher, a man with the money and power to destroy him. For Vicente's client, Anjie Thrasher, what should have been the perfect night—rain, a hot new Spanish lover, news that she is finally free of her prenup—ends in disaster. Now, Vicente must risk losing everything... before he loses his life.

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  Copyright © by Diana Orgain

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  This book is a work of fiction and any resemblance to persons, living or dead, or places, events or locales is purely coincidental. The characters are productions of the author’s imagination and used fictitiously.