by Molly Fitz
Sneak Peek: Retriever Ransom
My name is Angie Russo. I live in the Blueberry Bay region of Maine, and I can talk to animals. Thanks to this unique—but mostly secret—skill, I’ve taken to solving mysteries around town.
Usually my involvement happens because I have a tendency to wind up in the wrong place at the wrong time, but now I’ve also hung out my hat as a private investigator. And just because I don’t have any clients, that doesn’t mean I’m not good at what I do.
Or more accurately, that we’re not good at what we do.
Yeah, my cat is my business partner, and we also get help from my quirky nan, her sweet Chihuahua Paisley, my lawyer boyfriend Charles, and even the handful of animals that live near our property—most notably, Pringle the raccoon who lives in a luxury tree fort in our backyard and is a tad addicted to reality TV.
Nan and Charles can’t talk to the animals like I do.
In fact, I’ve never met another living soul who can, and I still don’t know why I was blessed with this particular ability. All I know is that I got zapped by a faulty coffee maker, knocked unconscious, and woke up with a talking cat on my chest.
At first, I could only understand that one cat, but over time, my powers grew stronger. Now I can understand most animals, but occasionally I do still find a dud.
That same crabby tabby, Octo-Cat, wound up with me after we worked together to solve the murder of his previous owner. He came with a generous trust fund, a large coastal manor, and an endless string of color commentary about my life.
He has a girlfriend, a former show Himalayan named Grizabella. Their relationship is long distance and mostly sustained through my Instagram account. It’s equal parts adorable, hilarious, and groan-inducing.
But, hey, a happy cat means a happy me.
And I have a lot to be happy about lately, especially since my bad luck often results in good outcomes. First there was the zap that gave me Octo-Cat, then Nan’s impulsiveness landed Paisley in our lives, but those are nothing compared to the fact that a huge family secret had recently been cracked wide open.
Mom and I found out that Nan hadn’t been completely honest about our family’s origins even though she’d had more than fifty years to come clean. And, well, as awful as that whole thing was to discover, it also meant we were able to connect with long-lost family in Georgia, and thus I found the sister I never had in my cousin Mags.
She came for a visit over the holidays and that went well…
Mostly.
She still doesn’t know my secret, but I think I’ll tell her next time we’re together. I probably should have told her before she returned home, but I was scared it would make her and the rest of our newfound family reject me.
I mean, did you believe me at first when I said I could talk to animals?
It’s totally crazy, but also totally true and totally a defining feature of my life—and I wouldn’t have it any other way.
That brings us to today.
We just celebrated the start of a new year. Normally I don’t make resolutions, but this time I decided to do whatever it takes to finally get Octo-Cat’s and my P.I. business off the ground. Even though we can easily live off his trust fund and Nan’s retirement, there’s a special brand of shame in having to be supported by your cat.
I mean, I have seven associate degrees.
At least one of those should be good for a job.
And a job is exactly what I’ll have to get if my business doesn’t take off this year. My boyfriend Charles said he’d welcome me back at the law firm anytime, and while I love him dearly, I always hated being a paralegal.
It doesn’t matter, though, because I will succeed at this P.I. thing.
I’m too stubborn not to.
Besides, I’d really hate to let down my cat…
“This is so exciting,” Nan trilled as we stood outside of city hall with a small crowd of other Glendalians to watch the incoming mayor get sworn into office.
Paisley barked merrily from within my grandmother’s arms.
Octo-Cat had requested to stay home, given his disdain for crowds, and that was a battle I hadn’t wanted to fight.
The mayor appeared at the top of the steps dressed in a fine navy suit with a light blue dress shirt and matching tie. At forty-seven, he was at least two decades younger than his predecessor. But while Mayor McHenry had been a family man, incoming mayor Dennison was a proud bachelor.
When asked about his singlehood by the press, he always said that his trusty golden retriever was more than enough family for him. Besides, less of a home life made it easier for him to give his full attention to making the humble town of Glendale the best it could be. Good answer, right?
As Dennison moved toward the podium now, a harsh boo rose from the crowd. Nan and I spun and saw a line of protestors holding signs that called for the new mayor to be ousted before he’d even fully taken up office.
“That’s in poor taste,” Nan hissed, shaking her head.
“Why does everyone hate him so much?” I whispered.
She shrugged. “Any time the party in office changes, somebody’s bound to be unhappy about it. The whole country’s a powder keg, so why not our town, too?”
I returned my gaze to Dennison, who stood stock-still with an unreadable expression. Poor guy. He’d won the election fair and square, yet he couldn’t even enjoy this pinnacle moment in his career.
“What’s going on, Mommy?” Paisley asked, wagging her tail in excitement, misreading the mood of the crowd.
I kissed her on the head and whispered, “Don’t worry about it.”
As much as I loved the optimistic little dog, explaining everything to her all the time often became exhausting—especially when we were in public and I couldn’t speak freely.
“People of Glendale,” the new mayor’s voice boomed despite the continuing sounds of protest. “Thank you for electing me to serve as your mayor.”
The boos and calls for him to resign grew louder.
Nan whooped and cheered beside me even though I knew for a fact she hadn’t voted for him. She smiled at me sheepishly. “Poor guy. Someone needs to encourage him.”
Now we both cheered.
Dennison’s eyes met mine, and he nodded subtly before continuing. “I promise to do everything in my power to make these next four years prosperous and safe for all of us. Thank you.”
He dipped his head, then disappeared back inside the building.
Octo-Cat would definitely be upset at having missed the drama of this day.
“Well, that was the shortest inauguration I’ve ever seen, and I’ve been to all of them since moving out here some forty years ago,” Nan mused.
“I’m sure it will be fine,” I mumbled. “People just need time to cool off after the election.”
“Yes, because of all of November and December and most of January obviously weren’t enough,” Nan responded after sucking air through her teeth.
We stood in place waiting for the crowd to disperse. Some of them did, but the protestors seemed to grow in number as they crept closer to the stairs outside city hall.
“Let’s get out of here,” Nan said, shaking her head sadly.
I couldn’t agree more.
Pre-order to save! RETRIEVER RANSOM is just $2.99 until it releases on January 15.
Get your copy here!
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What’s After That?
It's kittens for Octo-Cat when an orphaned litter shows up at our doorstep. And although the needy litter may be cute, the deadly mystery they bring with them is anything but.
Charles has been hinting at a big surprise he’s planned for our first Valentine’s Day together, but the arrival of the kittens quickly changes everything. Now he’s helping me figure out who put the babies on my porch and why their paws are covered in blood.
Meanwhile Octo-Cat is left to play babysitter to the unruly brood while we investigate, and he’s none too happy about it.
Right, so all we have to do is keep the kittens safe, solve their mystery, find forever homes for them, and try to find a way to salvage Valentine’s Day. That shouldn’t be too impossible…
Pre-order to save! LAWLESS LITTER is just $2.99 until it releases on February 20.
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More from Blueberry Bay
Welcome to Blueberry Bay, a scenic region of Maine peppered with quaint small towns and home to a shocking number of mysteries. If you loved this book, then make sure to check out its sister series from other talented Cozy Mystery authors…
Pet Whisperer P.I.
By Molly Fitz
Glendale is home to Blueberry Bay’s first ever talking cat detective. Along with his ragtag gang of human and animal helpers, Octo-Cat is determined to save the day… so long as it doesn’t interfere with his schedule. Start with book one, Kitty Confidential, which is now available to buy or borrow! Visit www.MollyMysteries.com for more.
Little Dog Diner
By Emmie Lyn
Misty Harbor boasts the best lobster rolls in all of Blueberry Bay. There’s another thing that’s always on the menu, too. Murder! Dani and her little terrier, Pip, have a knack for being in the wrong place at the wrong time… which often lands them smack in the middle of a fresh, new murder mystery and in the crosshairs of one cunning criminal after the next. Start with book one, Mixing Up Murder, which is now available to buy or borrow! Visit www.EmmieLynBooks.com for more.
Shelf Indulgence
By S.E. Babin
Dewdrop Springs is home to Tattered Pages, a popular bookshop specializing in rare editions, a grumpy Persian cat named Poppy, and some of the most suspicious characters you’ll ever meet. And poor Dakota Adair has just inherited it all. She’ll need to make peace with her new cat and use all her book smarts to catch a killer or she might be the next to wind up dead in the stacks. Start with book one, Hardback Homicide, which is now available to buy or borrow! Visit www.SEbabin.com for more.
Haunted Housekeeping
By R.A. Muth
Cooper's Cove is home to Blueberry Bay's premier estate cleaning service. Tori and Hazel, the ill-fated proprietors of Bubbles and Troubles, are prepared to uncover a few skeletons. But when a real one turns up, they'll have to solve the mystery quickly if they're going to save their reputations--and their lives. Book one, The Squeaky Clean Skeleton, will be coming soon. Keep an eye on www.QuirkyCozy.com for more.
The Cursed Cat of Caraway
By F.M. Storm
Quiet, secluded, and most importantly, far away from his annoying magical family, Guy couldn’t wait to start a new life on Caraway Island. Unfortunately, he hadn’t counted on his four-year-old daughter coming into her own witchy powers early… or on her accidentally murdering one of the PTO moms. Oops! Book one, The Kindergarten Coven, will be coming soon. Keep an eye on www.QuirkyCozy.com for more.
More Mags!
Mags McAllister enjoys her work as a candlestick maker in the historic district of Larkhaven, Georgia—never asking for anything more from her simple life. Then, one day, a white cat with mismatched eyes shows up outside her shop and refuses to leave—not for rain, not for tourists, not for anything.
Mags reluctantly takes him home, only to find that his presence changes everything inside her echoing plantation-style home. Nothing looks changed, but whenever Shadow is near, she can hear voices and sounds that shouldn’t be there. Even worse, the next time she enters her family’s candle shop, she meets a disembodied voice who shares her name and claims Mags will also share her fate if they can’t solve the mystery that’s haunted this location since 1781… and quickly, because she won’t be able to maintain her strength for long.
Talk about a cold case!
Can the twenty-first-century Mags finally free her eighteenth-century counterpart, or has Shadow just signed her death warrant by opening her ears to the supernatural secrets that surround her normally sleepy small town?
To be notified when SECRETS OF THE SPECTER (the first in Mags’s new series) goes live, make sure you sign up for Molly’s newsletter at mollymysteries.com/subscribe
You definitely don’t want to miss what happens next!
ABOUT MOLLY FITZ
While USA Today bestselling author Molly Fitz can't technically talk to animals, she and her doggie best friend, Sky Princess, have deep and very animated conversations as they navigate their days. Add to that, five more dogs, a snarky feline, comedian husband, and diva daughter, and you can pretty much imagine how life looks at the Casa de Fitz.
Molly lives in a house on a high hill in the Michigan woods and occasionally ventures out for good food, great coffee, or to meet new animal friends.
Writing her quirky, cozy animal mysteries is pretty much a dream come true, but she also goes by the name Melissa Storm (also a USA Today bestselling author, yay!) and writes a very different kind of story.
Learn more, grab the free app, or sign up for her newsletter at www.MollyMysteries.com!
MORE FROM MOLLY
If you’re ready to dive right in to more Pet Whisperer P.I., then you can even order the other books right now by clicking below:
Kitty Confidential
Terrier Transgressions
Hairless Harassment
Dog-Eared Delinquent
The Cat Caper
Chihuahua Conspiracy
Raccoon Racketeer
Himalayan Hazard
Hoppy Holiday Homicide
Retriever Ransom
Lawless Litter
Legal Seagull
Scheming Sphynx
Deer Duplicity
Persian Penalty
Grizzly Grievance
CONNECT WITH MOLLY
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