Opening a personal concierge agency gave Keri Armstrong a form of independence. But she’s also dependent on her wealthy clients, while running around town on their errands with no time for herself. MURDER PAYS A CALL to one of her clients, and she starts to learn that she doesn’t know the local people as well as she thought.
A party is planned to celebrate the eightieth birthday of retired antique shop mogul, Fiona Sullivan. Fiona doesn’t answer the door when Keri drops by her place. The elderly lady is lying dead upstairs, and her house is a mess. Keri phones the police and ambulance right away, then Fiona’s family.
Sunny Grove, Florida, is peaceful with some new businesses in need of web development, marketing and good ideas. Keri and her small team can handle that. She can also fetch groceries, make hotel and restaurant bookings, and organise party invitations. Fiona was active in a local charity and will be missed. While working, Keri starts collecting thoughts from the neighbours, relatives and friends for a memorial. Some people provide clues to the unexplained death and burglary. Some people turn out to have money issues and could benefit from the will. Even Keri is unexpectedly a beneficiary. She didn’t know, but couldn’t prove that. So, the police have a lot of suspects with a possible motive.
We start by meeting several clients of Keri and her A Friend in Need Agency. Gradually, the focus narrows in on those townsfolk who might be involved in Fiona’s death. Detective Jeff Saunders is in charge of the official investigation, but Keri, her friends Diane and Pam, and even the nutty lady across the road, Veronica, seem to know more than he does.
Nancy J. Cohen has built a detailed mystery with multiple strands of motive, personality and history. I think the business name A Friend In Need sounds more like a charity, but it reflects the attitude of the businesswoman that she’s there to make people’s lives easier, not just to make money. The author has previously written a mystery series called Bad Hair Day Mysteries about a hairdresser, and her new Keri Armstrong Cozy Mystery is a great start to a lively series. We can probably all learn to develop our talents just enough to be useful, without doing someone else’s job. Keri seems to have little time to relax, but that might change in less stressful seasons. I look forward to meeting her again.
Personal concierge Keri Armstrong will accept almost any job, but solving murders wasn\'t on her to-do list-until now.
When personal concierge Keri Armstrong swings by her favorite client\'s mansion to drop off groceries, she expects a heartfelt chat along with a cup of tea-not Fiona Sullivan dead in bed and her room ransacked. Though police chalk it up to a botched robbery, Keri isn\'t so sure. Whispers around town suggest Fiona wasn\'t as adored as Keri had believed, and many of the philanthropist\'s so-called friends in affluent Sunny Grove, Florida seem glad she\'s gone.
Keri refuses to let Fiona\'s memory be reduced to malicious gossip. Armed with a keen eye, insider access, and a fully charged tablet, she sets out to uncover the truth. Soon her file of suspects grows faster than her to-do list. Between sneaky neighbors, resentful relatives, and tight-lipped charity board members, Fiona left behind a trail of frenemies who\'d happily skip her memorial brunch.
As Keri digs deeper, she discovers her late mentor had a gift for extracting people\'s secrets and using them like fine china-carefully storing them until they could serve a purpose. But Fiona also kept a few skeletons in her own walk-in closet. Now, with danger creeping closer, Keri must race to crack the case before her number comes up next... and Murder Pays a Call.
\"Fans of award-winning author Nancy J. Cohen\'s long-running Bad Hair Day Mysteries will be thrilled to learn there\'s a new sleuth in town. Murder Pays a Call is the debut book in her Keri Armstrong Cozy Mystery Series featuring a personal concierge who adds solving murders to the services she offers her clients.\" - Lois Winston, author of the bestselling and award-winning Anastasia Pollack Crafting Mysteries
“There’s something else we need to talk about while I’ve got you,” Fiona said, lowering her voice. “But it’s not a discussion we can have on the phone.”
Fiona sounded so serious that a moment of panic engulfed her. “What is it? You’re not ill, are you?” She’d lost her mother three years ago. She couldn’t bear the thought of losing Fiona, too. Then she’d truly feel alone.
“No, I’m fine,” Fiona reassured her. “It’s just that … I fear I’ve made a terrible mistake. I need to tell you about it in person. You’re the only one I can trust.”
“Now I’m concerned. What kind of mistake?” Had Fiona offended someone in her social circle? Made a rude comment to the wrong person? That would be unlike her.
“We’ll discuss it tomorrow. Maybe I’m imagining things.” Yet her fearful tone told Keri that whatever she felt might have merit.
“O-kay. Should I come earlier?”
“No, no. I know you have a gazillion things to do this time of year. I wish I could still drive, but I can’t seem to find my way these days. I’m lucky to have you to help me.”
Keri’s heartstrings thrummed. If it were up to her, she wouldn’t even charge Fiona, but then Purdy would berate her for being too soft. “We’re lucky to have each other. Is there anything else I can get for you tomorrow, like your favorite chocolate croissant?”
Fiona laughed, but her voice lacked true mirth. “No, thanks. I have some apple strudel that we can eat with our tea. I’ll look forward to seeing you at ten o’clock.”
Keri rang off, curious as to what was on Fiona’s mind. She’d find out soon enough.
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